Special
Part 4
by 0083
- The Third Encounter -
The coffee shop was an unassuming affair, just your
regular twenty four hour shop with a disgruntled
waitress and really awful coffee. It’s rather
interesting, really, that I’m at a completely
innocuous space with a very.. not so innocuous
person.
Heero, he had said. That was his name, but besides
that and the fact that he was definitely gorgeous, I
knew nothing about this guy. After his invitation for
coffee, we had walked to a nearby coffee house without
passing another word to each other and had sat down.
Now, half an hour and a cup of coffee later, we still
hadn’t said anything. That includes me – I’ve not
said a damn thing. And I was supposed to be
questioning him, finding out about him so that I could
get a decent night’s rest.
Instead, it’s nearing three in the morning and I have
clammed up like my lips had been crazy glued. No
talking, so that meant that we just stared at each
other. I assessed him and I’m sure he was doing the
same to me. In the brighter light of the coffee
house, I could see more of him and judge his outer
appearance much better.
He was definitely a good looking guy. Have I
mentioned that already? Blue eyes the color of which
I cannot quite define.. sharp, angular features.. a
very toned body from what I see through his neutral
beige shirt and khaki pants.. even though I was still
unsure about my attraction to him, at least I could
admit that I had good taste. Minutes kept passing by
and I could not open my mouth to ask him the questions
that I had planned so carefully. It seemed that he
was not about to indulge me by telling me about
himself either. The first lesson any attorney learns
is that when there is nothing to talk about, one must
still talk.
If anything, I can do that.
“So.. you want to know my name or what?”
Perhaps that was not the best of openings of mine, but
at least I had made a sentence. For some reason, it
had disturbed me that he had not insisted on knowing
my name as soon as he had introduced himself. Manners
dictate that there must be an exchange of names for
introductions to be complete and he hand not prompted
that of me. It is true that I had not volunteered it
like he had his name, but still, that justifies
nothing.
In case you didn’t know, I’m babbling.
Back to conversation at hand. Heero’s face did this
funny quirk when I asked him the question. He seemed
to find it somewhat amusing, I suppose, since I had
sounded a bit petulant. Even at my age, I can manage
to sound like a child it seems.
“Should I want to know your name?”
The amusement was definitely present in his not very
illuminating response, but I did not mind as much as I
thought I would. It had been accompanied by this
amazing smile so I could let the slight slide. I seem
to let many things slide with him and I have known him
for less than an hour. Strange, I know.
“You should since you invited me out for coffee and
all.”
He smiled again. The slight tilting at the corners,
no teeth, lips thinning just a tad. It was amazing
how a smile, a single smile, could make me feel like I
could become a mellow puddle at his feet. At this
guy’s feet. Guy.
Hence, my current problem and quest to find out what
this attraction is all about.
Heero, however, did not seem to be struggling with my
dilemma. He’s enjoying my confusion and attempts at
conversation. I’m amusing him. I am not sure whether
I should be flattered or annoyed.
“True,” Heero deigned to reply, “so, what is your
name?”
He asked, I should answer. But I suddenly had an urge
to let him dangle, to let him wonder about something
as simple as my given name. If I was having this
conversation with a girl, we would be flirting
outrageously and touching indecently. Unfortunately,
this was a man before me and he seemed to be flirting
with me when I had no such intentions.
At least, I hope I didn’t.
“Don’t feel like telling me your name?”
He sounded mildly disappointed, but I don’t know him
that well so I could not just judge his tone.
However, it did seem to me that his smile notched down
several degrees and his eyes lost a bit of interest.
I supposed he thought I was just a tease, which I am
by the way since I was a well known player, but for
some reason, it did not sit well with me in this
instance.
“It’s not that,” I tried to explain which I had never
done, “it’s just that well.. I’m not used to.. what
I mean is.. oh hell, I’m Duo.”
His smile comes back full force and I am glad that it
has. I smile back tentatively, not quite so brightly
so that he does not get the wrong idea, but I’m pretty
sure that it’s a friendly smile, neither flirty nor
formal. I hope he gets the idea that I will not,
under any circumstance, go back to his place with him.
“Nice to meet you, Duo. So..”
And here it comes. The inevitable ‘get to know you’
spiel. I should know, I have done it a million times
and never have paid attention to the answer. The
question would range anywhere from ‘what do you do for
a living’ to ‘what is your favorite color.’ Mundane
stuff to make small talk until we jump into the sack.
Heero here is gearing up to do the small talk so
requisite in one night stands. It is rather too bad
that there will be no sex after all his work at making
conversation since after I’m done talking to him, I
will be going home alone to ponder my new information.
“So,” Heero continues through my thought processes,
“I’m not sure why you’re here with me.”
That was not expected, but I can think quickly on my
feet.
“You invited me for coffee.”
“Yes, I know,” he says, casually waving his right hand
in a dismissive gesture, “but you should not have
wanted to come. You don’t seem to be the type to go
for a guy.”
To say that I was surprised would be a tiny
understatement. That was just too unexpected for me
to say anything intelligent , so I opted for the
puzzled look instead of a response.
“What I’m saying is,” he goes on, completely ignoring
my confused face, “that you won’t be sleeping with me
tonight.”
Well, I did say that I liked straight forward, but
this is a bit too much, even for me. He had read my
mind like the proverbial prophet, right down to the
last bit. I wonder if I let him continue to talk
while I get dumbfounded more by the passing moment, if
he will tell me what my motives were for coming out
with him.
Of course, he did not disappoint me.
“You have questions for me, I think. So, what are
they?”
He said it so damned casually, as if this is the type
of conversation he has with every guy he invites out
to a coffee house. I was once again speechless
because I had come out tonight with the purpose of
dissecting him, but had somehow lost control of the
situation.
“You’re very observant, aren’t you.”
It was more accusatory than anything, but I could not
help it. Usually, it is I who notices things before
others and takes advantage. Yet, here I was, sitting
across from my dilemma, steadily losing ground.
“I’ve been told that, yes.” Heero answered with yet
another quirk of his lips. “And I think you wouldn’t
be so annoyed if I had acted clueless about your
intentions.”
Whoever this Heero was, he certainly did know how to
make a guy like me squirm. It was as if he had set me
down on an interrogation table and turned the harsh
light at me. Actually, I suppose that was what he was
doing since his eyes are quite.. sharp.
“Okay, fine,” I concede with little grace, “I’m just
here so I can find out who you are.”
It was not the whole truth, but it was not a lie. I
am quite the talent for twisting words into truths
without fully revealing the whole meaning.
“You are more than welcome to find out about me. But
I think you’re uncomfortable that you’re attracted to
me.”
I can feel my left eye twitch and that only happens
when I am truly annoyed. He read me like an open
book, from my motives to my unwanted attraction to
him. All in a space of less than an hour. I got the
feeling that he could be laughing at me, but something
deep in my heart told me that he was not the type to
poke fun at strangers.
“What gave you that idea?”
It is imperative at this stage of the interview that I
maintain some semblance of control and dignity. I
will not let Heero know that he had read me correctly,
for to admit it would be to lose the argument. Never
concede, not even when you must.
“Well,” Heero drawled out, “I don’t know. It seemed
to me that you ran away a little too quickly last
night. And you have been staring for the last half
hour at me. Am I wrong?”
How am I supposed to answer that without losing what
is left of my tattered dignity? He has my eyes held
tightly with his gaze right now, his blues staring
straight into my undoubtedly shocked violets. Then I
feel anger rising – he must be toying with me. Yes, I
did run away last night, but who in their decency
points that out so damn bluntly? And sure, I have
been staring, but he had been staring right back.
“Forget it.”
I growled that out without my usual charm and got up
from the table. I put down what I hoped was enough
money to cover that horrid coffee I had drank and
grabbed my coat. I had a sense of dignity, damn it
and I did not need to sit and listen to the gorgeous
but rude Heero mock me.
I ignored him pretty thoroughly as I walked passed him
to the door, opening it with a little more force than
I should have. What had I been thinking? So I was
attracted to a guy. What possessed me to seek him
out? What had I expected, that he’d tell me that the
attraction was normal, that it was a part of who I was
to find men pretty, that what? What the hell had I
been searching for?
Of course, that’s when I realized that I had no
earthly clue as to why talking to Heero would have
solved any of my problems. He did not have the
answers as to why I reacted to him the way I had. He
definitely could not tell me what my sexuality was. I
must say I have been an idiot.
I walked at a brusque pace through the nearly deserted
streets, hurrying towards my apartment for some peace
of mind. I had not accomplished anything with my
impromptu mission for this night, but that was not a
problem. I could most definitely solve this problem
without Heero’s help. Maybe it was time that I talked
to Quatre and Trowa about my newly found confusion.
I was so caught up in my seething self reprimands
about the idiocy of the plan that when a hand grabbed
my arm, I turned with my fist raised in automatic
reflex to deck whoever it was that had dared to put
their hand on me. Then I saw who it was that had
stopped me and my fist lowered a fraction of an inch.
“What do you want, now? Want to make fun of me some
more?”
At my miffed tone, Heero merely smiled. You know, the
one that made me feel like a gooey puddle. Even as
annoyed as I was at him, it still made something
inside of me go soft and weak and I got angrier.
“Wanna let go of me before I deck you?”
It was not an empty threat. I am prone to violence
once in a while when pushed to the limits and I know
the law well so I can do what I wish without crossing
the line. Heero must have caught on to the serious
nature of my remark for he did let go.
But then he grabbed my hand, uncurled my fist and
shoved a piece of paper in it.
“That’s my phone number. Call me, Duo. I think we
have potential.”
Then he walked off, leaving me to stare at him dumbly.
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