Morning After (TLH-Verse; locked to lighteningcount)

[luvs_yogurt]

For the first time in a weeks, Michael slept... not only his typical half-waking snooze, but the sort of disgusting, drooling deep sleep he was only capable of with a sufficiently high blood alcohol level and an orgasm. He woke slowly, letting the previous night's events come back to him with a crushing accuracy. He'd gotten drunk, been a little bit of an idiot, floored an asshole... and somehow everything had ended up all right with whatever the hell was going on with the younger man that had apparently tumbled into his life unexpectedly.

Stretching his aching arms in the large bed, he only found cool silk each direction. Experimentally, he struck out blindly with his legs - still nothing. The headache was mild, but his mouth felt like he'd been chewing wool all night. Apparently he'd slept harder and longer than he'd actually intended to. "Zechs?" He asked quietly, not yet ready to open his eyes. "You here?"

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[lighteningcount.livejournal.com]

The blonde had woken up two hours earlier. He'd spent the first hour running, to shake off any last remaints of the alcohol from the previous night. He had come back to the room, to find Michael still asleep. So he had gotten in the shower.

"Hm? Yes." He said poking his head out from the bathroom door. A long soak and then a quick shower to wash his hair. Zechs stepped out of the bathroom, his wet hair tied up in a bun, a towel around his waist. "I see you're awake..."

[luvs-yogurt.livejournal.com]

"Mmm... technically." He groaned, stretching his arms and then his legs - arching his back up from the bed - and then curling back up on his side with his face buried partially in a pillow. "Come lay with me?"

[lighteningcount.livejournal.com]

"Do you need something for your headache?" He asked walking over to the bed. Zechs grabbed a bottle of aspirin and then a water bottle, just in case Michael needed them. He set both on the nightstand and then sat on the bed.

"My hair's still wet."

[luvs-yogurt.livejournal.com]

"Mmm, just water." He managed his eyes halfway open, wiggling to where Zechs sat. "Gimme a few minutes to pull it together and we can go find a place with some food here."

A sleep grin crossed his lips as he looked up at the younger man. "Sound good?"

[lighteningcount.livejournal.com]

"Sounds good." He said before stroking Michael's hair getnly. Zechs smiled at him, feeling rather happy at the moment. It was nice to have someone.

He leaned in and kissed his head. "I brought aspirin and water."

[luvs-yogurt.livejournal.com]

Even better to have someone he'd come to care a good deal for.

"Mmm. Perfect." His smile spread and he managed to pull himself up with Zechs' shoulder, leaning against him as he retrieved said remedies - downing half the bottled water in a couple large swallows. "I've got to remember to stick to wine and beer."

[lighteningcount.livejournal.com]

"What were you drinking?" He asked, "Tequila, right?"

The blonde kissed him gently. "You need to shower."

[luvs-yogurt.livejournal.com]

Michael grunted and half nodded; "Mmm, can probably smell it on me." He let out half-laugh. "Good for killing brain cells and stripping floors. Not much else."

Accepting the kiss, and then swiping another, he gave in and shambled up to his feet and across the room towards the shower. "I won't take long."

[lighteningcount.livejournal.com]

Zechs chuckled. "I'll get dressed then." He watched Michael go. He then got up and went to the dresser to pick out his clothes for that day. Something easy and simple. If he knew Michael, they might not spend much time eating.

He didn't mind.

[luvs-yogurt.livejournal.com]

Refreshed and feeling a good deal better, Michael emerged from the bathroom dressed save for his loafers in jeans and an unfamiliar button-down the hotel had provided. "Any ideas where you would like to go?"

He made quick work of slipping on his shoes, and then casually put on his shades.

[lighteningcount.livejournal.com]

He was pulling a button down over the red tank-top he wore. His hair was loose around him, still drying. "Pizza?" He suggested, "Anything really."

This place didn't have what he was used to, but as a sldier you learned to eat anything and deal with ir. So he had learned to deal with it here.

"Feel better?" Zechs asked as he got his shoes on.

[luvs-yogurt.livejournal.com]

"Much." He nodded and took his lover by the arm, leading the way to a random bistro he'd found in his wandering of the expansive hotel - even in the late morning the sound and scent of sex lingered in the corridors.

After several minutes of casual companionship, he said; "Thank you, for everthing last night."

[lighteningcount.livejournal.com]

"You're welcome." He answered leaning against him, "It's what friends do for one another."

Zechs wasn't sure if they were just friends anymore. But it was easier to say than 'we're close, but I don't know what we are.'

[luvs-yogurt.livejournal.com]

Michael's hand traced down the back of Zechs' arm, his fingers lingering against the younger man's palm as they walked. "I guess we're beyond that now." He spoke in a near whisper; "You know who I am, that means you are at minimum family."

That was a fresh thought, Zechs meeting his unbalanced crew. Shaking it off, he added; "Not that it has to have a definition." Most of his relationships ran that line; not friends, lovers, romantic partners... Somewhere in the middle of all of that.

[lighteningcount.livejournal.com]

"Yes... I suppose it does. And you know who I am. There are people back home who would pay handsomely for the knowledge of who I am, if just to wipe out the last Peacecraft..."

Zechs moved his hand and captured Michael's. He gave it a gentle squeeze. "We don't need to define or name this. We're both comfortable with one another, and that's what matters."

[luvs-yogurt.livejournal.com]

He's not the only one worth the trouble, unfortunately.

The gentle squeeze of his hand unnerves him at first, and then comforts him. "Sounds good." Not quite prepared for the affectionate gesture, he let his hand slip out of Zechs' and led him in the doors and to a back table at the busy bistro. For late morning, the place was already buzzing with activity and it took several minutes to even get the table.

"I've only been here one other time, but the food wasn't bad." Michael stares down at the menu from behind his sunglasses, his small talk somewhat ineffectual. "I guess it's all food, though, right? Beats MREs and bad water."

[lighteningcount.livejournal.com]

He didn't say anything as Michael pulled his hand away. There was no need to. The blonde sat down, smoothing down his clothes and tossing his loose hair over his shoulder.

Now he remembered why he didn't wear it loose very often. It got in the damn way. He looked at Michael for a moment and smiled. Zechs then focused back on his menu, ice blue eyes scanning the words. "Anything beats water and MREs, I will admit that right now."

[luvs-yogurt.livejournal.com]

Michael laughed and nodded, folding over the menu and handing it to the staffer that came for their order. It was simple enough, some fruit and yogurt to make it through what passed for a morning after the night he'd had.

Watching his partner casually, he couldn't help but smile.

[lighteningcount.livejournal.com]

He handed the menu to the waiter with a smile. His sister once told him that when he smiled, it was like all his problems vanished. Maybe it was true.

He ordered just a cesar salad, something light and something he could keep down after the night of drinking, awkward sex and an overload of emotions.

"What?"

[luvs-yogurt.livejournal.com]

Michael shook his head innocently and licked his lower lip. "Just thinking."

He let out a light chuckle, "You look uncomfortable."

[lighteningcount.livejournal.com]

"I'm not uncomfortable." He replied with a smile, "Just thinking... We both really made fools of ourselves last night didn't we?"

The blonde chuckled softly. "Too much alcohol and not enough food. Or common sense."

[luvs-yogurt.livejournal.com]

Nodding slowly, Michael couldn't help but agree. He'd certainly made an ass of himself. "Yeah, well I find booze and common sense rarely go hand in hand."

He sipped at a fresh glass of ice water and added; "Turned out okay, though - didn't it?"

[lighteningcount.livejournal.com]

Zechs chuckled at that. "It did. It really did." He smiled at him and rhen pulled his long hair over his shoulder and began to losely braid it.

"So, what should we do today?"

[luvs-yogurt.livejournal.com]

Michael watched him, almost hypnotized by the intriguing weave of the man's hands braiding the thick blond hair. "Mmm, I'm sure something will come up, always does."

He raised an eyebrow over the frame of his sunglasses and added quietly; "We could always go back to your room and find new ways to destroy the sheets."

[lighteningcount.livejournal.com]

He chuckled at that. "Can you wait until we get back?" He asked with a smirk.