Lauryl
The Fly
Here it is, FINALLY, from the beginning of the chapter, for the sake of... being thorough 
. Enjoy!
*
Chapter 6: Miracle
*
The warm night air washed over Larry and Gwen as they stepped onto the street. Or rather, wobbled onto the street. They weren't drunk -of course not!- but Larry had that unmistakable swagger and Gwen had that special giggle that he was finding the cutest thing in the world. Perhaps they'd had a few more glasses of wine than they had planned, but that was the fun of it. They decided to start wandering and end up wherever they'd end up.
Larry drank in the surprisingly salty air with a sigh. "In Dublin, you can't even smell the beach even when you're standing in the water."
She laughed. "Are there beaches in Dublin?"
"No! What gave you that idea?"
There was that giggle again. "Did anyone ever tell you you walk like Bono when you're drunk?"
"Not drunk."
"You are too."
"There's no R."
She shook a finger at him. "Ya know, you need to stop being so negative all the time."
"Do not," he retorted playfully, a corner of his mouth twitching.
She stopped walking and stared at the dimple on his cheek by the light of a streetlight. "Larry?"
"Yeah?" He was smiling now, watching the way the wind wafted her curls into her face. She was probably going to tell him to go to hell, but as long as she wasn't leaving, yet...
"I like you."
His face broke into a grin. "Well that's a miracle," was the first thing that came to mind.
"You're right- my favourite scent in the world! How did you know that?"
"Pardon?"
"Miracle, by Lancome."
He blinked. "Oh. Is that the perfume you're wearing?"
"Yeah, see?" And she brushed her hair away from her throat, and craned her head to the side. She was inviting him to sniff her neck? She grinned invitingly, so he tentatively pulled her close and took a deep breath.
"Mmmmm," was his only reply as he couldn't resist pressing his lips to her smooth skin. She smelled so good. He spread kisses all the way up to her ear and then took her chin gently to look in her eyes. "I like you too."
She smiled dazzledly, her blue eyes sparkling more than he thought should be legal. He looked at her mouth. That sweet, rosy mouth that he realised he wanted to kiss more than anything in the world. He looked back to her eyes and found them closed, her eyelashes were splayed on her slightly freckled cheek.
Larry moved in, capturing that mouth in the sweetest kiss he'd ever had... He was smitten. Her lips parted and he was inside in an instant, his tongue meeting hers and entwining with it. Cars flew by and people brushed past but the only thing they were aware of was that kiss that left them gazing at each other with ragged breath.
"Wow," she said, touching her mouth as if to see if it were still there.
He took her fingers with the hand not on the side of her face, pulling them away from her lips so he could kiss her again. Then he kissed her fingers and held them as he propelled himself into the onslaught of people, keeping her close behind him.
"Where are we going?" She asked excitedly, clinging to his hand.
He threw a boyish grin at her as he led her into a pub. "We're not nearly drunk enough!"
*
Though it was dark by now, it seemed the city was just coming to life. Miranda was almost painfully aware of the warm hand enveloping hers, but she thought herself the luckiest person in the world. Not that she'd ever admit it. She allowed Bono to steer her up and down various streets as he related dramatic and amusing stories of his travels, which may or may not have been true.
They found themselves in the Ghirardelli Chocolate Manufactory, where he finally let go of her hand to buy them both bars of chocolate large enough to feed small countries. As they continued to walk, they automatically walked closer with their shoulders pressed together and their elbows bonking. With chocolate in her hands and Bono on her arm, Miranda thought she couldn't be more fortunate- until he stopped walking and she found them at the foot of a looming hotel. The Mark Hopkins, at that.
He smiled at her devilishly. "Have y' ever been to the Top of the Mark?"
"You're inviting me to your hotel?" Too many thoughts were whirling in her head.
He just smiled wider. "What, not fancy enough for you?" Laughing at her indignant snort, he moved closer- their foreheads were touching. "If you're not in the mood for a nightcap, I'm sure we could find SOMETHING to amuse ourselves. I do have a jacuzzi in my room..."
And oh, what images that brought to mind.
"Um," said Miranda intelligently.
He tilted his head and moved in for the kill.
*
"Are we drunk enough now?"
"I think so," hiccuped Larry.
Gwen tripped over a fire hydrant. "Sorry," she told it as she kept her balance by hanging on Larry.
He didn't seem to mind- he just took the chance to steal a kiss and said suddenly, "Hey, let's sing something!"
Gwen pouted somewhat. "Nah. I don't feel like singing."
"Why not?" Larry was never one to take hints.
"I can't sing." She tried to toe the ground, but ended up almost falling flat on her face.
He caught her, frowning. "That's no reason not to sing. Come on, I'll start; you pick the song."
She was still glum. "Oh, I doubt I know many songs you know. My taste in music is, um, weird."
This only intrigued him. "Try me."
"Well, I like new agey stuff, and a tiny bit of pop, but mostly oldies."
"Who's your favourite artist?"
"Promise you won't laugh?"
"I never laugh."
"I can believe that."
"What?"
"Elvis Presley."
Larry was beside himself with joy at this discovery and they stumbled down the street singing at the top of their lungs until Larry spotted a familiar back. A familiar hairstyle, to be exact. "Hey, isn't he that bloke from U2?"
Gwen hiccuped. "I think so. He looks familiar. But then again, so do you." She scratched her head, trying to figure out the logic of what she'd just said.
"Let's go get his autograph!"
*
Bono closed his eyes. He could taste the chocolate on her breath. After all this time, he was finally getting to kiss her...
Something like a small aircraft carrier hit him from behind. He had a horrible feeling of deja vu as he threw his arms around Miranda to try and break her fall. The next thing he knew, he was lying on something soft and under something just as warm but not as soft... the fu..?
"Hi, mate," an alchohol-laced voice slurred into his ear.
When Bono dared to open his eyes, he found Miranda's very lovely neck to his right, and a familiar hand to his left. //-I gave him that bracelet...-//
"Larry!"
The man in question grinned into the face that twisted into his blurry vision. "You're it."
"Gerroff, you." Bono couldn't help but chuckle as he barraged his friend with curses. Larry rolled off of them to sit at Gwen's feet, where she was laughing hysterically against a wall. It was then that it fully registered in Bono's traumatised mind that he was very much on top of Miranda. Between her legs. And he was enjoying this a little too much.
Before his gentlemanly instinct kicked in, his devious side inspired him to plant a quick kiss on the corner of her mouth before he leapt off of her. She was speechless as he helped her up, he was grinning, and Larry was clinging to Gwen's legs, both of them laughing their heads off.
Miranda shook her head ruefully at Bono, who sighed. "Let's get these two inside."
She nodded and dragged Larry to his feet. As they all stumbled into the lobby, it dawned on her that by some disaster or miracle Bono had gotten her to come into his hotel without having so much as ask her. She gulped and put a hand to her mouth, still feeling the buzz his gorgeous lips had left on it.
Sneaky bastard.
. Enjoy!*
Chapter 6: Miracle
*
The warm night air washed over Larry and Gwen as they stepped onto the street. Or rather, wobbled onto the street. They weren't drunk -of course not!- but Larry had that unmistakable swagger and Gwen had that special giggle that he was finding the cutest thing in the world. Perhaps they'd had a few more glasses of wine than they had planned, but that was the fun of it. They decided to start wandering and end up wherever they'd end up.
Larry drank in the surprisingly salty air with a sigh. "In Dublin, you can't even smell the beach even when you're standing in the water."
She laughed. "Are there beaches in Dublin?"
"No! What gave you that idea?"
There was that giggle again. "Did anyone ever tell you you walk like Bono when you're drunk?"
"Not drunk."
"You are too."
"There's no R."
She shook a finger at him. "Ya know, you need to stop being so negative all the time."
"Do not," he retorted playfully, a corner of his mouth twitching.
She stopped walking and stared at the dimple on his cheek by the light of a streetlight. "Larry?"
"Yeah?" He was smiling now, watching the way the wind wafted her curls into her face. She was probably going to tell him to go to hell, but as long as she wasn't leaving, yet...
"I like you."
His face broke into a grin. "Well that's a miracle," was the first thing that came to mind.
"You're right- my favourite scent in the world! How did you know that?"
"Pardon?"
"Miracle, by Lancome."
He blinked. "Oh. Is that the perfume you're wearing?"
"Yeah, see?" And she brushed her hair away from her throat, and craned her head to the side. She was inviting him to sniff her neck? She grinned invitingly, so he tentatively pulled her close and took a deep breath.
"Mmmmm," was his only reply as he couldn't resist pressing his lips to her smooth skin. She smelled so good. He spread kisses all the way up to her ear and then took her chin gently to look in her eyes. "I like you too."
She smiled dazzledly, her blue eyes sparkling more than he thought should be legal. He looked at her mouth. That sweet, rosy mouth that he realised he wanted to kiss more than anything in the world. He looked back to her eyes and found them closed, her eyelashes were splayed on her slightly freckled cheek.
Larry moved in, capturing that mouth in the sweetest kiss he'd ever had... He was smitten. Her lips parted and he was inside in an instant, his tongue meeting hers and entwining with it. Cars flew by and people brushed past but the only thing they were aware of was that kiss that left them gazing at each other with ragged breath.
"Wow," she said, touching her mouth as if to see if it were still there.
He took her fingers with the hand not on the side of her face, pulling them away from her lips so he could kiss her again. Then he kissed her fingers and held them as he propelled himself into the onslaught of people, keeping her close behind him.
"Where are we going?" She asked excitedly, clinging to his hand.
He threw a boyish grin at her as he led her into a pub. "We're not nearly drunk enough!"
*
Though it was dark by now, it seemed the city was just coming to life. Miranda was almost painfully aware of the warm hand enveloping hers, but she thought herself the luckiest person in the world. Not that she'd ever admit it. She allowed Bono to steer her up and down various streets as he related dramatic and amusing stories of his travels, which may or may not have been true.
They found themselves in the Ghirardelli Chocolate Manufactory, where he finally let go of her hand to buy them both bars of chocolate large enough to feed small countries. As they continued to walk, they automatically walked closer with their shoulders pressed together and their elbows bonking. With chocolate in her hands and Bono on her arm, Miranda thought she couldn't be more fortunate- until he stopped walking and she found them at the foot of a looming hotel. The Mark Hopkins, at that.
He smiled at her devilishly. "Have y' ever been to the Top of the Mark?"
"You're inviting me to your hotel?" Too many thoughts were whirling in her head.
He just smiled wider. "What, not fancy enough for you?" Laughing at her indignant snort, he moved closer- their foreheads were touching. "If you're not in the mood for a nightcap, I'm sure we could find SOMETHING to amuse ourselves. I do have a jacuzzi in my room..."
And oh, what images that brought to mind.
"Um," said Miranda intelligently.
He tilted his head and moved in for the kill.
*
"Are we drunk enough now?"
"I think so," hiccuped Larry.
Gwen tripped over a fire hydrant. "Sorry," she told it as she kept her balance by hanging on Larry.
He didn't seem to mind- he just took the chance to steal a kiss and said suddenly, "Hey, let's sing something!"
Gwen pouted somewhat. "Nah. I don't feel like singing."
"Why not?" Larry was never one to take hints.
"I can't sing." She tried to toe the ground, but ended up almost falling flat on her face.
He caught her, frowning. "That's no reason not to sing. Come on, I'll start; you pick the song."
She was still glum. "Oh, I doubt I know many songs you know. My taste in music is, um, weird."
This only intrigued him. "Try me."
"Well, I like new agey stuff, and a tiny bit of pop, but mostly oldies."
"Who's your favourite artist?"
"Promise you won't laugh?"
"I never laugh."
"I can believe that."
"What?"
"Elvis Presley."
Larry was beside himself with joy at this discovery and they stumbled down the street singing at the top of their lungs until Larry spotted a familiar back. A familiar hairstyle, to be exact. "Hey, isn't he that bloke from U2?"
Gwen hiccuped. "I think so. He looks familiar. But then again, so do you." She scratched her head, trying to figure out the logic of what she'd just said.
"Let's go get his autograph!"
*
Bono closed his eyes. He could taste the chocolate on her breath. After all this time, he was finally getting to kiss her...
Something like a small aircraft carrier hit him from behind. He had a horrible feeling of deja vu as he threw his arms around Miranda to try and break her fall. The next thing he knew, he was lying on something soft and under something just as warm but not as soft... the fu..?
"Hi, mate," an alchohol-laced voice slurred into his ear.
When Bono dared to open his eyes, he found Miranda's very lovely neck to his right, and a familiar hand to his left. //-I gave him that bracelet...-//
"Larry!"
The man in question grinned into the face that twisted into his blurry vision. "You're it."
"Gerroff, you." Bono couldn't help but chuckle as he barraged his friend with curses. Larry rolled off of them to sit at Gwen's feet, where she was laughing hysterically against a wall. It was then that it fully registered in Bono's traumatised mind that he was very much on top of Miranda. Between her legs. And he was enjoying this a little too much.
Before his gentlemanly instinct kicked in, his devious side inspired him to plant a quick kiss on the corner of her mouth before he leapt off of her. She was speechless as he helped her up, he was grinning, and Larry was clinging to Gwen's legs, both of them laughing their heads off.
Miranda shook her head ruefully at Bono, who sighed. "Let's get these two inside."
She nodded and dragged Larry to his feet. As they all stumbled into the lobby, it dawned on her that by some disaster or miracle Bono had gotten her to come into his hotel without having so much as ask her. She gulped and put a hand to her mouth, still feeling the buzz his gorgeous lips had left on it.
Sneaky bastard.
Great story!! 
