Lauryl
The Fly
Chapter 4: Only A Matter Of Time
*
The sunset drew them out before they got completely knackered, and they made their way down to the beach. Adam sat on the sand and lit up, also providing a light for Miranda who'd dropped down beside him. A jazz band was playing somewhere in the distance and Bono was doing some sort of jig.
"He's such a show-off," laughed Miranda as she watched him almost lose his balance.
Adam agreed, laughing silently. "The funny thing is," he said around his cigarette. "The funny thing is that he'd still be dancing around like that if he were the only person on earth."
"Who?" Said Larry, coming up to put his and Gwen's shoes next to Adam, who seemed to be everyone's center of gravity.
"Bono," replied Miranda fondly. "He looks like a twelve-year-old."
Bono's voice carried up to them as Larry and Gwen went to walk by the water. "Come dance with me!"
Miranda looked behind her. "Who?"
Bono laughed. "Adam! No. You, sugar."
"Ok," she laughed as Adam wondered whether throwing a shoe at Bono would be worth the effort. Miranda put out her smoke and went to join him.
"I don't really know how to dance," she said suddenly.
He took her hand and snaked his other arm around her waist, pulling her close with a small smile. "Me neither."
*
"You do TOO know how to dance," chided Miranda. "You haven't stepped on my toes at all, and I..."
Bono's slightly scratchy cheek was against hers and he was murmuring in her ear. It might have been nonsense, it might have been a confession of love, or it might have been the United States Constitution for all she was paying attention to his words. His lips were brushing against her ear sending electrifying sensations everywhere. His entire body, strong and warm as his voice, was pressed against hers and they were barely moving now.
Did he know what he was doing to her? Dumb question. Why else would he be this close if not to get her into bed. But she couldn't think about that because his whispers were becoming less slurred. Her eyes fluttered closed and she wished more than anything in the world that he really meant what he was saying.
"You look just like an angel tonight, Miranda Taylor. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen and you don't know it. I want to show you just how much I've fallen for you..."
"You're drunk, Bono," she interrupted, unable to take any more.
"Maybe so... maybe so." He was staring at her lips now, invading her senses. "But you're still beautiful."
Their lips were touching now, in a soft almost-kiss. He was whispering again, moving his mouth over hers tantalisingly. She could taste a hint of the wine lingering on his breath. They were as close as Miranda had ever been to anyone and he seemed to be moving closer yet.
The next thing she knew they were on the ground, and his broad shoulders were pinning her into the sand. But he was absolutely still. She shook him.
"Bono? It's not funny. BONO!"
Larry was the first to get there. Bono was eased off of her and rolled onto his back, where Edge took his pulse.
"He's still alive."
"Reckless git."
"If he keeps doing that he's gonna kill himself."
"Doing WHAT?" Miranda cut in, gobsmacked.
Adam noticed her. "Probably drank too much of that wine. He has allergies... bit of rest and he'll be as good as new."
"Edge, help me pick him up," said Larry.
Gwen spoke up. "I've got a sofa he can crash on."
Larry nodded his thanks. "That would be great!"
*
Bono woke up in a dim room and groaned. He rolled over, almost falling off of his unexpectedly small bed, but a pair of hands caught him just in time. He looked up the arms and into a pair of concerned brown eyes.
"Good morning."
"Hi, Miranda..." He rubbed his eyes and looked around him. "Where am I?"
"You're in Gwen's spare bedroom."
He regarded her oddly. She noticed his confusion and began babbling. "I'm here because I'm, uh, making sure you're ok. The sofa bed isn't as comfortable as it looks and I promised Edge I'd keep an eye on you anyway, and I saw you about to fall out of bed I jumped up and grabbed you. You, you drank some wine last night you were allergic to, if you remember... what DO you remember?"
Bono lay back and squinted at the ceiling. "Your leg."
"You remember my leg?"
"Yeah! Something about your thigh." He giggled. "And the smell of saltwater, and the shirt you wore and 'he' killing you if you ever left and... a margarita."
"I had a margarita."
He propped himself up on an elbow. "Why would I be tasting your drink? I don't even like margaritas."
She suddenly felt very uncomfortable. The blankets had fallen halfway down his chest, which, she was both horrified and thrilled to discover, was bare. His hair was falling in his face. And his bright blue eyes were boring into her, with a piercing expression that wasn't unpleasant. The same thought was running through both of their minds... //-kissing-//... and his look asked her "Do you want to pick up where we left off?"
She did. Oh God, she wanted to pounce on him right there and ravish him right in the middle of Gwen's guest bedroom. He didn't want her to do that... did he? Was it the drink speaking the night before? He'd thrown the ball in her court, she didn't know how to throw it back, and the tension could've been cut with a knife.
Miranda finally broke his gaze.
He leaned back on the bed.
The blanket slid downwards another half-inch and she forced herself to keep her eyes on her feet, the window, the painting on the wall...
"Y..." She coughed and the frog left her throat. "You want breakfast?"
*
Bono waltzed into the hotel with a smile on his face.
"Uh oh..." laughed Edge.
"What?"
Larry made cut-throat motions from his vantage point behind Edge.
Adam smirked too knowingly. "What happened this morning?"
Bono frowned. They thought they knew everything... "She cooked me breakfast!"
"And?"
"Belgian waffles." He crossed his arms.
"Anything else?"
"With fruit!"
"You know what I mean."
"No!"
Adam //harrumphed// and went back to his newspaper.
Bono now had the sinking feeling of losing his audience. "She gave me her number..."
Larry waved a piece of paper with a number on it- Gwen had given their number to him already.
"Well, she... looked at me. Like, you know, the way that... fine. Way to ruin a guy's fun."
"It's only a matter of time," Edge giggled.
The bedroom door practically slammed shut behind Bono.
*
A bathrobe-clad Gwen sailed into the kitchen with a towel around her head. "Mornin! Sleep well?"
"Eh." Miranda stirred her coffee.
Gwen started shoveling through cupboards. "It was nice of you to take the sofa."
Miranda laughed, hard. "How often do you get the chance to give up your bed for BONO?"
"You really adore him, don't you." Gwen smiled over her shoulder.
"Duh. And hey, I found your waffle-maker, there's a few waffles in the fridge for you."
"Oh, thanks. I knew I keep you around for something!"
Miranda giggled. "So what about you and Larry? You looked like you were having a blast."
Gwen was at the kitchen table in an instant, leaning over it as if she couldn't risk being overheard. "He took my hand, Miranda. How often to you get to walk barefoot on the beach, at sunset, holding hands?" She was grinning radiantly and a curl slipped out of the towel.
Miranda brushed the lock of hair back, smiling. "I really think he likes you. He didn't break your gaze the entire night."
"You and Bono- were you guys doing what I thought you were doing?"
Miranda laughed harshly. "No, he passed out and then fell over on me."
Gwen wiggled her eyebrows. "Bet you liked that."
Miranda's feathers were suddenly ruffled. "No!"
"No?"
"Come on, he was unconscious. I thought he'd died or something."
Gwen smirked and shook her finger at her. "It's only a matter of time."
"What's that supposed to mean?" grumbled Miranda, but Gwen was digging in the refrigerator again and pointedly not hearing her.
*
There we go... More tomorrow
*
The sunset drew them out before they got completely knackered, and they made their way down to the beach. Adam sat on the sand and lit up, also providing a light for Miranda who'd dropped down beside him. A jazz band was playing somewhere in the distance and Bono was doing some sort of jig.
"He's such a show-off," laughed Miranda as she watched him almost lose his balance.
Adam agreed, laughing silently. "The funny thing is," he said around his cigarette. "The funny thing is that he'd still be dancing around like that if he were the only person on earth."
"Who?" Said Larry, coming up to put his and Gwen's shoes next to Adam, who seemed to be everyone's center of gravity.
"Bono," replied Miranda fondly. "He looks like a twelve-year-old."
Bono's voice carried up to them as Larry and Gwen went to walk by the water. "Come dance with me!"
Miranda looked behind her. "Who?"
Bono laughed. "Adam! No. You, sugar."
"Ok," she laughed as Adam wondered whether throwing a shoe at Bono would be worth the effort. Miranda put out her smoke and went to join him.
"I don't really know how to dance," she said suddenly.
He took her hand and snaked his other arm around her waist, pulling her close with a small smile. "Me neither."
*
"You do TOO know how to dance," chided Miranda. "You haven't stepped on my toes at all, and I..."
Bono's slightly scratchy cheek was against hers and he was murmuring in her ear. It might have been nonsense, it might have been a confession of love, or it might have been the United States Constitution for all she was paying attention to his words. His lips were brushing against her ear sending electrifying sensations everywhere. His entire body, strong and warm as his voice, was pressed against hers and they were barely moving now.
Did he know what he was doing to her? Dumb question. Why else would he be this close if not to get her into bed. But she couldn't think about that because his whispers were becoming less slurred. Her eyes fluttered closed and she wished more than anything in the world that he really meant what he was saying.
"You look just like an angel tonight, Miranda Taylor. You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen and you don't know it. I want to show you just how much I've fallen for you..."
"You're drunk, Bono," she interrupted, unable to take any more.
"Maybe so... maybe so." He was staring at her lips now, invading her senses. "But you're still beautiful."
Their lips were touching now, in a soft almost-kiss. He was whispering again, moving his mouth over hers tantalisingly. She could taste a hint of the wine lingering on his breath. They were as close as Miranda had ever been to anyone and he seemed to be moving closer yet.
The next thing she knew they were on the ground, and his broad shoulders were pinning her into the sand. But he was absolutely still. She shook him.
"Bono? It's not funny. BONO!"
Larry was the first to get there. Bono was eased off of her and rolled onto his back, where Edge took his pulse.
"He's still alive."
"Reckless git."
"If he keeps doing that he's gonna kill himself."
"Doing WHAT?" Miranda cut in, gobsmacked.
Adam noticed her. "Probably drank too much of that wine. He has allergies... bit of rest and he'll be as good as new."
"Edge, help me pick him up," said Larry.
Gwen spoke up. "I've got a sofa he can crash on."
Larry nodded his thanks. "That would be great!"
*
Bono woke up in a dim room and groaned. He rolled over, almost falling off of his unexpectedly small bed, but a pair of hands caught him just in time. He looked up the arms and into a pair of concerned brown eyes.
"Good morning."
"Hi, Miranda..." He rubbed his eyes and looked around him. "Where am I?"
"You're in Gwen's spare bedroom."
He regarded her oddly. She noticed his confusion and began babbling. "I'm here because I'm, uh, making sure you're ok. The sofa bed isn't as comfortable as it looks and I promised Edge I'd keep an eye on you anyway, and I saw you about to fall out of bed I jumped up and grabbed you. You, you drank some wine last night you were allergic to, if you remember... what DO you remember?"
Bono lay back and squinted at the ceiling. "Your leg."
"You remember my leg?"
"Yeah! Something about your thigh." He giggled. "And the smell of saltwater, and the shirt you wore and 'he' killing you if you ever left and... a margarita."
"I had a margarita."
He propped himself up on an elbow. "Why would I be tasting your drink? I don't even like margaritas."
She suddenly felt very uncomfortable. The blankets had fallen halfway down his chest, which, she was both horrified and thrilled to discover, was bare. His hair was falling in his face. And his bright blue eyes were boring into her, with a piercing expression that wasn't unpleasant. The same thought was running through both of their minds... //-kissing-//... and his look asked her "Do you want to pick up where we left off?"
She did. Oh God, she wanted to pounce on him right there and ravish him right in the middle of Gwen's guest bedroom. He didn't want her to do that... did he? Was it the drink speaking the night before? He'd thrown the ball in her court, she didn't know how to throw it back, and the tension could've been cut with a knife.
Miranda finally broke his gaze.
He leaned back on the bed.
The blanket slid downwards another half-inch and she forced herself to keep her eyes on her feet, the window, the painting on the wall...
"Y..." She coughed and the frog left her throat. "You want breakfast?"
*
Bono waltzed into the hotel with a smile on his face.
"Uh oh..." laughed Edge.
"What?"
Larry made cut-throat motions from his vantage point behind Edge.
Adam smirked too knowingly. "What happened this morning?"
Bono frowned. They thought they knew everything... "She cooked me breakfast!"
"And?"
"Belgian waffles." He crossed his arms.
"Anything else?"
"With fruit!"
"You know what I mean."
"No!"
Adam //harrumphed// and went back to his newspaper.
Bono now had the sinking feeling of losing his audience. "She gave me her number..."
Larry waved a piece of paper with a number on it- Gwen had given their number to him already.
"Well, she... looked at me. Like, you know, the way that... fine. Way to ruin a guy's fun."
"It's only a matter of time," Edge giggled.
The bedroom door practically slammed shut behind Bono.
*
A bathrobe-clad Gwen sailed into the kitchen with a towel around her head. "Mornin! Sleep well?"
"Eh." Miranda stirred her coffee.
Gwen started shoveling through cupboards. "It was nice of you to take the sofa."
Miranda laughed, hard. "How often do you get the chance to give up your bed for BONO?"
"You really adore him, don't you." Gwen smiled over her shoulder.
"Duh. And hey, I found your waffle-maker, there's a few waffles in the fridge for you."
"Oh, thanks. I knew I keep you around for something!"
Miranda giggled. "So what about you and Larry? You looked like you were having a blast."
Gwen was at the kitchen table in an instant, leaning over it as if she couldn't risk being overheard. "He took my hand, Miranda. How often to you get to walk barefoot on the beach, at sunset, holding hands?" She was grinning radiantly and a curl slipped out of the towel.
Miranda brushed the lock of hair back, smiling. "I really think he likes you. He didn't break your gaze the entire night."
"You and Bono- were you guys doing what I thought you were doing?"
Miranda laughed harshly. "No, he passed out and then fell over on me."
Gwen wiggled her eyebrows. "Bet you liked that."
Miranda's feathers were suddenly ruffled. "No!"
"No?"
"Come on, he was unconscious. I thought he'd died or something."
Gwen smirked and shook her finger at her. "It's only a matter of time."
"What's that supposed to mean?" grumbled Miranda, but Gwen was digging in the refrigerator again and pointedly not hearing her.
*
There we go... More tomorrow
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