Under My Skin Ch. 07

Megeara parked in front of Dustin's apartment building. They got out and made their way up to his floor. Dustin stopped to search for his keys and found them strangely in his pants pocket. He went to put the key into the hole but Megeara stopped him and turned the doorknob. The door swung open.

"Great, I guess I forgot to lock up when I left," he said to himself, hoping nothing was stolen.

He found to his relief that everything was as he left it. Unfortunately for them both, they discovered something new in the apartment. Having been missing for days, the trash had spoiled and mixed with stale air into a most pungent and nauseating stench. They both stood in the living room pinching their noses.

"Sorry.", Dustin apologized, "I guess I forgot to take the trash out too."

"Its ok." she replied, trying to smile. "Under the circumstance I think I can let this slide."

He smiled, thankful to have found such a understanding and caring friend. Most people would have complained or nagged him about things like this but she always seemed to know just what to do or say around him. She never seemed to mind his many faults or his mistakes. Dustin wondered if Megeara was somehow a saint in disguise.

Megeara suddenly had an idea and pointed towards his room. "Why dont you got get some clothes and we will go to my place for awhile and let this place air out?

He had not considered it but given the stench Dustin agreed it did sound like a good idea. "Alright, just give me a few minutes to gather some stuff and we will get out of here."

Megeara swatted his bottom playfully with her free hand. "Go ahead. I'll wait here."

Dustin nodded and went back to his room to gather what he needed to stay the night. Megeara walked around the apartment while she waited. When she entered the kitchen, she spotted the note she had written him.

She smiled and picked up the note, folded it and put it in her pocket. She would keep it and show him later. One of these days she thought, they would laugh about this whole ordeal.

She turned and headed back into the living room just as Dustin came out of his room with an armful of clothes and a toothbrush. Dustin looked back, once again amazed he had found someone as beautiful.

Her silver hair gleaming in the afternoon sunlight that came through the windows. He remembered her telling him she often changed her hair color to appear more normal since people tended to stare when she was growing up, but he always thought the silver made her seem unique.

Megeara smiled back seeing him standing there staring and motioned towards the door.

"Come on lets go. The quicker we leave, the sooner we can talk about what has happened," he replied following her out and back down to the car.

When he stepped outside he stopped instead of going to put his things in the car. He stared in disbelief at the back of the car. Someone had done a number on the trunk of her car. His eyes widened seeing the gaping hole. Did something happen to your car?

Megeara laughed nervously. "Yeah about that. I'll tell you on the way okay? Hop in."

Dustin got in and Megeara recounted what had happened to her while she drove.

When they got to Megeara's house, she had finished telling him about her going to the police, her being attacked as well as finding out that this was not the only kidnapping to happen in the city.

His mind raced with thoughts and with even more questions. It seemed to him that the world had suddenly gone crazy in his absence and he somehow felt responsible for her being attacked, even if he couldn't really say for sure if his kidnapping had anything to do with all the other occurances.

"So now that I'm no longer missing, what now?" he asked as she parked the car and they got out.

He noticed a shadow behind him and nearly jumped before realizing it was his own.Great, now I'm jumping at my own shadow, he chided himself. He looked toward the sky and saw the sun had already begun to go down.

Megeara had some idea but wasn't really certain about what would happen. "Well, the police, especially Detective Blake, will want to talk to you and maybe they will put us under surveillance or protection or something but other than that, I don't know sweety. For now don't worry about it. The importantant thing is youre safe. Come on, let's go in and get you settled in."

She smiled trying to be positive and led him to the fornt door. She unlocked it and held it open, waiting for him before going in.

"Sure," he replied, getting his clothes out of the car.

He quickly went inside and sat his things down on the arm of her couch in the living room. Megeara closed and locked the door behind him then joined him. She wrinkled her nose as she noticed he kinda smelled a bit.

"Are you hungry?" she asked.

"Yes. Very much actually."

"Me too," she smiled warmly. "Why don't you go take a shower and I'll make us some dinner? Then we can talk a bit more while we eat."

Dustin agreed and took his clothes with him to the bathroom. He couldn't remember the last tiime he had taken a shower. In fact, he couldn't really remember much of the day before he saw Megeara on the road. He shuddered, realizing he couldn't remember much of the days before today either.

Was he losing his mind?

The loss of memory greatly unsettled him as he struggled to recall anything about the last few days. He was beginning to get really scared when he thought of what he could've done without his knowing.

Why couldn't he remember?

Dustin shook his head as he shut the door and set his clothes on the bathroom sink. He went to the tub and pulled the shower curtain closed before turning on the hot water. Maybe the shower would help him relax enough to remember something, he hoped.

Forcing the thought from his mind for the moment, he undressed while the water poured from the showerhead. The hot water scalded him when he first got in but he quickly got used to it and closed his eyes as he stood under the cascading water.

He let his thoughts turn inward once more as he allowed himself to relax. He took in a few deep breathes, drawing in the hot air around him as he tried once more to remember. At first all he got was emptiness like before, but when he concentrated harder, small fragments came back to him.

He could remember going to the store and on that day it was storming. He remembered getting food and leaving the store then being attacked by something. No someone. The image in his mind was blurry. He thought he remembered his attacker as sickly but wasn't sure. There was a struggle then a woman came and chased his assailant away.

Dustin tried to recall details about the woman or who she was but all he could remember were her eyes and her saying something to him. Then his mind went blank and he could remember nothing else after that.

The only other memory he had was meeting Mea earlier that day and from what he gathered while being in the car with Megeara was that she had found him walking across traffic in a daze after days of being missing.

Why had he been walking? And where had he been walking from? Dustin sighed and rubbed his eyes. None of this made sense to him. A cold chill went down his spine despite the steamy water flowing over him. The thought of not knowing what he had been doing for three whole days scared the hell out of him.

If someone had done something to him, he couldn't say. There were no marks, no signs of danger. He couldn't even tell where he had been. How was he supose to talk to Megeara if he didn't remember anything? Futhermore, how the hell was he supposed to talk to a detective or the police?

Dustin felt his chest grow tight and he could hear his beartbeat in his ears as his thoughts spiraled out of control. Leaning against the wall, he took a few deep breathes to steady himself. Once finally calm, he picked up a bar of soap and began to wash.

"Looks like I am just gonna have to wing it," he muttered to himself. "I guess its a good thing it's one of the things I'm good at."

Dustin finished washing his body then did his hair. Turning off the water, he stepped out and grabbed the towel hanging off the rack on the door and dried off. Once dry, he got dressed and hung the towel back up on the rack and headed to the kitchen. He could smell the delicious aroma of sphaghetti and meatballs as it wafted to his nose.

Megeara was busy working over the stove when he came in. She turned her head back and offered him a smile. He went to say something in return but his stomach beat him to it and announced his hunger with a rather loud rumble. He blushed and started to apologize as she broke into laughter but then ended up just laughing along with her.

They laughed together before he finally sat down at the kitchen table to watch her cook. Megeara turned back to the pot and skillet on the stove and began adding sauce to the noodles.

"The shower must have been nice,"she remarked,"You stayed in for almost half an hour."

"Um, yes it was. Thank you." he replied. His stomach growled again at the sound of meat sizzling.

"Good. I'm glad to hear it."she said over her shoulder. Megeara giggled hearing his stomach growling. Both of her hands were busy stirring and flipping the meat around and mixing the sauce in evenly with the noodles.

Dustin licked his lips as his mouth began to salivate from the smells coming form the stove. If there was one thing, Dustin could credit Megeara as being good at, it was cooking. Everything she made smelled good, looked good and tasted even better.

"That smells absolutely delicious!"

She giggled."Why thank you. Its almost ready. Why don't you get some plates and set the table for us?"

"Sure," he agreed, getting up and going over to the cabinets above the sink.

He opened the cabinet and got two plates out, Megeara stepped in behind him and pressed her chest into his back and rested her cheek on his shoulder. He felt her breath against his neck and it made him shiver.

"My, you smell delicious too!" she purred. She could smell the soft fragrance of peach scented soap on his skin.

Dustin gulped and found his pulse quickening. She leaned in and kissed his cheek softly then teasingly went back to the stove. He watched her take the few steps away, his task for the moment forgotten.

Megeara turned her head back to wink at him. "Weren't you doing something?"

"Oh..um..yes...sorry." he stammered, remembering he had to set the table. He quickly hurried over and set the plates down then went over to one of the drawers for forks and knives.

Megeara giggled, enjoying how he reacted to her. When he was on the other side of her getting glasses for their drinks, she reached over with one hand and pinched his butt. He tensed and jumped, and thats when she noticed he was wearing his pajama pants instead of his usual jeans.

"Those look quite comfortable on you,"she remarked, seeing the little miniature X-men logos on his pajamas.

He looked down and realized what he was wearing. Mentally he slapped himself and his cheeks turned a few more shades of red. He felt so embarassed. She must think I'm such a dork, he thought.

"Oh um..yeah.. they are." he smiled trying to hide that he was inwardly kicking himself. He felt so embarassed as he set the glasses and silverware onto the table. Dustin was just about to say something else but then the phone rang.

"I'll get it." Megeara said. "Could you mix the meat in with the rest and make our plates?" "No problem,"he replied, taking their plates over to the stove.

Megeara hurried into the living room and picked up the cordless phone from its stand by the couch.

"Hello?" she spoke quietly, not expecting anyone to call at this hour.

A gruff, but familiar voice answered. "Miss Rose? Hello, this is Detective Blake. I'm sorry to disturb you but I am calling to inform you that I have sent two police cars over to your house to stand watch tonight."

"Oh!" Megeara went over to her front window and looked outside. Night had already begun to settle in. She could see the lights atop two cars parked on the side of the street. It was too dark to see any of the officers inside but she knew they were watching.

"I see them. Thank you Detective." she said." I really appreciate it. You didn't need to do that."

"No need to thank me, miss," he replied, "Seeing as you're the only person who is not missing in this case, it is important we protect you. You are our only link at this point in our investigation."

"Oh well thank you again, but I'm not the only one." she informed him.

"Hm? What do you mean Miss? Are you saying you have found new evidence?" Blake inquired.

"I found Dustin." she replied a bit too loudly. She covered her mouth afraid she sounded too excited."

"It's alright. Thats very good news." Blake reassurred her. His tone became more alert and renewed with purpose.

"Just stay in tonight and don't worry about anything. I will be there tomorrow to ask questions." he continued.

"Oh you don't have to worry about that, detective," she assured him.

"Excellent. Then I will see you tomorrow afternoon then. Goodnight Miss Rose."

"Thank you again and goodnight Detective Blake," she said before hanging up and going back to the kitchen.

Dustin was already sitting at the table waiting. Two plates topped full with hot, steaming spaghetti waited to be eaten. Megeara went over and sat down across from him.

"Who was on the phone?" he asked curiously.

"Oh, that was Detective Blake from the police station," she picked u her fork and smiled at him, seeing he had been polite and waited for her before he had started eating. "He called to tell us we are under police protection. I told him I had found you and he said he would be over tomorrow to ask you some questions."

Dustin swallowed hard and tensed. His face paled slightly and he felt suddenly very nervous. He looked down at Megeara's hands seeing she had already begun to spin spaghetti around her fork. He quickly picked up his and started to do the same.

"Questions?," he asked as he brought the fork to his mouth.

Megeara nodded as she chewed her food. She reached for her glass and found Dustin had poured water from the fridge and took a drink.

"Yes. The police will want to know where you were and what happened," she said, seeing him more than a bit nervous. "As do I. Is there something wrong?"

"Well..Its just," he began looking down at his hands. He sighed, figuring it best if he just came out and said it.

"I don't remember much before today..." Megeara reached out and gently guided his fork down to the plate. She looked him in the eyes taking his hand into hers and squeezing it lightly.

"Its alright sweety. Whatever you do or dont know, it doesnt matter, I'll be here with you to figure it out every step of the way."

Dustin looked down feeling her warm hand on his. He felt stupid not being able to remember anything but Meeara's words and touch comforted him and made all that seem to go away. He looked back up to her. His heart beating faster as their eyes met.

Finally after several moments he managed to speak. "I really need to thank you, Meg. I don't know how to thank you enough for everything you've done tonight and well ever for that matter. You have always been there for me."

She leaned forward and a smile grew on her face." I can think of one thing that you could do."

What's that," he leaned in towards her, thinking she would divulge what she wanted. Her scent filled his nose as he stared into her eyes, patiently waiting.

"Kiss me." she said simply.

Her eyes seemed to sparkle as she said the words. Megeara knew he was incredibly shy so she made it easy for him. She leaned in until their lips were barely a space apart.

"Kiss me." she repeated.

Dustin stared silently. The distance between them was a mere space but to him it might as well have been a canyon. He swallowed hard feeling a lump growing in his throat.

He had known her for so long and had grown to care about her but he never could bring himself to tell her for fear he would ruin their friendship. Now she had caught him off guard. He trembled and began to panic.

Megeara watched the struggle play out on his face. She had seen him do this many times before when asking other girls out but she did not think he would be so nervous around her. Unlike him, however this did not deter her.

"Well if you won't, then I will!" she declared before pressing her lips to his.

Dustin's eyes went wide as he tasted her soft, supple lips. His doubts and fears were replaced by the passion of the kiss. His body quivered, having dreamed of a moment like this for so long. His hand gently squeezed hers at the same time her other hand began to gently rub the back of his head.

A soft moan escaped from her lips. She broke the kiss but only for a moment to lean in closer and kiss him once more. This time it was much deeper. Her eyes closed, savoring every moment of it with him. When she finally let go and opened her eyes, both of them were panting and she was more than a little excited.

Dustin could feel his lips still tingling as he slipped back into his chair. Her passion had left him out of breath but wanting more. His body trembled in excitement and he could feel a definite stiffness growing inside his pajamas.

Dustin watched her drink, his eyes focused on those wonderful soft lips of hers. She got up once her glass was empty and went to refill it. In doing so, she took her time, teasing him by swaying her hips as she got closer to the refrigerator.

Dustin gulped, his pulse racing and he grew even warmer watching her. He watched as she poured her self a drink then came back to her seat and sat down. She gently took his hand and held it, her eyes sparkling once more.

"You know, you and me have been friends for along time and I know you like me Dustin," she said softly, her eyes holding his attention. "But I want you to know before anything else happens, that it's ok for us to be more than that."

Dustin froze, was she really saying what he thought she was. He felt another lump in his throat and tried to swallow. He had dreamed and fantasized about being with her but never thought he would hear her say something like that.

"Really? You mean it?"

A wide smile grew on her face. Megeara couldn't help but giggle a little at how bashful he was being. It was part of why she liked him so much. He was so innocent sometimes and she knew he had a good heart. With a little work, she knew he would be the one she could give her heart to. She just had to get him out of his shell a little.

Megeara nodded. "Yes, I mean it. All you have to do is tell me what you want."

He sat there reeling. This was not how he had planned asking her out or for a relationship even. What could he say? His heart screamed at him to tell her he indeed did love and care for her and he did want a relationship. But his head screamed back to his heart that right now definitely was not the right time with all that was going on.

Deep down he feared something was going to happen the minute he let his guard down. he knew in his heart he would do anything to keep Megeara safe from harm but his world had just been turned upside down. Parts of his memory was missing and who knew what had occurred. How could he be with her and not be able to protect her. What if something happened again?

"But what about all the kidnappings and you being attacked?"

Megeara took both his hands and shook her head resolutely." We can get through this together but right now I need to know honestly how you feel. Do you you want to be with me? Do you love me?"

Despite all the fears he had about what could happen and all his doubts in himself, he couldn't lie to himself in her eyes. he knew that if he did he would never get another chance. Dustin looked into her eyes and spoke what was in his heart for the first time.