Author: Merula

Pairings: 1+2

Rating: PG

Warnings: Xmas fluff

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing is not mine.

When I went looking through my files for a Christmas fic, I found several that I had started ages ago. So I thought I'd try to finish a few.

I started this back on December 1, 2005.... sheesh....

Celebrating

It was good to be home, I thought as the elevator chimed and the doors slid open. It had been a lousy time for a business trip- crowded airports, cranky travelers...

Opening our door, I nearly tripped over something long and green. Since I had been sharing Duo's apartment I had grown used to coming home and finding the unexpected, but this was new.

Closing the door cautiously, I put my suitcase down. The hallway floor was covered with pieces of green stuff. I knelt to get a better look and realized they were some kind of fake tree branches wrapped with tiny lights. It took me a moment to realize what they were for. They were Christmas decorations.

I blinked. Granted, I'd only been sharing Duo's apartment for less than a year, but I didn't remember Duo doing any celebrating for Christmas before. None of the pilots did.

Of course... Duo could have been celebrating and not telling us for some reason- but why would he do that? We would've celebrated with him if he wanted- he'd managed to talk everyone into an Easter egg hunt last year- though I was fairly sure most egg hunts didn't involve specialized equipment...

I frowned. Christmas was only a few days away. If Duo did celebrate, then I'd have to go shopping. Presents were a part of Christmas, I knew that much. Beyond that, I wasn't too clear on what else was involved with Christmas- other than glitzy store displays. Hn. I'd have to look it up.

What should I get Duo for Christmas? I knew I should... no, I wanted to get my roommate something. Duo had been so kind when I had decided that I didn't want to work for the Preventers all those months ago. The others had thought that I was just tired, overworked and needed a break, but I had known that it wasn't that. It wasn't what I'd wanted to do.

Duo had immediately offered me a place to stay when I told him that I wanted to try something different. It meant a new city, a new landscape- and a chance to spend more time with my best friend.

Honestly, it was that last bit that really decided me. Duo was my best friend. We hadn't really been friends during the war- but after, he was the one I gravitated to- the one I wanted to spend time with.

It took me a while to figure out why.

Music was drifting down the hallway. I was surprised that Duo hadn't heard me open the door. Usually my roommate would've called out a cheerful greeting by now. It wasn't like the music was that loud.

Maybe he had fallen asleep on the couch again. It wasn't that late, but Duo had been working hard the last few weeks. It wasn't unusual to come home and find him stretched out on the couch, snoring- though I didn't hear any snores at the moment.

Plus, he wasn't expecting me. I had finished my job early and come home on a different flight. I hoped I wasn't spoiling something for him by arriving early... maybe he'd wanted to do all this decorating in private?

Giving myself a shake, I picked up my suitcase again. I needed to find Duo.

I threaded my way down the hall carefully, past my bedroom- dropping off my suitcase on the way, past Duo's room, and into the kitchen. Though there were some hints of cinnamon in the air, I didn't detect anything cooking.

Moving into the living room, I discovered the reason that Duo hadn't met me at the door. A precariously tilting tree, the lower half of Duo sticking out from underneath it, dominated the room. I hoped the top part was just hidden under the branches and this wasn't some bizarre crime scene.

"Damn it!" I heard from somewhere near the trunk, muffled by the branches. The tree started to tilt more.

I moved to catch it. I didn't want Duo flattened by the thing. The needles pricked my hands, but I managed to grab the tree and push it upright.

A surprised noise from somewhere near my feet made me smile.

"Heero? Is that you?"

"Yes."

"You're early!"

"Good thing too."

A hand patted my foot welcomingly. "I agree. Can you hold the tree still please? I need to screw all these little things into the base..."

"Of course."

I held the tree as Duo cursed at the stand. After a few minutes the swearing died out a little and I felt it was safe to ask a question.

"Do you celebrate Christmas?"

"No other reason why I'd be fighting with this damn thing," Duo laughed.

"You never told us."

"Well, none of you did."

"But it's not like we would've minded if you did."

"I know, I know." The hand patted my foot again. "In fact, I'll bet you guys would've insisted on celebrating it with me."

I was still struggling to understand. "Is that bad?"

"No, no, of course not." Duo reassured. "Let go for a second."

Cautiously, I did so. The tree didn't immediately attempt to stake my roommate, which had to be a good sign.

Duo wiggled out from under the tree, his braid liberally decorated with pine needles. He got to his feet and smiled at me.

"I'm sorry about the mess. I didn't think you'd be back until tomorrow...."

"I finished early and wanted to come home." I told him, looking around at the boxes and shiny bags scattered on the floor. "I don't mind helping."

"Are you sure?" Duo looked hopeful. "I meant to have it all done before you got home so you wouldn't have to deal with the chaos..."

"I'd be glad to help." I loosened my tie. "Though I'm going to go change first- unless you plan to touch that tree again."

Duo smiled wider. "Go change. I promise not to wrestle with any more trees until you come back."

I rolled my eyes at him and went to change.

As I undressed, I wondered why Duo had never said anything about Christmas. Why didn't he want us celebrating with him? It's not like we'd mind- any excuse for a party, as Quatre sometimes pointed out.

I pulled old jeans and a t-shirt out, along with a pair of socks. I usually went barefoot in the apartment, but who knew what I'd stumble over next? Socks would at least protect my feet from those needles on that tree.

I finished dressing and went back out to the living room. Duo was wrapping a strand of brightly colored lights around the tree.

"I thought you promised not to touch that." I lifted an eyebrow at him. "How can I help?"

Duo looked over his shoulder and smiled at me. "It's totally secured. I made sure!" He laughed. "The garland in the hallway? I want it framing the doorways. The hammer and nails are on the table out there."

"Got it." I went out to the hallway and after grabbing the small footstool out of the kitchen, got to work.

The music in the background was soothing, something about paper and ribbons, and I found myself smiling as I hung up the garland around the doorways. When I finished I plugged it in and admired the effect. It was quite pretty.

Duo came to join me in the doorway. "Looks great! Want to come and help me finish putting ornaments on the tree?"

I followed, noticing Duo still had pine needles stuck in his hair. I reached out without thinking and ran a hand down Duo's braid, brushing as many as I could off. His hair was soft under my fingertips, just like I'd always thought it would be.

Duo gave me a wide-eyed look and for a moment I thought he'd get mad. He doesn't like to have anyone touch his hair.

"You had pine needles in your hair," I explained, my fingertips still tingling from the contact.

"I did?" Duo blinked. "Thanks- I didn't even notice."

Relieved that he hadn't decked me, I gave the tree a quick inspection. I wasn't quite ready to believe the thing wouldn't try to fall over again.

Duo smiled, picked up a box of ornaments and handed it to me. "Just hang them anywhere on the tree."

I started to do as Duo asked, noticing that the boxes seemed fairly new. Maybe Duo hadn't been celebrating before now? Or maybe he just bought some new ornaments?

We worked silently, the music playing softly in the background. I watched as Duo hung each ornament, watched the expressions that moved over his face- and wondered. When we were halfway through the boxes, I tried again.

"Duo?"

"Hm?"

"You didn't answer me earlier. Why didn't you tell us that you celebrate?"

Duo bent his head over the ornament box in his hands, as if looking for something. "This is the first year I've celebrated since... well, it's been a long time."

So the ornaments were new. "Why this year?"

"I guess..." Duo shrugged. "I guess this is the first year I've wanted to celebrate. I mean... for some reason this year when I was walking by all the displays instead of... well, instead of bringing up bad memories; they made me want to make some good ones. And S... someone once told me that this was the best time of year to make good memories."

He put the box down and moved to the couch. I followed him. Had I upset Duo? I hadn't meant to...

"It used to be my favorite holiday." Duo said softly. I sat down beside him and wondered what to say.

"What did you like the best?" I asked, hoping I wasn't messing things up more. Duo had been so happy earlier- this sudden downslide worried me.

"The smell of the trees." Duo tilted his chin towards our half-decorated one. "And the music..." He sighed. "It's not exactly the same as back then..."

"How can we make it more like back then?"

Duo smiled faintly. "To be honest, I don't know if I want it exactly the same. I want some new memories."

I nodded, trying to understand. "That might be for the best. Can you think of anything you'd like to do?"

His ears turned a light pink. "You don't have to... I mean, not that I don't want to have you join in, because I do, I was hoping you'd like the tree and not be mad, but I don't want to make you..."

Was he worried? At least I could reassure him on that point. "Why would I be mad? You want to celebrate Christmas; I'll happily help you. We can get the socks and everything."

Duo looked at me blankly for a moment. "Socks?"

I gestured towards our fireplace. "Aren't we supposed to hang some up?"

The corners of his mouth twitched. "Stockings," he corrected me, and I was glad to see the darkness start to fade from his expression.

"Stockings." I repeated, searching my memory. "And isn't there supposed to be some sort of family gathering sort of thing?"

"We don't have-"

"We can invite the guys over."

"That would be fun," Duo said thoughtfully. "Though I don't know if they'd want to..."

"Don't be an idiot. As long as we provide food and someplace for them to sleep, they'll be here."

That got me a real smile. "Good point."

Relieved, I smiled back. "We should finish decorating and call the guys." I made a move to get up from the sofa, but Duo caught my elbow. Surprised, I looked back at him.

"Thanks," he said softly. "I know it's sort of silly-"

What to say to reassure him it was all right? "It was sort of silly for me to want to leave the Preventers and try something new. You were there for me- you let me barge into your life and turn things upside down." I paused, not sure of how to continue without giving too much away. "I'm happy to be able to do something for you," I finished lamely.

That got me a look I hadn't seen before. "That was nothing. I'm glad you're here with me. Having you here is one of the reasons I feel like celebrating, you know."

Did he mean...?

His hand on my elbow gave a gentle tug, and I let him pull me down beside him on the sofa. A moment later, his lips found mine...

"On second thought," he said in my ear a few minutes later. "Let's invite the guys over for New Years- I think I want to spend Christmas with just you..."

OWARI

 

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