Author: Merula
Pairings: 1x2, 3x4
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Christmas, humor
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing is not mine.
Have Yourself a Merry Little Explosion
Heero looked up as his roommate walked out of his room and headed to the front door.
He blinked as he took in the familiar black bag over Duo's shoulder.
"Duo," he said as calmly as he could. "What are you doing with all those explosives?"
"I'm going to go blow something up," Duo replied, in the same kind of tone he would use to say: 'I'm going to the store.'
Heero thought of and discarded several questions before going with the basics.
"Why?"
"It's the holidays."
Heero blinked again. He didn't remember the few Christmas specials he'd watched having explosions in them. So what was Duo doing? "Is this an L2 tradition? Blowing something up?" Some of the colonies had strange customs.
"Well no," Duo's grin bordered on maniacal. "This would be a Duo Maxwell tradition. The holidays depress me so I go and blow the crap out of something to make myself feel better."
Duo was depressed? Well, Heero supposed, then it made sense he'd go blow something up. That always did tend to put Duo in a better frame of mind.
"Ah," Heero nodded. "Well, uh, have fun then..."
"I will. Don't wait up!"
Heero stared at the closed door for several minutes, deep in thought. Then he went to fetch his coat.
~*~
Heero paused on the threshold of Quatre's home. He'd gotten a bit worried about the Duo blowing something up scenario. Was this how people reacted during the holidays? Were people supposed to have bad feelings during the holidays? Get depressed and violent? Was it normal?
Or should he be worried about Duo's mental status?
He had decided to go and ask Quatre if he should be worried. Quatre was usually a good judge on things like that.
He'd knocked on the door, but no one had answered, so Heero had let himself in. Once he did, he realized why no one had heard him knock...
Quatre had his hands full at the moment. With two fencing blades to be precise.
He was using them to parry the knives his lover was throwing at him from his perch on the chandelier.
Heero ducked as a knife whizzed over his head and struck a tree outside. He thought perhaps he should come back later. This didn't look like a good time to have a chat with Quatre. Even Quatre couldn't fight and talk at the same time.
Trowa noticed him first and paused in mid throw. "Heero."
Quatre turned around and smiled. "We haven't seen you for a while! How are you doing?"
"I'm fine." Heero found his curiosity overwhelming. "What are you two doing?"
"Just working off some stress. You know- it's that time of year." Quatre made a face. "My family is driving me crazy. Parties, gifts, caroling, shopping, pictures with Santa..." He shrugged. "Same old, same old. But what can we do for you?"
Heero shook his head. "Nothing. I had a question, but you just answered it. Thank you." He backed out of the house, closing the door behind him.
Good thing too, since a moment later the wood splintered and the tip of a knife poked through.
~*~
Heero walked down the street pondering the mystery of holiday angst. Why did people get so stressed out at the holidays? Wasn't it supposed to be a time for family get togethers and parties and all that stuff?
But then, those kinds of things were what had put Quatre in his homicidal mood...
Heero frowned. He just didn't understand it. He paced down the street, avoiding being run over by holiday shoppers, and tried to figure it out.
As he walked by a storefront, he saw a familiar figure inside. Huh. Maybe he would know.
Heero turned around and entered the small shop. The inside smelled heavenly, a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg and other spices filled the air. The person he had seen through the window was seated at a small table. As Heero moved closer he was surprised to see that every inch of the small table was covered with tiny plates. On each one rested a dessert of some kind- a tart, a cake, some cookies, other things Heero couldn't identify.
"Wufei," Heero said in greeting. Wufei nodded back. His fork was at his lips and his eyes were half closed in rapture. Heero had never seen that expression on Wufei's face.
But then all of his friends were surprising him today. At least Wufei didn't look like he was about to kill something...
Unless it was a piece of chocolate cake.
"Heero," Wufei replied after a moment. Heero sat down and looked at the plates in astonishment. All of them had a bite or two missing. And was that hot chocolate by Wufei's right hand? Wufei who insisted on only drinking tea? Who had once broken a man's arm for using the last of the teabags in the Preventers' lounge?
"I didn't know you liked sweets," Heero said. Wufei shrugged.
"Not normally, but this time of year... I need them."
Heero saw the opening and went for it. Wufei was good at explaining things. "Why this time of year? I don't understand. Why is everyone so upset? I thought this was supposed to be a happy time of year."
Wufei took a sip from his cocoa, and took a bite of cookie. He chewed and swallowed before he replied: "It is, but for some people it puts a lot of pressure on them. Some people don't have families to share the holidays with them, so they get lonelier; some have too much family to share the holidays with so they get stressed. It's a no win situation. And everyone deals with it in different ways."
Heero thought about this while Wufei ate a bite of strawberry shortcake and consumed one of the chocolate dipped Madeline cookies.
So the others were just trying to work off those bad feelings- or- he thought as he looked at the table- soothe them away? That made sense.
"Thank you Wufei. You have been most helpful." Heero got to his feet and Wufei gave him a small smile.
"Anytime, my friend. Going to go off and work off some of your own holiday stress now?"
Heero considered this for a moment. Then he smiled back.
"I believe I will."
~*~
Duo opened the door whistling. He was tired, a bit bruised and his braid smelled like gunpowder, but he felt a little better. He knew it was only a temporary measure, that he'd feel the loneliness creep back soon enough...
But he had more explosives ready for that eventuality.
The apartment was dark, and Duo wondered where his roommate was. Heero had been on the couch when he'd left, working on a project. Duo flipped on the lights and blinked. Heero was sitting on the couch, his laptop closed beside him, his eyes focused on the empty fireplace.
"Heero? You okay? Why are you sitting in the dark?" Duo moved towards his roommate anxiously. It wasn't like Heero to sit idle.
"I was thinking."
"About what?" Duo asked as he sat down beside Heero on the couch.
"The holidays."
The answer surprised Duo for a moment, and then he felt bad. He hadn't even thought that Heero might get the holiday blues too. He was just as alone in the world as Duo was.
He should've asked Heero if he wanted to tag along on the bombing run. He'd been so wrapped up in his own depression that he'd missed Heero's. Next time he'd ask Heero to go along with him.
"I'm sorry, buddy." He said, placing a hand on Heero's shoulder. "Is it getting to you too?"
Heero nodded. "A bit."
"Well, let me help you cheer up a little..." Duo was going to suggest going for a run, or going for a few rounds in the gym. That usually helped cheer Heero up, but Heero interrupted him.
"You want to help me?"
"Of course!"
Heero smiled. "Thank you."
He tackled Duo, knocking him off the couch and flat onto the floor.
Duo thought at first that Heero wanted to forgo the gym and just wrestle, but when Heero's mouth descended on his, he realized Heero had a different plan for working off his holiday angst.
Not that Duo minded.
There were other ways to cause explosions after all...
OWARI
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