Author: Merula
Pairings: 1+2, background 3x4
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Yaoi, AU, sap
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing is not mine.
Yet another sappy oneshot. In the great forest of life, all I have to offer is the sap.
Just Thinking
I got home that night a little later than I usually did. Duo was home before me, a rarity. He worked later than I did most nights, but I had stopped to run a few errands before I went home.
I was happy to be home. It was pouring outside, and I was drenched. My clothes had soaked through and I was shivering. I had barely managed to keep my purchases dry.
I stepped into the house and closed the door behind me, trying to kick my wet shoes off. Duo was already on the couch, in his sweats and T-shirt, looking warm and dry. Bastard.
"Hey Heero! Running late?" He called from his place on the couch as I walked in.
"Obviously," I said dryly. I hefted the bags in my arms. "I had some errands to do." Duo bounced to his feet.
"Can I help you?"
"Can you put these in the kitchen while I change?" I handed him the damp bags. "I'm soaked."
"And freezing," he added, his hand touching my arm as he took the bags. "Put on something warm."
"Yes mother," I teased, my sense of humor returning as the warmth of the apartment began to soak in. He made a face at me and headed off to the kitchen. I went back to my bedroom and stripped the wet clothes off, tossing them over the shower curtain to drip dry. I had to towel my hair dry. I found my sweats, a long-sleeved T-shirt and a pair of socks and put them on with a feeling of relief.
Dressed and feeling warmer I went to find my roommate. He was standing in the kitchen, looking amused as he unpacked the bags.
"Did I miss something?" He asked.
"Hm?" I raised an eyebrow at him.
"Some special occasion? I know it's your night to do dinner, but Chinese take-out and a cake? These aren't your normal choices."
"It's my birthday," I told him.
"It is?" He gave me a shocked look.
"Well, it's the date that's on my license."
"Heero, we've been roommates for 5 years, known each other for 7 and this is the first time I've heard you even mention a birthday..."
"I know. I felt like celebrating it this year."
"You didn't before?"
"Guess not." Duo shook his head at me.
"You are weird, Yuy." He turned and got plates out of the cabinet. "You are going to explain this to me over dinner, you know that."
"Yes Duo." I agreed. That made him shoot me another look, but I ignored it. He got the plates down, I got the Chinese opened up and poured the tea. We started our normal how-was-your-day conversation. Duo worked for the Preventers, training other agents. I did computer consulting work.
He was halfway through his plate, when he brought it up again.
"Okay, Heero. Why this time?"
"I'm 23." He raised an eyebrow at me.
"And you're having your midlife crisis early?" I smiled for him.
"Maybe."
"Heero," he leaned over the table. "You have never celebrated or mentioned a birthday before. Neither one of us is even sure what our real birthdate is. So why this year?"
"I was just thinking," I told him.
"Ah." Duo understands this phrase. I 'just think' about quite a few things. 'Just thinking' has led him into teaching me to dance, going with me to sporting events, joining a baseball team with me, having Trowa teach us how to walk a tightrope, going to see the Louvre, things like that.
I do okay, day to day, with dealing with the war and my part in it. Sometimes though, it hits me that I made it through. I survived when I didn't think I would. So I start thinking. I think about how many other people didn't get to live through the war. I wonder what they would've done if they had. I start to wonder what I should do. So I get these little urges- to learn or do or see. Duo is really good about humoring me on these kinds of things, and usually he does them with me.
"I never really celebrate the fact that I made it through another year- I mean that's what a birthday is after all- right? That we survived one more year and we hope to make it through to the next one?"
"I guess that's true," Duo agreed. "So are we going to start celebrating them?"
"Yeah. I think so. If you don't mind?" He grinned.
"Heero, you bought cake. I'm happy with anything that has to do with cake. I just wish you'd told me sooner." He got to his feet and picked up our empty plates. "I would've gotten you a birthday present." I closed up the cartons of leftover Chinese, and got to my feet.
"I only decided this at lunch today," I told him as I stored the containers in the fridge. "Don't worry about it."
"Well, since it is your birthday and all, I'll let you pick the Friday night movie without even debating it with you." He laughed. We had a 'Friday Night Movie Night' ritual, where we would debate over what movie we were going to watch and then settle down on the couch with popcorn and watch it. The loser would make scathing commentary as it played. It was one of those fun activities that Duo had come up with when we first moved in together. Saturday could be date night, he told me, but Fridays were roommate nights.
It was kind of funny though. When we first moved in together, he would go out on Saturday nights, to dates or clubs. I would either stay home or go out and meet Relena.
No, Relena and I weren't dating. I had honestly never thought of her that way, and she had actually ended up falling in love with the Preventer who'd been assigned to guard her on her diplomatic trips.
She and Fei were a good match, and I had been amused by the whole thing. Chang had actually asked me formally if it was okay if he dated her. I had tried not to laugh in his face and told him that it was up to Relena, not me. What had surprised me was Duo's reaction. He had been furious with Wufei and Relena until I had managed to get across to him that I truly was not upset or hurt by the fact that they had fallen in love.
Of course, that left me alone on Saturday nights, but it wasn't too long after that when I noticed that Duo had stopped going out on Saturday nights as well. He claimed that he was 'too tired' to go out dancing and 'tired' of dating. I didn't believe it for a second. Duo is a loyal friend and I knew that he didn't like leaving me alone on Saturday nights. So I recruited Quatre and Trowa, and now the four of us usually went out to dinner or to a club on Saturday.
Since we didn't have a 'loser' to make comments, I opted for one of Duo's old MST3000 vids. We could just laugh at their commentary instead of making up our own. Duo had cut slices of the cake and brought them into the front room. He grinned when he saw my choice.
We settled down on our ends of the sofa and I started the movie. It was hysterically funny as always- even more so since Duo added his own commentary as it went along. When it was over, I shut it off and he went to put the dishes away. I joined him in the kitchen a few minutes later and helped him tidy up.
"Heero?" His voice was soft.
"Yeah Duo?" I looked up. He was standing by the sink, his violet eyes dark and clouded. "What is it?"
"It was fun celebrating your birthday. Are we going to keep doing it?"
"I think so. Yours is in a few months- we should celebrate it too."
"I was just thinking," he said with a faint smile as he mimicked my phrase. "What if I don't make it to my next birthday?"
"There's no reason to think that," I told him. "Your health is fine and your job isn't dangerous."
"That doesn't matter and you know it."
"True," I agreed. "Did you think of something you wanted to do?" What would Duo want to do? Skydive? Travel? I had to wonder. In all this time he had always just gone along with my suggestions, he had never suggested for himself.
"Yeah," he didn't look happy though. "Do you think we can?"
"Whatever you want, Duo." I told him, unsure of his mood. "I'll do it gladly."
"Okay, remember you said that."
"Duo, for goodness sakes, it can't be that bad. Whatever it is, we'll do it, okay?" He met my eyes evenly.
"I was thinking that we could leave Trowa and Quatre at home tomorrow." Huh? I blinked at him, lost. Then it hit me. Saturday night was...
"All right," I agreed, trying not to sound too eager. He studied me for a moment.
"You do know what I'm asking...?"
"Yes Duo." I smiled back.
"And you're okay with it?"
"More than okay." I leaned forward pinning him against the counter and kissed him. Just a brush of lips against mine, but oh, so very good. He slid his hands up into my hair and encouraged me to deepen the kiss.
It was a long time before I let him move away. He blinked at me. I was smiling, I couldn't help it.
"So, what did you want to go do tomorrow?" I asked moving away to finish the dishes. He was still looking a bit dazed.
"Uh... Whatever." He managed, a smile flickering around his mouth, even as he looked at me anxiously. "You're really okay with it? Not just humoring me?"
"Humoring you?" I raised an eyebrow at him. "Are you crazy?" I reached out and pulled him closer to me, my hand tangled in his hair.
"I just want to make really sure..." I didn't let him finish before I kissed him again.
"I want," I told him when I finished. "I've wanted that since you moved in." The smile I got then was blinding.
It was the best birthday ever.
OWARI
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