Author: Merula
Pairings: 2x1
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Swearing
Disclaimer: The characters of Gundam Wing are not mine.
Saturday Morning
The coffee shop was warm and cozy, the scents of coffee and sugar combining with the comfortable chatter of the patrons to make it a perfect place to spend a Saturday morning.
Which is why Heero and I had 'our' table in 'our' corner. It's why the girls behind the machine knew the moment we walked in to pull two large cups off the stack and start heating a muffin for me and a bagel for Heero.
It was part of our Saturday routine, never broken, always the same. Some people might have found it boring, but I liked it. I liked knowing that every Saturday Heero would meet me here; we'd have breakfast and come up with a plan for the day. I liked knowing that Heero always read the Sphere news first, that he'd cut his bagel into fourths and that he'd always steal a piece of my muffin.
Course, I would've been happy no matter where we were- as long as Heero was there- I liked it.
Yeah, yeah, sappy I know.
This particular Saturday was cold and rainy- at least outside- and so the coffee shop was a tempting spot to many. The room was full of people drinking, eating and talking.
I had already worked my way through the Sphere news and was in the local news section when Heero snorted.
I looked up to find Heero shaking his head over the Lifestyle section.
"What is it this week?" I asked. There was always something in that section that made him snort.
"A Guide to Dating: Finding People Online and Off." He rolled his eyes.
"Getting some tips?" I teased.
Heero shot me a dark look over the top of the paper. "If I needed any, which I don't, this would be the last article I'd turn to for help."
That made me stop and think for a moment. Did Heero date? He never mentioned anything like it to me- but then- I usually only saw him on Saturday and Sunday. Who knew what he did during the week?
I bit the inside of my lip. I hadn't really thought about it... correction- I hadn't let myself think about it.
"You don't need tips? Why not? Are you dating someone?" I asked as lightly as I could manage. "You've never mentioned anyone..."
To my surprise, Heero's cheeks turned a very light pink- hardly noticeable unless you were looking.
What the hell? Heero didn't blush! Unless...
He was dating someone! Who?
"Kind of," he said and lifted a shoulder in a shrug.
"Kind of?" I repeated, wondering when I had developed a masochistic streak. I didn't really want to know...
And yet... I did. If Heero was seeing someone, I wanted to know who...
Though I wasn't sure if it was because I wanted to finally crush that faint hope in my heart or slash their tires...
"Yeah," Heero smiled. "I'm taking it slow, you know- don't want to scare them off. It's not official or anything."
Damn it. "Sounds like you really like her."
The smile grew a bit more. "I really do- but it's not a her."
Not a her? Then he was... He would have...
It sucks when you think your faint hope was unrealistic... but to find out you might have had a real chance and lost it sucks more.
"Duo? Is that a problem? I didn't think it would be..."
Oops. I yanked myself back on track. I didn't want to hurt Heero, who was now looking very worried. "Course not. You know I'd never ditch a friend for something like that."
He put down the paper and gave me an intent look. "I thought you might go that way yourself actually..."
"Sometimes," I admitted. He gave me a relieved smile. I reminded myself that I was Heero's friend- his best friend, and I needed to act like it. "So, tell me about him."
His smile changed. He lit up.
Ah fuck.
"What do you want to know?"
"Anything- what do you guys do when you go out, what's he like, how you met- your choice." I made sure that my smile was firmly in place.
"We've known each other for a long time actually- though it took me a bit to realize that I liked him." That light went up a notch. "We hang out, go to movies, play basketball, all that kind of stuff..."
It was getting harder to smile. Those were the kinds of things we did together. This guy would take my place before long...
"You should invite him along one of these days," I said around the knot in my throat. "I'd like to meet him." Try and see what it was about him that you liked more than me... "Invite him for coffee next week."
Heero smiled at me and picked up his paper. "I invited him today."
I looked around the coffee house. I didn't see anyone watching our table as if awaiting a signal to join us. "When is he coming?"
"He's already here." Heero flipped a page in the paper and I blinked at him before looking around the coffee house again.
The corner of his mouth twitched. "Duo- I meant you."
I know my jaw dropped because Heero reached out to close it for me.
"Me?"
He nodded. "You."
"We've been dating? Since when?"
Heero shrugged. "Oh, a while ago. We're taking it slow you know, making sure we're used to the idea and all that kind of thing."
I sat back in my chair... I wanted to protest- someone should've told me that I was dating Heero... but on the other hand... I didn't want to start a fight with my... whatever Heero was...
He put the paper down and leaned over the table. "Duo- you okay with this?"
"Yeah..." I smiled for him. "But, now that we've talked about it and all- maybe we could move things along a little bit faster?"
Heero reached out and ran his fingers down the back of my hand caressingly before entwining my fingers with his. "Just waiting for you to say the word..."
OWARI
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