Author: Zazu
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Yaoi, some NCS, angst
Pairings: 1+2
Summary: Heero has a crush on the clerk in the store
Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing, nor do I own the characters. I have borrowed them here for some fun and creativity, and this is not for profit. I do, however, own the plot mentioned here, and any instances that you may find similar to real life events are purely a coincidence. All of the characters depicted in this story are adults.
The Handsome Clerk Part 1
When Heero walked into the store after work on Monday, his sole intention was to buy a new shirt and a tie to match his charcoal suit.
At least, that was what he told himself.
He'd actually purchased the suit at that very shop less than a month ago, and he'd spent almost an hour there deciding just what he wanted. In the end, though, he had to admit that he wasn't the one who made the decision.
The one who did was one of the store clerks; the really hot one. His name was Duo according to the nametag he wore, and he had the most captivating blue eyes and the most charming smile. The long braid he wore was a distinctive feature that Heero couldn't help but remember.
It turned out that this clerk happened to live close to Heero, or at the very least, he frequented the coffee shop that Heero went to on his way to work in one of the high-rise buildings not too far from the strip of shops where Duo worked. Since Heero's purchase, they'd run into each other at the coffee shop a few times and had even made eye contact about half of those times.
Realistically speaking, Heero figured that Duo saw too many faces in his retail job to really recognize him. He'd only shopped once, only interacted once with Duo, and in that short hour he'd seen Duo greet more than one customer by their first name. He knew then, that he was not a frequent customer and therefore, it made sense that Duo would not recognize him.
Hilde greeted Heero as he entered the store and he nodded politely, declining her offer to help so that he could look around on his own. He heard Duo's chuckle before he saw the man, and looked up to see Duo straightening the tie for a blonde man.
Heero recognized that face; it was Quatre Winner, the young CEO of Winner Enterprise Incorporated. Heero worked as a network security consultant and WEI was their biggest customer, making up almost forty-five percent of their profits each year. To think that Quatre knew Duo too...
As if sensing eyes on him, Duo glanced up and smiled, nodding in greeting. Heero couldn't help smiling back just a touch before quickly turning to the clothing he was standing by.
Less than three minutes later, Duo approached him.
"Can I help you?" he asked with a smile.
"I'm just looking," Heero automatically replied.
"You...you're name is Heero, right?" Duo asked. Heero nodded, surprised. "Quatre, the guy I was just with? He told me that he knew you. He's sorry he couldn't stop to say hi but he was just rushing out. His secretary spilled something on his tie so he needed a quick replacement before a meeting..." Duo trailed off.
"Yes, my name is Heero. Heero Yuy," Heero replied, offering his hand. Duo accepted it with a firm grip.
"I remember you. You bought a charcoal suit maybe a month ago?"
Heero nodded. "I'm surprised you remember," he said. "I can only imagine the number of faces you see every day."
Duo grinned. "Trade secret," he said before lowering his voice. "I get dibs on serving the handsome guys, and I tend to remember them very well."
Heero felt a bit of heat rise to his cheeks and he turned to gesture at a shirt. "I was looking for a shirt and a tie to go with the charcoal suit."
Duo nodded, joking set aside and all business. "We got something in just last night that I think would look really good." He led Heero over to another side of the store and picked up a blue shirt. "I've got another charcoal jacket, the same as yours. If you want to try this shirt on, I'll go bring the jacket."
"Thank you," Heero said before entering into the fitting room. As he tried on the shirt, Heero realized that not only did Duo recognize his face; he also remembered what size shirt he needed.
The blue shirt did look good on him and almost matched the color of his eyes. Heero stepped out of the room to see Duo waiting with a charcoal jacket. Taking it, he slipped it on, wondering whether Duo really did remember all of his of sizes or simply had a good eye for his clients against the merchandise.
A whistle from the braided clerk drew him from his thoughts. Heero turned to the mirror and studied his reflection. The shirt looked good with the jacket and before he asked, Duo was already handing him a tie.
Heero held it up to his neck, not wanting to knot the tie and crease it in case he didn't buy it. He felt a little disappointed, not in the outfit, but the fact that it had taken so little time to find what he needed.
Duo mistook his lingering silence for disapproval. "If you want to try something else, we have a lot of new stock..."
"This is fine," Heero interrupted softly. "I was just lost in thought. Sorry." He handed the tie back to Duo. "I'll take this tie and shirt."
"Great," Duo said with a smile of relief. "Is that all you need for today?" he asked.
Heero nodded. "That's all. I'll just get changed. Can you leave the items for me at the front?"
"I'll meet you there," Duo promised.
Heero couldn't help but wonder if there was anything he needed from that store. Deciding that he'd just stick with his purchases and come back another time he exited the fitting room and walked to the front desk. Duo stood on the other side, smile in place, the tie boxed up and sitting on the counter. Heero handed the shirt to Duo along with the charcoal jacket and he watched as Duo efficiently folded the shirt while he dug out his credit card.
As the transaction processed, Duo offered Heero a pen and indicated where he should sign. Heero glanced over the figures briefly before signing the receipt, handing it back to Duo who took it and set it aside.
"The refund and exchange policy is for fourteen days," Duo said, head down as he scribbled on the customer copy of the receipt. "Although the decision lies at our discretion, as I'm sure you're aware." Duo handed the bag to Heero and offered him the receipt. "Thank you for your purchase and I look forward to seeing you soon."
"Thank you for all of your help," Heero replied politely. Knowing the time had come to leave, he gave Duo a parting smile and left the store.
He walked down the block before stopping and taking out the receipt, curious as to what Duo had written there.
Dinner Thursday, 7pm at Mercutio's?
The short message in Duo's distinctive writing was followed by a phone number.
Heero pulled out his cell phone and entered Duo's phone number, saving it onto the SIM card. Then, he carefully put the receipt away before resuming his walk.
Thursday was a few days off and Heero couldn't remember the last time he had anticipated any event that wasn't work-related. He smiled, making a mental note to text Duo once he got home, foregoing a direct call in case Duo was still at work.
He was already a little nervous and he didn't know what to wear, but all the same, Heero couldn't wait for Thursday evening to roll around.
TBC...
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