Author: Zazu
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Kids
Pairings: 1+2+1, 5+R
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.
Notes: Not beta-read. This is a part of the babysiting adventures universe, inspired by Sharon's prompt "Babysitting adventures for uncles Heero, Duo, Trowa and Quatre. Wufei and Relena are the parents, of course". I should state now that the little drabbles in this universe will not be chronological at all!
A Warm Shoulder
If there was one thing Heero learned from Leila Chang, it was that she came up with the most random question.
Maybe all children did it; their minds made strange leaps at times, in ways that the adults around them would need a moment to connect to.
Even if they were experienced adults like Heero, since Duo often made strange leaps, too. But that wasn't the point.
Three-year-old Leila seemed fairly content watching her cartoon video. Heero was reading his book at the other end of the couch, and they were waiting for Duo to come home from work with the pizza.
The cartoon was still on when Leila moved, crawling on the couch to Heero. "Uncle Heero?"
"Yes?" He lowered his book to look at her. Leila's head tilted to the side as if she were thinking deeply. It was a moment before she spoke.
"Can you show me something?"
"What do you want to see?"
"Mina says that you can learn from trying things out. Ex..expell...expelliments."
"Experiments," Heero corrected, understanding that Mina was the protagonist in the cartoon. He pronounced the word slowly so she could repeat it after him.
"So, I need you to be a part of my expement."
"Experiment."
"Expereement."
Close enough. "Okay, so what kind of experiment did you want to have?"
"Lie down, Uncle Heero."
Heero blinked at her. "Lie down?"
She nodded. "On the couch." She stood up to give him room.
Heero complied slowly, setting his book aside and wondering what Leila had in mind. As soon as he settled, she climbed onto the couch again, pulling on his shirt to get up. He automatically stretched out a hand to help her; Wufei had learned the hard way that it wasn't always a good idea to let children do things on their own. Leila had tried to climb onto the couch and had slipped. Luckily, they'd moved the coffee table further away from the couch in case something like this happened, and Leila had merely fallen onto the soft carpet, crying not because of pain but because she'd been startled.
Once on the couch, Leila lay down beside Heero, resting her head on his upper arm.
"Leila?" Heero asked.
"Mama always does this to Baba," she said. "And Uncle Duo does it with you. I think you do it to Uncle Duo, too." Leila shifted and Heero automatically curled his arm around her to prevent her from falling. "But I don't see Baba doing it to Mama. So, is it comfy because Uncle Heero and Uncle Duo and Baba are different from Mama?"
Heero didn't quite know how to answer that. "Probably," he said. "Your Mama is smaller than your Baba. It's probably more comfortable for your Mama than for your Baba."
"Why?" Leila asked.
"Well, if I lay down on Leila like this, you'd probably think I was too heavy. And Leila's arm is too small for me to feel comfortable," Heero said.
"But Uncle Heero isn't comfy." She shifted again, so Heero pulled her a little closer, settling her on her side, drawing her hand over his chest so he could take her weight. His thumb automatically traced the back of her small hand, and he raised his hand from around her waist to brush at her hair.
"Better?" he asked softly.
She was quiet, thinking it over. "Can I stay here?" she asked after a moment. "Uncle Heero is warm."
Heero smiled and curled his arm around her waist again.
He didn't realize that he'd dozed off until he heard the door close. Blinking open groggy eyes, he looked at Duo, who was holding the pizza and a very large plastic bag. He was smiling softly.
"Don't move," Duo said softly, toeing off his shoes as he set the bag down and went to the kitchen. He exited a moment later, having set down the pizza, and knelt by the couch. "Why's she napping here and not in the guest room?"
"I'll tell you what happened later," Heero said. "Work okay today?"
"Had a small problem, but it's all okay now." Duo brushed Leila's soft hair from her face. "Let's wake her before the pizza cools." He moved back a little, not wanting to startle her.
Heero rubbed Leila's arm gently. "Leila?" he called softly. "Uncle Duo is home with the pizza."
It took a moment to rouse her, and Heero sat up, taking her with him.
"Hi Leila baby," Duo greeted her. "Wakey wakey?"
"Hi Uncle Duo," Leila said, reaching both arms forward to him. Duo picked her up.
"Did you have happy dreams?"
"I don't know," she said, snuggling against him and curling to lean on his shoulder. Then, she straightened again. "Pizza?" she asked, suddenly excited.
"Yes," Duo said. "But before that, Uncle Duo bought you a present."
"A present?" Leila asked, beaming. "Why?"
"Because you're a good girl," Duo bumped their noses gently together before setting her down. "It's in the bag by the door."
She went to see what it was, and Heero wrapped his arms around Duo. "Hey," he said, giving Duo a quick kiss. "What'd you get her?"
"A substitute for your shoulder," Duo teased.
"How did you know she was asking about that?"
"Was she?" Duo asked, surprised. "And then she slept there?"
Heero nodded, and they turned when Leila squealed, pulling a large teddy bear from the bag. "Thank you, Uncle Duo!" she said, dragging the large bear with her to hug him.
"Now, let's leave your bear on the couch and have some pizza first, okay?"
The pizza dinner was full of laughter as Heero taught Leila to steal Duo's pepperoni when he pretended to be turned away. Then, Duo gave the little girl a bath as Heero washed the dishes, and they played her matching game and let her win.
Before long, it was time to tuck her in for an hour or so before Wufei and Relena came by to pick her up. She lay in the guestroom bed, her bear beside her and Duo on the other side of the bear, lying on his side with his head propped up by his hand. Heero sat on her other side; it was his turn to ready from the story book of fairytales.
He'd only read three pages before Leila turned away from him and snuggled against her bear, lying on it much like the way she'd napped on Heero's shoulder. By the time he'd read the fifth page, Leila was already asleep, and he read just one more page to make sure she was really asleep before the two men eased off of the bed, tucking the covers tighter around her and her bear before walking to the door. As they dimmed the light and stood by the door, eyeing the room to make sure everything was okay, they heard Leila mumble, "Uncle Heero warm." Duo grinned and led Heero out.
In the living room, Heero gathered Duo in his arms and explained Leila's little experiment. Duo chuckled at Heero's responses to her question, earning himself a pinch.
"What would you have said?" Heero asked.
Duo snickered. "I'd have told her that her Baba was too manly to lie on a woman's shoulder. Even though I bet you he does it in their bedroom after..."
"Stop," Heero interrupted. "Don't go there."
Duo pet Heero between his legs. "Down, boy," he said. "I was going to say after a long day at work or an exhausting day with Leila, but obviously you thought..."
"Stop!" Heero groaned. "And what do you mean, 'down, boy'? As if I would be...thinking of...oh God," Heero groaned, turning his face to the back of the couch. "How am I going to look at them later?"
Duo took the chance to kiss Heero's exposed neck. "It's okay," he soothed. "I'll erase those memories from you as soon as Leila's gone home."
"Promise?" Heero asked.
"Promise. Now, Uncle Heero, let me share your warmth and rest up for an hour."
Hearing Duo call him the way Leila did, Heero couldn't help but ask his lover a partially dreaded question. "You don't think she's going to name the bear after me, do you?"
Duo only chuckled in answer.
OWARI
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