Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ First Times ❯ Heart To Heart ( Chapter 6 )

Arigatou to all who have reviewed this story so far. I really appreciate it. I also hope you continue to enjoy the story. Things are about to become interesting. ^_^

Chapter 6:

Heero shook his head, slightly confused and he didn't like being confused. But this boy, no this man, in front of him defied all logic. Duo was like a giant Rubix cube and every time Heero thought that he had the self proclaimed Shinigami figured out, a new combination would appear, shattering the illusion. There's more to Duo Maxwell than meets the eye, it seems.

"Heero?" Duo repeated for the fourth time in the space of a minute. Concerned now that the other pilot still hadn't answered him, Duo moved closer till he was only about a foot away. Putting his hand on Heero's uninjured shoulder, he asked "Heero, are you alright?"

Cobalt blue eyes suddenly jerked up and flew to Duo's face. "What is it?" Heero winced at the cold tone he used but he couldn't take it back now.

Duo grimaced at the other boy's tone. "Nothing. I guess. . . So where'd you zone out too?" he asked in an attempt to regain his normal cheerfulness.

Heero raised an eyebrow at the braided boy. "I did not zone out."

"Oh yes you did. You were so far gone, you never even heard me calling your name."

Heero glowered, not really ready to deal with the conflicting emotions that were boiling around inside of him. Luckily for him, Duo must have taken pity on him and begun to chatter once more, seemingly oblivious to the Wing pilot's refusal to answer.

Turning back to the stove, Duo placed a new pot of water on to boil for the rice before he got out another frying skillet for the chicken. Pouring a small amount of oil into the pan, Duo placed the chicken in it and turned the heat on medium. Turning back to Heero, he said congenially, "well, things should be done in about fifteen minutes. What say we go out into the living room? Get away from all this smoke."

Heero nodded and stood easily, swiftly leaving the kitchen behind, even though the smoke was almost dissipated by this time. Entering the living room, Heero sat down on the sofa and grimaced as he noticed the dried blood marring the black and white plaid surface. His gaze was still centered on the blood when Duo entered a minute later, carrying a small bowl.

"Heero? Whatcha' looking at?" he asked curious.

Heero shook his head and wondered idly if they had any club soda. He had heard that it could be used to remove blood stains. Maybe he should give it a try. "It's nothing Duo."

Duo appeared skeptical as he placed the small bowl he held in Heero's lap. "Here. I saved you some. Just like you asked."

Heero blinked in surprise, looking down into the bowl of ripe strawberries and fresh whip cream. He hadn't actually thought that the braided boy would save him any. "Thank you Duo," he stated quietly.

"Not a problem." The chestnut haired man moved away for a moment and knelt next to the small fireplace that looked like it hadn't been used in a couple years. Putting several pieces of wood and some old newspaper that he had found into the fireplace, he struck a match and was just about to light the fire when he heard Heero's voice.

"What do you think you are doing?"

Duo turned to regard the other pilot, the lit match slowly burning in his hand. Heero was staring at him with a mixture of bewilderment and curiosity. "Well, we sort of need a light in here and seeing as how the one by you is busted, I thought we could use the fireplace." Duo, realizing he was about to be burned by the match, hastily shook his hand, blowing the minuscule flame out.

Heero shook his head. "What do you mean the light is busted? It was working fine last night." Heero reached up to flick the lamp on and scowled when it stubbornly refused to light.

Duo smirked at the other boy. "I told you it wasn't working. Bulb blew this afternoon and we don't have any more, so the fireplace is it, buddy."

"You know we can't. Oz may see the fire."

Duo rocked back on his heels and thought about that for a moment before shaking his head slowly. "Maybe, but I doubt they would think anything of it. We are pretty far from that base you destroyed the other night and people do spend time away. We'll just be a couple of people taking time out for ourselves."

Heero glared. "And what if Oz shows up on our doorstep?"

Duo winked at Heero. "Well then I guess I get to role play the role of my life."

Heero shook his head in bemusement but he really couldn't deny the braided boy anything he wanted and he obviously wanted the fire. "Go check dinner, Duo."

"But the fire?"

"It can wait till you get back."

Duo's face lit up like a small child's on Christmas morning. Eagerly, he bounded out of the room and into the kitchen.

Heero watched him go with a semi-amused expression on his handsome face. Placing the strawberries on the coffee table to be finished later, he stood. Going over to the fireplace, he reached up into the recess, knowing instinctively that the braided boy hadn't thought to check the flue. His fingers was just brushing against the flue when white-hot pain shot up his arm, causing him to wrench his hand back. Grimacing, he cradled the injured limb to his chest and glared at the chimney.

Silently cursing himself for forgetting about his injured shoulder, he shuffled back to the couch still gripping his shoulder in a white knuckled grip. He would just have to remind Duo to open it when he came back in from the kitchen. Smirking slightly, he picked back up his strawberries and popped one in his mouth, savoring the sweet taste.

Duo whistled a soft tune that he remembered vaguely from his time spent at Maxwell church. It was a nursery rhyme that Sister Helen always used to sing to him, but Duo had long ago forgotten the words, only remembering the tune. Quickly and efficiently he moved about the kitchen, shutting off the stove as he poured the rice into two bowls. Adding some milk and butter with just a dab of sugar, Duo grinned. He sure hoped Heero liked it this way. Getting out two saucers, he placed the rapidly cooling chicken on them along with a slice of bread. He then whirled back to the refrigerator and grabbed two soft drinks out of it. Precariously balancing the two saucers, two bowls and two drinks, he made his way back out to the living room where Heero was sitting.

Heero looked up as Duo entered, a strawberry halfway to his lips. He eyed the balancing act that the Deathscythe pilot was doing and slowly started to count to ten before Duo dropped something. He had only made it to three when a can of cola slid out from under Duo's arm and began to fall. Heero calmly reached out just as it fell, catching it before it landed on the worn carpet. He shook his head while Duo grinned sheepishly.

"Ah, sorry about that Heero. It must have slipped."

"Hn."

Duo rolled his eyes and sat the rest of the plates down without incident. "I hope you like your rice this way. Sister Helen used to make it this way for me all the time."

Heero blinked, wondering what exactly Duo was getting at when he saw that the rice was floating in a white substance that smelled suspiciously like milk. "Duo, this is milk."

Duo smiled wryly at his fellow pilot. "Congratulations, Heero. You win a prize. Of course1 it's milk. What else would it be?"

Heero swallowed. "It's just that I have never. . . "

"Never what?"

Heero shook his head. "I've never had milk on rice, before."

"Oh. Is that all?" At Heero's slight nod, Duo smiled again. "Go on, try it. You might find you like it."

Tentatively, Heero dipped his spoon into the concoction and brought it to his lips.

Duo shook his head in amusement when he saw the other boy hesitate. "Go on, Heero. It's not gonna bite back, you know."

Heero shot the violet eyed boy a glare before closing his eyes and allowing the contents of the spoon to enter his mouth. Swallowing, he opened his eyes in surprise. "This is actually pretty good."

Duo laughed at Heero's astonished expression, earning him yet another glare. "Sorry man, but you should have seen your face. It was like you were waiting to be executed or something."

"Duo?" Heero asked quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Shut up and fix your fire."

Duo blinked and went over to the fireplace. "Sure thing, Heero."

"Oh and don't forget to open the flue. We don't need anymore smoke in here."

"What? You don't think I checked before?"

Heero shook his head no before realizing that Duo wasn't looking at him. "No, I don't think you checked it."

Duo turned to glare at his partner, one hand over his heart. "I'm wounded, Heero. Really, to think you think so little of me. . ."

"Baka. Hurry up already, would you?"

Duo grinned as he reached up into the flue. "Impatient are we?"

Heero didn't even deign to respond and Duo shrugging, felt about in the darkened chimney for the flue. Finding it, he started to push on it but soon realized it was stuck. Frowning, he moved farther up under the recess and began poking and prodding at the recalcitrant flue. Finally managing to get it to shift slightly, he crowed in triumph. Still grinning, he pressed harder against the now moving, albeit slowly, flue when Heero's voice wafted up to him.

"Duo, if it's stuck you'd better get out. . ." The rest of Heero's words were washed out as Duo suddenly had a sense of dread come crashing over him. Hurriedly, he tried to jerk himself out from under the recess in time, but only managed to move an inch before a whole chimney full of soot, dust and other things Duo didn't even care to want to know rained down all over his unprotected face. Coughing and sputtering, Duo pulled himself out from the now clear chimney.

Heero raised his clear blue eyes from his bowl of rice as the soot billowed out into the room. Glancing up at Duo, he couldn't suppress the smile that flitted across his features nor stop the laughter that bubbled up in his throat at the self proclaimed Shinigami covered in grime. The stuff was even caked into the boy's braid, making Duo appear as if he was an everyday chimney sweeper.

Duo glowered venomously at the laughing boy on the couch. "It's not funny Heero!!"

Heero only shook his head as he tried desperately to regain control of his laughter. "Sorry Duo, but you have to admit, you do look ludicrous."

Duo looked down at himself and grimaced. He was going to need another shower to get rid of all this grime. "Well, the good news is the flue is now open. The bad news is I have to wash my hair, so you are going to have to start the fire."

Heero nodded. "Go ahead but eat first. It will get cold."

Duo pouted but went into the kitchen to at least wash his now black hands before returning to Heero's side. Sitting down next to the stoic pilot, he was mildly surprised to see that Heero already had a fire burning in the fireplace. "Oy Heero? How'd you do that? I mean I know I wasn't in the kitchen for that long."

Heero just smirked and handed the other boy his bowl of rice.

Duo took the proffered bowl that Heero held out to him. Opening up his cola, he took a drink before eating some of the rice. He then made a sandwich out of the chicken breast he had on his saucer before turning to see how Heero was faring.

The Japanese youth had already finished his rice and was now shredding his chicken in an almost unconscious manner. His eyes were slightly unfocused and distant as he stared into the flickering flames of the fireplace. "Duo?" he asked quietly almost reservedly.

"Hmmm?"

"Why are you being so nice to me?"

Duo almost choked on his chicken. "What?"

Heero turned haunted blue eyes onto his fellow pilot. "I mean it. I have never been anything but cold to you. I hardly ever talk to you. I only grunt back answers. I even stole from you and your Gundam so why? Why are you always so nice to me?"

Duo stared at him for a full minute before he finally managed to find his voice. "Heero, I am nice to you because you need someone to be nice to you. You try to keep everyone far away from you so that they can't see the pain you hide behind that stoic mask of yours but I know you, Heero Yuy. You are as infallible as the rest of us and even you need friendship. You can't survive without it, no matter how you protest that you would rather be alone. You are my friend and no matter what, friends always stick up for one another. They even deal with each other's opposing personalities and their persistent need for silence." He grinned wryly in a light attempt at a joke.

Heero turned scalding eyes onto his partner. "I don't like the silence as much as you think."

Duo's eyes widened. "What? Then why do you always tell me to shut up?"

Heero smirked. "Because I know you never do what you're told. You always do just the opposite. So every time I tell you to shut up, I know you are going to continue to talk and that suits me just fine."

"You mean you like to hear me talk?"

Heero nodded, suddenly in a reflective mood. "Hai."

Duo was flabbergasted but then a slow grin stole over his features. "Well then, I guess I will just have to talk more often, ne?"

Heero didn't say anything as he slowly began to eat the rest of his chicken and then the leftover strawberries. Swirling the strawberry in the whip cream, Heero unwittingly licked up and down the sides of the strawberry much like Duo had done the night before.

Duo watched him for a moment, swallowing with difficulty as he felt himself begin to stiffen at the tantalizing sight Heero was making. Firelight was playing in Heero's chocolate brown hair, highlighting it while shadows danced across his features. Groaning, Duo stood with the intent of making a hasty retreat before he did something he was bound to regret.

He had long ago finished his sandwich and drink as Heero had talked, and now the only thing he wanted was a long hot shower. Though a cold one would probably do much for his disposition. "Gomen, Heero. But I really need to get this stuff off of me, " He said while indicating the ash and soot that was still clinging to his lean frame.

Heero nodded his head at the other boy, still intent on watching the flames flicker.

Duo sighed as he watched his friend. He could feel Heero's hurt rolling off him in waves but for the life of him, he didn't know what to do to make things better. Shaking his head, he walked back to the bathroom, pulling the rubber band out of his hair on the way. Stopping in the bedroom, he pulled out a pair of well worn black sweatpants, new boxers and a plain white t-shirt. Carrying the three items into the bathroom, he placed them on the closed toilet lid. Stripping slowly, he stepped into the hot soothing spray of the water and couldn't help but think of earlier and of how vulnerable Heero appeared.