Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Chef Heero's Selections ❯ Duo’s Benefits ( Chapter 5 )

Title: Chef Heero's Selection #5: Duo's Benefits.
Author: Keiran
Pairing: 1x2x1
Rating: PG
Warning: A bit of angst, emotional-ness
Word Count: 572
Notes: Following the most cliché of all GW clichés: Duo feeling neglected by Heero, who has a `mission'.

***

The door opened slowly. Heero moved in quietly, trying to step as lightly as possible, which wasn't easy considering his heavy boots. He closed the door behind him, took off his shoes and jacket and headed for the bedroom. It was well after one a.m. and he was tired. His every intention at the moment was to drop onto the bed and fall asleep, preferably with a hearty cuddle from his lover.

Foregoing the precautions, Heero opened the bedroom door and froze. Duo was lying on the bed, fully clothed. That didn't happen at all - Duo cherished the idea of having special clothes to sleep in and linen that smelled of their flowery fabric softener. He always spent ages picking just the right brand and just the right smell, different each and every time - he must have been sick or really exhausted to fall into bed in his clothes. With his heart in his mouth, Heero tiptoed to the bed so that he could see his lover's face. A sudden assault of emotions threatened to overcome him.

There were traces of tears on that normally cheerful face. They were still wet when Heero touched them, so most likely Duo had cried in his sleep. But why would he cry?

The answer hit him when his eyes fell to the silver band on Duo's ring finger.

Oh, hell. How could he forget! Very slowly Heero knelt on the floor staring mutely at his best friend. He had forgotten. For the first time in his life he had forgotten something important.

Suddenly he felt like crying himself. Some desolate part of his mind piped up telling him that Duo should be proud that the Perfect Soldier finally indulged in the small benefits of peace like forgetting stuff, but the bigger part, the one that wasn't so much influenced by Duo as *devoted* to Duo, whacked the other upside the tiny, imaginary head.

Those were Duo's benefits from his hard-won peace. His own apartment, his clean floors, his shiny furniture, his favourite white linen, weekly scrubbing of all the flat surfaces; all that was his home. As well as his best friend with whom he lived, whom he loved most of all. As well as the small things that couples had done from the beginning of time: romantic dinners, an occasional bouquet and celebrating the anniversaries.

It's not like he needed anything overwhelming really: Heero had developed a habit of stopping by a nearby flower-shop every two weeks on his way home (on Fridays, when Duo was home before him) and purchasing a just perfect armful of flowers. The girl working there knew him and always prepared a handful of suggestions for his fortnightly missions; Duo usually spent the Saturday morning researching the various meanings behind a particular bouquet. The anniversaries happened only once a year, so no real problem there. Supposedly.

Heero sighed heavily and very carefully spooned behind Duo on the bed, pressing his face against his lover's neck. He would make it up to Duo. Maybe they'd go to a fancy restaurant; they rarely did that nowadays, what with his new-found passion for cooking and frying. Nevertheless, a vacation was in order. Most likely from the kitchen as well. Heero considered sighing at the thought, but in the end keeping his Duo happy was more important. After all, it was for Duo that Heero had decided to take up cooking.