Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Seventh Heaven ❯ A Quiet Date at Heero’s Part 2 ( Chapter 25 )

Title: A Quiet Date at Heero's Part 2

Series: Seventh Heaven

Author: Sorceress Fantasia

Pairings: 1+2

Warnings: Heero POV, AU (our time), sap

Archive: Lev's Lair

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Anyone else, just ask. ^^

Disclaimer: I called up a lawyer and asked him if I owned GW and the characters, and he loaned me a book on copyright laws. So no, I don't own GW or the GW gang. Sad, I know, but it's true. In fact, I have to repay the overdue loan on the book and that practically empties my wallet. So there.

Thanx to Lily Kalanoa for beta-ing! ^^

I scrutinize the two fluffy towels in my hands. Eventually, I put the red one back into the closet and head out of my room with the purple one. It reminds me of Duo's eyes. Carefully, I lock up my room.

It's not that I don't want to let Duo get in there, cause well, Trowa told me that a bedroom's one of the best places to store up a few kisses. He said that the bed gives the place a special atmosphere. So yeah, I'd love it if Duo goes in. However, there are some things I'd much prefer he doesn't see now. Like his pictures stuck all over the walls and the photo frames. Like my confession list lying on my desk. Like the books I'm reading now.

I'd probably scare him off. So currently, my bedroom is a big no-no.

Duo hears my approaching footsteps, and he turns to me on the living room couch. "Heero, you've got such a cool place! I mean, oh my god. Just look at the television set! It's huge! And the stereo system! And your couch!" he exclaims animatedly, almost jumping out of his seat. The tension of our kiss has mostly dissipated, luckily.

My inner self congratulates me profusely for my good taste. I thank him back.

"Well, if you like it, you can come over here as much as you like." I hope he picks up my hint.

He flashes me a wide grin, and nods. I think he might have gotten part of it.

"C'mon, dry yourself. It wouldn't do if you were to get sick because of the rain." I say, and toss him the purple towel. As I had expected, the colour suits him impeccably. He catches it with a quick swipe, and mutters a 'thanks'. Watching him towel himself is like watching a kitten licking itself clean; it's cute as hell, and I wonder if I can rush into my room to grab my camera. But I'll probably not make it in time to take the picture. All thanks to Hirde, my newest camera is safely stowed away under lock and key. I've got to think of a better way to take Duo's pictures…

"Heero? Shall we watch the movie now? I can't wait to enjoy your stereos."

Yeah, and I can't wait to enjoy a nice movie at home with you, Duo. So suppressing my excitement which would have made me skip around in elation, I quickly gather up some snacks, start up the DVD, and slide into the couch beside Duo. The rain is still pouring outside, bringing down the room temperature so much so that even I'm feeling the frostiness. Sitting close together will keep us warmer, or so my inner self tells me. Gee, he's been appearing so much lately I ought to give him a name.

Suddenly, I feel Duo's lithe form quivering against me. "Are you still cold?"

He chuckles sheepishly. "My brother always said that I would freeze if I stood next to an open refrigerator."

"Do you want a jacket? Or we could… erm, just sit closer," I suggest, although I'm really against the former. It would just put a damper on my plans to cuddle close.

"Yeah, and maybe you could just hold me close and keep me warm!" he teases gently, and my heart skips a beat.

Putting my arm around his shoulder, I pull him against me. "Why not?" I shoot back, reeling in the slight blush on his face.

At that moment, the opening theme of the movie blares through the speakers. I turn back to the screen; if he feels uncomfortable, he could just slip out of my hold. I'm not holding him particularly tight anyway. And if he likes the way my arm feels around him, we could just watch the movie like this. I'm giving him the choice, but I don't want to see it. I think I'll beat myself up for moving too fast if he pushes me away. However, my worries seem unwarranted, and I eventually feel him leaning lightly against me, our sides pressed together.

My mind promptly blots out the movie.

*****

Two hours later, I turn off the DVD player with the remote controller, and slump back into the couch.

Duo slowly wriggles free of my embrace, and asks cheekily, "So, how was it?"

The words slip out of my mouth before I can filter it for any inappropriate content. "Wonderful. Lovely. Amazing." How can it not be, getting so close with him?

Duo regards me with an amused look, and I start to think if I had said anything wrong. But I really can't figure out where's the mistake. I mean, it's a really fantastic feeling to hug him and have him pressed against my body. Does he not like it?

Then he snickers, and nudges my shoulder gently. "I was talking about the movie. What in the world were you thinking of?"

Oh. Crap. This is embarrassing. And the worst thing? Duo has this knowing look on his face, and he's still snickering away. No, I have to think of a way to turn the situation around! I have to appear suave and confident no matter what happens. Think, Heero! Think!

"You, of course," I plaster on my most poised look, and grace him a small curl of my lips. Yes, Heero! Turn this conversation to your favour! "What else did you think I was talking about?"

His snickering stops immediately, and he gapes at me. Even so, he still looks adorable.

"Erm… well… I…"

"Yes?" Call me evil, but I just can't stop myself from teasing him. He always blushes when he's embarrassed.

"…So, what do you think of the movie?" he asks suddenly, and if I might say so, nervously.

Well, I'll take pity on him this time. "It was… nice." Honestly, I wasn't paying that much attention to what was happening on the screen. I was thinking more along the lines of how incredibly cozy and warm this was, catching a show with Duo at home. It's definitely better than at the cinema. And feeling him snuggle against me as the rain outside kept pouring down in torrents, it's hard to concentrate on anything not pertaining to Duo. Well, of course, Trieze's advice is doing a great job of creating a ruckus inside my mind too.

He mumbles something inaudible and nods, keeping his head low all the time. For a while, we just sit there, not doing anything else. He seems to have found something of interest on my couch, and I just gaze at him. Suddenly, I just feel the urge to gather him in my arms again. Rather than discussing this with my inner voice, I give in immediately.

His body stiffens initially, but I can feel his arms around me hugging tighter slowly. Carefully, I stroke his back, and he sighs into my chest. I don't know why, but something tells me that this is the perfect time to confess.

Just as I'm about to tell him, a shrill sound blares out and the moment is shattered. Duo, as though woken from his trance, quickly springs away from me. I fall back as well, surprised at what I had almost done. Didn't I just say I'm going to take this slow? Didn't I just promise myself that I'm going to be certain of my feelings first, before I do confess? Still, it feels so good to have him in my arms…

Duo fishes around in his pouch, and takes out his cell phone. "Hello? …Oh, I'm outside obviously… Nothing, just went to an anime rental shop… Yeah, I got the DVD. Erm, no. It's still raining heavily… I didn't bring an umbrella. Yeah… Okay. Bye."

"Who was it?" I ask.

"Erm, my brother. He asked me to go home for dinner."

"Oh. But Duo, it's still raining! You'll get wet!"

"Yeah. Can I stay here for a little while more? Just until the rain stops."

Fine, I'll admit that I'm pretty hypocritical sometimes. I know I said that I want to take our relationship slow so we can really build it up on a solid foundation, which logically suggests that I should just stop flirting or trying to hug him again. So in turn, I should just let him go when he wants to. But the other side of me, the illogical side, begs to differ.

"Why don't you just have dinner with me? My sister won't be home so soon tonight, so it's just me, eating alone…" I start, gesticulating wildly. I'm flustered, that much I admit; and Duo is just standing there, staring at me in an unsettling manner, his brows knitted tightly together.

"Erm, if you want, we could watch the other anime DVDs you just borrowed as we eat dinner. You like my stereo system, don't you?"

He's still gazing straight at me, and suddenly, he frowns. For a while, I think he's going to decline my invitation. A part of me, the part that is still trying to get me to move along slowly, is content. But the other part of me is terribly disappointed, and I can just picture myself standing at the top of a really tall mountain, all perspiring and thirsty. And then, my bottle of mineral water gleefully rolls down the mountain? Yeah, and I can only look on in despair, reaching out a hand, and yelling, "NOOOOO~!"

Then Duo grins cheekily. "So what's for dinner?"

A grin tugs at my lips.

*****

"Duo, be careful of your hands! Look out for the knife!" I nearly shout, already regretting my decision in letting him help out in the kitchen. Right now, he's cutting up the vegetables, and my heart stills with every chop he makes. I don't know how to describe it, but it's like… he's seeking revenge on the poor green… I'm not entirely sure if I want to call it vegetables anymore.

"Don't fuss, Heero! I'll be fine!" He throws me a wink behind his back, and goes back to the chopping board.

If I can actually not worry about him, I'd be insane. Still, I try to focus on frying the fish. For all the time I've known Duo, I think this is one of the first… well, flaw is such a strong word… imperfection? I've always thought Duo to be… perfect. But obviously, I've been mistaken. Still, it's cute to see him flustered about something. And nobody's perfect. So what if Duo can't cook? I can, and this makes up for his inability to. Alright, I'm being sappy again. So sue me.

"Okay, I'm done!" Duo chirps, and brings the basket of chopped vegetables over to me. It doesn't look as bad as I thought it'd be.

"Thanks."

"Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"Not really. Why don't you sit down and take a rest? I'll be ready in a minute."

He pouts. Man, he must be the only guy apart from Quatre who can carry off a pout and still look cute. If I lean in now and kiss him, will he punch me? Hmm, might be interesting to try out.

"But Heero, I've been such a bother! Making you ask around for my DVD, then coming over to your place to watch the movie, and now you're making dinner for me! Just let me do something to help!"

Bother? Oh, I'd love it if you would visit my place everyday and just stay with me. Not a bother. Not at all. Besides, if that's a bother, what is Hirde?

"You've already made the table and cut up the vegetables. That's enough for a guest, Duo. Besides," I scoop up the fish and deposit it on a clean plate, "I'm done. All that's left is the vegetables that need a little stir-frying."

"Well… Okay then, I'll take the food out and wait for you. And be quick! I can't wait to eat all these!" he laughs, and goes into the dining room with some dishes.

Trust me, Duo. I can't wait either.

*****

"So, how is it? Do you like it?" I ask nervously.

Duo swallows a large bite of the fish, and licks his chops. He nods enthusiastically. "It's fantastic! I haven't had such wonderful Chinese food in a very long time! Heero, you're such a great cook!"

Zechs is right: get to Duo's heart through his stomach! I'll have to invite him over more often to try out my cooking, then. It's tiring to cook, standing in front of the stove for hours sweating like a hog, but hey, it's one of the things I can really do well in. I love it when people praise my culinary skills. Still, I've got to remember to stock up the groceries tomorrow. All these were supposed to be tomorrow night's dinner, but well…

"How did you learn to cook Chinese food?" Duo asks in between mouthfuls of rice.

"Read them in recipe books, and I just tried them out. It's not all that difficult once you get the hang of it," I reply, picking up a small bit of the fish with my chopsticks.

"Really? Well, that certainly doesn't apply to me! I can't cook for the life of me! And in fact, that seems to apply to my whole family too… And how do you use those chopsticks?"

"Practice," I smirk, reminded of the time when Zechs was so fed up about using them that he started to stab at his food. "If you want, I could teach you when we have the time." And my cooperative mind feeds me with an image of me teaching Duo, holding his hands and leaning close. I quickly stuff a slice of chicken into my mouth.

"Sure!"

Oh, Duo… please don't supply me with more images of that… Chopsticks! Pick up that damn fish! Pick it up! Don't let it keep slipping! You have to flip it over so I can eat the other side of the fish!

"You know, could I… just come over again some time soon?"

My pair of chopsticks goes out of orbit, out of my influence, and falls onto the table with a dead 'plonk'. Duo sniggers, and promptly flips the fish over with his fork and spoon.

"I was thinking that maybe you could teach me how to cook. It's just that… my whole family really sucks when it comes to working in the kitchen. And I'm kinda sick of canned food and instant noodles…"

I find myself nodding faster than I can register the action. "Sure! I'd be glad to!" And then my mind picks up what Duo said before that. "You mean, you do housework at home?"

"Yeah. We divide it among the three of us, and take turns to cook. But honestly, none of us can cook anything decent! Especially my uncle. His stew is the worst. And there was once I swear his beef stew tasted like glue. After that, me and my brother take turns to test it first to see if it's actually edible." He chuckles. "Is it very strange that I do housework? I'm sure you do it too."

"Right, I have to. My sister does only the laundry, and I have to do everything else. I don't like the idea of letting someone else come in and tidy up the house for us, so I don't hire maids or anything," I answer, "And it's not that I find it strange or weird. It's just that I didn't picture you as the type who'd do housework."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

I nearly choke again at what I had implied when I said that. Stupid mouth… can't you do an auto-filter or something like that before actually saying something? Then I look at Duo's sassy grin, and I know that he's not offended at all. More like… like he's amused. So I decide to amuse him right back again.

"You just look like someone who should be pampered."

"Oh?" His expression turns even more playful. "How so?"

"It's the way you look, and the air of grace you exude."

"Really? And… who'd do that?"

"Me."

Yes! Got him right there again! But he regains his composure fairly quickly this time, and flashes his pearly whites at me.

"If you think you can."

"I'm sure I can find some way to."

We look across the table at each other, feeling the air around us turning light. And my heart feels lighter than air at his acceptance. This is the closest I'll get to a real confession of my feelings for him in some time to come.

*****

I pull Duo to me, and carefully wrap my jacket around his shoulders. "It's cold out there. This should keep you warm."

He blinks at first, and then nods. "Thanks, Heero."

"Are you sure you don't want me to send you home? It's no trouble, you know? Besides, it's late already. What if Alex and Mueller come again?"

"They wouldn't dare. You scared them off the last time, remember? And my brother's at home now. He'll get a fit if he sees you."

I cringe at the thought. Even though I'm an able-bodied young man who practices karate, the thought of an angry, protective brother is still scary. After all, I know what a brother can and will do to protect his younger sibling, being one myself.

"Then, call me when you get home?"

"Alright. Don't worry, Heero! I'll be fine," he laughs, "And Heero? I'm leaving the YYH DVD here with you. You can watch it again; I'm pretty sure you didn't really catch much when we watched it earlier. And we can meet another day so you can pass it to me."

At least I have the decency to blush a little, but I perk up at the idea of meeting Duo again soon.

"Well, I'll be going now. Thanks for the really great day, Heero. It's been fun," he says, and jumps down the slightly elevated threshold of my apartment. Just before he heads for the elevators, he turns around and gives me a heartfelt smile. "I nearly forgot." And he leans into me to press his lips against my cheeks. Both sides.

"Thanks," he mumbles, and runs off.

I think I'm still in shock when I slowly raise a hand to touch where he had kissed me. It's just a chaste gesture, probably just to thank me for the meal and companionship, but my face still feels like it's on fire. And I don't ever want anything to put out the fire.

Screw you, Treize. I'm happy, Duo's happy (I think), and we're happy to be together. Who needs to get bothered about the difference between 'in love' and 'love'? At least, not now. Not when I'm wallowing in this newfound joy that is Duo.

-owari-

Sorceress Fantasia 3rd September 2003

Last beta-ed 28th December 2003