“Dreary weather, ain’t it?”
“Hmm.” The sound of shuffling papers. The click of the pen, scribbling and more shuffling of papers.
“It’s cold…and rainy…not your typical Valentine’s Day. Sure as hell isn’t a day to be cooped up in an office working.”
More shuffling of papers. “We have paperwork to finish, Duo.”
“I know that.” He balances his pen on the tip of his nose, leans back in his chair to eye the ceiling full of holes in a white sheet of what looks like asbestos. Outside the rain continues to pitter patter softly, drenching the gray streets and its occupants like a scene from an old noir picture from the 20th century. It’s goddamn depressing to him.
“I heard Trowa got Quatre a small teddy bear with roses…”
The scribbling stops for a moment, but then continues with a bit more ferocity.
“…you know the one that sings?”
A sigh and the pen finally stops. He can feel those intense blue eyes trained on him now. “Do you want a teddy bear with roses that sings then?”
He pouts. “No.”
“So why are you bringing it up?”
“Just making conversation.”
He hears the low groan and then the shuffling of papers again. “Damn it, Duo,” begins the mumble that he snips in the bud.
“I’m not saying you have to get me anything, Heero. I have you…now.”
He thinks he can hear his partner blush and he smiles a little, but the moment is lost as their comrade pokes his head over the cubicle to see them.
“Strawberries dipped in chocolate, anyone?” Wufei offers as he holds up the tray. “The ladies in accounting insisted we share it with everyone.”
“Mmmm, yummy!” Duo swings his legs off the desk and sits up, hungry eyes trained on the luscious and sinful treats before him. A stick juts from the strawberry, its swollen tip dipped in a mixture of dark chocolate and white caramel. He plucks one from the tray, making sure it doesn’t drip and hands it over to his companion, who has been watching the scene unfold with an unreadable expression in his dark blue eyes.
“Thanks,” he mumbles and accepts the offering, trying hard not to swallow as he watches Duo dark out a pink tongue to lick the sweet coating from the fruit.
“Got anything for Sally?” Duo’s asking.
Wufei has the grace to flush. “We’re going out to dinner tonight.”
“Nice,” Duo croons, deliberately ignoring his partner, sucking gently on the strawberry as he eyes the tray again. Maybe he’ll have another. “Where you taking her?”
“None of your business,” comes the cryptic reply. “It was a damn hard place to get reservations and I don’t care if it storms tonight, we’re going.”
“Now, that’s dedication for ya,” Duo applauds with a wide grin.
“What about you two? Got anything special planned?” Wufei asks, only to kick himself inwardly as he notices Duo’s quick and you-just-might-miss it look of pain, and Heero’s barely noticeable jerk as if he has been goosed. “Ah…maybe not.”
“We don’t need to do anything special,” Duo interrupts quickly with a wave of his hand. “Right, Heero? Our relationship isn’t based on frivolous, materialistic, mushy, gushy displays of….”
Suddenly Heero rises to his feet, hands planted firmly on the table as he glares…or at least tries to glare at Duo. “All right,” he grits tightly, features darkening with a blush that seems to make his face as red as the fruit they’re eating. “I get it, Duo. Don’t you move. I’ll be right back.”
“Huh? Heer…?” But before he can finish, the young man is out of the room, shrugging into his Preventers jacket and dashing out in the rain. The remaining two can see him sprinting across the parking lot, soon getting lost in the gray shadows like a ghost.
“At least he should have used an umbrella,” Duo muses, trying hard to hide his smile.
“You slimy bastard.” Wufei laughs. “You did that on purpose.”
“Well, someone’s got to get him more interested in the damn holiday,” Duo says cracking his knuckles and eyeing the pile of work waiting for him. “Thanks for the treat, Wufei, but I’ve got to get to work now.” He winks, clicks his pen and begins to scribble, chuckling as Wufei leaves still snickering over what has just transpired. He is never going to understand the relationship between those two and he doesn’t even think he wants to.
“Sorry, sir, we’re all sold out,” the man behind the counter says with an apologetic smile. The kid – or least he looks like one – is shivering and wet, mimicking a drowned rat as he stares at the empty shelves in the shop. Today was his busiest day, it was almost over, and of course last minute shoppers had taken just about everything he had.
“Really wish I could help you son,” he’s saying, although he has the feeling he’s talking to an empty shell. “Maybe your girl…”
Heero walks out with a nod of understanding, barely acknowledging the pounding raindrops on his drenched disposition. He walks slowly back to the Preventers headquarters, mind churning with excuses, something to make it up to Duo. It isn’t as if he hasn’t gotten the hints over the past few weeks, but he’s at a loss as to what to do at this time of the year. So granted, it is the second time they are spending it together, but last year had been a new experience. They were barely weeks into their relationship and neither had been too concerned about it.
“Fuck it,” he finally mutters, venting his frustration by kicking a public trashcan. He eyes the lights that illuminate the gray street, watching couples snickering and giggling as they run into their reserved dinner dates and private moments of happiness. A quick glance at his watch tells him it’s past eight in the evening. He has no idea time has gone by so fast. He must have been on the streets for almost three hours searching for something…anything to get for the one he lov –
“Could have at least gotten an umbrella,” comes the quiet words as the rain suddenly stops pouring on him.
He turns to meet the smile of his partner, the large red umbrella over them like a shield against the bitter elements.
“You’re fucking soaked,” Duo observes, watching Heero lower his head for a minute. He feels something dull – a low ache in his chest and he fights back the sudden lump in his throat. He realizes that the other man has tried so hard, has always tried hard to do the right things.
But he’s still learning and I’ll keep teaching him for as long as he lets me.
“Let’s go home, Heero,” he finally says, reaching out for his partner’s hand to hold…”Ow! Ow! Okay, you can let me go now. I’m sorry all right!” He winces as he’s pushed even closer to the heat emanating from Heero’s body, his arm twisted almost painfully behind him. Damn Heero Yuy and his quick reflexes. The umbrella slips from his fingers and falls to the ground, rolling around a little and threatening to fly away with the sudden gust of wind.
“You keep playing that guilt trip thing, don’t you, Duo?” Heero whispers in a voice that’s neither angry or calm. It’s a growl perhaps, but its effect is still the same. Duo shivers and it’s not from the cold rain.
“What are you talking about…ow! I’m sorry!”
“Like the time you said it was your birthday and you made me run all around town looking for a present only to return and hear you say that you got it all wrong and your birthday was actually a week from that day?”
“It’s not my fault my birthday wasn’t recorded anywhere. I just make up the days as the years go by! OW!”
He’s shoved away and he stumbles a little, righting himself to glare at his unsympathetic partner. He rubs his aching arm and grumbles, trying to reach for the umbrella. But Heero is fast again and picks it up before him.
“You didn’t have to become so violent,” Duo mumbles, but there’s a hint of a smile on his lips for his partner seems to be blushing for some reason. “Hey, hey! Wait up a minute! Don’t leave me in the rain! Jesus, have a heart.”
He runs up to catch his partner, doing his best to sneak under the umbrella to get some shelter. He’s beginning to get cold too, his uniform plastered to his flesh as his teeth begins to chatter. Suddenly Heero comes to a stop and he bumps into the strong back with a soft ‘oooffff’ wondering what must have caused it.
“Heero…what’s the…oooh.”
They both stand beneath the illumination of pale light from the flower shop, staring at the single red rose sitting in a glass vase on the display counter. It’s the only one left and the owner of the shop looks like he’s about to close. However, before either man can make a move, someone brushes past them in a hurry, darts into the shop and begins to haggle with the shopkeeper.
He’s a young man. Desperation and worry etched on his features. He holds out a small box, its content gleaming in the light like a beacon. The shopkeeper understands and with a smile, reaches for the single rose to give it to him. He waves a hand in dismissal. No charge. The man is thrilled and bows repeatedly in gratitude before leaving with a beaming smile on his lips.
“Well, some gal’s gonna be lucky tonight,” Duo says with a soft laugh. He stretches his arms above his head and tries to stifle a mock yawn. He will ignore the pain that scene has caused. He’s got to anyway. “Come on, Heero. Let’s – “
“I’m sorry, Duo.”
The softly spoken words hangs like a cloud between them as their eyes meet. He notices Heero’s death clench on the umbrella, the tightening of the jaw, the blue eyes that seem a bit too bright, the dark ringlets of his hair that clumps to his forehead and cheeks, the firm set of those lips which seem to tremble a little. There’s determination in that face – a determination to set things right if he has the chance to, to prove to Duo that he can be a better partner, lover and friend. No matter what it takes.
And his heart stops. For a brief second, Duo forgets how to breathe. That anyone could be this special and wonderful to him was more than a single rose could ever do.
“Idiot,” Duo finally whispers as he moves to wrap his arms around his partner’s neck, pressing his forehead against Heero’s gently. “There’s nothing to be sorry for. You can make it up to me later…tonight. Besides, I meant what I said earlier.”
“What was that?”
He smiles at the bemused look on Heero’s visage. “Our relationship isn’t based on materialistic things,” he mutters thickly against the lips that part slowly to welcome him in. “My feelings for you remain the same. Always.”
The red umbrella clatters to the ground and drifts around on the gray street where a new homeless owner finds and claims it as his own. He barely glances at the couple locked in an intimate embrace in front of the flower shop, their happiness is not of his concern.
Later on that night, however, Duo – still half-dazed from their mind-blowing orgasms – remembers something and lifts his head from Heero’s naked torso.
“What?” comes the rumble from his satiated partner as he eyes the flushed and tousled countenance before him. God, he already wants Duo again.
“I just…” He bites his lower lip in thought. “What happened to that umbrella again?”
“What?” Of all the questions to ask, Heero looks stupefied.
“Well, it’s just that it’s not mine,” Duo’s saying. “It’s Lady Une’s. She let me borrow it and she said it was a pretty damn expensive umbrella and…”
“Duo.”
“…if I don’t get it back, I’m going to…”
“Duo!”
“…she’s going to fucking kill me…mmmphfff!”
Two blissful minutes later, they finally break apart for air. “You were saying?” Heero says with a smirk as he eyes his handiwork.
“Bastard,” comes the cheeky reply as Duo slips beneath the sheets again, tugging Heero along with him. “I’m gonna be sore as hell tomorrow and Lady Une will definitely…”
“Forget about the goddamn umbrella!” Heero growls. “I’ll buy a new one tomorrow.”
“Promise?”
“Yes!”
“I love you.”
“Thanks.”
“Dude, you say…”
“I love you too, happy now?”
“Yes.” A growl of content. Happy and muffled giggles….silence…and then a low sigh of pleasure. “Oh, God yes.”
-The End-
Gundam Wing Fiction
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