24-Dec-2001
Summary: Duo receives a special Christmas package.
Characters: Duo, Heero
Warning: Shounen-ai, 1+2
Rating: PG
Status: Complete
Sequel to Amid the Cold and Silence.
Disclaimer: This is a work of amateur nonprofit fiction and is not
intended to infringe on the rights of Sunrise, Sotsu Agency, Asahi
TV, and Bandai Visuals.
Dedication: To everyone in the holiday spirit.
"Alright, this is the last of it!" Duo set down a large box in the middle of their living room. Brimming over the top were little paper houses with cotton covered roofs.
Heero stared at the box for a moment, squinting at the contents. "What's that?"
"For under the tree." Duo said, but was more preoccupied studying the string of lights on the tree. "That's wrong, Heero. Oh, no..." he 'tsked' as he shook his head, "need to change that."
"Hn?" Heero looked back to his work and frowned. "What's wrong with them? The instructions said--"
"You used the *instructions*?" Duo grabbed the little booklet from off the table and flipped through it. "Hey, what d'ya know? They're in Japanese too!" He looked at the instructions thoughtfully for a moment and then crumpled them up into a ball. "You don't need them. The trouble isn't how you hung them, you just have too many green lights in one spot. You have to change them so that the colors are more spread out. You know..." he waved his hand in the air, "balance and symmetry, feng shui - that sort of thing."
"Feng shui..." Heero mouthed silently as he looked over to the tree and then back to Duo. "It's a Christian holiday, Duo."
"Yeah," Duo nodded in agreement, "I'm aware of that Heero. It's the mangers and Virgin Marys plastered all over the place that kinda give that away. What's your point?"
"And you don't believe in God," Heero continued on the same train of thought. "I'm not sure I understand why we're doing this."
"Heero..." Duo blew a puff of air through his bangs. "Christmas has got nothing to do with God."
Heero blinked. "It doesn't?"
"Nope. Not a thing. Sure, people go to church and all, but that's not what it's really all about." Duo folded his arms and leaned against the wall, surveying all the work they had done. Tree, lights, garland, tinsel, red bows, and now the tiny houses - check. Not a bad days work.
"Relena said it was about a renewal of hope for Christians." Heero went on, despite Duo's assurance that it was all really okay for them to be engaging in the festivities. If the bolts of lightening hadn't stuck them down yet, they were probably in the clear. "She said it was a sign of God's love to humanity and a call for peace." He stopped for a moment and then added, "For Christians."
"Yes, well, Relena drives pink cars, begs strange men to kill her and believes in eternal peace, love and happiness too." Duo moved from the wall and started taking the houses out, refluffing the cotton as he did so. "And look, I'm not saying that's bad or anything, it's just not what Christmas is really all about."
"Christmas isn't about peace love and..." Heero stopped for a moment and shook his head, dismissing the rest of what he was about to say. "So then it's about garish blinking lights and plastic lawn ornaments?"
"Well, yeah..." Duo nodded. He sat on the floor and took a glitter pen out of his pocket, adding some touches to one of the houses. "I mean, it's more than that, but that's all part of it. It's about feeling good, you know? It's about eating an entire plate of fresh out-of-the-oven chocolate chip cookies, and singing songs with family and friends around a lopsided tree that has a string of lights burnt out and a bald spot pushed to the back of the wall. It's about using last year's tattered wrapping paper and the last few inches of tape left on the roll for all twenty-seven gifts that still need to be wrapped before midnight. You drink, you eat, and in the end, it's just a warm happy feeling that the ones you love are with you and feel warm and happy too."
"No God?" Heero asked once again, seeming to make sure he had it right.
"Not really, no." Duo shook his head. "Maybe for some. I guess God got the party started, but he left a while back. It's like that high school dance, Sadie Hawkins. Big dance just for her and she never shows. Christmas - same thing."
Heero held up a plastic reindeer for a moment and then climbed the ladder and placed it on top of the tree. He reached into the tree for the cord to connect it to the deer and plugged it in. The nose lit up red and Duo smiled.
"Okay, I admit, that's tacky," Duo laughed. "But isn't it *great*? One time of year we can be gleefully tasteless."
"I thought that was Halloween... and New Year's... and St. Patrick's Day and..." Heero said, numbering off the holidays.
"Well, okay, yeah. I guess we have reasons to be tasteless every six weeks or so, but it's fun and not too many people get hurt, so why not?" Duo shrugged. "You know, next year we should have a big party with the rest of the guys, don't you think? We need something special to mark the end of those wars. I mean, last year we had Dekim's little gift of global warfare and the year before that, Treize's special message of love... I just think that we should do something with the guys to celebrate. Sitting in the back cab of Trowa's truck freezing my ass off, just doesn't cut it, you know?"
Heero looked down from the ladder at Duo. "I don't think the rest of them celebrate Christmas." He paused for a moment and stared at Duo intently. "What were you doing in the back of Trowa's truck?"
"Trying not to freeze," Duo quickly answered. "Listen, you didn't celebrate it either till this year. Besides, they won't have anywhere else to be then, it's perfect."
Heero nodded. "A box came for you earlier."
"A box? A package?" Duo turned and looked around the mess of boxes littering the room.
"Yeah." Heero pointed to the large box on the table surrounded by other Christmas ornaments and decorations. "It came when you were looking for those little miniature igloos."
"It's a Dickens Village, Heero." Duo corrected him. "Well, it's Sister Helen's paper matchet version of a Dickens Village, but that's what it's suppose to be." He picked up one of the tiny houses and placed it carefully under the tree. "There were a few crates in the burned out basement of the orphanage that were still intact." He shook his head a little and closed his eyes. "Hard to believe..."
"Aren't you going to see who it's from?" Heero asked.
"Hn?" He turned back to Heero who had climbed down the ladder and picked up the package on the table. "Oh, that! Yeah! Is there a note?"
"No. Must be inside." Heero handed him the box with his pocket knife, which Duo took to open. The mysterious sender had used the type of packing tape with the strings inside. Every angle of the box had been sealed with expert craftsmanship. Opening it could have been an all day affair, but as Duo had the pocket knife it only took a few seconds to slice it open. It almost seemed a shame considering the effort that went into it. But he was once again delighted when Styrofoam peanuts that had been packed super tight into the box exploded out, adding to the growing disarray of tinsel and hooks about the floor. He dug through the remainder of the peanuts, tossing them on the floor as well, silently approving of the packing method of the sender. *This* was how you properly packed a Christmas package.
When he finally reached the bottom of the giant box he found it contained a block of cheese, crackers and a small box of french mints with a bright red bow. On it was a simple white tag that read 'Noite de paz.'
"Does it say who it's from?" Heero asked.
Duo stared into the box in silence for a long moment, then shook his head. "No... no it doesn't" He lifted the contents out of the box and set them on the table side by side. His eyes were wide and in complete surprise. But then, Trowa always had a way of showing up when least expected.
Heero narrowed his eyes and studied the items. "Not much inside for a box that large."
"It's everything..." Duo said quietly. He took the block of cheese and walked outside to the front porch. Heero followed, taking his cue from Duo's silence that now was not a time to talk or ask questions. They sat down there on the steps. Duo looked out at the stars and Heero looked at Duo, and after a moment, Duo cut the cheese and offered it to Heero.
~end~
Happy Holidays
Back to 'Amid the Cold and Silence'
(:./stephanie/tidings)
