25-Nov-2004
Title: Blessings In A Bag
Author: tkmaxwell777
Blood Type: Amaretto Sour
Category: Shonen Ai
Pairings: 1+2
Rating: PG
Warnings: Angst, Fluff, and Sap
Archived: Yep! www.gwaddiction.com
TK Maxwell Original Christian and Yaoi Fiction - http://writing.com/authors/tkmaxwell
Disclaimer: I don´t own Gundam Wing or its characters. Bandai, Sotsu, Sunrise, and the original Japanese creators do. This story is a parody of their defined universe and is in no way an official continuation of the original story. I consider all underage characters engaging in sexual activity to be Emancipated Minors or social equivalents under military service. This story is for entertainment purposes only. It is a fantasy and should not be read as a realistic representation of actual romantic relationships. Content is not intended to condone or condemn any of the lifestyles or viewpoints portrayed through the characters. I make no money at this. I write only for the pleasure of feedback!
Notes: To everyone in the U.S. - HAPPY THANKSGIVING! To everyone outside the U.S. - I hope you all have something good to eat and friends to share it all with :) I wanted to ask all of you to send good thoughts/prayers for me as I'm going into the hospital tomorrow to have a Lumbar Puncture done (to get spinal fluid) so they can diagnose what the spots are on my brain (hopefully). Anyway, no matter where you are right now, whether you're celebrating the holiday or not, I just wanted to tell all of you here at GWA that one of the things I'm most thankful for is you! *huggles* LOVE YOU GUYS!!!
Duo sat on his couch in his living room, wearing a pair of pajama bottoms and a tee shirt, watching the vid-screen. His nice cold bottle of RC cola was sitting on the coffee table, forgotten for the moment, even as it sweltered and made little puddles of condensation on the wood that would piss the braided man off later when he tried to wipe it up. His bare feet were tucked under one of the couch cushions, a comforting habit he'd picked up at some point in his life though he couldn't remember where. He yawned and pulled the blanket he slept with every night closer to his body. It was a ratty old thing, and his fingers worried the silk edges with familiarity, another comforting habit, but he knew where this particular practice had begun - Maxwell Church. His heart ached a bit at remembering the place he'd called home for a short time, and he tried to focus on the good memories of the time he'd spent there. Tried to be thankful for his life when so many others had already met their Maker.
It was Thanksgiving after all.
The Macy's parade came to an end with the arrival of Santa, so Duo switched the channel and found 'A Christmas Story' marathon. He grinned despite his melancholy and settled in for a day of 'Red Rider Beebe Gun' mayhem. 'A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving' would be on that night, something of a tradition for him. Thinking about popcorn and toast, Duo wondered how the guys were doing. Wufei was spending the holiday with Sally and her family - no real surprise there. Trowa was going over to Quatre's - again no real surprise. He wasn't sure about Heero, but he was probably stuck at some official function with Relena. Although the former Wing pilot wasn't her real bodyguard, Une sometimes assigned the Preventer to the security detail just as a precaution when it came to higher profile occasions. Duo couldn't think of a more prominent one than the UESN Presidential dinner.
Quatre had invited Duo to join them on the L4 colony where he lived, but the braided man had hinted that Hilde was having dinner, so he'd declined the invitation. When Hilde had asked, Duo had informed her that Quatre had invited him. He hadn't told either of his friends that he'd actually be at the others' place for the holiday; it wasn't his fault if they'd both taken it that way, right? Duo grimaced at that thought. Well, okay, maybe it had been a lie of omission, but he just hadn't wanted to mess with flight plans and packing. He didn't feel like entertaining Quatre's sisters and watching Quatre and Trowa dance around each other's feelings. He didn't want to endure hours of football and see Hilde and Roger doing the 'couple' thing either. Nope, the braided man had a nice turkey TV dinner in the freezer with his name on it. He'd even bought some of those little dinner rolls that you didn't have to bake for his solitary meal. All in all, he thought it was going to be a nice, quiet, enjoyable holiday.
He didn't understand why he was so depressed at staying home.
Well, that wasn't entirely true; he knew what part of the problem was, even if he hated to admit it. He was lonely. Even though he hadn't wanted the hassle of going off colony, or the annoyance of sports-minded guys from the yard, Duo missed being around everyone. It was quite ironic that the most gregarious of the group was so uncomfortable being around his friends since they had sort of paired off. So uncomfortable, he was spending the day by himself. Duo wasn't upset about their involvement; on the contrary, he was happy for them. Sally and Wufei had been good friends since the last war, so their romance hadn't been a surprise to anyone. Trowa and Quatre were getting closer to admitting how they felt about each other, which had been another reason Duo hadn't wanted to go there. Heero and Relena were probably one step away from the altar now, and Roger and Hilde were actually getting married next June. Duo was glad for them, but he just wished he didn't feel like such a fifth wheel around them. Sighing, Duo concentrated on the movie, smiling a little at the kid dreaming of the one thing he wanted for Christmas.
Duo just didn't want to be alone anymore.
He was surprised out of his musings when there was a knock at the door. Hoping it wasn't Hilde coming to check on him, Duo got up and walked over to see who it was. He looked out his peephole and was even more surprised when the visitor turned out to be Heero. The dark-haired man stood there, his duffle in one hand, and grocery bags in the other. Duo unlocked his door and just stared at him for a moment. Heero was wearing the blue swirled sweater that Duo had gotten him for Christmas last year and a pair of dark blue jeans that matched it perfectly. The braided man felt kind of underdressed all of a sudden.
"Heero? What are you doing here?"
Heero gave him a hesitant look but then seemed to relax a little. "I brought dinner."
Duo blinked at him. "You what?"
The dark-haired man sighed. "I didn't have to baby-sit Relena this year since Zechs and Noin were in town, and I didn't want to go to Quatre's either, probably for the same reasons you didn't go, so I decided to spend the holiday with you, since I knew there was no way you'd be a Hilde's, even if Quatre insisted that's where you were going."
It was quite a long speech for the normally reserved man, and Duo found himself stepping aside to let his friend in while he pondered that Heero seemed to know him so well. They'd kept in contact regularly, and Heero had visited Duo often over the past couple of years, but the braided man hadn't known that Heero had been paying all that much attention to him. It made Duo feel good to know he wasn't alone in how he felt about watching his friends together. Apparently, Heero didn't look forward to it either.
"So what did you bring?" Duo asked, smiling at the way Heero had taken off his shoes already and was heading to the kitchen like he lived there.
"I ordered a complete meal before I left Earth so I could just pick it up," came Heero's response as Duo followed. Duo gaped at him, knowing that meant the other man had to have known he was coming here days in advance for the order to be ready. Duo was touched that his friend had planned this so carefully. Heero set down the bags on the table and turned to look at him. "We just have to heat the food."
Duo nodded, still stunned by the gesture. "Okay. Just tell me what to do."
They put the turkey in the oven, the potatoes and dressing bags in boiling water, and the rolls and pumpkin pie on the table to wait their turn to be baked. Duo thought about his pathetic frozen dinner in the freezer and couldn't help feeling a little guilty for being so happy that he didn't have to eat it. As he watched Heero take a baking sheet to the table to begin putting the rolls on it, he decided it was an okay thing if it kept his friend from being alone today too. Turning back to the stove, Duo moved the bags around in the water, wanting them to be evenly heated.
"So what were you planning on doing all day?" Heero asked suddenly.
Duo turned to give him a grin. "There's a movie marathon on right now, and the Peanuts are having their usual holiday party later on the vid."
Heero furrowed his brows. "The 'Peanuts'?"
Duo laughed. "Yeah, you know, Charlie Brown? It's a classic, Heero. We have to watch it, man! It's tradition."
The dark-haired man sighed, but Duo could see the small smile on his lips. "If it makes you happy."
Dinner preparations didn't take long, and both men soon found themselves kicked back on Duo's couch, stuffing their faces with turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, and rolls with butter. The movie had started over again, so Heero got a chance to see it from the beginning. Duo had grumbled when he'd suddenly found his now lukewarm bottle of RC surrounded by water. Heero snickered as the braided man tried to keep the mess from staining the wood, but it was a hopeless endeavor, and Duo finally gave up and consoled himself with food. When they reached maximum density, both stretched out a little, their legs touching companionably.
"What are you thankful for this year?" Duo asked, his memory of Sister Helen years before having each of the orphans play the 'blessings' game after they had shared the meal that had been provided by donations that season.
Heero thought for a moment before answering, and his words seemed to resonate with Duo's thoughts. "Well, there's not a war going on."
Duo smirked. "Yeah, there's that." He shook his head. "I guess what I mean is what blessings would you thank God for... you know, if you believed He was responsible for it. The things that you take for granted usually."
The dark-haired man was silent a few minutes again before saying, "I have a job that I enjoy."
"Me too," Duo replied with a smile. "Even if it doesn't involve blowing shit up." Heero snorted at that, but then Duo became serious again. Sister Helen seemed to be whispering to his heart. "What else?" He prompted.
Heero seemed to finally understand what Duo was asking for. "I have a place to come home to every night."
Duo nodded. "Yeah. That's still something of a novelty for us, huh?" They were quiet again for a while, and then Duo swallowed as he looked away. "I think one of the things I'm most thankful for is not being hungry. I can go and buy whatever I want to eat without worrying about having to steal it."
Warm fingers entwined with Duo's, and he wondered why he'd brought the mood down so much by telling Heero that, but it seemed to be what they needed to think about, because Heero said softly, "I'm glad that I don't have to ruin other people's lives by killing someone they love. Even as a Preventer, I don't have to do that now."
Duo's eyes flew to his friend's face, amazed at the emotion he heard in his friend's voice. "Heero... "
Heero met his gaze. "I'm thankful that I have friends."
The braided man felt his eyes sting. "Not just friends, Heero. Family. People we can count on, even when we're being anti-social idiots." Duo smiled. "I guess I forgot about that this year."
"Me too," Heero replied, his fingers never leaving Duo's. "Maybe we can spend next year with those people instead of hiding out like this."
Duo chuckled. "I don't know. I kind of like it." Something in Heero's expression made him abandon his humor.
Heero's fingers tightened, and Duo was surprised once again when the other man pulled him into an awkward hug. It was the kind of embrace that was needy and comforting at the same time, and Duo had no intention of letting go any time soon. From the way Heero shifted even closer, Duo didn't think the dark-haired man did either. "Happy Thanksgiving, Duo," was the whispered words that filled his ears and his heart.
"Happy Thanksgiving, Heero." Duo hesitated and then added, "I think you're what I'm thankful for the most today."
Duo would remember for many Thanksgivings to come the reply that was a mere breath. "Me too."
The End
(:./tk/blessings)
