29-Dec-2003
revised: 26-Sep-2004
"I wonder, is vanity learned or is it genetic?"
Both Heero and I look up at Wufei's statement and follow his gaze out the window. At first I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be looking at something since our visiting friend frequently poses rhetorical questions like this; but Heero's reaction makes it obvious that his statement was not rhetorical.
"It's not vanity." Heero responds still gazing, then after a moment he turns back to his table top amusement - one of those peg games so popular in diners. I continue to look out the window but am not sure what they're talking about. There are several people on either side of the street - some walking, some lingering - but no one appears to be doing anything overtly vain.
Wufei continues to stare across the street and I decide to concentrate on the storefront he seems to be peering at. Aside from the window display and a few figures beyond it, I truly cannot see what holds his interest. I'm on the verge of giving up and returning to my form of amusement - making paper worms from the straw covers - when he has another outburst.
"Oh please! Tell me that's not vanity!"
Heero looks away from his game again and peers out the window. His gaze narrows slightly and then he shrugs. "It's not." He sounds slightly amused.
"Then what would you call it?"
He shrugs a little, but doesn't tear his eyes away. "Neatness."
Wufei huffs out a disgruntled protest to that answer and elbows me in the ribs then points to Heero. "He's acting like a love sick puppy."
"I am not." Heero follows up the answer with a quick look that falls somewhere between 'shut up' and 'screw you'. He turns his gaze back out the window as a small smile makes an appearance on his face.
"What is he doing now?"
They both push up in their seats slightly to get a better view and I finally pinpoint what they're looking at.
"I'm not sure."
Duo Maxwell is currently in his car, which happens to be parked across the street, kneeling in the driver's seat and apparently rummaging for something in the back seat. He pulls back and sits properly, then looks around nervously.
Heero's smile picks up just a bit. "Ah, he's going to change his shirt."
We all watch in fascination as he does indeed pull off the shirt he'd been wearing. We're expecting him to replace it immediately, but before doing so he leans over across the front seat then sits back up; fiddling with something out of our line of sight.
"I don't see him putting anything on. Did he lose the shirt? 'No shirt, no service', Yuy."
"I think he might be... Yeah. He's cleaning up."
"And he has to do this in his car? In the middle of the street? They have bathrooms for that, you know." Wufei is beside himself.
"He likes to look presentable." Heero doesn't turn from his observation but offers the Chinese man a shrug and a grin.
He is answered by a sarcastic smirk. "He's vain!"
"He is not." Heero shrugs again. "I think it's-"
Wufei holds up a finger in warning. "Don't say 'cute'. Whatever you were going to say, Yuy, don't let it be 'cute' or I'll bring you up on charges of mental incapacity and Varjeeli here will be my witness."
Another shrug is his only answer. After a moment of watching Duo, Heero finishes his thought. "I think it's... nice."
"May the gods help us! Love has turned you into a simpering woman."
I take mild offence at that statement - only mild because I know he doesn't really mean it - but I slap him on the arm nonetheless. Heero for his part just flips him the bird over one shoulder without turning away from the window.
I alternate between watching the two of them discuss their friend and watching Duo take care of his business. I have to admit, it doesn't so much seem like vanity to me, more like a brand of insanity.
It's taken some time for me to get to know these former pilots - Wufei in the years he's spent traveling between this and his home base and Heero since he joined the Agent Training Division just over a year ago - and I've noticed that they each have their own unusual little quirks. We all do, I'm sure. But I guess I just have a hard time reconciling the image who they were - the Gundam pilots, the fearless commandos of the Eve Wars, the relentless child-warriors who reigned victorious over soldiers so much their senior - with the image of these young, mischievous, fallible, human beings. The friendliness, openness, and compassion that I've come to expect from them seems to contradict the mental image associated with the words Gundam Pilot.
I caught pieces of the running commentary while my thoughts wandered, but they seem to have stopped momentarily. Wufei's interest now seems to be evenly divided between Duo's personal hygiene regimen, the game Heero abandoned shortly after his lover's arrival and trying to catch the attention of the waitress we dismissed after being served our drinks. I am keeping track of everything; watching both Duo and the activity on the nearby sidewalk, watching Wufei, watching the other patrons and watching Heero. Heero, who seems to be riveted to his seat, frozen in his stance.
His gaze has not strayed once in the minutes that have elapsed since he last made eye contact with Wufei. Not once. It's not like I can blame the guy; he has, after all, just returned home early from a business trip that was originally scheduled to last two weeks. Wufei, who wasn't scheduled to come to our offices until next week, arranged to arrive a few days earlier so they could fly here together. They had arrived very early this morning; landing at the base's airstrip and proceeding directly to a set of meetings that had been rescheduled to coincide with their joint arrival. It was by sheer luck, during the one break we were allowed all morning, that Heero was able to contact Duo and ask him to join us for lunch.
And just like I can hardly fault Heero for his rapt attention to Duo; I can hardly fault Duo for what has turned into a rather lengthy delay. I, of course, have not found it as enticing as Heero to watch him scrub down from face to waist with the wet naps that he apparently keeps in his car. Nor have I been glued to the sight of him re-braiding his long hair, applying cologne, or donning what must be a clean shirt. But then, I am not in love with this man, nor have I been missing him for over a week. Were I in his place, I'd certainly want to look my best too.
"You see that, Varjeeli? That is what's called love-sick. If Maxwell takes too much longer to get in here, Yuy is going to float away in a puddle of drool. And don't let him fool you, what's going on out there is vanity. Pure and simple."
I am about to tell Wufei to knock it off when Heero answers without looking away from Duo.
"You're just jealous, Chang."
At that he squawks, really, there is no other word for it. "Jealous?!"
Heero just nods, again not bothering to turn.
"And just what exactly am I supposedly jealous of?"
At this Heero does turn with what can only be described as an impish grin, and answers 'Me!' then breaks into a huge grin. I swear to you, had I not seen it with my own eyes, I would not have believed it. I don't think I've ever seen that look on his face. He almost looks...
"Are you high, Yuy?"
Close enough. I was thinking more along the lines of drunk.
Heero tilts his chin down slightly and raises a challenging eyebrow. Wufei takes a deep breath. I think they're about to launch into another one of their infamous verbal battles when something catches Wufei's attention.
"Oh praise the gods!" He breathes sarcastically. "He's done preening."
Duo has finally emerged from the car and is retrieving something from the backseat, pulling what looks like a computer case from the car. He heads to the back, opens the trunk, and plops the case in. He then turns and leans his butt against the opening, reaching down to undo his laces. It seems that changing out of one's work boots is required as well.
"Oh please, Yuy, explain to me how that is not vanity." Wufei is waving at the scene outside the window. "Why does he need to change his shoes? Unless kissing each other's feet is part of your 'welcome home' ritual and he doesn't want you to get dirt on your mouth?"
"Wufei!" Now that was downright mean. I smack him on the arm again, just for good measure, but he huffs at me and gives me a disgruntled look before turning to try to catch the waitress' attention again.
At this Heero turns again from the window and stares at the back of Wufei's head. I catch Heero's eyes and give him a look that I hope conveys my displeasure with Wufei's behavior. He smiles in return. "Ignore him, Sioban, he's just jealous that, even if it could, his cat wouldn't miss him enough to make this kind of effort when he gets back home."
I think the battle could be taking a decidedly nasty turn. They stare hard at each other for a moment. Rubbing Wufei's nose in the fact that he is single and not currently involved with anyone is a little below the belt. I'm appalled that Heero would sink to that level, but before I can intercede on Wufei's behalf, he offers a rather sedate and playful reply.
"That, my friend, is bullshit. My cat misses me terribly and you know it. Every time Sally watches her for me she's always complaining about how the cat is so distraught by my absence that it wreaks havoc in her apartment,"
Heero interrupts his explanation, smirking for all he's worth. "That's because your cat is the devil's spawn, not because it misses you."
"Oh of course! Right. What was I thinking? Then how do you explain that it comes to me immediately when I call it, launches itself at me and tries to bathe me from head to toe upon my return? Every time and without fail?"
"Because whenever you return from one of your little forays, you always bring her a treat. She's just looking for it. Everyone knows you spoil that demon animal, including the cat. If some stranger offered her catnip, she'd leave you in a heart beat."
Heero's grin is threatening to split his face in half and I can't figure out how we went from discussing Duo's vanity to Wufei's cat. I'm about to ask when the door to the diner opens and Duo makes his entrance. Oddly enough, it is not Heero who calls his attention to our location but Wufei.
"Maxwell."
He turns at the sound of his name and offers a wave and a hearty smile, moving at once in our direction. Wufei stands and offers him a hand in welcome, which Duo takes and shakes briskly. They exchange nods of greeting.
"Nice to see you again, Chang."
"And you, Maxwell. You look very... " He gives Duo a thorough once-over, "presentable." He smirks.
"Uh, thanks?" Duo gives him an wary look, but wisely does not question him about it before turning to me. "Hey Sioban! See you're still hanging out with a disreputable crowd." He leans across the corner of the table and we brush cheeks in greeting.
I smile back. "I could say the same about you, Duo." It is how we usually greet each other when I am with either of his friends.
"And you'd be right." He grins even wider and raises both hands in surrender.
When at last he turns to the other member of our party, everything changes. All mischief and good humor is gone. His face transforms into something... beatific.
"Hey."
The word slides from his lips like a whisper as he pours himself onto the bench to sit at Heero's side.
"Hey."
Heero's breathy reply is almost inaudible but the look on his face screams contentment.
"Trip was good?"
Heero nods slightly and moves his hand to Duo's thigh.
"Home is better."
Duo places his hand over Heero's and his smile increases just a notch, there is no playfulness, just quiet happiness.
"Sure is."
His eyes sparkle as they race to travel the planes of his lover's face. There are promises and reassurances being exchanged in the looks passing between them; whole conversations without words. Their bodies move gently in what looks to be the prelude to a kiss; but Duo hesitates, darting a glance at our side of the table.
"Oh for the love of god, just do it. It's not like we haven't seen it before."
Duo's blushes slightly but his eyes do not stray from his lover's. Again the silent communication takes place. In less than a second the question is asked and answered and they finally touch lips. Briefly, but seemingly enough. They relax into each other's presence, shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand. The spell is broken.
"Well, now that that's settled, shall we order? I am nearly starved from waiting for you to finish your beauty regimen, Maxwell." Wufei picks up his menu and begins to study it intently. "You know, the French call it la toilette for a reason; mainly because it is done in the bathroom."
Heero purses his lips but it is Duo who replies without even bothering to glance away from the menu he is already perusing. "Yeah, yeah. Put a sock in it, Chang."
I can't keep from turning to stare at Wufei in disbelief over his apparent callousness. The beauty of that moment, the apparent love that his friends share deserves a little more respect than that and I am about to reprimand him when he locks gazes with me from behind the cover of his menu. His expression belies his almost harsh words. He is truly happy for them and it shows.
He leans toward me slightly and quietly tells me. "They have the rest of the day to be romantic in the privacy of their own home, Varjeeli. You and I, however, have to return to work within a reasonable amount of time. And I need to reach a colleague at my office before she leaves for the day. The sooner we order, the sooner everyone is free to go about their business." He tilts his head slightly, challenging me to disagree. I nod once in acquiescence and return to looking over my menu.
It had slipped my mind that agents and staff do not usually work the balance of a return-home travel day. Heero's presence in this morning's meeting had lulled me into the expectation of our routine; without giving it any thought I had assumed he would be working the whole day.
Having made my lunch choice, I look up from my menu in hopes of spotting our waitress. What I spot is something entirely different.
Heero and Duo are once again communicating quietly, only this time they are mouthing silently to each other.
Missed you bad.
Missed you, too.
Wanna be home already, babe.
Soon, love.
I imagine the man sitting next to me would blow a gasket if he could hear my thoughts and maybe, just maybe, his friends would not appreciate them either. But really, whether it was what Heero was going to say or not, I think it's cute. They're cute.
I wish I had someone I could be cute like that with.
Fini
Happy New Year everyone!
BM_12/29/03
(:./bm/snapshots5)
