FicWad

A/N: I don’t own Gundam Wing.


/Anniversary Woes/


“You don’t have to take my advice if you don’t want to but I’d put a little effort into this one if I were you.” Quatre shrugged over the vidphone with an apologetic smile.

“I put effort into everything I do for him.” Heero insisted, knowing that his voice had an edge of petulance to it, but not really caring. He had put effort into every gift he’d ever given Duo, it wasn’t his fault that the man was so difficult. “For Christmas I bought him extra memory for the computer so he could play that flight SIM he wanted so badly.”

“No…” Quatre corrected with a small shake of his head. “You bought him extra memory for your laptop so he could play ‘that flight SIM’.”

“My laptop has a faster processor than his does.” Heero replied with a frown. Why would he get extra memory for Duo’s system if it wouldn’t run the flight SIM anyway? That made absolutely no sense. “He said he was happy with it.”

“Did he seem happy with it?” Quatre prodded gently, raising his eyebrow.

Heero thought for a moment. He had wrapped the gift intricately so Duo wouldn’t be able to figure out what it was. The man was like a kid and spent every second until Christmas trying to figure out what the presents stashed under the tree contained. He couldn’t even pass the tree without picking up a gift and giving it a shake, listening and trying to puzzle out the contents.

On Christmas morning Duo had insisted Heero unwrap one of his gifts first and it had been a large vegetable cleaver that he’d been eying at the knife shop months before. Heero hadn’t even realized that Duo noticed how much he liked the blade, let alone went back to purchase it later. When Heero handed Duo his gift, he remembered how Duo’s eyes lit up, tearing into the wrapping with gusto. He’d appeared happy … hadn’t he?

He’d appeared resigned.

Heero allowed himself to remember the disappointment Duo had tried to hide with a smile and a hug. Looking back Heero had to admit that Duo hadn’t been overly excited about his present.

“But he took over my laptop for the next two weeks playing that game without complaint.” Heero grumbled, not wanting to admit to his friend that he hadn’t been very observant to Duo’s wants. “How am I supposed to know what he wants if he doesn’t tell me?”

“Did you tell him that you wanted that trip to the Smithsonian last summer? Or that airbrush when you were painting your motorcycle?” Quatre sighed in exasperation. “If you paid attention to the subtleties while you’re together you’d know exactly what he wants.”

“/You/ know what he wants.” Heero accused Quatre, glaring at the screen. “Why don’t you just tell me?”

“No can do, this one you have to figure out for yourself. It wouldn’t kill you to be a little… romantic. Just think of what Duo means to you, and you’ll figure out what to do.” Quatre grinned and gave a little wave. “Listen, I have to go now. You have a week until your anniversary, good luck.”

With that Quatre disconnected leaving Heero starting at a blank screen. “Great friend you are,” Heero mumbled to no one, walking to the window and looking outside, suddenly feeling miserable.

Am I really that clueless?

He didn’t want to think of the answer to that question. He loved Duo, and Duo knew it – just because he wasn’t psychic when it came to what Duo wanted didn’t change how much he cared. Romantic? Feh, he wouldn’t even know where to start.

With a sigh of frustration, Heero went into the bedroom to change. He needed to run and clear his head, calling Quatre for advice had only made things worse. Was he really that bad? Shedding his jeans and sweater, he slipped into some sweats and a t-shirt, choosing to leave the sweatshirt behind – he’d warm up in the crisp fall air soon enough. He hastily scribbled a note and left it on the kitchen table in case Duo came home before he got back, and put on his sneakers by the door.

The sky was flawless and the sun warm against the bare skin of his arms despite the brisk temperatures. Heero was happy to be living on Earth, especially this time of the year as he was lucky enough to be living somewhere with notable seasons. He took a deep breath as he stretched out his legs, warming up his muscles for his run. The air was fragrant with fallen leaves and he smiled, remembering Duo buried in them and cackling like a loon.

They’d moved here at the end of summer last year – neither of them having had the luxury of living in a house before, let alone having anything remotely resembling a yard. Even when they were still looking at the house, Duo had had grand ideas of planting tulip bulbs along the walkway for spring, and maybe turning over a patch in the backyard for a small vegetable garden. The first time they’d mowed the lawn with the old push mower that was abandoned by the previous owner, it had taken them three hours due to frequent breakdowns and one trip to the gas station to refill. They were both equally frustrated by the time the lawn was mowed and everything put away. Heero remembered sharing a shower afterwards to rinse off the sweat and the blades of grass clinging to their legs, and Duo joking about getting a lawn boy to do the work. But that night it had been more than worth their efforts as they curled up in bed together, the open windows drawing in the fragrant smells of fresh cut grass.

When fall came, it had buried their haphazardly manicured lawn with fallen leaves from the two large oak trees in their backyard. Duo had had the bright idea to wait until the bulk of the leaves had fallen before starting clean up. Despite Heero’s suggestion that they keep up with the leaves as they fell, they’d let the grass slowly disappear under the colorful blanket. It had been a Saturday in early November when they finally waded into the backyard brandishing rakes and sporting their new fall sweaters. They’d worked for hours, piling up leaves to stuff in the brown paper disposal bags, both of them discarding their sweaters and raking in short sleeves as the work intensified. Granted it had been a pain in the ass, but they’d both enjoyed moments of quiet conversation and comfortable silences – breathing in the fresh air and their sense of accomplishment in tending for their first yard, in their first home.

After they’d managed to coral most of the colorful leaves into a large pile, Heero had gone inside to snag a couple of beers so they could take a short break before starting the task of bagging them all. No sooner was he at the back door, beers in hand, did he hear a gleeful ‘whoop’ and see Duo landing in the middle of the pile, sending leaves scattering everywhere. Heero had calmly set the beers on the deck railing before stomping off into the yard to throttle the idiot who just set them back hours in their labor, but as he reached the pile, he stopped and couldn’t help but laugh. Duo was laying peacefully on his back, with a huge grin on his face and leaves stuck in his hair. The man had caught Heero off guard, and in a breath he was lying in the crinkly leaves with Duo looking down on him with a mischievous glint in his eye.

Smiling at the memory, Heero straightened up from stretching and headed off running down the front walk towards the park. He inhaled the scent of fallen leaves again, remembering how long it took to get all the leaves out of Duo’s hair after their little tumble in the pile. Duo could drive him crazy, but the man’s exuberance for life was something that Heero cherished.

Just think of what Duo means to you, and you’ll figure out what to do.

Quatre’s words echoed in Heero’s mind as he jogged through the entrance of the park, and he squirreled away this little tidbit, having no idea what he could do with it. After a few moments the thought was lost to the sound of his feet on the ground and the pace of his stride. He pushed his body faster, ducking under low branches as he wove through the empty trails of the park. He loved to run here, because it was easy to forget the civilization just beyond trees. These trails were part of an Audubon Sanctuary, and it wasn’t often that he’d run into other people on his jogs intensifying the illusion of isolation.

Heading down the trail that led to the pond, Heero pushed himself faster still, working his muscles hard and enjoying the burn. He usually ran the circle around the pond, and then took the trail past the fields towards home. On the weekends, when their hectic schedules permitted, he and Duo would pack a lunch and come hiking – enjoying the quiet solitude of the woods. During a hot and lazy day in August, they’d come into the woods in attempts to soak up some of the cool shade and avoid the heat of the day. They’d taken the trail to the pond, and taken off their socks and shoes to dip their bare feet into the cool water. Neither of them had the forethought to bring their trunks, nor did they want to get arrested for indecent exposure, so they contented themselves to sit on the rocks on the edge of the water and dangle their legs in. At one point, Duo had bent over and was looking at something under the surface of the water.

“Hey Heero, look at that.”

Heero had moved to sit next to Duo and leaned over to see what his lover was looking at. He was taken aback for a moment by the reflection of Duo in the water, his chest tightening at how striking the man was – gorgeous and all his. If he remembered correctly, Duo never managed to show him what he’d seen in the water, but they’d both ended up in the pond. As luck would have it they also weren’t arrested for indecent exposure, although much had been exposed that day.

Finishing his loop around the pond, he headed through the fields given over to hay, and made his way towards home. By the time he was jogging up the driveway, Duo’s car was already parked in it. He took a moment to cool down and stretch out in front of the house before heading inside and toeing off his sneakers.

“I’m in the kitchen.” Duo hollered in greeting, making Heero smile just from the sound of his voice. Heero stripped out of his sweat-soaked t-shirt and wiped his face with it as he walked into the kitchen to find Duo perched on the counter sorting through the mail.

“Would it kill you to sit in a chair?” Heero asked, coming to stand between Duo’s legs and giving his lover a kiss.

“If I sat in a chair, I’d miss out on your greeting.” Duo looked into the eyes level with his and wrapped his arms around Heero’s neck. “Nice run?”

“Yeah,” Heero kissed Duo again before pulling away and heading for the fridge and a bottle of water. “How was the movie?”

“Horrible.” Duo laughed, jumping off the counter and tossing the junk mail into the trash. “I told Trowa that I get to pick next time, he’s lost his privileges. So, what do you want to do tonight?”

Heero looked through the refrigerator for a moment after grabbing his water. Closing the door, he uncapped the bottle and took a long swallow. “It looks like we need to go grocery shopping, how about going out for dinner?”

“Sounds like a plan.” Duo pointedly looked Heero over and wiggled his eyebrows. “But I’d say a shower for you first, mister.”

“Join me?” Heero smirked, grabbing Duo’s wrist and reeling him in. He might have initiated the kiss, but he was the one rendered useless by the time Duo pulled away. “You make me forget what I’m doing.”

“Then I’m doing it right,” Duo grinned wickedly, pulling Heero towards the bedroom.

There’s something about making love on a lazy afternoon with the sun filtering through sheer curtains. The window was open a few inches, making the curtains flutter gently as the cool air caressed their heated skin. Heero rolled to his side, taking Duo with him and sighed contentedly. Duo was curled up in the circle of his arms, nuzzling his nose against Heero’s bare chest and smiling.

“Do you think we could get someone to deliver to the bedroom?” Duo asked, kissing Heero’s chest once before tilting his head and kissing Heero’s chin. “I’d even tip him extra if he’d bring a six-pack.”

Heero stretched, then shivered slightly as the breeze from the open window blew over him. “Remember the time we went skiing and ordered pizza delivered to the hot tub?” Reaching down he pulled a blanket over them and curled up around Duo, kissing the top of his head. “The poor guy stuck his head into the room when we yelled ‘come in’ and I thought he was going to die from embarrassment.”

“We were sitting in the water, he couldn’t see anything.” Heero watched Duo’s face light up with the memory, and his chest tightened with love just looking at him. He could easily say he could look at Duo the rest of his life and never grow tired.

Just think of what Duo means to you, and you’ll figure out what to do.

“He couldn’t see anything until you leaned over the side to grab your wallet and mooned the guy.” Heero chuckled, cupping Duo’s ass in his hands. “Of course a view of your ass should’ve been tip enough, but you gave him a ten anyway.”

He rolled onto his back, taking Duo with him, still cupping his lover’s ass in his hands. Duo braced his weight with his arms and looked down at Heero. The sunlight was getting that orangey hue as it sunk lower in the sky, and surrounded Duo with a halo. Heero grew serious and looked up at Duo, brushing a loose strand of hair off his face. “I love you, you know?”

“I know. I love you too,” Duo replied with a quirk of his lips. “So what’s gotten into you, Mr. Sentimental? Been watching those horrible movies on the Hallmark Channel again?”

Heero snorted and rolled back to his side, dumping Duo onto the bed. “No. Can’t I just enjoy you every once in a while?” Heero sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. He was mildly irritated with Duo for making a joke and ruining the moment – but that was Duo, how irritated could he really be?

“You can enjoy me anytime you want,” Duo said with a smirk, crossing his arms under his head.

Heero stood and picked up a pillow, hitting Duo in the face with it before moving towards the bathroom. “Come on, let’s take a shower and get something to eat, I’m hungry.”

By the time they’d managed to shower and get out of the house they’d successfully missed the dinner rush. They’d decided on their favorite Mexican restaurant and were seated at a small table in the corner, adjacent to the bar. The place was authentic and small, with the best salsa that Heero had found yet. The waiter greeted them by name, bringing over a basket of hot tortilla chips and fresh salsa.

“Something to drink?” The waiter gave them a genuine smile, yet another reason they loved to come here.

“A pitcher of margaritas, no salt.” Heero ordered, giving Duo a crooked grin. “And could we have a side of guacamole for the chips?”

“Coming right up.” With a nod, the waiter was off, leaving the two men alone in their corner.

“Trying to liquor me up?” Duo asked, reaching out and holding Heero’s hand across the table.

“Absolutely.” Heero laughed, feeling more relaxed than he had in a while. “Hey, our anniversary is next weekend, and I was wondering what you wanted to do?”

Duo’s expression softened, and he shrugged slightly. “Surprise me.”

Heero knew this translated to ‘plan something to thrill me’ and did his best to hide the panic from his face. Coming up with a present was one thing, but planning an entire weekend? “Sure.”

The margaritas arrived just in time.

--

“Come on, Quatre, you’re supposed to be my friend!” Heero would’ve pouted if he knew how; instead he scowled at the monitor. He had obsessed about their anniversary for the last three days, barely being able to focus on work, before giving in and calling Quatre again, ready to beg for help. “I have two days, I can’t screw this up.”

“So don’t screw it up,” Quatre said simply, ever the realist. “Have you thought about what he might like at all?”

“Well... he likes skiing but it’s only the beginning of November and the slopes aren’t ready yet.” Heero ran a hand through his hair. “He likes …” What does he like? “ …me.” Heero said with a smirk, before shaking his head and laughing. “You think I’m an idiot, don’t you?”

“No, I just think you’re trying too hard.” Quatre answered with a chuckle. “Stop trying so hard and just choose something you know will make him happy. But I can’t talk anymore now; I’ve got to go. Stop stressing about this, it’ll be fine.”

With that, Quatre hung up again, and for the second time in a week Heero was left feeling frustrated after a call to his friend. Maybe he was trying too hard. Grabbing his laptop, he sat down at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and started searching – there had to be /something/.

Over their years together they’d traveled quite a bit when their jobs allowed. But Heero wasn’t trying to recreate a sight seeing whirlwind, he wanted something relaxing so they could enjoy each other. It wasn’t just about the sex, it was about taking time to relax and remember why they made it this far. As he searched he couldn’t stop thinking about the ski trip and ordering pizza from the hot tub. That had been one of the best weekends they’d spent together.

Deciding to go with his gut, Heero made his choice and hoped it was the right one.

--

By the time Duo arrived home from work on Friday night, Heero had their bags packed and the car loaded. He didn’t have trouble booking a room last minute, but he paid through the nose for it. Not that money was really the issue as long as Duo was happy. He hadn’t managed to purchase an actual gift, but he hoped that the weekend would serve as the gift. Seriously, Duo only expected so much from him, Heero wasn’t the most romantic guy.

Heero had tried to anticipate all eventualities and prepare accordingly. Unfortunately, he didn’t anticipate Duo’s foul mood when he’d arrived home. “What happened to you?” Heero asked as Duo all but fell through the front door with his braid in disarray and the back pocket hanging in tatters off the back of his pants. He wanted to laugh at the sorry state of his lover, but thought better of it when he saw the death-glare in Duo’s eyes.

“A dog happened to me. A big fucking dog.” Duo literally kicked off his boots, sending them flying into the wall of the foyer. Heero was smart enough not to comment on the large scuffmark the boot left behind, and quietly followed Duo into the kitchen. “The next time Wufei asks for a favor you have permission to shoot me if I say yes. Hell, shoot me now and get it over with.”

Heero watched Duo take a bottle of beer out of the fridge, open it with his teeth, spit the bottle cap onto the floor, and down its contents in one swallow. Heero knew he was in trouble.

“I –” What are you afraid of? “Why don’t you hop in the shower? The car’s all packed and we’re ready to leave …” Who am I kidding, right now I’m afraid of Duo.

“Ready to leave? Where are we going?” Duo was looking at Heero like he wanted to throttle him, and Heero found himself taking a step back.

“Away for our anniversary?” Heero forced himself to take two steps forward and offered a small smile. “Surprise?”

“Surprise?” Duo repeated, his mouth hanging open. “You’re kidding me, right?”

Heero nodded once before shaking his head. “You said ‘surprise me’, so I’m surprising you.”

“When I said surprise me, I meant you decide what we’re going to do, not spring a vacation on me.” Duo darted back in the fridge and pulled out a second beer.

“It’s not a vacation, it’s a weekend away,” Heero said in his defense, already irritated at how the surprise was going. “I go through all this trouble trying to come up with something for your anniversary and you’re going to get pissy with me?”

“/My/ anniversary? Isn’t it our anniversary?” Duo removed the bottle cap and spat it at Heero. “I’ve just spent the last two hours sorting through garbage and being attacked by pit bulls, I have the right to be pissy!”

“I’ve spent the last week obsessing over what you’d like, trying to make you happy and this is the thanks I get?” Heero was almost yelling, his hands fisted at his sides. “This is the last time I listen to Quatre.”

“Quatre?” Duo’s eyes narrowed, slamming the empty bottle onto the countertop. “So this is what it’s all about, Quatre guilting you into getting me something for our - wait, no – my anniversary?”

“It’s not like that, I called him to ask his advice and the next thing I know I’m making travel arrangements.” Heero sat down heavily in a kitchen chair, his mounting anger suddenly gone. “It was stupid, just forget about it.”

Duo just stood and stared at Heero for a moment before joining him at the table. “What are we forgetting about exactly? What did you plan?”

Heero sulked for a moment before answering - the surprise was ruined anyway. “It’s too early to ski, but I made reservations in the mountains figuring we could do some hiking then relax in the hot tub.”

“And you needed Quatre’s help for that?” Duo asked, his anger ebbing away.

“No, that was the easy part. Not that Quatre helped. He just said ‘ figure out what Duo means to you’. Like I’m going to get a gift idea from that.”

“Oh?” Duo propped his head up with his hand and grinned. “And what does Duo mean to you?”

Heero didn’t hesitate, his tone low and earnest. “You mean everything to me. I could watch you for hours and never get bored … the way you kiss me and make me forget everything … the way our bodies fit together …” Heero’s frown morphed into a small grin and he added, “every time you fuck me it’s like it’s the end of the world and I can go off into oblivion a happy man.”

“Heero Yuy, I think that’s the most romantic thing you’ve ever said to me.” Duo leaned over the table and kissed Heero soundly. “That alone is gift enough for me.”

“Which is good because I never managed to get you a gift,” Heero said, looking sheepish.

“That’s okay, we can have a weekend of ‘Master and Slave Boy’ and relax in the hot tub.” Duo moved around the table and sat in Heero’s lap, kissing him again. “Why don’t we forget me coming home and acting like an asshole and enjoy our anniversary?”

“Not until you shower.” Heero said, pushing Duo off his lap and wrinkling his nose. “Wufei had you sorting through garbage?”

“Love me, love my stench.” Duo laughed, grabbing Heero’s hand. “Come on Mr. Romance, you can scrub my back while telling me how much I mean to you.”

“Isn’t it my anniversary, too?” Heero asked, following behind. Next year he’s just getting Duo a watch.






Liz Phair, Supernova


I have looked all over the place
But you have got my favorite face
Your eyelashes sparkle like gilded grass
And your lips are sweet and slippery like a cherub's bare wet ass

'Cause you're a human supernova
A solar superman
You're an angel with wings afire
A flying, giant friction blast

You walk in clouds of glitter and the sun reflects your eyes
And every time the wind blows, I can smell you in the sky
Your kisses are as wicked as an M-16
And you fuck like a volcano, and you're everything to me

'Cause you're a human supernova
A solar superman
You're an angel with wings afire
A flying, giant friction blast
You're a giant, flying friction blast

'Cause you're a human supernova
A solar superman
You're an angel with wings afire
A flying, giant friction blast