Disclaimer: I own nothin'

Pairings/Warnings: 2x3, implied pre-relationship 1x4, humour, implied smut, m/m relationship

A/N: Inspired by my love of crafts and putting my fave boys in beanie hats (and any wintery clothes) and dedicated to annoyinglittletwit (happy birthday!)

Stitches

It wasn't like he was late. And it wasn't like he'd done anything wrong but still Duo was sneaking into the house he shared with Trowa, hoping that he wouldn't disturb his boyfriend and explain why his crazy night out had ended at barely eleven.

He had decided to climb in through the kitchen window rather than using the door like a normal person as he thought he could enter silently and be completely unnoticed. Then he could chill on the couch downstairs for a while and drink a couple of whiskeys and by the time he crawled up the stairs to bed he would've arrived home at a respectable time for a crazy night out with Hilde. Then Duo would not have to explain his early arrival home.

Yet it didn't work like that. As while he managed to break into their house silently, he did not go unnoticed as when he had crawled half way through the window the light switched on and Duo was confronted with a half-naked and confused Trowa Barton in their kitchen.

"We have a door, Duo," Trowa said, his voice utterly deadpan as Duo sheepishly climbed the rest of the way in, suddenly realising what a dumbass idea it had been.

"Ugh… yeah," Duo replied, as he closed the window behind him, hopping down from the counter and straightening his clothes as he did.

He expected Trowa to ask. Normal people would ask. But then Duo reasoned, as two ex-war vets with very unusual childhoods and teenage years spent blowing shit up, that "normal" was not them. So instead of asking, Trowa just wandered over to boil some water for tea and Duo just watched, amused as they stood in their kitchen in a clearly unusual situation, pretending nothing was out of the ordinary.

"You're not gonna ask?" Duo asked as he dragged his eyes away from Trowa's naked torso, his eyes lingering on the washboard abs that he suddenly had an extreme desire to lick.

Trowa turned from what he was doing, leaned against the counter and folded his arms across his chest which obscured his erect nipples from Duo's vision. Which was a damn shame.

"Do I need to?"

Duo knew what he meant. Was there something Duo needed to tell him? Was he involved in something dangerous? Had he done something that he'd regret? Well… Duo had done nothing of the sort. Really, it was only embarrassing what he had been doing and he guessed Trowa didn't need to know that. It was the great thing about their relationship – they both needed space sometimes, they both needed time and it never hurt the other to walk away and deal in peace. As long as they came back. And they always did.

If they didn't let each other deal in their own ways Duo didn't know if they'd last. But it was the independent stubborn streak that Duo loved about Trowa. He was who he was. And Duo didn't want to change that and Duo knew he couldn't change either. They were perfectly screwed up and damaged and that was why Duo guessed they worked. Duo couldn't be with someone who didn't get him and his sometimes erratic ways. And Trowa did. Poor guy.

"Naw… you don't need to," Duo responded after a few beats, licking his lips as he watched Trowa grab tea bags from the cupboard and prepare cups. "How was your night? Are we any closer to contact?"

Trowa snorted from his nose and it said it all. Though he did add a little more. "Heero still believes Quatre doesn't have time."

"Huh… dumbass."

"Yeah," Trowa replied, "I told him you'd say that."

"Well, of course I'm gonna. That's why he goes to you for his relationship advice rather than me as I'm just gonna tell him to stop pissing around and actually just release some of that sexual tension. I can't stand the eye-fucking anymore."

Trowa chuckled softly as he poured water into cups and Duo admired the curve of his back as he did. He knew he wasn't lying to Trowa, he never did that, but he did feel bad emitting the truth. His blue eyes lingered on a scar on Trowa's back, a scar that Duo hadn't known its origins about until years after they had got together. And Duo remembered Trowa laid on his chest as he'd spoken, quiet and monotone about his experience in one merc camp and Duo hadn't said anything, only listened, only let him speak… They didn't exactly tell each other everything but they didn't keep secrets so Duo coughed to get Trowa's attention.

"Ugh… don't make fun of me but maybe I should tell you where I was… it's dumb but…"

The tea made, Trowa offered a cup which Duo took and then Trowa grabbed his own cup to lean back against the counter. The kitchen wasn't big – this was an L2 colony – but they stood opposite each other and Duo took a scolding hot sip of tea before he put it down and spoke.

"Okay… me and Hilde haven't been doing the clubs like we used to…"

"I guessed," Trowa said, his voice amused.

"You knew for a while?"

"I know how to blend and go undercover. You smell a certain way after clubs – cigarettes, sweat, booze… you never smelt like that."

Duo wrinkled his nose. Shit. He hadn't thought about that. How Trowa just innately knew how to blend. Duo knew how to survive but not exactly how to blend. He hid in the shadows while Trowa hid in plain sight.

"Well… she kinda invited me to this club thing and I've been going along and making stuff…."

"Making stuff?"

"Yeah… hell, I'll just show you."

In the inner pocket on his leather jacket was his project and Duo pulled it out, making sure that he didn't pull any loose threads when he did. As in his pocket had been the project he'd been working on since his first night at the "fun little club" Hilde had told him about and not fully explained what it was. Duo had said that he felt too old for their haunts, maybe it was something about being mid-twenties or maybe there was something about the fact Duo was far older than his years in life experience but the drinking and dancing had started to bore him. Plus he didn't need some random hook up when he lived with a very sexy and flexible guy who could keep him more than satisfied.

The first time Hilde had introduced him Duo had pretty much walked out. He was a part-time Preventer agent and mechanic, he was tattooed and he frankly didn't fit in. Or so he thought but after his initial reluctance he found he enjoyed the club. And the lessons they'd taught him.

As in Duo's hand was a beanie hat he'd made. It was knitted by his own hands, the hands that he'd killed and maimed with, and though it wasn't perfect, a few dropped stitches here and there, it looked pretty good for a first attempt. He'd selected the grey and green to match Trowa's wardrobe and eyes and he held it out for Trowa to see.

"It's this 'Stich n' Bitch' club… we make stuff and talk…"

Duo felt like an idiot holding out a badly knitted hat until Trowa put down his tea and reached for it, taking it out of his hands and holding it in his own.

"You made this?"

With a shrug, Duo replied. "Yeah… I know it's not very good and all but it's nice to, you know, make something rather than destroy shit. I can fix things but I never made something from scratch before and it kinda felt… good."

Trowa's face didn't say anything while Duo talked but then he did something better than say anything in reply. He put the hat on. True, it wasn't quite perfect and Trowa was only dressed in plaid pyjama bottoms but it kinda looked perfect as Duo stepped forward and pressed a kiss to Trowa's lips.

It was meant to be a tentative kiss, an appreciative kiss but being close to a half-naked Trowa was intoxicating and Duo found his tongue delving between parted lips and his cold hands seeking out warm flesh, his hands drifting to grip ass and bring Trowa closer. When they broke off, Duo felt the heat between them spark and he grinned as he looked at Trowa in the hat he had made.

"It's not dumb," Trowa said quietly, a small smile on his face, "Catherine taught me how to knit."

Duo chuckled and buried his nose into the skin of Trowa's throat, smelling the scent that was "home", that was Trowa and he gently kissed at that spot, his teeth grazing lightly.

"Then you'll have to make me a hat or a scarf or something…"

"Now?"

Duo's answer to that was a hand down the front of Trowa's pyjamas pants. "Naw… I got something else creative we can do…"

"Do I keep the hat on?" Trowa murmured, his voice hitching as Duo stroked.

"Only if you want…"