Your Wish in a Kiss

Duo questioned why, when he came in through the front door of his small flat with Heero, the whole place was dark. Usually Heero left one of the living room lights on so he didn't stumble and break something (like the lamp he knocked off the end table and broke last week). He shrugged off his coat, left it on the living room armchair he liked to relax in on his days off, tablet or laptop (or sometimes Heero) on his lap. His wallet, keys, and pack of cigarettes went on the end table where the replacement lamp for the one that shattered on impact against the hardwood flooring was somehow secured. Heero must've bolted it down to ensure it couldn't be knocked over easily.

Speaking of Heero… "Heero?"

"In here." Heero sounded like he was in the kitchen. Duo toed off his shoes—Heero hated shoes being worn in the house, said it tracked in dirt and whatever else was on the ground outside—and padded over to the kitchen in just his plain white socks.

"We have an outage or somethin'?" Duo asked, referring to the fact that none of the lights were on. He stopped in the doorway and lost his train of thought.

"Heero?"

Heero was stood in the middle of the kitchen with a cake server in his hands, twenty-one candles arranged neatly in a circle, all lit.

"Hey."

"I miss somethin'?"

"Almost," Heero said, as he neared the small kitchen table. "Your birthday celebration."

Duo blinked. "My birthday was yesterday though. Today's our…"

Heero set the cake down. "Anniversary," he finished. "We've been celebrating both of them since our first one, remember?"

Their first one. Duo had literally just turned seventeen when he'd asked Heero to be his. That was…that was five years ago.

"Shit, we've been ma—together for five years now." Why did he nearly say 'married'? It certainly felt that way, but in reality they weren't.

Not yet, anyway.

Heero stood in front of Duo now, pushed a stray lock of hair behind Duo's ear.

"You thought I forgot, didn't ya?" Duo smirked, as he pulled Heero into his arms.

"You've never forgotten," Heero murmured. "Blow out the candles before the frosting turns to wax and ruins my hard work."

"…You baked it yourself?"

Heero nodded against Duo's neck. "Don't say I never did anything nice for you." It was red velvet cake, no less, which was one of Duo's absolute favourites. Duo'd always called it "sinful cake" instead.

Duo leaned over the table and blew out the candles in one shot before kissing Heero, dipping him over the table slightly. Duo mouthed something against Heero's lips and Heero pulled away, eyes wide in the dim as hell lighting (Heero decided a candlelit dessert was the best kind) before whispering breathlessly, "What?" He stared at Duo, trying to see if he was joking. What he found was all seriousness, his eyes intense, focused and filled with determination and…apprehension? Fear? Over what? His answer?

Did Duo really expect after five years for Heero to say 'no'? For Heero to suddenly say, 'I don't want you anymore'? Heero still got butterflies remembering their first kiss, still flushed remembering their frisky first time on the living room couch. Remembering the first time Duo'd said, 'I love you,' always nearly caused his knees to buckle. Heero could never bring himself to actually say those words, mostly because he never expected Duo to stay long enough for Heero to ever get to.

And yet here they were. Heero couldn't picture himself spending five—five!—years with someone who wasn't named Duo Maxwell. He'd tried picturing himself with no one, but his mind always wandered back to Duo. His best friend. His partner. His lover. Five years that would hopefully turn into more.

"Mm," Heero said, breaking the silence that seemed to stretch on forever. "Let's get married."

Duo gripped Heero just a little tighter. "You mean it?"

Heero nodded. "Honestly, Duo, if I didn't really love you or want to spend the rest of my life with you, do you think I'd say 'yes'?"

Duo laughed a little. "You got a point."

"Look… I know I'm not the best when it comes to expressing my feelings, but…" Heero kissed him, slid his hands up Duo's arms and up his back. "I love you."

Duo shivered, just a little.