Virgin Duo
Summary: Duo wanted to help a church orphanage out of trouble. He and Heero get roped into more than they expected.
Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC's.
"We just need a present for Wufei and Sally and then we're done." Duo said smiling as he checked his shopping list. Next to him Heero grunted as he heaved the last bag of groceries into the car. It'd been a long day and he vowed he'd never complain about Duo's shopping habits again.
Quatre had begged them to help him get his shopping list done for the Christmas reunion dinner the five of them, Sally, Noin and Zechs would have. They took turns preparing it every year and this year was Quatre's turn. The always quite busy CEO though found he had too little time to get the shopping done between meetings and official goings on in his company. Duo and Heero had agreed to handle the shopping for him.
Shopping though consisted of rushing from store to store and fighting other shoppers for the produce Quatre had requested. As the day went on Heero grew more and more haggard from the pushing and shoving and the many people trying to ransack his shopping cart. Duo though seeming mostly unaffected had shown signs of reaching the limit of his seemingly unending patience. Heero decided they'd best get their shopping done fast or he might have to restrain Duo to keep him from doing god knows what to some poor civilian shopper.
"What's going on there?" Duo asked. Heero looked up from his thoughts as they approached the central square that all the stores looked out over. A group of 20 kids of varying ages between 1 and 12 were standing at the center dressed up in an assortment of outfits. With them were two church sisters trying to calm the children; a bunch of which were crying and the rest of which were looking like they wanted to cry.
"Don't know. Wanna check it out?" Heero asked knowing Duo always hated seeing kids unhappy. Duo smiled thankfully as the two of them strolled over.
Heero headed for the two nuns deciding to let Duo work his magic with the children while he found out why they were upset.
"My friend and I couldn't help but notice the children are unhappy. Is something wrong?" Heero asked jabbing his thumb toward Duo who was kneeling amid the 7 youngest kids and getting hugged by them as the kids sought comfort from their distress with the kind boy.
"Unfortunately yes. We're from the church orphanage down at Baker street and every year we perform the nativity play here with the children of the orphanage to collect money for presents for the kids for Christmas. It looks though like we won't be able to this year." the taller of the two sisters said shaking her head sadly.
"First that nasty man from the convenience store says we can't hold it here when we have always done the nativity play here." the smaller of the two said glaring at the man who looked like he wanted nothing more than to call the police and have them all removed from the square.
"I see. Did you get the permits from city hall?" Heero asked giving the man a glare of his own.
"Yes, but he's not our biggest problem now. We just received a call from sister Frances; it seems the car she and father Fabricius were driving here to bring the remaining food for the kids got hit by a truck that ran a red light. It's not serious luckily, but the father has to remain in the hospital until morning due to a broken leg and his age and Frances the poor woman has broken two ribs. Without them we'll be short a Virgin Mary and father Josef!" the taller sister said as she too looked close to breaking out in tears.
"I see that's unfortunate. However can't you two play the parts?" Heero asked as he was busily texting Quatre about the man who would have the nativity play be removed from in front of his convenience store. The store happened to be one of a chain Quatre had told him he recently came into possession of. So that problem could be solved easily.
"I get terrible stage fright. I just help the little ones remember their lines from the sidelines. I couldn't possibly play one of the roles." the taller said her face flushing with embarrassment.
"I can't play a part and keep an eye on the children at the same time and I also have to watch Timmy who is this year's baby Jesus and he's more trouble than a raging bull in a china shop and- Timmy!" the smaller of the two sisters said before hurrying to behind Heero where a toddler barely two years old was getting in trouble by way of giving attention to a dog that looked like he'd rather eat the toddler.
"I….see…" Heero said blinking.
"Hey Heero the kids just told me about the father and the play." Duo said joining Heero smiling sadly.
"Yes, the sisters here just told me also. Quatre's coming over personally to deal with the store idiot. So the only problem to solve is where do we get a new Joseph and Mary for the nativity play?" Heero said quietly.
OEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO
Two hours later found Heero in a big brown robe with a fake beard and with Duo sitting on the fake donkey that the kids of the orphanage had made. Duo himself was wearing white robes and sported a pillow under them to simulate a pregnant belly. His long hair was unbraided and put in a feminine style by the sisters and make-up was applied to soften his facial features for the part of the virgin Mary.
"Duo how will we do this? I don't even know what nativity means!" Heero hissed uncertain of this whole deal they agreed to.
"Just remember the lines you studied earlier. The nativity story is the tale of the birth of Jesus Christ the son of god that the virgin Mary gave birth to and who would later become the savior of humanity by dying for their sins. We're doing it for the kids. No money means no presents for them." Duo hissed back as he watched the children not performing standing beside the stable and singing the song he knew so well from this play. The two stood before the stable as the taller of the two sisters narrated the story of how Joseph and Maria came to Bethlehem.
"And so it came to be that Mary gave birth to the baby Jesus in the stable in Bethlehem." the sister said from her safe hidden place behind the stable before nudging the children playing the sheep and Sheppards to their places. Duo smiled warmly as little Timmy lay in the makeshift crib covered in the bed sheets and looked up at him with twinkling eyes.
"I'm a baby Jesus." he whispered to them. Heero chuckled and nodded to this. He then looked up remembering that he had to welcome the Sheppards and the three kings after them. Duo watched the proceedings with an overjoyed smile despite having been made to play the virgin Mary.
"Baby Jesus pa rum pum pum pum. I'm just a poor boy too pa rum pum pum pum." one of the little Sheppard boys began to sing now. Heero watched Duo as his eyes glazed over and knew the boy was remembering a fond memory.
OEOEOEOEOEOEOEO
"I have no gift to bring pa rum pum pum pum. Fit to give our king pa rum pum pum pum. Rum pum pum pum. Rum pum pum pum. Shall I play for you pa rum pum pum pum. On my drum." little Duo sang. His voice soft and clear as he looked at the doll in the crib. The sister had said the nativity play was important to the kids at the orphanage and so he agreed to play his part despite his own beliefs. It felt strange to see the father and sister sitting there smiling warmly at him as he played his little drum and sang.
OEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO
"And he smiled at me pa rum pum pum pum. Me and my drum." the child sang. The audience which had gathered clapped loudly and little Timmy climbed out of his crib and picked up the collecting tin.
"Merry Chrismas!" he said dutifully to every person as he walked past them with the tin and watched as each put in a few coins for the church orphanage.
"Duo…Duo…it's over. We're done now." Heero whispered nudging his lover who blinked a few times before turning to Heero and nodding quietly. The two silently retreated behind the stable to switch back in their clothes.
"Is he okay?" the smaller sister asked worriedly as Duo quietly braided his hair with a faraway look in his eyes.
"He grew up in a church orphanage before it was destroyed. This…brings back memories of that time…" Heero said quietly. The taller sister had joined them.
"I knew I recognized him! He's Helen's boy!" she said suddenly. Duo cringed and hunched over a bit.
"He…hasn't yet overcome the pain." Heero said choosing his words carefully. He watched as the children gathered around Duo and chattered happily to him about how much money they got and how they were going to all get a gift this year. He smiled as Duo put on a happy face and listened patiently to each child.
"I see. We were told only one child survived, but they never found him. Helen and I went to convent school together before she was selected to go to the L2 Maxwell church. After she went there she never stopped writing me until the day of her death. She wrote most about a small boy with braided hair. I think…if she'd not devoted her life to the lord our savior then she would've adopted him as her own. She loved him that much. Father Maxwell too if her letters were anything to go by." the taller sister said quietly.
"Hm, Duo…he feels guilty for their deaths…this was good for him…this helped…pay them back for their love…" Heero said quietly as he kept watching Duo talk to the children as they waited for Quatre's bus to come collect the children and their belongings and return them to the church now the father's car was a wreck and the man himself hospitalized still.
"I'm glad we received his help and in turn were able to lift a small bit of his guilt." the taller sister said smiling warmly in understanding of the unspoken words.
The younger sister went over to the children to dispense drinks among them after the hard work.
"You do so well with the children." she said to Duo who accepted the cup of hot chocolate thankfully.
"Thanks, I just did what anyone would've done you know?" Duo said smiling.
"A ton of people walked by us today and none of them did anything to help. You stopped and comforted the children, helped deal with that nasty store manager and even played Mary so our play could still go on. I think you did more than just what anyone would've done." the sister said helping Timmy drink his hot chocolate.
"Nah, I just did what needed to be done. Nothing big really." Duo said as he helped one of the girls out of her angel wings.
"You know? With the Father having a broken leg and sister Frances having 2 broken ribs we could use a helping hand at the orphanage. With 20 kids and only two of us sisters it'll be quite a hand full keeping them all out of trouble." the sister said smiling knowingly. Duo turned to Heero who smiled and nodded.
"We'd love to come help out a few days a week." Duo said smiling brightly.
Hope you enjoyed it!