Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing not now not ever.
Voldyismoldy: so this is another random plot bunny that came up and bit me ( mean things) and I had to write it. It was supposed to be a funny one-shot but it became a little more serious and I kind of like it. It's still a one shot though so hope you like and as always please review.
A Cooking Experiment
Heero sat at the desk in his room typing diligently away at his beloved lap top. He was staying in Quatre's family home along with the other Ex-pilots at the young, blond haired, blue eyed, man's insistence. Now that the war and Mariemaias uprising were over they really had no reason to stay together any longer but Quatre had wanted them to spend a few weeks together before they parted ways.
Heero didn't really mind being around the other boys as they were his only true friends but he had never been one for staying any where long. He also wasn't used to being constantly around people who weren't trying to use him or kill him. Trowa and Wufei mostly kept to themselves and didn't bother him much. Quatre was a little over bearing at times but Heero knew it was because the young man genuinely cared about hjim so he was willing to tolerate him and Duo, well Duo was Duo, and basically a pest. Heero defied anyone to live with the young man for more than a few days and not want to kill him or at least knock him out for a while.
Today he was being suspiciously quiet and he had not been bothered by any of his housemates all morning. For once he had been able to do his work entirely undisturbed and search for any other potential threats to the peace. It was a rare blessing and he was enjoying the silence except for the strange feeling in his chest. The feeling that almost made him wish one of the boys would appear at his door to see what he was doing even Duo wouldn't have been entirely unwelcome at that moment.
A sudden crash downstairs took him from his thoughts and his computer fell silent. He listened wondering if the house had fallen under attack, but hearing nothing else shrugged and turned back to his work. Duo was probably playing another one of his annoying pranks and Heero had no desire to know what that was. Better to stay here in his room away from whatever was going on down there.
Another crash sounded downstairs and then Wufei's voice ripped through the silence of the house as he shouted in unintelligible Chinese due to his anger. Duo's indignant voice soon followed and then Quatre's pleading and compassionate one. Heero sighed knowing he wouldn't be able to return to his work until he found out what was going on and turning off his computer he went downstairs taking out his gun just in case.
The living room was empty when he reached it and the sounds of yelling seemed to be coming from the direction of the kitchen. Cautiously he moved toward it his hand gripping his gun, finger pressed against the trigger, and threw open the kitchen door only to blink in surprise. A ripple of amusement filled him at what he saw and he felt the corners of his mouth trying to move upward in an unaccustomed smile as he put his gun away.
The kitchen was, well, a disaster with what looked like the scattered remains of a failed attempt at cooking. Smoke drifted through the air and some kind of burnt meat sat in a pan on the counter. A pot on the stove was boiling over and there were remains of eggs and flour stainding the floor and counters. The crashes had been a bowl with a brown mixture in it and another pot that had spilled its contents of chopped potatoes on the floor.
Wufei was yelling at Duo while Trowa was bandaging his hand that had obviously been burned hence the yelling. Duo, who was claiming what had happened wasn't his fault, had a layer of flour covering his hair and several stains on his shirt. Quatre was sporting a number of band-aids on his fingers and there was flour in his hair too. Trowa was the only one relatively unscaved except for some egg shell pieces in his hair and all four them stopped what they were doing as they caught sight of Heero standing at the door.
"What are you doing?" Heero asked surprisingly the first one to speak. He surprised them further with his next words. "Besides making a mess."
"Sorry Heero we didn't mean to disturb you," Quatre told him as Trowa finished bandaging Wufei's hand. "The girls are coming over tonight for Hilde's birthday and Duo wanted to make a special meal for them ourselves and we all thought it was a good idea."
"Except we sort of forgot none of us really know's how to cook," Duo said sheepishly as he shrugged and Wufei glared at him. "But I mean were Gundam pilots we should be able to handle something as simple as cooking right?"
The answer to that question was obvious from the state of the kitchen and of the four former pilots. Heero stared at them all for a moment strangely hurt that they hadn't asked him to join them, not that he would have wanted too, and then sighed again. It was obvious to him they wouldn't be able to pull their idea off and he was going to have to do something about it.
Out," He ordered giving them all his best death glare and pointing at the door. "Now."
The four boys glanced at each other in surprise and confusion and then quickly left the room not wanting to upset the once perfect soldier further. Heero frowned as they left the room and then started on the major clean up that was needed before any cooking could be done.
XeXeXeXeXeXe
For the rest of the day no one was allowed in the kitchen and any who tried to get in were met by a gun in their face. Even when Duo complained loudly about how hungry he was Heero only threw a bagel at him and warned him not to try to get into the room again. Duo had sat sulking on the couch about not having any cream cheese while he ate it and about how mean Heero was.
After being forced out of the kitchen the four former pilots had immediately gone to clean themselves up. Now free of both flour and eggs they sat gathered in the living room watching a football game and trying to ignore the mouth watering aromas coming from the kitchen. They were all wondering the same thing: what was Heero cooking and when did he learn to cook?
Heero remained in the kitchen for the rest of the afternoon and by 4:30 when the girls arrived they still didn't know what he was making. The four young men led Hilde, Dorothy, and Relena into the dinning room where a bottle of wine had been left out on the table. Quatre poured them each some and then once they were all seated Heero finally came out of the kitchen.
He carried a platter of carved honey glazed ham that he placed on the table and then returned to the kitchen to bring out dishes of masked potatoes with a butter and paprika crust, syrup glazed carrots, and biscuits. Without a word and with a pointed glare at his fellow former pilots Heero sat down next to Relena.
The girls gushed over the meal and even the boys wer amazed by how delicious the food was. Heero ate his meal quietly, a small unnoticed smile on his face, and when they finished there was no food left. Heero cleared off the dishes as the others went into the living room and brought out a tray of tea and a three layer chocolate cake glowing with candles.
Hilde was delighted by it and blew out the candles while the others clapped. After they had eaten their fill of the cake and given the young woman their presents the girls left. Heero too the tray with the used cups and mostly eaten cake into the kitchen and the others followed. For once they weren't stopped as they found him filling the sink with water to wash the dishes and surrounded him.
"Ok buddy spill," Duo demanded though he was grinning as he did. "When did you become a gourmet chief?"
"Yes Heero why didn't you tell us you could cook?" Quatre asked. Wufei and Trowa remained silent but both looked interested.
"Dr. J," Heero said simply. A glance at them showed he would need to explain a little more. "He had me learn to cook for two reasons: one so I could disguise myself as chief if I needed to during a mission and two because his cooking was even worse than Duo's and he wanted me to be able to cook for him."
For a moment all four young men were silent and then Trowa began to laugh one arm wrapped around his chest. Soon Duo and Quatre were laughing too and even Wufei was chuckling softly. Heero watched them silently and then turned to finish washing the dishes.
"I don't think so buddy you did all the cooking so we're doing the cleaning," Duo told him pulling him away from the sink. "Then you are going to watch this great movie that's on tonight with us and there is no way I am letting you sneak back upstairs and hide yourself in that room so don't even try it."
Heero smirked knowing he could easily get away from them if he wanted to but did as he was told watching while they washed the dishes and then allowed them to lead him into the other room. They all settled on the couch and chairs and Trowa turned on the movie. Heero sat back in the couch next to Duo and thought maybe being around people sometimes wasn't so bad even if one of them was Duo and at least he didn't have that strange feeling in his chest anymore.
A/N: ok not so sure this one turned out the way I wanted it to. It was supposed to be kind of funny with the guys discovering Heero could cook but then it kind of became also a story about Heero beginning to learn that he likes being around people and that feeling in his chest is one of loneliness that he doesn't yet recognize. Anyway hoped you liked it and if you have any suggestions on how to make it better let me know and of course please, please review.