Chapter Seven: Getting Accustomed
"No cable? No internet? You do have running water at least?" Duo began stalking around the small Japanese-style house while he scanned his new surroundings with a critical eye. "Cavemen have more amenities!"
Heero leaned against the smooth, dark support beams by the front entrance and watched Duo survey his new home. The braided pilot moved about hesitantly as he searched every corner of the house like a nervous cat studying his new territory. Finally the other boy came back to the front door and gave Heero a sheepish grin.
"Guess I'll have to make my own fun…"
"I told you it was modest."
"You call this MODEST?" Duo exclaimed with a playful huff before elongating his body into a bone-cracking stretch. "More like prehistoric."
The Japanese pilot rolled his eyes and let out a small sigh.
Americans… they are never satisfied, he mused.
"There is a pond at the bottom of the hill." Heero said. He stepped out of the doorway and down the front step to the ground. "And if you follow the road West about a mile or so you will find the village. You can go and buy whatever you need. Tell them to put it on my tab." Then the dark-haired pilot turned to talk down the path.
"Hey! Wait a sec!" Duo yelped from behind him. He ran out of the house and down the path to meet him. "Where are ya going?"
Heero paused and looked over his shoulder to study Duo with a dark, thoughtful gaze. "I have some business to take care of." He noticed that the American looked a little nervous, so he added quickly in Japanese, "don't worry, I'm sure you can tell them what you need."
Duo nodded then froze in place before giving Heero a perplexed stare. His secret was out. This made the Japanese pilot laugh. His smooth, deep voice floated across the cool breeze as he vanished within the shadows of the full, green trees.
Heero decided to take the long way to Yuki's house. Half of him did so to prolong the time until he would have to face her, while the other half wanted to just enjoy being home. He sauntered down the wooded path to the pond and then paused for a moment or two to watch a man haul in a lively, wriggling fish from the water. Its scales glimmered silver in the noonday sun as it fought aggressively on the line. The main hollered in surprise at the catch before scooping the sleek, silver crescent up in a net. Past the pond he ascended up the small, grassy hill. A few children were playing tag on it. They stumbled across the lush, bright grass laughing and cheering happily. A few of them paused in their game to wave at him as he passed.
He felt a warmth swelling in his chest. Never before had he ever considered any one place his home. Deep down he felt a strong sense of pride in his new community. It was a new feeling for him and he hoped that Duo would be able to appreciate his new home as much as he did.
Yuki's house was just on the opposite side of the hill. As he descended the hill he could see her small cottage crouched within a circle of bushes and colorful flowers. He saw some movement amongst the garden. A straw hat popped up out of a hedge and a pale, blushing face turned to watch him approach.
His stomach began to flip around anxiously and his heart began to throb wildly in his chest. She lifted a gloved hand and wiped her forehead with the back of her forearm before dusting off her pale blue gloves. With quick even motions she plucked the gardening gloves from her pale, thin fingers and set them in a bucket nearby before slowly meeting him at the entrance of the small, white fence that surrounded her property.
"Good afternoon." She said softly in Japanese. Heero gave her a bow in greeting and replied equally as politely. She smiled a little, though her dark eyes reflected confusion about him. He couldn't blame her. One minute he was promising to help her, then the next he was gone, and for a goodly amount of time.
"I came to apologize…" He began but before he could continue she shook her head and tilted her pointed chin up to look at him from beneath her large, straw hat.
"No apologies." She said quietly, and then reached out a delicate hand to grasp Heero's fingers. "I do not believe in them."
Heero felt his body begin to tense up. He looked down at her pale hand holding his own dark, worn fingers and he sucked in a deep, nervous breath. This was new to him, too.
Don't hold back… he thought desperately to himself. She was watching his face expectantly. He wasn't sure what to do.
"I… well, it is just that…" Heero could feel a heat begin to spread up his neck and across his cheeks. "Yuki, would you-"
Suddenly a loud scream ripped through the air from the other side of the hill. Yuki jumped, startled. Her eyes widened in horror.
"Kirin!" She exclaimed, then turned away from Heero and began running up the hill. With a quick reflex Heero had spun around, passed her and made it to the top of the hill with ease. His eyes searched around frantically for the young boy. Then he saw him. He sighed in relief.
Yuki appeared beside him, panting. Her body was shaking in fear. "Where is he? KIRIN?" She yelled loudly. Her usual soft, calm voice was hinted with a mother's terror.
"Over here!" Came the small, high-pitched cry from the edge of the pond. There were a few splashes and then the sound of mixed laughter from the water.
Kirin was standing on the water's edge in his bathing suit. He was looking up the hill at them with a carefree smile. Suddenly the water behind the boy bubbled and shifted. A figure began to rise from it with arms outstretched towards the small boy.
"KIRIN!" Yuki screamed. The sound of her scream sent chills up Heero's spine. He reflexively reached down and went to pull up his left pant leg to retrieve a small handgun he had hidden at his ankle when he heard a familiar voice.
"I'M GONNA GETCHA!"
Heero froze. He looked down at the sopping wet figure looming over Kirin.
"Duo?"
Kirin turned and with a thrilled laugh ran up to the wet American and playfully shoved him. Duo flopped over on his backside with a loud splash and began laughing as well. Heero sighed in relief then looked over at Yuki, who couldn't have possibly gotten any paler even if she had tried.
"You… know him?" Yuki asked hesitantly. She had begun kneading the edge of her gardening apron. Heero nodded.
"He's harmless." He said slowly as he watched the little boy begin to climb onto Duo's back. The braided pilot was on his hands and knees in the shallow water coughing and laughing as the little boy began tugging on his long, wet braid.
"I defeated the swamp monster!" Kirin yelled happily. He waved triumphantly at his mother. Yuki forced a smile.
"Time to go home…" Yuki said in a shaken voice as she approached the water's edge. Heero followed close behind.
"But Mama…" Kirin protested. The little boy was perched on Duo's back while the American pilot swam around in circles face-down like a crocodile in the shallow water. Then with a gasp Duo's face surfaced. Heero was half expecting to see Duo holding a fish in his teeth. Instead, the American smiled at their shoes before peering up against the sunshine to grin at them.
"Hey, Heero! Come on in, the water's fine." Duo chirped happily. His long, chestnut bangs were plastered against his forehead and shining beads of water dripped off of the tip of his perfect nose. Heero felt a smile pull the corner of his mouth.
"Time to go home." Heero said to Duo before glancing over at Yuki. "If you would still like some help I can come by tomorrow morning."
The color was beginning to return to Yuki's face. A pale, pink glow was creeping across her cheeks. She nodded at Heero and gave him a small, hesitant smile. "Yes, thank you." She said quietly, then without another word she grabbed Kirin's hand and began leading him up the hill towards their house.
"Bye Duo!" Kirin said. He turned around to wave at them as he was being dragged along by his mother. Duo returned the wave with a big grin and then hauled himself out of the lake and began wringing out his braid. Heero crossed his arms and watched Yuki and her son disappear over the hill. Then he glanced sideways at the sopping wet pilot beside him.
Duo was toeing off his shoes. His jeans were soaked and clung tightly to his body. The American's black t-shirt was plastered to his chest and Heero could see the faint pucker of the other pilot's hardened nipples through the wet fabric.
"Nice kid." Duo said cheerfully as he leaned down to scoop up his wet shoes. Heero sighed and turned to walk slowly towards the path that led home. Duo jogged up beside him and matched his step, leaving little puddles on the ground in his wake. "She was pretty hot too. Kinda stuck up, though."
Heero didn't respond. He looked down at his feet as he walked. Duo made a small "tsk-tsk" noise behind his teeth and began swinging his arms back and forth as he walked.
"That your girlfriend?"
Heero knew the question was coming, but he wasn't sure how to respond. Yuki wasn't entirely HIS, and he wasn't sure where their relationship stood. He was hoping to get some sort of clarity on the situation before his attempt was thwarted by the American pilot. He shrugged his shoulders and let his eyes scan the woods around him, looking for anyone who might be eaves dropping before responding.
"Not exactly." Heero replied quietly. He could feel Duo's gaze on him. An awkward silence passed between them as they walked down the wooded path. The only noise came from the birds overhead and the crunching sound of their feet against the dry leaves that littered the ground. Heero wondered why Duo wasn't saying anything. Usually the American pilot filled every moment of silence with some sort of noise, whether it be humming, whistling or jabbering nonsense. However, to Heero's surprise, Duo was silent. Maybe the braided boy realized there was nothing left to be said. They walked side-by-side through the cool shadows towards the house. When they arrived there were no words exchanged. Heero immediately drew a bath for Duo and, in silent understanding the American pilot entered the bathing room and closed the screen mutely behind him.
Heero heard the sound of Duo's waterlogged clothes hit the floor and then the shifting of water at the other pilot entered the tub. The shoji screens were thin and every breath Duo took rang out loud and clear through the house. Heero began heating up a pan and started to boil some water to make rice.
After a while Duo finished bathing and with those familiar, uneven footsteps began to pad around the bathroom. He fumbled with a few things, spat, then shoved the screen aside and entered the kitchen loudly.
How does he manage to sneak and stealth so well with such heavy feet? Heero wondered thoughtfully as he stirred the sizzling contents in the pan. The smell of chicken and vegetables hovered over the stove in a savory cloud.
"I am starved!" Duo exclaimed. Heero heard Duo stomp over to the table and slump lazily down onto a cushion. "Gimme some grub."
Heero lifted the pan from the stove and turned to approach the table with it when he stopped and stared in surprise at the American pilot. Duo was sitting expectantly at the low table in nothing but loose, dark blue shorts. His chest was bare. Heero noted the slight flexion of finely formed pectoral muscles as Duo leaned back and forth excitedly awaiting his meal. The American had a towel wrapped around his hair. It was folded neatly like a turban on top of his head, giving him the appearance hunger-stricken swami.
"Well! What are you lookin' at! Feed me!" Duo wailed. He began tapping the side of his rice bowl with a pair of chopsticks. Heero quickly responded by pouring some food into the bowl. The American began munching greedily at its contents.
Heero took his own seat and began to eat slowly and methodically, watching with curiosity as Duo downed his meal. He supposed that his surprise was merely from not having ever seen Duo without his clothes on. As they ate he stole glances at the American pilot, who was so entranced by his meal that he didn't seem to notice. Duo was slightly tanned. He was bulkier than Heero was in the arms and chest. The Japanese pilot was surprised that Duo was so stocky, but then he remembered that the other pilot's preference to wear black had a lot to do with the deception. Black tended to make everything look thinner. In Duo's case it made him look more child-like and underdeveloped, but now fully disrobed Heero could plainly see that Duo had aged just as the rest of them had. He had fine lines across his stomach, which now was folded inward as he leaned greedily over his food. Heero noted a series of faint white scars were scattered across Duo's ribcage and left shoulder.
He began to wonder about the sources of those scars when Duo looked up from his bowl and grinned.
"Not bad! You're quite the chef!" Duo complimented. Then one of those muscled arms reached across the table to hungrily scoop more rice into his bowl.
"Arigato…" Heero muttered absently. His eyes followed the angular lines of Duo's arms to his shoulders, then up his neck to his face. He studied the American's face while he ate, finally able to see them in their entirety now that his hair was pulled up in the turban. Duo's face was angular as well, but unlike Wufei and Trowa's it had a slight curve at the cheek. Heero thought it was perhaps like Quatre's. No… not quite. Despite Duo's appealing and almost beautiful features he wasn't feminine in the least. His entire being dripped with masculinity. The way he sat, how he stuffed his face, and the peculiar expressions that crossed the American's face were completely male in origin.
Heero had spent a significant amount of time with Duo during the war. However, he was always focused on his mission, or working on his Gundam, or anything else that could be a formidable distraction. He wondered how he could have overlooked these things about Duo in the past.
Finally satisfied Duo sat upright and chugged down a cup of now lukewarm green tea. After doing so his nose crinkled and he stuck out his tongue.
"Blech. Tea…" The American made a noise and then looked up expectantly at Heero. "Got any desert?"
Heero chuckled before he could stop himself.
"No." He finally replied, then began to gather the now empty plates. He could hear a little groan of disappointment from Duo's side of the table. "But as payment for your meal you can wash dishes."
Duo scoffed and hopped up to his feet with feline grace, and then in a split second slid up beside Heero at the sink. "Fine-fine. Sheesh." Then he began splashing around in the water. "Where is the sponge…"
Ten minutes later the dishes were clean and put away, but not before drenching the front of Heero's shirt and covering the floor in front of the sink with bubbles.
How did he manage to pilot a Gundam? The boy can't even wash a dish… Heero wondered. He fished a mop from the corner of the kitchen and mopped up the puddle.
"So what are we doing tomorrow?" Duo asked curiously. Heero finished with the mop, wrung it out, and then replaced it in the corner before looking over at Duo. The American boy had found the hidden cabinet in the wall where Heero stored his guns and was toying with a .40 caliber handgun. The Japanese boy strode up quickly and snatched the gun from Duo's hand before putting it back in the hidden spot. He gave Duo a warning glare.
"I am going to go help Yuki with some yard work." Heero said coldly. He closed the cabinet door and then placed himself between the American pilot and the concealed weapons. "YOU are going to town to get yourself a bed."
Duo's eyebrows gathered in the center of his forehead. "Huh? Why can't I come?"
Heero sighed and crossed his arms neatly across his chest. "Because…" He couldn't think of a good reason.
"Because you are planning on getting some… ya know??" Duo's eyes glimmered playfully and a taunting smile formed across his lips. Heero scowled.
"No. And even if I did, it would be none of your business." Heero hissed angrily.
Duo continued to smile at him. "You know… you guys aren't going to get anywhere if you insist on being so polite and cold to each other. I mean, have you guys even kissed?" The American's smile began to irritate Heero. He clenched his fist and resisted the urge to knock it off the other pilot's face.
"I don't want to talk about this anymore." Heero said flatly, and then turned to walk away. Duo scampered after him and blocked the main doorway with his body to keep Heero from escaping.
"Wait a second!" Duo pleaded. He stretched his muscled arms out at both sides to hold the doorframe. "You haven't kissed her yet?" Duo's voice began to heighten with excitement. "Heero… have you ever kissed anyone?"
Heero felt his face grow hot in embarrassment. He growled under his breath and tried to push Duo out of the way. The American pilot wouldn't budge.
"Not even Relena?" Duo asked. Heero's scowl deepened and he stood in silence, his face as red as a beet.
"Ooh. I see…" Duo muttered under his breath. He let his arms drop to his sides and then took a small step towards Heero. "Well… why don't you try to kiss this Yuki girl. It is obvious she likes you…"
Heero looked up at Duo's face, confusion flashing across his eyes. He was surprised that he was even entertaining any advice from the American boy. However, it seemed that Duo was much more confident in this sort of thing.
"She isn't that kind of woman…" Heero said, his eyes locking with Duo's. He thought he saw Duo falter under his gaze, but if he had it was only for a moment because the American pilot straightened confidently and closed the distance between them. He stood in front of Heero and gave him a brilliant, reassuring smile.
"Who says she has to be ANY kind of woman? All women like kissing, Heero. It is like taking all of your feelings for someone and making it into an action. You should kiss her. It will show her you care. Much more than going over to labor in the hot sun all afternoon for her…" Duo's towel turban was sitting lop-sided on his head. The other pilot absently raised a hand to yank it down. His long, chestnut brown hair fell wildly over his bare shoulders and long, messy bangs began to shadow the other pilot's eyes from view.
"I am just not ready to. That's all." Heero confided. Duo was scratching the side of his damp hear absently, as if in deep thought. They stood there for a moment wordlessly before the American pilot nodded his head a little, as if affirming something to himself, and then stepped up even closer to Heero. His face was uncomfortably close.
"All you gotta do…" Duo mumbled softly as he leaned in close, "is come up to her and put your hand here…" Then the American pilot's hand lifted and settled on the nape of Heero's neck. The Japanese pilot's shoulders stiffened and he was frozen in place. His dark blue eyes widened as he stared at Duo's nose. "Then you lean in all close-like and-"
Heero wasn't sure what to do.
Duo closed the distance between their faces slowly.
Then their lips met.