DISCLAIMERS: ___________________________________________________________________ (fill in your favorite…I mean.. let's face it, I'll never be able to own ANY of the GW guys ;_;…)
PRE-FIC RAMBLINGS: erm… none. No, scratch that, there's the …
WARNING: yaoi (aka shonen-ai, aka maleXmale relationships) so get outta here if you're not allowed or not into this type of thing…..
Still here? Then don't flame me for it -_-… ::warning glare::
Okay! ^^ warning #2: slight OOC-ness…. I think… You tell me…^^;;;
Annoying little sensible voices will be expressed like "so"
Thoughts will be expressed like so.
Okay.. now you can go onto the fic!
Near Death Experience
The explosion sounded, marking the end of the mission. All for the better, Heero thought, unconsciously clutching his mid-section. Damn bug, Heero cursed inwardly.
The intestinal virus had been bugging Heero for almost three weeks now. What first started as stomachaches and slight nauseas had quickly developed into a constant pain in the mid-section. The medicines he took had worked for a few days, stomachaches and nauseas seizing for almost a whole week...almost. A week later, the pain came back with a vengeance, and to make the situation worst, no medicine worked. As if on cue, the pain started up again, this time, causing him to curl into protective ball.
Damn....
"Hey Heero! Aren't cha gonna come outta the cockpit?" came Duo's cheerful voice through the comlink. Heero pressed a button and Duo's face appeared on the screen. "Be out in a minute..." Heero's voice maintained its usual monotone, surprising even himself.
"Fine, don't take too long, though," Duo answered and disconnected the comlink.
Breathe, just... breath... Heero ordered himself, waiting a few seconds for the pain to subside before opening and stepping out of his cockpit.... "Ermm...'stepping' isn't quite the word to describe this," the more sensible voice inside Heero's head voiced as Heero looked at the distance between the cockpit to the ground he needs to
j
.
u
.
m
.
p
.
"Ask them for help?" the little sensible voice tried.
No.
"And why not?"
It's a sign of weakness.
"Like arguing with yourself isn't a sign of weakness."
Hn.
"Oh, is that the best retort you can come up with?"
Omae o korosu.
"Ooooo.... scary...."
"HEY HEERO! AREN'T YOU COMING DOWN? OR ARE YOU AFRAID OF THAT LITTLE DISTANCE?" Duo shouted up to him.
"Ask them for help." That annoying voice again.
No.
"Don't be a goddamned...."
Heero jumped...
"BAKA!!!!!"
A sharp intake of breath. DAMMIT! Heero thought as his hissed from the pain that cause an explosion of red spots in his vision.
"Itai, itai, itai, itai, ITAI!!"
Omae o korosu!
****************
"HEY HEERO! WE THINK YOU'RE COOL AND ALL OKAY? NO NEED TO STAY IN THAT LANDING POSITION SO LONG!" I laughed. Just love teasing the perfect soldier.
Aren't I worried that he could be hurt? Nah. This is Heero I-can-set-my-own-broken-leg Yuy we're talking about here. 'Sides, the mission was simple, none of us got hit more that three or four times. Not even the Gundams are damaged...except for a few dents and maybe a new paint job will be needed,... nothing serious.
Won't he kill me for the teasing? Heehee,....of course not. My koibito wouldn't hurt me. Yes, I said 'koibito'...lover. We've been together for almost a year now, hard to imagine, eh? The stoic Japanese pilot of Wing and the bubbly, talkative pilot of Deathscythe ....
[A year ago...]
"La la la LAAAAAAAA!!!"
"Shhhhh... Duo, quiet down!" Quatre tried to hush.
"Heeheehee... NO!" Another shout from the shinigami.
"I got him Quatre, why don't you go get the door?" The pilot of Heavyarms offered.
"Alright..." As Quatre was sliding the cardkey into the slot, the door flew open, and a very disgruntled Wufei greeted them.
"Any louder?!?" clearly, Wufei was annoyed.
A sheepish smile from Quatre, "Hehe... gomen ne."
Just then, Trowa dragged Duo to the front door. "Hi Wufei, not asleep yet?" and pushed his way past the Chinese teen with the still 'singing' Duo.
"I WAS..."
"Oh." was all Trowa can manage out while dumping Duo onto the couch. Quatre quickly got a cold towel and placed it on Duo's forehead.
"He's drunk." Wufei stated.
"Yes he is..."
"NO I'M NOT!"
"SHHHHHHHH...!!! Erm... where's Heero?"
"In bed."
"And he didn't get up from the all he noise Duo's making?"
"He's out cold..."
"This is Heero we're talking about...."
"I drugged his food."
Quatre and Trowa promptly sweatdropped.
"Why?" Quatre ventured.
"He got shot in the shoulder, and was practically going into shock from pain when I was digging it out."
"Let me guess, he refused to take pain killers." Trowa stated.
"Exactly, so I drugged his food with some painkillers. Knocked him out like a light."
Quatre and Trowa sweatdropped again.
"What are you guys going to do with him?" Wufei asked, eyeing the pair suspiciously.
"Leave him here?" Quatre tried.
"No, I don' t want to walk into the den early in the morning to find a hungover Shinigami."
All three remembered the last time that happened and shuddered inwardly.
"He can room with you for tonight." Trowa said, but quickly muttered a "nevermind" when he saw Wufei's glare of death.
"Since you guys got him drunk, he should stay in your room for tonight." Wufei suggested matter-of-factly.
"NO!" Trowa and Quatre shouted simultaneously.
"Can't you keep you hands off of each other for just one night?"
Quatre blushed and Trowa looked away to hide the fact that he blushed. Wufei sighed. "I guess he gets dumped back into his room with Heero."
"But Heero's hurt!" Quatre protested.
"Does that mean you'll take him in then?"
"No! Duo goes back to his own room." Trowa said quickly.
"Don't worry, Heero's too out of it to be bothered by his singing." Wufei said as Quatre and Trowa dumped the semi-conscious Duo onto his own bed. (You noticed how Wufei just doesn't want to have anything to do with me? ::pouts::)
About an hour later, Duo still wasn't asleep.... "Hey HEERO! ya wanna ~hiccup~ sing with ~hiccup~ ME?"
No response.
"Hey answer me, man! I know you can hear me... it's not like you're Wufei who can go into suspended animation..."
Still no response.
"Hey man! Wake UP!" Duo stumbled to Heero's bedside. He's out cold, Duo mused internally. Somewhere in the back of his mind, Duo remembered Wufei saying something about drugging Heero. Heh,.. I guess it's true then. Then somewhere along the way, the his train of thoughts were redirected to a ... (~ahem!~) different...direction as he stared at Heero. Maybe... he wouldn't mind if I... and he bent his head down, brushing his lips lightly over Heero's. That slight contact took Duo's breath away. If Heero had been awake, he'd probably be overwhelmed by the amount of love and admiration shining through the pair of violet orbs. Maybe he wouldn't remember,...but I would. And with that thought, Duo kissed Heero again, shutting off the outside world except for how good Heero's lips felt on his.
Raining kisses on the Japanese pilot, Duo felt tears wetting his eyelashes. Knowing that this is the first, last, and only time this will happen, Duo kissed Heero over and over again, moving from his lips to his jaw, and down to his neck and shoulders and back to the mouth again. Enough to last a lifetime. Suddenly, the figure beneath him groaned, and Duo froze. Oh no, oh no, oh God, don't wake up now! Duo almost cried. This moment had ended way too soon....
"Duo?" Heero rasped out, his throat dry. "What are you doing?"
What am I doing? How am I going to answer this?! "Erm...admiring ya?" He'll just call me a baka and order me to go back to bed now. He's too disoriented to know what happened anyway... he won't remember enough to hate me. Duo hoped...Duo desperately wished.
"Ad-admiring me?" Heero's voice was subdued, soft, and...surprised? Pleasantly surprised?
"Heero?"
"Duo... why?"
"Oh god.. Heero please don't hate me." Duo was near the verge of tears again.
"Hate you? Why? For ad-admir-admiring...me?"
"No... for loving you." To hell with it! And Duo covered Heero's mouth with his own, blocking off any response Heero was trying to make.
Heero gasped at the contact and Duo took the chance to slip his tongue inside Heero's mouth. Slowly, tentatively, Duo felt Heero respond with soft jabs and light strokes. Groaning in frustration, Duo pulled back, panting from the effects of the kiss. "Never thought ~pant~ you'd be such a tease."
Heero only stared in response, breathing heavy.
"Don't you have anything to say? Omae o korosu, or something like that?" Duo asked, wishing for some sort of response. "You hate me, don't you?"
"..."
"Goddammit Heero! Just give me some sort of response!"
"You...love me?" Heero sounded incredulous.
"Yes, I love you! What part of the sentence do you not understand? Do you need me to say it to you in your native language? 'Cuz I will! Aishiteru, Heero! There, do you understand now?"
"Why?"
"Why? WHY!? Because you're a goddamned asshole! Because you constantly call me a baka!" Suddenly, Duo's voice softens to just above a whisper, "Because you're so beautiful that it hurts, more than you can imagine, to think that you hate me.... Because you're a fucking ice statue...and I love you." A sigh. "Forget it,... just forget all of this." I lose...everything. He closed his eyes, the tears that had been swirling in his eyes now fell down his cheeks.
Gentle hands came up to his face, a thumb brushed away his tears. "Duo, open your eyes." Heero ordered softly. Duo responded by squeezing his eyes shut even harder. "Duo, please," Heero sighed. "Look Duo, if you're done talking now... maybe you should put that mouth of yours to better use."
Duo eyes flew open at that comment, just in time to see a faint pink tint leaving the Japanese's skin. "Heero?"
"Kiss me." came the simple command.
[ End of flash back.]
Yup. That was how we got together. Come to think of it, I should thank Quatre and Trowa for getting me drunk enough to do things without thinking, and Wufei for drugging Heero enough so that he had his guard down. (Speaking of which, I seriously think that Heero thanked Wufei...by not killing him for drugging the food.) Hmm... wonder what's taking Hee-chan so long.
"HEEEROOO!! Hurry up already!" I shouted again, when he finally got up.
**********
That longhaired baka...Heero thought as he got up, but never made it more than two steps before he fell to his knees in pain.
"HEERO!" Duo's voice was full of panic. The other pilots seemed to also notice that tone of voice, and started running towards him as well.
Baka...
"Heero! What's wrong?" Duo asked frantically, kneeling beside his love.
"NO! Don't...touch me...." Heero hissed, as Duo was about to hold his shoulders.
Slightly taken aback, Duo stammered, "Wha...what?"
"Itai..." Heero finally admitted in a painful whisper and curled himself into a tighter ball.
"My god! Heero! What's wrong?" came Quatre's frantic voice, almost comparable to Duo's. Trowa immediately got down beside Heero, trying to check for injuries visually. He obviously noted that Heero does not want to be touched right now. Wufei stood behind Duo, not wanting to stifle the Wing pilot with another person.
"Heero, were you hurt in battle?" Trowa asked.
"Iya." No.
"Are you ---" Trowa was cut off here by Heero's "I think I need to go see a doctor...right now."
"About time you admitted you need help!" the little sensible voice of Heero's was pissed.
Omae o korosu.
"Yeah, well... you can say that again."
**********
Heero got to see the doctor immediately. Maybe it was because the doctor's office happened to be empty when the five pilots barged in, or maybe it was because by the time they got to the doctor's office, Heero needed to be, and was, carried inside. Heero didn't really give a damn which was the reason, he got to see the doctor, and that was all he cared about right now....
"Heero! What's wrong!?" The doctor asked. "Here," he continued, this time talking to Duo, who was cradling Heero in his arms, "lay him down on the examination table." Duo did as ordered. Once on the table, Heero immediately turned to his side and curled back to that fetal position. For the rest of the pilot, seeing Heero I-can-set-my-own-broken-leg Yuy expressing so much pain was unnerving.
After looking through Heero's charts, the doctor started to fire off a rapid series of questions, all of which Heero answered by concentrating through the haze of pain.
Yes, he'd felt feverish. No, hadn't suffered from diarrhea or constipation. Appetite? Zero. Yes, he was constantly nauseous. Thrown up yet? Hah! This is Heero Yuy...no. Did the pain start from the belly button? Well, for one, you do NOT use the term 'belly button' and Heero Yuy in the same sentence, it's too *cute*; but yes, the pain does start from there, and then moves to the center around the lower right-hand side.
After the questions, came the physical examination. Luckily, Duo took the doctors advice and held Heero's hand as he was poked and prodded by the doctor...(well.. 'poked and prodded' was how Heero described the doctor's gentle probing)
ITAI!!!!, Heero screamed mentally, hissing from the pain. For a split second there, he almost thought the doctor was thrusting a dagger into him. Blood dripped from where he had bitten through his lip to dam any possible sounds of pain he might make.
Duo frowned, Heero was obviously in pain, if his expression didn't betray it, his hand's spasms sure did. "What the hell's wrong?!?!" Duo thought frantically, as the color drained from Heero's face.
By the time the doctor's done with the poking and probing, Heero's vision had pretty much bled away, as was his hearing. But Duo's frantic, near hysterics, questioning drew him out of his fog of pain.
"What's wrong with him, doctor? Will he be okay? What can ---?" By that time, the doctor held up his hand in an attempt to halt Duo's questioning, of course the keyword is "attempt." What ended up shutting Duo up was Heero's infamous "Omae o korosu" said in a pain-filled gasp.
"Appendicitis. Heero," the doctor said, ignoring Duo, "the intestinal virus you had most likely infected your appendix, and I'm quite sure that your appendix has ruptured and---"
"What do you mean intestinal virus you had?!" Duo interrupted, turning to Heero. "Are you saying that you were sick for all this time, but never told me?!"
"Duo, now really isn't the time..." Quatre said.
"AS I was SAYING," the doctor said again, annoyed by the fact that he's constantly being interrupted. "I'm sure your appendix has ruptured, and peritonitis has developed. We need to get you to the hospital ASAP. I'll order an abdominal x-ray and a CBC before the operation, just to make sure, but I'm pretty confident they'll only confirm my diagnosis."
"Operate?!" Duo and Quatre exclaimed simultaneously.
"Yes, operate!" the doctor repeated in annoyance, preparing some charts to take to the hospital. "Peritonitis is fatal if left untreated," continued the doctor. "We need to removed the ruptured appendix and cleanse his abdominal cavity of the infection immediately, or Heero will die."
DIE. The word seemed to smack the four other pilots over the head. Die? Heero doesn't die. Heero and 'die' doesn't go together unless it's Heero CAUSING death for other people.
The four Gundam pilots, yes... even Wufei, are taken aback by this slightly...mind you, only SLIGHTLY, shocking piece of information. Another painful moan from Heero was what drew them out of their shock, Duo was by his side again in a flash, trying to pick him up.
"D-Duo.. what're you doing?" asked Quatre, startled.
"Getting ready to pick him up, and carry him to some sortta vehicle that'll take him to the hospital! Does it look like he can walk?!"
******************
Duo yawned and stretched in bed, rubbing his eyes groggily. "Ne, koi, what do you want for bre---" he stopped short when he saw that no one was beside him. What the hell...?
"Ohayo," came the slightly nasally voice from the doorway, "Were you looking for me?"
"Heero! What are you doing up??" Duo demanded, trying to dash out of bed but only succeeded in tangling himself in the sheets and falling out of bed.
"I brought you breakfast." Heero said, slightly amused by the sight in front of him...okay... MORE than amused.
"You promised me! You just got outta surgery and..."
"Duo, I was out of surgery 16 days ago...." stating a fact.
"Still, you're in no condition to..."
"I can carry a tray of food," an exasperated sigh. "Heck, I can even go out to fight right now!"
"Heero," Duo said, warningly, "you need your rest." And finally untangling himself, the long-haired shinigami, was immediately in front of Heero, removing the tray of food from the stoic pilot and placing them on the nearby desk. That was when he noticed Heero's laptop was on as well. "Why is that thing on?" Duo said in a dangerous tone.
A shrug.
"Don't give me that crap! It sure as hell doesn't turn on by itself!" Dangerous tone has evolved into raised voice.
"Duo, it's only a little...paper work...."
"You promised me to rest---"
"And I did. So I'm fine now... Perfectly capable of doing what I always did before the surgery."
"No you're not!" Duo shouted.
"And why not?" Heero retorted.
"'Cuz...'cuz you almost died..." Duo said softly, head down and fists clenched.
Heero sighed. Yes... that was the problem wasn't it: he almost died and Duo felt guilty about it. Wait. Scratch that. Duo FEELS guilty about it.
[16 days ago...]
Heero was sitting up in the bed of the one of the private rooms of the hospital, (Quatre had insisted that Heero get private room for two reasons: 1) so that Heero can rest safer, and 2) so that the other pilots can come visit anytime they want...so that Duo can visit anytime he wants to,) trying to digest Duo's tirade on the situation...erm... make that decipher, because at that drugged state of mind, Duo seems to be speaking to him in Swahili.
"Heero! Did you hear a WORD I SAID?!" Duo shouted in frustration. (Hmmm... did I mention that part of Quatre's reasoning for a private room is more for Duo's sake? u.u.... )
Heero only looked at Duo with glassy eyes. Obviously, Heero had finally decided that he had enough and needed rest, so Duo's words went right over his head....
"It's not like he's going to understand anything you're saying, Duo." Wufei said calmly...matter-of-factly. Heero was nodding off....he needed his sleep, and the drugs he was pumped with made sure that he was going to get some...no matter the circumstance. Heero was out like a light (now... one must wonder: did the hospital ask Wufei what type of drugs would work on Heero? ).
[End of flashback]
After Heero got out the hospital, instead of being comforted he ended up being the comforter (which isn't his area of specialty at all). To put it simply, there were three lines that followed Heero wherever he went: 1) "Why didn't I notice?" 2) "Why didn't you say anything?" and 3) "You could've DIED!" To explain things a bit more: number 1 is the dominant thought in Quatre's head, number 2 is what Trowa and Wufei conveys to Heero through their eyes, and number 3 is what Duo's actions constantly screamed out at Heero every time he moved.
"Duo, I'm really capable of doing ---"
"NOTHING!" Duo interrupted with a shout.
This is getting out of hand. Heero frowned. "Duo, you're overreacting..."
"No I'm not!"
"You're in denial..." Heero said, turning to leave.
"Where do you think you're going?" Duo demanded.
"Out."
"Heero..." Duo...begged?
Heero sighed in defeat. "You can come along if you want..." And with that, Heero turned around and left the room.
**************
I went to the movies, yes..the MOVIES for crying out loud. As much as I'm upset at Duo right now, I still couldn't bring myself to do something that'll bore him or upset him...erm...nevermind the latter. My going out is already upsetting him....
"Did you like the movie?" I asked...I sure didn't.
"Yeah, sure."
I sighed. Guess the movie didn't help....
"Heero."
Maybe it did help after all. "What is it, Duo?"
"Can we go home now?"
Maybe not. "Not until you recognize that I am not incompetent." I replied calmly.
"Heero, I do know your capabilities, but right now you need your rest!"
He's getting louder... "Duo, I'm not tired and so I don't need to rest right now!" My voice rose in volume to match his. That wasn't a complete lie, though I am slightly tired, I really didn't need to rest.
"Hey!" an obnoxious voice shouted out. "Shaddup and hand over yer money!"
The hell??? Who the fuck is sticking their sorry ass into our argument? I'll never take my frustrations out on Duo, that jerk is a different matter. I opened my mouth to speak, but Duo beat me to it...
"ExCUSE ME?!?! Who the FUCK are YOU? And who the HELL gave you the right to butt into our business?"
Go Duo!
"I'm the robber here so yer gonna listen to me! HAND OVER THE MONEY!"
"Don't yell at him."
"OH WHAT ARE YOU? HIS FAG?"
"Omae o korosu."
"Heh...I hope that wasn't meant to scare me," sarcasm dripped from that obnoxious voice as it's owner continued with a wave of his hand, "or my friends," bringing out five more guys from the dark.
Duo looked at the gang that had us surrounded with an unimpressed expression. "Well, I hope these goons of yours aren't meant to scare us either."
These idiots had absolutely no idea who they were messing with, nor how deep in shit they were.
"You heard the boss," one of the bigger guys said in a gruff voice, "hand over all your dough before we hafta hurt you."
"Yeah, well, you heard my friend." Duo rolled his eyes, "You better run along before I have to make his words a reality."
Wait a minute...DUO have to make MY words reality? I can do that perfectly well myself.
"I can do that myself..." I muttered out loud, not realizing I had, and earned myself a glare from Duo.
"Hey! We're supposed to be the ones talking here! Not you!" the one with the obnoxious voice shouted. "Maybe my boys need to show you who's boss." Obnoxious voice motioned for his goons to charge.... And the idiots...did. They all must have some sort of death wish....
And so the fight begins: Mr. Obnoxious-voice, Mr. Big-and-Gruff, and Mr. Drug-Addict rushed at Duo, while Skin-n'-Bones, Wanna-be-Kung-Fu-Fighter, and I'm-So-Cheap-I-Can't-Buy-Pants-My-Size fought me.
They charged, I fought back; they charged, I fended for myself.
"Hey, you stupid goons, if you wanna pick a fight, come and fight me!" I heard Duo shout through the commotion.
I don't believe it. "Duo I can fight my own battles." And to prove my words, I fought with more fervor: bashing two skulls together, and knocking a third out with bare fists. By the time I'm done with my assailants, I moved over to help Duo with his.
"Heero, you shouldn't be doing this, you're straining you're body's limit..."
I rolled my eyes, grabbing Obnoxious-Voice by the collar, shook him up a little bit, and then demanded from him, "Do I look like an incompetent person, incapable of doing work or fighting?"
The idiot frantically shook his head, I didn't think so either. "You see that Duo?" And with that said and done, I shoved that obnoxious idiot towards a wall, the force of the impact knocking him unconscious. I turn round to see Duo finish off Big-and-Gruff, while Drug-Addict scurried away like a street rat.
"Ready to go home now, Hee-chan?"
"Aa..."
The ride back was pleasant, all the tension's gone, it had better be, after those idiots conveniently provided themselves as tools for us to vent our frustrations. I think Duo's finally seeing that I'm getting better.
"Tired?"
"A little," I admitted, yawning.
"Why don't you take a nap... I'll wake you when we get home?"
************
"Why don't you take a nap... I'll wake you when we get home?" I asked him, eye on the road.
There was no response.
Glancing at the figure beside me, I found him to be fast asleep. I smiled to myself: he maybe able to do everything he used to do, but he still needs to rest more than usual, and this proves my point.
Soon, I was pulling up into the driveway, turning off the engine to the pickup truck we rode in. I turned to the passenger seat to wake Heero, but decided against it. The normally stoic pilot, forced to grow up overnight, was only able to show the boy inside him when he slept... that is if his sleep wasn't haunted by nightmares, and his calm, boyish features right now showed that it is not the latter. I'm not about to disturb any last strands of his "childhood."
I got out of the truck, walking around it to Heero's side, opened the door, and ever-so-carefully lifted him out of his seat.
"Mmm..."
I froze, hoping I didn't wake him. Luckily, I didn't, he only snuggled closer to my body, murmuring something incoherent about cold. I added 'tank top' to my mental checklist of 'Things to be Discussed with Heero Yuy" while I walked to the front door. Hey, if I can talk him out of spandex, I can talk him out of tank tops,... or at least wearing something OVER the tank top.
The door flew open to my surprise, and I found a frantic Quatre holding the door wide open (with Trowa beside him of course) for me, worry practically oozing out of his eyes for the bundle in my arms. I flashed him a reassuring smile, mouthing the word 'asleep.' Quatre relaxed visibly, and leaned back into Trowa, who reflexively wrapped his arms around the Arabian's waist. I gave the couple one last smile before heading upstairs to Heero's room, our room.
Once inside, I laid Heero on the bed, and turned to close the door. Then I returned to my koi's side, and started to remove his clothing, first his tank top, then his jeans. No, I'm not lusting after him right now....okay.. maybe a little, but my main motive was to make him comfortable. HONEST! Heh, well, I can't help but stare at him... I mean, he IS beautiful. Okay... enough of that... talking about how beautiful Heero is isn't exactly helpful in calming my hormones...
I examined his healing surgery wound a little. Just as I thought: it was red, and slightly swollen, the result of to much strenuous activity. No matter what he says, he's staying in bed until I say it's okay for him to move! I pulled the comforter up to his chin and gave him a quick kiss on his cheek. Well, whatever I have to say will have to wait till he wakes up.
As I was about to leave the room, I remembered the gift I got him: an incredibly plushy, brown-spotted cow! I was going to give it to him as a get well soon thing, but he got out of the hospital before I could give it to him (another thing to add to the checklist). I pulled the cow out of the closet returned to his bedside. After much debating, I decided to put it in his arms, so that he's hugging it while he slept. Heehee.... I can't wait to see his expression when he wakes up!
~Fin~
Author's notes: The plushy cow is added in honor of CowCow, the plush cow that I got over the weekend! ::cheering in the background::