-- Oi jouluyo -

Author: Gabrielle MoonBeam

Fandom: Gundam Wing (Nopes, not mine, Sotsu, Bandai and Sunrise own it)

Pairings: 1+2+1 (Heero/Duo/Heero)

Rating: PG

Archive: Fanfiction.net But if you want it, send me the URL and it's yours :)

Warnings: Too fluffy for you angst-people! Can rot your teeth! Shonen ai, so homophobes shoo!

Notes: I got the idea to do something Christmas-y when I was waiting for my turn to perform in a school Christmas party. The seventh graders' choir was singing this pretty carol (in Finnish) and suddenly I thought of Heero and Duo together listening to Finnish X-mas carols in a church. This is what came out of that idea.

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Duo stared out the window, his hands pressed against the cold glass. It was snowing outside, soft snowflakes brushing against Duo's outstretched palms. It was completely quiet in the candle-lit room, save for the silent clicking of Heero's fingers against his computer's keyboard.

Duo had a small, contented smile grazing his full lips, a warm blanket wrapped around his shoulders. The headphones he had on emitted a soft music to his ears, a very different kind from the dark, bass-filled music he usually listened to.

It was nearly Christmas, and Duo couldn't be happier. Well, of course if the war wasn't still raging in the outside world. The two Gundam pilots were residing in the little shack during this lull in the missions, still alert for any incoming data on Heero's laptop.

Duo's smile got a slightly sad overtone in it, the curves of his lips turning down minutely. He gazed at the other boy's reflection in the window, admired the strong back and the flexing of muscles to the rhythm of the typing.

The braided American reached out a hand to shut the music off, then rose from the windowsill, taking off his headphones. He smiled again at the turned back of Heero, enjoying the quiet of the room. Duo tapped the cobalt- eyed pilot on the shoulder.

"Yo, Heero. I'm going into town. There's this concert at the small church I wanna go listen to. I won't be long", Duo told the impassive boy, who turned his head to gaze at the smiling pilot. A small frown touched the line of Heero's forehead.

"Are you going alone?" The Japanese boy asked, clicking 'Save' on his laptop and shutting it down. Duo's smile turned gentle, a soft emotion lighting up his violet-blue eyes for a small moment, then it was gone.

"Hai, I am. Are you offering to come with me, ne Heero?" The energetic boy asked, turning away from his partner and reaching for his jacket resting on his bed. Duo heard Heero's cat-like footsteps slide over the floor to his own bed.

Duo picked up his jacket, throwing it on, and turned to Heero, who was already clothed in his own jean jacket. The Japanese boy nodded curtly, before heading with fast strides to the door and opening it.

Duo followed him and together they disappeared into the dark evening.

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Duo trudged through the piled-up snow, the tip of his nose bright red from the cold weather. He felt truly happy for a moment, with Heero walking next to him, even if the Japanese boy didn't like him the way Duo liked Heero.

It had taken Duo a long time to get Heero to even consider him a friend, and if it was all Heero was able to offer, it was all Duo would take. And Duo could love Heero, even if the boy would never love him.

The small church Duo had told Heero about appeared from the darkness, it's lights glowing with a soft golden hue. Duo took a deep breath, enjoying the warm feeling inside of him, and pulled open the door.

The church was one of those very old buildings, with chilly stone walls, wooden benches and beautiful religious art on the walls. Many saints Duo recognised greeted them with their constant poses. Candles, hundreds of them, emitted a soft, beautiful light, warming the place with their spirit.

Duo touched Heero's hand briefly, communicating without words where to go. They took seats at an otherwise empty bench made of dark wood. There weren't that many people in the church, noting that it was almost Christmas, and a snow storm was brewing.

Heero glanced around him, silently appreciating the simple beauty of the sanctuary. He was glad that he had come with Duo to experience this. And speaking of the American boy... Heero turned his head, tilting it a little, to admire the way the light of the candles played over the curves of Duo's face, how it made Duo's eyes glow with happiness.

Heero allowed himself to smile, just a little.

Duo sighed, enjoying immensely the calm of the church. It was ethereal, the faint wisps of incense coiling in the air and tickling his nose. But what got to Duo the most, was the peaceful expression on Heero's face. It seemed that the calm of the church was turning the Japanese boy's thoughts off the war, off the lives of the many people they'd killed.

The choir appeared in the front of the church, their white robes glimmering in the light, the hair of the teenage singers, boys and girls, appearing like halos around their heads. They carried black folders.

Heero watched in awe, as the leader of the choir stepped in front of the glowing angels, bowing to the audience. Heero clapped his hands together softly, just like Duo did.

The music began, a faint sound of a piano colouring the air around them. The choir started.

It was a very beautiful song, a soft melody, unknown words. Heero didn't understand a word of the song the choir was singing, but it didn't matter. The sense of peace, of forgiveness was clear to even Heero's battle- hardened mind. He turned to the American boy next to him, listening to the words.

"Duo", Heero whispered, "What language is that?" Duo turned his eyes to Heero. He smiled at the Japanese boy.

"It's an ancient language, that hasn't been used in centuries for communicating. The only remembrance of it are the songs that have survived" Duo told Heero, speaking softly, appearing as glowing and as beautiful in Heero's eyes as the choir-members.

"What's the name of the language? Can you speak it, Duo?" Heero continued whispering, the music still flowing in the air like a soothing balm. Duo's expression shifted slightly.

"The language is Finnish. It was used in a small country called Finland a long, long time ago. The government of the country decided that Finland should start to use English as their native. So Finnish was forgotten slowly. Very few people speak it nowadays. And hai, I speak it to some extent" Duo whispered, a sad glint in his eyes as he turned to look at the choir again.

Heero nodded, listening to the incomprehensible words of the beautiful language filled with vowels.

Duo leaned closer to Heero, his lips brushing against Heero's ear minutely.

"You don't actually need to understand the words to feel the message of the songs", the American whispered, his hot breath sweeping Heero's neck and causing small shivers to run up and down the back of the stoic Japanese boy.

They both shifted closer to each other in the golden glow of the church, clasping hands as the songs dreamed on, telling of miracles, hope, forgiveness.

The songs never died, never lost their magic in Heero's mind, and he didn't need to understand the words, didn't need Duo to tell him of his feelings.

Because Heero already knew, understood and later asked Duo to say 'Ai Shiteru' in Finnish.

-- Siis kansat, te kaikki, kiittakaa, te herraa! Oi jouluyo, sa juhla ihmisten. --

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The last line in English: Oh, all nations thank the lord! Oh Christmas night, the one true glory of mankind.

Okay, so it isn't exactly like that, but that's pretty close.

Merry Christmas!