He set the cans down on the table and took his seat, inching it a little closer to Duo's as he did so.
"The soup smells good."
"It's my favorite. Split pea and ham." Duo opened his pop, then carefully settled his arm under the table. Any pressure on his fingers hurt like a bitch. Two days already and he was quite ready for the arm to be all better or at least not hurt every time he touched it. Patience had never been a Shinigami virtue. "So how long do you think this project will take? I was thinking like a couple of days, but that was with me doing all the cabling."
When he set his pop on the table, he scooted his chair just a little closer to Heero's. He tried to look at his food, but found himself looking at Heero out of the side of his eyes. As casually as he could he inched his chair just a little closer, his knee to the side as far as he could get it and not be too obvious. He wanted his knee against Heero's. Even if it took another couple minutes to get it there.
"Two days." He said simply, taking a moment to reflect on his soup. Everything seemed strange and new now. With the war over and his missions relegated to the files of history, he was left with the task of discovering himself. Who was Heero Yuy? Even the name was borrowed.
The soup sat still, steam curling lazily out of the liquid. It seemed strangely content to Heero- who was never one much for anthropomorphizing. He wanted to be like that soup, it was warm and secured by the bowl. Then again, it would soon be in his stomach- and being eaten was not part of his plans for the future.
He turned his head a little to look at Duo. He seemed closer than before, just a little bit. That was fine with Heero.
Two days. For a moment Duo fumbled to make it take longer than that, but Heero wouldn't leave when the project was over. You didn't leave people you love. And he had things to tell Heero, a way bigger project to work on. The floor must have been a little slanted, cuz quite without notice, Duo found his knee touching Heero's. It sent little electric shocks through him. It was different from any attraction he'd ever had.
In the war, he'd been too busy killing and staying alive, and then he'd had some times where he was too depressed to give a shit about anything. And now, things were different and at first he'd been scared when Heero didn't just want to take him, but now... now it was taking his breath away. Heero wasn't rejecting him, did love him.. and if he felt half the jolt of need that Duo did when their knees touched.. well, the world was a whole new place.
Heero shivered a little without knowing why. When Duo's knee came to rest lightly against his own he felt something connect, like a circuit being completed. His eyes sought out Duo's face.
If he never woke up again to anything other than those eyes- he could die a happy man. Tentative in forming in his mind, but not in action- the desire to put his hand on Duo's leg became manifest. His fingers gently squeezed the boy's knee. He thought he should say something, but he didn't know what to say. He was glad Duo was close, but didn't Duo know that already? Everything was still so shaky, it was probably best to say it anyway.
"We should always sit like this."
Duo almost bounced up out of his chair and threw his arms around Heero, but it was important not to look like a baka. Heero was touching his knee. It was Heero! Duo took a shuddering breath and was glad his arm lay in his lap, cuz it covered the hard line under his zipper. He shifted a bit and bumped his fingers against his leg. It wasn't a hard bump, but it was enough to drain a little color out of his face. "Damn fingers," he muttered, then quickly moved his good hand over Heero's. "I like sitting like this. A lot."
Then the door opened in the living room. Duo squeezed Heero's hand, afraid he'd pull away now. "Hilde's back."
Heero turned his hand over and squeezed Duo's fingers back, taking pleasure in that simple gesture. It wasn't a very original thing to do, but neither was it an activity Heero had had many opportunities to engage in- and while the opportunity presented its self, he cherished it. The feeling of Duo's hand in his own brought such a sense of comfort that it was almost startling. It felt very right holding him like that.
The news of Hilde's arrival made Heero a little concerned- not nervous- when was Heero ever nervous? But he was concerned. Did she have designs of her own on Duo? She had always seemed friendly and laid back during the brief times he had been near her, but love did strange things to people...very strange things.
"I'll redo your finger-bindings when we're done eating." He said quietly, waiting for Hilde to appear.
Duo wrinkled up his nose. "It wasn't comfortable with them all wrapped, Heero. And now they're all swollen," Duo said sheepishly, rubbing his knee against Heero's. He closed his eyes for a moment and reveled in having Heero hold his hand. How long had it been since someone had just held his hand? Someone that wasn't intimidated by him? Duo opened his eyes and sought out Heero's, his own violet eyes dancing with happiness.
"Duo?" Hilde called out from the living room. She sounded a little worried and Duo knew why. He'd told her NOT to call Heero. Which seemed quite foolish to him now, but he'd been so scared that Heero wouldn't want him, or would think him stupid for getting himself hurt. Things had just changed sooo much so fast.
"Hai. I'm in the kitchen. Is there anything you wanna tell me about, Hilde?"
"Uh," she started, looking around. It wasn't possible to tell if Heero had gotten here or not. Her stomach flipped. There was nothing worse to deal with than a depressed and injured Duo Maxwell. This might not have been such a great idea. What if Heero 'Perfect' Yuy had come, broke her best friend's heart and left? And gods only knew that Duo was likely to have said something prideful and pretty much shoved Yuy out the door. Men. She sighed. "Maybe," she said finally, but didn't show in the kitchen yet.
Duo, however, had lost his patience. "Hilde, Heero's here and everything is really wonderful. I told him I love him and," Duo's smile made him feel like he was floating, "And he loves me back."
"Sugoi!!" Now Hilde erupted into the kitchen. "So? It's true! I knew you loved him! I knew! You're never that stubborn without a reason!"
Heero was taken aback by Hilde's outburst. She wasn't upset? Wasn't even put out in the slightest? It was incredible that she should be happy for them! He had to adjust to this new development- it was...it felt so good to have someone like them- approve of him and Duo. Not that it mattered of course- he would love Duo in the face of all resistance, but to have this kind of sanction from Duo's friend...it felt good.
"Hilde. Thank you for taking care of Duo."
His fingers caressed Duo's hand. He watched the pilot from under his dark bangs. "You need to let me reset your bandages if the fingers are going to heal right."
"I am not," Duo almost said stubborn, but he didn't lie and he knew he was stubborn. "And yes! I love him! So there!" Blushing he ignored her for a moment and set his arm on the table. The cast covered it all the way down and around his thumb and it itched dreadfully. Probably more so just cuz he was thinking about.
"I told you not to undo your fingers, didn't I," Hilde said, hands on her hips, then to Heero, "Heero, I'm so glad you could come."
"Yeah, well," Duo mumbled. "They're not broken, just swollen, and bruised." The thought of Heero re-bandaging his fingers both scared him, cuz it wouldn't feel good, and attracted him. Heero would be caring for him, helping, touching. "Heero, you really think they should be held in place and all? I mean, maybe they need to breath? They are kinda scraped a little and all..." Duo's argument faded off as he got fascinated with Heero's blue eyes, with the person they represented.
"I'll set them after lunch."
And that was that as far as Heero was concerned. Duo needed someone to take him in hand- and if he would allow it- than Heero would do just that. He had a brief flash of admiration for Hilde for being able to keep up with Duo these past months- it wouldn't have been an easy job, but if she loved him even half as much as Heero- even only as a friend- it would have been a joy. Heero realized how much he regretted not have coming sooner- he should have done this a long time ago...
He put out his free hand and brushed aside Duo's bangs, those violet eyes bore into his own- warmed his soul.
"I'll take care of you from now on."
"The soup smells good."
"It's my favorite. Split pea and ham." Duo opened his pop, then carefully settled his arm under the table. Any pressure on his fingers hurt like a bitch. Two days already and he was quite ready for the arm to be all better or at least not hurt every time he touched it. Patience had never been a Shinigami virtue. "So how long do you think this project will take? I was thinking like a couple of days, but that was with me doing all the cabling."
When he set his pop on the table, he scooted his chair just a little closer to Heero's. He tried to look at his food, but found himself looking at Heero out of the side of his eyes. As casually as he could he inched his chair just a little closer, his knee to the side as far as he could get it and not be too obvious. He wanted his knee against Heero's. Even if it took another couple minutes to get it there.
"Two days." He said simply, taking a moment to reflect on his soup. Everything seemed strange and new now. With the war over and his missions relegated to the files of history, he was left with the task of discovering himself. Who was Heero Yuy? Even the name was borrowed.
The soup sat still, steam curling lazily out of the liquid. It seemed strangely content to Heero- who was never one much for anthropomorphizing. He wanted to be like that soup, it was warm and secured by the bowl. Then again, it would soon be in his stomach- and being eaten was not part of his plans for the future.
He turned his head a little to look at Duo. He seemed closer than before, just a little bit. That was fine with Heero.
Two days. For a moment Duo fumbled to make it take longer than that, but Heero wouldn't leave when the project was over. You didn't leave people you love. And he had things to tell Heero, a way bigger project to work on. The floor must have been a little slanted, cuz quite without notice, Duo found his knee touching Heero's. It sent little electric shocks through him. It was different from any attraction he'd ever had.
In the war, he'd been too busy killing and staying alive, and then he'd had some times where he was too depressed to give a shit about anything. And now, things were different and at first he'd been scared when Heero didn't just want to take him, but now... now it was taking his breath away. Heero wasn't rejecting him, did love him.. and if he felt half the jolt of need that Duo did when their knees touched.. well, the world was a whole new place.
Heero shivered a little without knowing why. When Duo's knee came to rest lightly against his own he felt something connect, like a circuit being completed. His eyes sought out Duo's face.
If he never woke up again to anything other than those eyes- he could die a happy man. Tentative in forming in his mind, but not in action- the desire to put his hand on Duo's leg became manifest. His fingers gently squeezed the boy's knee. He thought he should say something, but he didn't know what to say. He was glad Duo was close, but didn't Duo know that already? Everything was still so shaky, it was probably best to say it anyway.
"We should always sit like this."
Duo almost bounced up out of his chair and threw his arms around Heero, but it was important not to look like a baka. Heero was touching his knee. It was Heero! Duo took a shuddering breath and was glad his arm lay in his lap, cuz it covered the hard line under his zipper. He shifted a bit and bumped his fingers against his leg. It wasn't a hard bump, but it was enough to drain a little color out of his face. "Damn fingers," he muttered, then quickly moved his good hand over Heero's. "I like sitting like this. A lot."
Then the door opened in the living room. Duo squeezed Heero's hand, afraid he'd pull away now. "Hilde's back."
Heero turned his hand over and squeezed Duo's fingers back, taking pleasure in that simple gesture. It wasn't a very original thing to do, but neither was it an activity Heero had had many opportunities to engage in- and while the opportunity presented its self, he cherished it. The feeling of Duo's hand in his own brought such a sense of comfort that it was almost startling. It felt very right holding him like that.
The news of Hilde's arrival made Heero a little concerned- not nervous- when was Heero ever nervous? But he was concerned. Did she have designs of her own on Duo? She had always seemed friendly and laid back during the brief times he had been near her, but love did strange things to people...very strange things.
"I'll redo your finger-bindings when we're done eating." He said quietly, waiting for Hilde to appear.
Duo wrinkled up his nose. "It wasn't comfortable with them all wrapped, Heero. And now they're all swollen," Duo said sheepishly, rubbing his knee against Heero's. He closed his eyes for a moment and reveled in having Heero hold his hand. How long had it been since someone had just held his hand? Someone that wasn't intimidated by him? Duo opened his eyes and sought out Heero's, his own violet eyes dancing with happiness.
"Duo?" Hilde called out from the living room. She sounded a little worried and Duo knew why. He'd told her NOT to call Heero. Which seemed quite foolish to him now, but he'd been so scared that Heero wouldn't want him, or would think him stupid for getting himself hurt. Things had just changed sooo much so fast.
"Hai. I'm in the kitchen. Is there anything you wanna tell me about, Hilde?"
"Uh," she started, looking around. It wasn't possible to tell if Heero had gotten here or not. Her stomach flipped. There was nothing worse to deal with than a depressed and injured Duo Maxwell. This might not have been such a great idea. What if Heero 'Perfect' Yuy had come, broke her best friend's heart and left? And gods only knew that Duo was likely to have said something prideful and pretty much shoved Yuy out the door. Men. She sighed. "Maybe," she said finally, but didn't show in the kitchen yet.
Duo, however, had lost his patience. "Hilde, Heero's here and everything is really wonderful. I told him I love him and," Duo's smile made him feel like he was floating, "And he loves me back."
"Sugoi!!" Now Hilde erupted into the kitchen. "So? It's true! I knew you loved him! I knew! You're never that stubborn without a reason!"
Heero was taken aback by Hilde's outburst. She wasn't upset? Wasn't even put out in the slightest? It was incredible that she should be happy for them! He had to adjust to this new development- it was...it felt so good to have someone like them- approve of him and Duo. Not that it mattered of course- he would love Duo in the face of all resistance, but to have this kind of sanction from Duo's friend...it felt good.
"Hilde. Thank you for taking care of Duo."
His fingers caressed Duo's hand. He watched the pilot from under his dark bangs. "You need to let me reset your bandages if the fingers are going to heal right."
"I am not," Duo almost said stubborn, but he didn't lie and he knew he was stubborn. "And yes! I love him! So there!" Blushing he ignored her for a moment and set his arm on the table. The cast covered it all the way down and around his thumb and it itched dreadfully. Probably more so just cuz he was thinking about.
"I told you not to undo your fingers, didn't I," Hilde said, hands on her hips, then to Heero, "Heero, I'm so glad you could come."
"Yeah, well," Duo mumbled. "They're not broken, just swollen, and bruised." The thought of Heero re-bandaging his fingers both scared him, cuz it wouldn't feel good, and attracted him. Heero would be caring for him, helping, touching. "Heero, you really think they should be held in place and all? I mean, maybe they need to breath? They are kinda scraped a little and all..." Duo's argument faded off as he got fascinated with Heero's blue eyes, with the person they represented.
"I'll set them after lunch."
And that was that as far as Heero was concerned. Duo needed someone to take him in hand- and if he would allow it- than Heero would do just that. He had a brief flash of admiration for Hilde for being able to keep up with Duo these past months- it wouldn't have been an easy job, but if she loved him even half as much as Heero- even only as a friend- it would have been a joy. Heero realized how much he regretted not have coming sooner- he should have done this a long time ago...
He put out his free hand and brushed aside Duo's bangs, those violet eyes bore into his own- warmed his soul.
"I'll take care of you from now on."