Duo's Day
The air is warm from the cooking goods in the oven. These cookies are special cookies. They are crispy on the edges and soft in the middle. The maker does everything with care. For these cookies only come to the making once a year. And their sweet taste will linger on the tips of tongues for the rest of the year, until it comes again for the cookies to be made. The maker awoke just as the sun was getting up to prepare. Yes, these cookies took time . . . "Only because a certain 'someone' won't stop trying to steal them! Hilde stop!" Whack! Duo hits Hilde's hand with a wooden spoon. He keeps it by his side just for this reason.
"Ow. That hurt!" Hilde says in mock pain as she backs away from Duo.
"Yeah, well one would think you would have figured that out by now. What is it? The twelfth time babe?" He says without looking at her. He knows she is sticking her tongue at him, seeing how he can see her reflection in the window.
"Tenth. How much longer? I want to do something!!!" She pleas with the cook. Duo, smiling at her, passes by with the tray of uncooked cookies. He places them in the oven with one hand and takes out another with his other hand.
"Set the table?" He asks as he places the fresh cookies down. He sways back and forth as he starts to remove them, blocking Hilde from trying to get one. She sighs in frustration.
"I already did that!" Duo opens his mouth to speak. "Already did that too! And I already got the tins for the cookies and I already cleaned the bathroom, twice! And I already did all the things you sent me out to do! But none of them let me do something in the kitchen! Duo!! I need to cook something!!! My female intentions command me so! It's Thanksgiving for crying out loud!!"
"Oh?" He says smugly. "So what happened to 'A woman's place is NOT in the kitchen!'. You always said a man should once take over the kitchen. Well? I am now." With that said Duo returns to his task and hums to himself. Hilde raises her fist to punch his shoulder and give him a piece of her mind when something came to light. How can you get Duo Maxwell to do as you say? Obey your very command? Hilde smiles as she grabs the unsuspecting bowl of cookie dough. Sex. That's the language Duo can understand. Laughing to herself she dips a finger in the dough, twirls her finger around and around until she gets a large clump with extra chocolate chips.
"Oh Duo?" Duo, who is hunched over his cookies, stands up strait at her voice. He knows that tone. His mind tells him not to look, not to give in! His mind knows that if he sees her he will be at her command! "Duo bear?" Dammit! Duo, turns to look at his Hilde with a bowl of cookie dough resting on her hip, her one finger toward him, offering the sweet dough and a sly smile on her face. He leans forward to take the cookie dough. Hilde leans forward to show of some cleavage. Just as he was about to take a bite she pulls it away from him. She stands up and holds the dough close to her open mouth. Duo's mouth opens as he still stays as he is. Hilde laughs and takes the whole clump in. She moves her finger slowly out and bends to his level.
"Why don't you let me play chef for awhile? I have a special today?" Duo nods as Hilde kisses his lips softly.
"Uh, sure. What's the special?" Hilde pulls away quickly. She hadn't thought that far.
"Me?" She says in an unsure voice. "And this yummy yummy cookie dough!" Duo rushes out of the room and heads for their bedroom. Hilde smiles to herself but her victory doesn't last long. "Damn. Now I'm tempted!" Hilde puts the bowl down but does not let go. Devil Hilde tells her to forget dinner and go to Duo! Who cares if the others don't get fed! Think of all the fun and . . . NO! The other Devil Hilde pops up and tells her to get cooking! If she wants to cook something she needs to take what time she has. Remember last time? Last Thanksgiving Duo did the whole thing. And even if it was good, she still was mad. This meal is her's! But Duo! Think of all the praise you will get about the turkey!! "The turkey!" Hilde rips away from the bowl and heads toward the freezer. She pulls out the frozen and raw turkey. Gross. Hilde looks at the turkey oddly. A thick blanket of ice seems to have encased the poor turkey. She hits it over the counter. Nothing. Hmm. Hilde smiles as she wraps the turkey in paper towels and puts it on the deck. She smiles and the empty kitchen and cracks her knuckles. "Let the cooking begin!!!"
Duo fluffs the pillows again. He lays down and waits . . .waits.
"Dammit! Where is she?" He looks at the clock. "Well, the moment is gone. Darn, got undressed for nothing!" Duo pouts as he realizes he isn't getting Hilde covered in cookie dough. "Cookies!?" He jumps off the bed and runs for the kitchen. On his way he heard the door bell and came to a stop. As on que, Hilde calls to him to get the door and on reflex he does . . .
"Happy Very Naked Duo?!" Quatre blushes and Trowa covers his eyes, shaking his head in disbelief. "Uh, if I knew it was going to be this kind of party I wouldn't have bothered with the gift."
"Or coming." Mummers Trowa. Duo looks at them calmly and shuts the door as such, leaving the two guests to stare at a door. Hilde humms to herself as she makes the stuffing, she hasn't seen Duo's state. Duo walks by not saying anything. He just wants to disappear right now.
"Who was at the door?" No response. "Duo?" Hilde turns around sees no one. "Odd? Oh well." She walks over to the door and opens it. "Hey guys! Did Duo open the door for you?"
"Uh, no. He didn't." Says Quatre quickly. "Here. I got you something."
"Oh! Thank you! You didn't have to! Come on in. Let me take your jackets."
"Well, after last Thanksgiving and all that wonderful food! I thought it only right." Hilde grips the jackets in a death grip.
"Oh? Well we will still have wonderful food this year!" Says with a hard tone. "I'm cooking!" She says proudly.
"Really? Not Duo?" Quatre sounded sad. "I loved his stuffing he made."
"Well!" She shoves the jackets in the closet and puts the gift down. "My stuffing is just as good!" The two look at her as if she where mad and in fact she is. "Thanksgiving is my meal!" She storms into the kitchen.
"Do you need any . . ."
"No! No one enters the kitchen until I say so." She disappears back in the kitchen but only to return. "And I say no go!"
"So. Now what?"
"Guess we sit and pray to God she doesn't kill us."
As Hilde cooks, a sudden guilt fills her. Duo really wanted to cook this meal. She recalls how happy he was to make it last time. Duo doesn't cook. He can't. Last time he cooked themselves dinner they had to go to the hospital for food poisoning. Hilde stops what she is doing. How come he could cook so well for Thanksgiving and not for any other meal? Guilt washes over her again at the memory of how happy Duo was in the kitchen. She stops, washes her hands and decides to talk to Duo.
Hilde finds Duo resting on their bed. She smiles softly at him. He waves at her and sits up.
"Hey. Did you know Trowa and Quatre are here?" Duo laughs and shakes his head.
"Yeah. I know." Hilde sits down on the foot of the bed and the two stare at each other. "Duo? Can I ask you something?"
"Sure. Ask away babe."
"How can you cook so well for Thanksgiving and yet your cooking once sent us to the hospital?" Duo takes her arm and pulls her too him. Once all nice and cozy Duo answers.
"Because this meal makes it real." He starts off.
"What real?"
"You know Thanksgiving is a time for family?"
"Oh. Yes."
"How long have we been living together?"
"Six years. Why?"
"When did we become a couple?"
"You mean the time I lost my job because I wouldn't sleep with my boss and you beat the crap out of him? And in the pouring rain you told me you loved me and well . . .*hee hee* you know the rest?"
"We made hot 'you-won't-be-walking-tomorrow' kinda love?"
"Duo!" She playfully hits him.
"And you made me the happiest guy in the world?"
"Duo . . ." She says softly. He holds her tighter.
"When that all happened I felt like I wasn't just gaining a partner but a life as well. And when you told me you wanted to have Thanksgiving you made me so happy. It felt like we were really a family then. And making the dinner, well it made it all the more real for me. I'm not just making a meal. I making a great meal for my family. My family. Hilde? Do you know how good that feels?"
"Oh Duo! I'm so sorry. I never knew you felt that way! Please. Please Duo. Take the kitchen. I'll let you do it. All."
"Babe. Let's do it. You and me?"
"Ok." Hilde tries to get up but Duo pins her down on the bed. "Duo?"
"What? I meant let's do it! Doing it like they doing it on the Discovery Channel!" She punches him and laughs.
"Duo! We have guests!" He kisses her neck and tickles her sides, stopping any protest. But a sudden scream stops them.
"AAAHHH!!!!!" They both bolt up and run to the kitchen. In there they see Trowa at the entrance of the kitchen and Quatre inside looking pail. "Sorry! Sorry. I know you said I shouldn't be in here but . . But . . ." He point's to the glass door leading to the deck.
"What?" Says Duo a little annoyed that he is having his 'Hilde time' taken away from him.
"AAAHHH!!" Hilde screams as she rushes to the door. "Why! Why? Dammit all! Dammit all to hell!!!" She hits the glass door and slides down, shaking with anger.
"What? Monkeys took over the colony? Those bastards!" Duo looks out the glass and sees nothing. Just Hero, Relena, Sally and Wufei walking up. Duo sees Wufei holding a box. "Geez. I know the guy can't cook but is this drama really necessary?" Hilde glares up at him. "OW!!!" She grabs his braid and pulls him to her level.
"Not that! That!" She points to the raw turkey. The raw, half eaten turkey and the happy kittens and mom cat eating it. "Aww. But damn. There goes our turkey."
"Stupid cats!!! I'll kill you! Fear for you have awaked the God of Death!!!" Duo jumps up and pushes the door open. All the cats scatter and Duo runs all over the back yard cursing them. Hilde starts to cry and mummers the words 'gone all gone'. Trowa looks at Quatre and Quatre at him. The door bell rings and Trowa heads to open the door. But not before handing Quatre his cell phone.
An hour and thirty minutes later . . .
"Dig in gang! The turkey is curtesy of Quatre. And the rest is made by Duo and I! Hope you all like." Everyone smiles and dig in. Everyone is enjoying the time and the food, which turned out great. Everyone was happy except Duo . . .
"Duo? Everything ok? Says Sally. Duo sits across from Hilde and glares at her.
"Yeah, everything is all fine and dandy. Except for the fact that we have some unexpected guests!"
"Oh stop it Duo. It's Thanksgiving. Have a heart."
"That line only works at Christmas babe." Hilde just smiles as she takes a piece of turkey and gives it to the kitten on her lap. The other cats are eating in a bowl in the kitchen but Hilde liked the little black cat so much she let it stay on her lap.
"Well, it's going to work now." She says smugly. Duo gives up, they are cute, the aroma of food is to powerful. He takes one look around the table and smiles. Yes, it's great to have a family. And it was a great Thanksgiving. But if the kittens take his 'Hilde time' away from him. . . Well, lets just hope they don't. Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Birthday Oyuki.
Psycho Kitty