Feliz Navidad, Joyeaux Noel, Meri Kurisumasu and welcome back. I hope all of you are having a wonderful holiday, and I'm glad I could be part of it.
Last Time: The five pilots are back together again, though not all of them are as Duo remembers them. And Dorothy Catalonia torched a coffee table with a plum pudding that was a little too flambéed.
The next few days sped by in a whirlwind rush, until at long last, it was Christmas Eve. It was really nice, we all just kind of hung out and lazed about during the day, catching up on old news and new business. Last night we had a massive game of Scrabble, and somehow, by the logics of Scrabble, the quiet ones always won.
"Quatre, 'Maguanac' is not a Scrabble word. Take that off of there!"
"You let Duo put 'Shinigami' on it," he protested.
I glared at him from over the notepad we were keeping score on. "Only because Trowa's put 'Nanashi' down on there for the past six games."
Trowa shrugged at all of us innocently. "No one said I couldn't."
Dorothy dropped her letters in exasperation. "So that's how you've won, you little bastard."
"In all fairness, Heero put down several terms not in the Scrabble dictionary either," Hilde observed.
"Actually, they were in there, Hilde. While we were all boxed up on Fortress Barge, I kept myself entertained by reading the Scrabble dictionary," he replied nonchalantly.
Wufei glared at him. "Hold it, Yuy. Maxwell and I almost died in that damn fortress and rather than you coming up with an escape plan for us, you were reading the Scrabble dictionary?!"
He nodded. "I figured Trowa would be the one to come up with a plan. After all, he was the double agent. I was just staying out of his way so he could accomplish his mission."
No Scrabble games are scheduled for tonight, thankfully. It had ended that we gave Sally the win, and Wufei chased Heero throughout the mansion, the both of them hollering at each other in Asian tongues. What languages, I couldn't tell you. It all sounded like hissing to me. Actually, tonight we're going into town, they're doing a Christmas luminary stroll. I'm kind of excited, it seems like a really fitting way to spend the night before Christmas, when not all of us are even Christian. Now that I think about it, I'll have to look for a church while I'm in town. I'd kind of like to attend a Christmas mass, just for old times, for Father Maxwell and Sister Helen.
I think the greatest luxury of living with Quatre, at least for a little while, is plenty of hot running water. At home with Hilde, there's barely any hot water for us to shower with, and with my hair, I need all the hot water I can get. But with Quatre, I've been able to take nice long, hot showers without worrying about using up all the hot water. And Quatre stocks his bathrooms with good quality shampoo, something I don't see much of either. Hilde and I usually buy bargain brand baby shampoo for the two of us to share.
Anyway, by the time I finished my shower and got dressed for the occasion, it was just about time for us to be heading out the door, and I still hadn't braided my hair. There wasn't going to be time for me to get it up and get out the door, so I bolted with it unbound and still slightly wet.
"Duo." Heero came around the corner, in the same state of slight disarray I was. "I'll braid your hair, if you want."
"Really? Oh man, thanks a ton, Heero."
"Heero! Duo! We're leaving!" Hilde called from downstairs. "Are you coming or what?"
"You guys go on ahead, we'll meet you there. Don't have too much fun without us!" I replied before running into my room for a brush and an elastic. Heero followed, instructing me to sit on the edge of the bed while he brushed out my now tangling hair.
"I didn't think you knew how to do this. Braiding hair doesn't seem to be high on the military training and espionage priority list," I observed. Heero shrugged.
"I've watched you do it enough times. Sorry if it turns out badly."
"Hey, it'd be worse if I did it in a rush. I just don't like going out of the house without my hair braided, you know? It's like my biggest peeve."
He nodded, carefully and meticulously plaiting. "You look good with it down, though. Should try leaving it down more often."
I started blushing, but damned if Heero noticed. Besides, I couldn't tell if he was hitting on me or just complimenting. Either way, it was a very un-Heero-like thing to do. I'm starting to like this Heero better than the Heero that's shot me, punched me, and tried to blow me up on several occasions.
"Done."
Out of my own vanity, I stole a quick glance in the mirror, but that quick glance wasn't enough. Heero had done a better job than I ever could, perhaps even better than my dear Sister Helen, who'd been the first to ever braid my hair. Such a small, insignificant seeming task endeared the falsely advertised Perfect Soldier to my heart more than he'd already been.
"You ready to go, Duo?" he asked, offering my jacket and gloves.
"Heero, you're something else. I'm going to have to piss you off and get you to whip out the old shotgun and give me a nice, evil-sounding 'omae o korosu' before we leave here, because then I'll know the pod people haven't replaced you with a polite facsimile."
He chuckled quietly. "No pod people, and I don't carry a gun anymore. I've given it all up, Duo. I'm done being J's Perfect Soldier. I actually like being a civilian, odd as it sounds. But I promise I'll threaten your life, if it makes you feel any better."
I sighed. "You know, I doubt it will. I haven't even gone by the title God of Death since probably 196. Just haven't had it in me. Sure, if I feel like being anonymously charitable, I'll sign things as Shinigami, but I just don't have the heart to call myself God of Death in peacetime."
By the time we got down to the center of town, Quatre and the others were long gone, and there wasn't much hope of finding them. The streets were crowded with families, happy families enjoying the Christmas lights and the rows upon rows of neat little white paper bags, candles flickering within them to give them their cheery glow.
"Looks like it's you and me, Heero," I observed, glancing around, just in case.
Heero nodded, wiping his glasses off with the end of his gray fleece scarf. "That's all right. Maybe now Trowa and Quatre can stop being stupid."
"The day that happens is the day Wufei stops trying to pick fights with Sally."
The two of us walked down the chill streets, snow still blustering in swirling crystalline flurries. The luminaries glowed merrily, casting the streets with a golden sheen. Homes along the main drag were open, as were many of the churches and the historical society buildings. The ones we ventured into were crowded, touting hot cider and store-bought cookies that were long gone, despite the luminary event starting only ten minutes ago. I think we passed Dorothy and Hilde at one point, but it was too dark to tell. We spoke little, but I didn't mind, the silence was just as welcome. Somewhere towards the line for the carriage rides, a school choir was lending their voices.
"Green and silver, red and gold, and the story born of old. Peace and love and hope abide, this Christmastide. Holly, ivy, mistletoe, and the gently falling snow. Peace and love and hope abide, this Christmastide…"
Heero nodded in their direction. "Kind of makes you feel important, knowing that we gave our lives and our souls so that kids like them could sing about peace, huh?"
"Yeah. I'm glad I suggested this party thing to Quatre."
My blue-eyed companion glanced around, looking as though he were searching for something.
"Heero? Something up?"
"I think there's a Catholic church about three blocks from here, if you're interested in having mass," he stated, pointing to where the sound of glad Christmas bells was emanating, pealing out across the L4 colony.
"Could we? I mean, you don't have to go if you don't want to, I know you're not Catholic or anything but…it'd really mean a lot to me if I at least went and…"
He nodded. "You're running at the mouth, and I'd like to go with you, if that's all right."
I consented and we took off towards the sound of the bells. In our brisk jog we flew past Quatre and Trowa, shouting greetings of the season in passing. To my faint disappointment, the church we found was Episcopal, not Catholic.
"It's not Catholic," Heero pointed out, kind of glumly. "Sorry about that, Duo."
I tried to hide my frown, replacing it with my mask of annoying jubilance. "It's okay, Heero! Let's go in anyways! After all, Episcopal is the lazy man's Catholic!"
We arrived just in time for the seven o'clock service, the processional hymn still on introduction. Heero and I slipped into an empty pew in the back, fumbling with the hymnals and joining in feebly with the hymn. I happened to notice, halfway through the second verse of "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear," that one of the chalice bearers was smiling at me. She wasn't much older than I am, I don't think.
"Hey, check out the chalice chick," I whispered to Heero. "Kind of cute."
He coughed, trying to conceal his laughter. "I thought you weren't into women."
"I play both ends of the…where did you hear that from? I haven't told anyone except for Hilde and…Quatre. That little…"
Heero shook his head. "Not Quatre. I've just known."
The chalice bearing girl rose and read the First Lesson in a clear, commanding voice that probably wouldn't have needed a microphone if it hadn't already been there. I have to admit, she was kind of cute.
"So you've known I'm bi…or at least the gay half of that, and yet you never told me? Thanks a lot, Heero," I sulked, not paying any attention whatsoever to the choir overhead.
"I'm telling you now, Duo. Because, believe or not, I am."
I swear, if we hadn't not gotten to communion yet, I would've choked on the wafer and died. I'm not dreaming this, am I? I did hear Heero Yuy just tell me he was bisexual, right? I'm starting to think Christmas miracles aren't just the figments of network executives and Jehovah's Witnesses after all.
"Heero?"
He glanced up at me, glasses slipping again, an expression of coy naiveté on his face.
"The reason Trowa's never said anything to Quatre…other than being afraid of rejection, is because he didn't get the chance to. He told me the other night that he planned on proposing to Quatre last Christmas, but when he had the accident, not only did he lose the ring…he'd had it on a chain around his neck that snapped when he hit the ground…but he was in a coma until Groundhog Day. He's been saving up to buy a new ring for this Christmas. I don't have as good an excuse as that. I've just been afraid."
"Duo, what are you saying?"
"I like you, Heero. I know we can't have one of those warm and fuzzy relationships like Quatre and Trowa…I think it'd be kind of odd for us to have one of those warm and fuzzy relationships…but I want us to have something. I'll understand if you've already got somebody who's making you happy, but…"
He leaned over and whispered, "If I didn't think it was sacrilegious, I'd make out with you here and now. You make me happy, Duo. And it took me four years to realize that. That's why I went away, so I could figure that out."
He had tears in his eyes when he told me this. He can deny it all he wants, but I could see them sparkling in the candlelight. I'll admit, he sounded a little corny when he told me that I made him happy, but Heero isn't the most emotional of us, so I'll give him props for effort. Besides, he just made me the happiest former Gundam Pilot in the colonies…aside from Quatre, who got proposed to in the middle of the street about three blocks away, but that's a totally different story.
I've changed my mind about Christmas completely. After today, I don't think I can ever hate such a holiday again. The peace and joy that the five of us have so long been denied can finally enter our hearts. And I'm not just saying that because I got what I wanted for Christmas either. Petty disagreements were put aside, loved ones grew closer together, and old rivals became friends. Somehow, we were all whacked with the Christmas spirit.
Dorothy got up extra early and made coffee and those instant cinnamon rolls from a can, which we tore into before attacking the massive pile of gifts under the equally massive tree. The rest of our company arrived early, early enough to see us all still in our pajamas, throwing wrapping paper and ribbon about like a bunch of kids. Mariemaia didn't seem to mind, she joined in with as much gusto as the rest of us, while Lady Une sat back with a cup of coffee.
"Lady Une, Ma'am, there are quite a few gifts under the tree with your name on them," Sally remarked, depositing the stack of presents where a coffee table should have been. Lady Une looked a little misty in the eyes, but maintained her cool composure.
Sylvia Noventa arrived at the same time as Catherine Bloom, Abdul, Auda and Rashid, Iria Winner shortly after that.
"Master Quatre! Look at you! We leave you on your own for a couple of years and you grow up on us!" Auda cried, embracing his young master tightly.
"It's good to see all of you," Quatre replied, smiling radiantly. "Especially with the news I have." That was when he showed everyone his engagement ring and recounted the whole story, with Trowa sitting quietly on the floor, nursing his third cup of coffee.
Sylvia sat down beside Heero. "Hello, Heero. I'm glad to see that you're looking well."
"Sylvia. How is the rest of your family?"
She smiled. "We're well, thank you. Grandmother got very excited when I told her I was having Christmas dinner with you."
Catherine and Iria immediately started berating their brothers on not hooking up sooner, causing all of us to snicker behind hands at the injustice of being verbally flogged.
Relena arrived just as we were sitting down to dinner, and everyone got up to greet her as she was ushered in by one of Quatre's staff members. Although I can't say I care for her much, Relena has become a fairly lovely young woman. She's lost a lot of that girly look, and has matured considerably since we last spoke with her face-to-face.
"Hello everyone, Merry Christmas. I trust all of you are in good health," she said genially. "I spoke with my brother and sister-in-law this morning, they're now the proud parents of a beautiful little boy, Walker. They send their greetings."
Sally was crying, fat tears rolling down her cheeks. "A little boy, oh he must be gorgeous."
"Woman," Wufei muttered. "You're always getting emotional over such things."
"Um, if it's all right with you, Quatre, I'd like to say a few words before we eat," Relena requested. Quatre glanced over at me, as I am the one in charge of this whole shindig, believe it or not, and I nodded.
"Of course, Miss Relena."
She cleared her throat politely. "I just wanted to say that it is so wonderful to see everyone together again, and happy. Your kind hearts were the greatest casualties of the war, and it pained me to see all of you in such abysmal spirits this time every year. You are the greatest treasures the Earth Sphere has to offer, and I owe my life and my gratitude to each and every one of you. Bless the meal we are about to partake in, and the company we keep. You are truly wonderful people, and I am forever grateful that I can call you my friends. God bless all of you."
Dry eyes were the casualty of that little speech, and even the most stoic among us was admittedly wiping at their eyes.
Dinner was amazing, and why wouldn't it be, when Hilde and Dorothy were in charge of it? I don't think I've seen a ham bigger than the one they served, bigger than even yours truly, and I admit, I'm a pretty big ham. Abdul grinned over his glasses at Quatre after we'd all been served.
"Jeez, I hope you and Master Trowa like ham sandwiches, Master Quatre, because I think you'll be eating plenty of those for the next few weeks."
Quatre groaned. "Oh Allah, I don't even want to think about it. Take some home with you, please!"
After we were stuffed to explosion, Trowa opened up his gallery and showed off some of his works-in-progress. I was surprised at how few of our numbers knew that he painted, I thought it was common knowledge. Relena was highly impressed by the set of eight-by-tens commissioned by the Historical Society.
"So these will all be portraits of key figures in the war…like Treize and the five of you?" she asked.
"And you as well, Relena," he replied humbly. "They're calling it the 'Gundam Wing' set, after Heero's suit. Personally I think it should be the 'Gundam Heavyarms' set, but I'm just the painter."
"Well, I think they're just beautiful."
And while the representatives from the Maguanac Corps brewed the 'perfect pot of coffee' (they wouldn't let anyone else near the coffee pot, told us we did not understand the meaning of the word 'coffee'), Hilde ran up to her room giggling like a maniac. She returned with a huge wad of plastic mistletoe, which she waved over her head, chasing everyone around the room.
"Come on, pucker up, Wufei! You know you love me!"
"Onna! You're drunk on eggnog! Argh, get the hell away from me! Kisama!"
In the end, most of the male populous kissed Hilde, and a few of the girls as well, just to be nice. The party lasted until late into the evening, though most of the guests had departed around suppertime. Soon it was just the five of us, Hilde, Sally, Catherine, Abdul, and Iria. Abdul and Cathy went to bed fairly early, though sleeping was probably low on their priority list. Hilde was unconscious on the couch, her mistletoe fallen on the floor.
Iria picked it up and tossed it at Trowa, who looked half-dead himself. Quatre picked it up and dangled it over him, kissing his fiancé gently.
"Merry Christmas, Trowa. Thank you for being the best present ever."
He nodded wearily and snuggled Quatre close, whipping the plastic plant in my general direction. "There you go, Duo. Go nuts."
Heero was scrutinizing the massive heap of presents that was apparently his. I dangled over my head in appropriate mistletoe position, and whistled.
"Sacrilege away, Mister Yuy."
Heero got up slowly and cautiously, a funny smirk on his face. He ambled his way over and wrapped an arm about my waist. And then he pulled out one of those stupid foam dart guns and put the barrel to my forehead.
"Omae o korosu, Duo."
And he kissed me. I'd go into details, but I don't remember anything beyond having Heero Yuy's tongue in my mouth. Or was it mine in his? Oh well, whatever. I got what I wanted out of this Christmas: my dear, lovely Heero and joy for my fellow pilots. I suppose we never really lost that Christmas spirit those years after the war. We must have merely misplaced it among the rubble of ruined childhoods and mobile suits. Maybe I did call myself the God of Death and destroyed lives with a smile in the past, maybe I was a scruffy vagabond with no hope and no future. But this Christmas has taught me that no matter how many mistakes I can make in life, there will always be another chance waiting for me, because that's what Christmas is about, new beginnings and second chances. It took a long time coming, but the sermons Father Maxwell preached each year have finally hit home. And Solo, if you're listening up there, my Christmas angel, someday happened, buddy. Someday happened in a big way. Merry Christmas, to you and yours, from me and mine.
Love Always,
Duo Maxwell
Just a few notes from the real author. The song that Duo and Heero heard at the luminary night is one my school's Select Choir performed at their winter concert. The girl at the church, that's me. I'm certified as a chalice bearer at my church, St. John's, an Episcopal church. I'll be serving communion at our seven PM service Christmas Eve. And while I doubt our coffee table will go up in flames, my dad has a plum pudding all ready for tonight as well.
Peace, and love, and hope abide this Christmastide. Have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year.
With the love and joy of the season,
Kawaii Li'l Lia