DISCLAIMER: Don't own 'em
"Look, it's starting to snow," Duo said, sitting on his knees and looking out the window behind the bed.
Heero grunted a response and continued to type at his laptop. Even on Christmas Eve, the boy worked.
"Don't you care? You've never seen snow before."
"You've obviously got me mixed up with someone who gives a shit."
Duo sighed. It was always the same story.
"Well fine. I'll just go tell someone else that cares."
It was one-thirty in the morning and didn't expect to find anyone awake. He just said that to find an excuse to leave the room. Heero always got moody around the holidays. Duo had figured that since it was the first Christmas where all the pilots got together that maybe Heero just might learn to lighten up a bit. Boy, was he wrong.
Not that he didn't like Heero...he loved him very much, but Duo's favorite holiday was Christmas and if Heero didn't want to participate, he'd find someone who would.
He walked downstairs and into the living room, where he spotted Quatre alone in the dark, staring out the window. The only source of light in the whole room came from the lit fireplace. Duo could hear the fire crackling, breaking the silence that stood between him and Quatre.
He walked closer, hoping not to scare him. What was he doing? He had to be doing more than just simply staring out the window.
"Q?"
Quatre gasped and turned to the voice.
"Oh, Duo, you startled me."
"Sorry. What are you doing up at this hour?"
Quatre kneeled on the couch and folded his hands, resting them on the back, looking out the window at the fallen snow with a sigh.
"It's nothing."
Duo sat. "Liar."
Quatre closed his eyes and sat down on the other side of the couch.
"Trowa and I got into a fight. On Christmas Eve of all times!"
Duo raised both eyebrows. "Well...join the crew."
Their eyes met. "You and Heero too?"
Duo shrugged. "Oh you know Heero...nothing excites him but a good juicy battle with his precious Wing. He's always working! Even now! I want to spend some time with him, but it's 'Duo, go away, I have no time for you' I mean, come on! I'm human too, he DID agree to a relationship!"
Quatre twirled the ring that Trowa gave him on his finger around slowly in a full circle. Duo saw this and became envious of the pair.
"Sorry."
"What happened between you both?"
"Oh..." he said with a sigh, "I'm sure it's nothing."
"You wouldn't be crying if it was nothing."
Quatre embarrassingly wiped away a lingering tear and smile weakly in Duo's direction.
"You can tell me. I wouldn't go blabbing, trust me."
Quatre folded his hands in his lap. "Well...it was an argument about intimacy, believe it or not. Trowa wants to take our relationship to a sexual level...but I said I needed to think about it. It's a big step, you know?"
Duo nodded along with every other word.
"I guess...he just wasn't okay with that. He said it was Christmas and this Christmas should be special. Don't get me wrong, I love Trowa very much, but I'm just not ready!"
Duo sighed. "Q, calm down, it's okay."
"Then we said some things...stupid things. He said he didn't care to be together anymore." He rested his hand over his chest. "If only he could have felt...what I felt the second he said that. I swear I thought I was going to drop dead. Then I came out here about a half hour ago...just watching the snow. It's beautiful, huh?"
Duo shifted closer the second Quatre started weeping. He embraced his friend, allowing him to cry on his shoulder. Duo buried his face in Quatre's hair, feeling for the boy.
"It's okay, it's okay," he said softly, rubbing his back and rocking him in his arms. "Let it all out."
He kept on repeating those words over and over again.
They stayed in that same position for at least ten minutes until Quatre had no tears left to cry. He picked his head up, leaving Duo's shoulder soaked to the bone.
He rubbed his eyes and sniffled.
"Are you alright now?"
Quatre shook his head, no surprise to Duo.
"What can I do to help?"
Quatre looked to him. His aqua eyes shone brightly, glittering with the aftermath of tears.
"I couldn't ask for more, Duo. You're already giving me all I could want in a friend. Don't concern yourself with this, I don't want you to get involved."
Duo itched closer to the blonde. "But I am involved. You told me of your situation, now I will stick with you until it is resolved. I care about you Quatre...a lot."
Quatre smiled meekly. His cheeks blushed slightly. He hardly received comments like that.
"Thanks Duo...but don't say that too loudly, Heero might hear."
Duo rolled eyes with a scoff. "Heero could care less. It's a mystery on how we even lasted this long."
"Have you ever...well...you know...."
Duo smiled at Quatre's hesitation and shyness. He knew he wasn't one for these types of talks.
He shook his head. "Not a chance. Not Heero. He has never even spoken of even a simple kiss, let alone a sexual relationship!"
"Oh..." Quatre itched his arm, then squeezed his hands in his lap, facing away from Duo, "sorry."
Duo dismissed it with his hand. "Don't be sorry Q...it's not your fault Heero's a self-centered workaholic. Now that I think of it...I speculate why he agreed to have a relationship in the first place. Hmm...makes me wonder."
"Maybe he just didn't want to be alone?"
Duo struggled not to burst out laughing. "Quatre, please, Heero's favorite pastime is being alone! Being alone and working on that infernal laptop of his."
Silence fell between the two for a short time. Duo stared at the floor, thinking about Heero. He hadn't even noticed the silence until Quatre spoke up, snapping him out of thought.
"Want some hot chocolate?" he asked out of the blue, standing.
"Oh...sure."
Quatre disappeared off into the kitchen, leaving Duo alone again with his thoughts. He moved down toward the fireplace and knelt down in front of it, warming his hands up. Staring deep into the flames, he saw Heero looking back at him. It made him wonder.if he really loved him or not. If he had a choice between someone like Quatre and someone like Heero...whom would he pick?
Suddenly, a grinning Quatre replaced the piercing stare image of Heero. Voice had come with that picture also. He could hear Quatre talking to him, reassuring things would be okay with him and Heero. But the question was.did he really want things to be okay? After the little chat he had with Quatre, his mind was slowly changing. Just like everyone else, he wanted to be loved, not ignored.
Quatre kept talking to him in his mind. Duo mouthed answers to the voice of Quatre's questions in head, some of which asked him if he was happy, or if he was unhappy, if he wanted to split up. Duo answered all those questions truthfully. Then came the biggest question of them all...Quatre asking him if they wanted to try out a relationship.
Duo's eyes widened and shook his head out of thought. What was he thinking? Being with Quatre didn't seem like a bad idea.he liked him and all.but like usual, barriers of all sorts stood in his way. Briefly and unaware, he scolded himself for not getting to the blonde first, before Trowa.
He unexpectedly felt a sudden urge to feel a hate for Trowa. Hate for making Quatre be what he wasn't. Hate for-
"Here you are..." Quatre said, kneeling down beside Duo and handing him a warm cup of hot chocolate with tiny marshmallows floating to the top.
"Sorry it took so long. Guess the cold weather's slowing down the range," he joked, winking at Duo.
Duo chuckled. "Maybe."
He brought his lips to the brim of the cup and timidly sipped the liquid. It wasn't too hot and it wasn't too cold. It was perfect.
Quatre mimicked the process. Duo watched his beautiful lips work their way around the brim, licking up the chocolate that lightly spilt over the top as he was carrying it in. He froze. He imagined himself in place of that cup and had a sudden urge to hate that mug.
When Quatre began using his tongue, that's when Duo had to look away.
"What is it?" Quatre asked, catching hold of his strange behavior.
"Nothing...just looking at the fire," he said quickly.
Quatre didn't think anything of it and joined him.
"Why did you move down here?"
Duo put his shoulders into a light shrug. "I don't know...change of pace I suppose."
Quatre moved from his sitting on knees position to Indian style. His coffee mug sit on the ground in front of him. He was just inches away from Duo.
"Fires are strange, aren't they? They get you thinking about all kinds of things," he said in a low, melancholy voice.
Got that right, Duo thought, remembering his thoughts about Quatre.
"I'm sorry, fires do this to me. They bring me into a whole new world. As much as they are bad, they're good in a way too, you know."
Silence fell between them again. Both sipped on their hot chocolate. Duo's eyes bugged as Quatre laid his head down onto his shoulder, closing his eyes.
"Q?"
"Duo...what if we didn't have to be alone ever again...what if there was a way we could be happy forever?"
Duo itched his head. "Then let me know so I can sign up."
Quatre sighed. "It's taken me a long time to think it through. In fact, I've been thinking about it for a long time now. I'm in love with someone other than Trowa. He doesn't know and I didn't either until this evening."
Duo's eyes went wide. His heart thumped in his chest.
"W-Who?"
Their eyes met. Duo felt frozen. No way, he can't be serious!
"Must you ask?"
Duo felt a world of pleasure strike him silly as Quatre's warm lips covered his, kissing him softly.
No! My mind is still playing tricks on me! Quatre would never do this to Trowa! Sure they argue, but they make up in the end! This is a cruel joke and it needs to stop!
The second Quatre's lips left Duo's, he felt something for the blonde that he never felt before. Heero was long gone now. He had hoped that Trowa was too.
"W-Why did you...do that, Quatre?"
Quatre smiled, feeling for his hand and grasping it, slipping his fingers in between his. "It's not right we have to be alone for Christmas. I've liked you for a long time Duo.I just never realized how much until now. I'm in the right mind to thank Trowa and Heero later."
All this was happening so fast that it made Duo's head spin. Quatre didn't want to get intimate with Trowa, but he had no problem shoving his tongue down his best friend's throat.
Then it all made sense to Duo.he didn't want to be intimate with Trowa because he loved HIM!
"But..."
"Don't ask questions, Duo, just make love to me...right here...in front of the fire."
He pulled Duo in for another bruising kiss. This was one Christmas that was surely to be remembered.
"Look, it's starting to snow," Duo said, sitting on his knees and looking out the window behind the bed.
Heero grunted a response and continued to type at his laptop. Even on Christmas Eve, the boy worked.
"Don't you care? You've never seen snow before."
"You've obviously got me mixed up with someone who gives a shit."
Duo sighed. It was always the same story.
"Well fine. I'll just go tell someone else that cares."
It was one-thirty in the morning and didn't expect to find anyone awake. He just said that to find an excuse to leave the room. Heero always got moody around the holidays. Duo had figured that since it was the first Christmas where all the pilots got together that maybe Heero just might learn to lighten up a bit. Boy, was he wrong.
Not that he didn't like Heero...he loved him very much, but Duo's favorite holiday was Christmas and if Heero didn't want to participate, he'd find someone who would.
He walked downstairs and into the living room, where he spotted Quatre alone in the dark, staring out the window. The only source of light in the whole room came from the lit fireplace. Duo could hear the fire crackling, breaking the silence that stood between him and Quatre.
He walked closer, hoping not to scare him. What was he doing? He had to be doing more than just simply staring out the window.
"Q?"
Quatre gasped and turned to the voice.
"Oh, Duo, you startled me."
"Sorry. What are you doing up at this hour?"
Quatre kneeled on the couch and folded his hands, resting them on the back, looking out the window at the fallen snow with a sigh.
"It's nothing."
Duo sat. "Liar."
Quatre closed his eyes and sat down on the other side of the couch.
"Trowa and I got into a fight. On Christmas Eve of all times!"
Duo raised both eyebrows. "Well...join the crew."
Their eyes met. "You and Heero too?"
Duo shrugged. "Oh you know Heero...nothing excites him but a good juicy battle with his precious Wing. He's always working! Even now! I want to spend some time with him, but it's 'Duo, go away, I have no time for you' I mean, come on! I'm human too, he DID agree to a relationship!"
Quatre twirled the ring that Trowa gave him on his finger around slowly in a full circle. Duo saw this and became envious of the pair.
"Sorry."
"What happened between you both?"
"Oh..." he said with a sigh, "I'm sure it's nothing."
"You wouldn't be crying if it was nothing."
Quatre embarrassingly wiped away a lingering tear and smile weakly in Duo's direction.
"You can tell me. I wouldn't go blabbing, trust me."
Quatre folded his hands in his lap. "Well...it was an argument about intimacy, believe it or not. Trowa wants to take our relationship to a sexual level...but I said I needed to think about it. It's a big step, you know?"
Duo nodded along with every other word.
"I guess...he just wasn't okay with that. He said it was Christmas and this Christmas should be special. Don't get me wrong, I love Trowa very much, but I'm just not ready!"
Duo sighed. "Q, calm down, it's okay."
"Then we said some things...stupid things. He said he didn't care to be together anymore." He rested his hand over his chest. "If only he could have felt...what I felt the second he said that. I swear I thought I was going to drop dead. Then I came out here about a half hour ago...just watching the snow. It's beautiful, huh?"
Duo shifted closer the second Quatre started weeping. He embraced his friend, allowing him to cry on his shoulder. Duo buried his face in Quatre's hair, feeling for the boy.
"It's okay, it's okay," he said softly, rubbing his back and rocking him in his arms. "Let it all out."
He kept on repeating those words over and over again.
They stayed in that same position for at least ten minutes until Quatre had no tears left to cry. He picked his head up, leaving Duo's shoulder soaked to the bone.
He rubbed his eyes and sniffled.
"Are you alright now?"
Quatre shook his head, no surprise to Duo.
"What can I do to help?"
Quatre looked to him. His aqua eyes shone brightly, glittering with the aftermath of tears.
"I couldn't ask for more, Duo. You're already giving me all I could want in a friend. Don't concern yourself with this, I don't want you to get involved."
Duo itched closer to the blonde. "But I am involved. You told me of your situation, now I will stick with you until it is resolved. I care about you Quatre...a lot."
Quatre smiled meekly. His cheeks blushed slightly. He hardly received comments like that.
"Thanks Duo...but don't say that too loudly, Heero might hear."
Duo rolled eyes with a scoff. "Heero could care less. It's a mystery on how we even lasted this long."
"Have you ever...well...you know...."
Duo smiled at Quatre's hesitation and shyness. He knew he wasn't one for these types of talks.
He shook his head. "Not a chance. Not Heero. He has never even spoken of even a simple kiss, let alone a sexual relationship!"
"Oh..." Quatre itched his arm, then squeezed his hands in his lap, facing away from Duo, "sorry."
Duo dismissed it with his hand. "Don't be sorry Q...it's not your fault Heero's a self-centered workaholic. Now that I think of it...I speculate why he agreed to have a relationship in the first place. Hmm...makes me wonder."
"Maybe he just didn't want to be alone?"
Duo struggled not to burst out laughing. "Quatre, please, Heero's favorite pastime is being alone! Being alone and working on that infernal laptop of his."
Silence fell between the two for a short time. Duo stared at the floor, thinking about Heero. He hadn't even noticed the silence until Quatre spoke up, snapping him out of thought.
"Want some hot chocolate?" he asked out of the blue, standing.
"Oh...sure."
Quatre disappeared off into the kitchen, leaving Duo alone again with his thoughts. He moved down toward the fireplace and knelt down in front of it, warming his hands up. Staring deep into the flames, he saw Heero looking back at him. It made him wonder.if he really loved him or not. If he had a choice between someone like Quatre and someone like Heero...whom would he pick?
Suddenly, a grinning Quatre replaced the piercing stare image of Heero. Voice had come with that picture also. He could hear Quatre talking to him, reassuring things would be okay with him and Heero. But the question was.did he really want things to be okay? After the little chat he had with Quatre, his mind was slowly changing. Just like everyone else, he wanted to be loved, not ignored.
Quatre kept talking to him in his mind. Duo mouthed answers to the voice of Quatre's questions in head, some of which asked him if he was happy, or if he was unhappy, if he wanted to split up. Duo answered all those questions truthfully. Then came the biggest question of them all...Quatre asking him if they wanted to try out a relationship.
Duo's eyes widened and shook his head out of thought. What was he thinking? Being with Quatre didn't seem like a bad idea.he liked him and all.but like usual, barriers of all sorts stood in his way. Briefly and unaware, he scolded himself for not getting to the blonde first, before Trowa.
He unexpectedly felt a sudden urge to feel a hate for Trowa. Hate for making Quatre be what he wasn't. Hate for-
"Here you are..." Quatre said, kneeling down beside Duo and handing him a warm cup of hot chocolate with tiny marshmallows floating to the top.
"Sorry it took so long. Guess the cold weather's slowing down the range," he joked, winking at Duo.
Duo chuckled. "Maybe."
He brought his lips to the brim of the cup and timidly sipped the liquid. It wasn't too hot and it wasn't too cold. It was perfect.
Quatre mimicked the process. Duo watched his beautiful lips work their way around the brim, licking up the chocolate that lightly spilt over the top as he was carrying it in. He froze. He imagined himself in place of that cup and had a sudden urge to hate that mug.
When Quatre began using his tongue, that's when Duo had to look away.
"What is it?" Quatre asked, catching hold of his strange behavior.
"Nothing...just looking at the fire," he said quickly.
Quatre didn't think anything of it and joined him.
"Why did you move down here?"
Duo put his shoulders into a light shrug. "I don't know...change of pace I suppose."
Quatre moved from his sitting on knees position to Indian style. His coffee mug sit on the ground in front of him. He was just inches away from Duo.
"Fires are strange, aren't they? They get you thinking about all kinds of things," he said in a low, melancholy voice.
Got that right, Duo thought, remembering his thoughts about Quatre.
"I'm sorry, fires do this to me. They bring me into a whole new world. As much as they are bad, they're good in a way too, you know."
Silence fell between them again. Both sipped on their hot chocolate. Duo's eyes bugged as Quatre laid his head down onto his shoulder, closing his eyes.
"Q?"
"Duo...what if we didn't have to be alone ever again...what if there was a way we could be happy forever?"
Duo itched his head. "Then let me know so I can sign up."
Quatre sighed. "It's taken me a long time to think it through. In fact, I've been thinking about it for a long time now. I'm in love with someone other than Trowa. He doesn't know and I didn't either until this evening."
Duo's eyes went wide. His heart thumped in his chest.
"W-Who?"
Their eyes met. Duo felt frozen. No way, he can't be serious!
"Must you ask?"
Duo felt a world of pleasure strike him silly as Quatre's warm lips covered his, kissing him softly.
No! My mind is still playing tricks on me! Quatre would never do this to Trowa! Sure they argue, but they make up in the end! This is a cruel joke and it needs to stop!
The second Quatre's lips left Duo's, he felt something for the blonde that he never felt before. Heero was long gone now. He had hoped that Trowa was too.
"W-Why did you...do that, Quatre?"
Quatre smiled, feeling for his hand and grasping it, slipping his fingers in between his. "It's not right we have to be alone for Christmas. I've liked you for a long time Duo.I just never realized how much until now. I'm in the right mind to thank Trowa and Heero later."
All this was happening so fast that it made Duo's head spin. Quatre didn't want to get intimate with Trowa, but he had no problem shoving his tongue down his best friend's throat.
Then it all made sense to Duo.he didn't want to be intimate with Trowa because he loved HIM!
"But..."
"Don't ask questions, Duo, just make love to me...right here...in front of the fire."
He pulled Duo in for another bruising kiss. This was one Christmas that was surely to be remembered.