Rapunzel: Ah, life is good. My paper is turned in, my hideous o-chem
midterm is over, my car will be fixed soon, and I feel good.
Muse: And don't forget you've got that biology midterm tomorrow...
Rapunzel: Shimatta!!
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing is owned by people far more rich and powerful than I am (for whatever that's saying). Warnings: AU, shounen ai (1+2) Author's Ramblings: Okay, when I went off to college, I started writing these "everyday life" stories. This is sort of the culmination of them, since it depicts what I think would happen if the guys lived "normal" lives and met in college. I know that this idea is far from new, but hey, you know what they say; you write what you know.
Welcome Distractions
By Rapunzel
Chapter 16: Impromptu Vacations
After Valentine's Day, the winter quarter seemed to go by unreasonably fast. Or at least it seemed that way to Heero, despite the fact that nothing particularly important happened. He and Duo continued to meet every week day in the library for studying, book stacking, or just chatting. All was quiet on the dorm front; Dorothy seemed to feel that her revenge was complete, and Wufei, for reasons best known to himself, didn't retaliate against her for what had become known around the dorm as "The Whipped Cream Incident."
Life seemed to run purely on routine for a few weeks, with very little deviation from what Heero had come to consider "normal." That was why he was so surprised, on the first day of finals, to see Wufei packing his suitcase instead of studying.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"Home, of course," Wufei answered. "For spring break."
"But spring break is only a week long," Heero pointed out. "It hardly seems worth it to go home."
"Well, we can't stay here."
That surprised him. "We can't? Why not?"
"Because they lock the halls over the holidays," Wufei answered. "They locked them over Christmas too."
Heero didn't quite know what to make of that. He had no burning desire to go home to his family, and had no means of getting there anyway, as he hadn't bothered to arrange to take a plane. Still, he hadn't considered the possibility that he wouldn't be allowed to stay in the dorms. With the break less than a week away and no means of getting anywhere, he was stuck with nowhere to stay. Action was required to fix this dilemma.
So, the next day, he put his problem before Duo. "Would it be possible for me to stay with you during the week?" he asked hopefully. He knew it was rather sudden, but he couldn't think of anything else to do, short of trying to get plane tickets to go back home, which he didn't particularly want to do.
Duo frown. "Well, normally it wouldn't be a problem, but I'm not going to be there."
Heero's spirits plummeted. Now he was truly stuck. "Where are you going?" he asked dully.
"Home," Duo answered. "I know it's only for a week, but I like going home." Seeing the despairing look on Heero's face, he added, "Now don't panic; if worst comes to worst, you can still stay in the dorms."
Heero looked confused. "I can? How?"
"Well, technically, they don't close the halls for the entire break, just for a few days. If you just stay in your room and leave the lights off and the door locked while the inspectors come through, they'll think there's no one there. Then, when they leave, you'll have the building to yourself. The only problem is that you have to stay inside for two days, because if you go outside, you can't get back in."
"And this works?" Heero asked dubiously.
Duo shrugged. "Apparently. I've never tried it myself, but some of my fellow freshmen last year did."
The thought of spending two days stuck inside was not an appealing one. "I suppose I could still try to get plane tickets..." Heero muttered.
"It'd be difficult," Duo said. "Remember, everyone wants to leave about the same time, and even if you could get some, they'd be expensive because you didn't get them in advance. Come to think of it, I really should get my train tickets soon. Trains aren't as popular, so it's not as bad, but still..." He trailed off, and a strange, thoughtful expression came over his face.
"What?" Heero asked.
"Hey, Heero, can you drive?"
Heero was surprised by the question, but answered, "Yes, I can drive. But I don't have a car. And anyway, my home is too far away to drive to."
"But mine's not," Duo said. "It would be even easier if I had another driver, and someone to split the gas cost with. Hey, Heero, how would you like to come home with me over spring break?"
Heero considered it. "Would I have to meet your parents?"
"Oh no," Duo said. "My parents are dead. I live with my crazy old Uncle Howard."
Heero opened his mouth, about to voice his surprise and condolences about Duo's parents, but shut it again. Something about the casual way Duo had told him made him think that Duo didn't want anyone making a big deal about it, probably because he didn't want to talk about it himself.
"Okay," Heero said.
"Okay as in, you'll come?" Duo asked hopefully.
Heero nodded.
A grin covered Duo's face. "Great! What day is your last final?"
"Thursday," Heero told him.
"My last one's on Friday morning. Tell you what, how about you get your stuff together and meet me at my place at about noon on Friday, and we'll take off from there. Does that sound okay?"
"Sure."
~*~*~
However, at noon on Friday, Duo was not at his apartment.
"He still hasn't gotten back from his final," Quatre told Heero as he admitted him.
"Is it usual for him to take this long?" Heero asked.
"It depends," Quatre answered. "If he has a multiple choice final, he can zip right through it. If it's an essay final, though, it might be a while. Please, sit down," he added politely, gesturing at the couch.
Heero sat down obediently. He wasn't quite sure what he should do while he waited.
Hilde came wandering into the living room. "Hey, Quatre, is Duo back yet?" she asked.
"Not yet," he replied.
Hilde swore. "That little twit swiped my biology book, and he hasn't returned it yet."
"What would Duo want with your biology book?" Quatre wondered.
"He said something about doing a paper on the convoluted writing style employed by scientists. I thought he was just joking, but he borrowed my book, and I haven't seen it since. Dammit, I need it back! My bio final is tomorrow!"
"You have a final on Saturday?" Heero asked.
"Yup. Sucks, doesn't it? Not that you'd know. You'll be gone by then. Are you taking your car or his, by the way?"
"His," Heero answered. "I don't have a car."
"Of course," Quatre said. "They don't let freshmen have cars."
"We're not supposed to," Heero agreed. "Some people still do, though. Dorothy brought hers; it's an ugly, yellow thing, and she has to pay extravagant sums for the parking permits to keep it there. I guess she thinks it's worth it, though."
"Well," Hilde said, "if you take Duo's car, that means I get his parking spot!" She smiled at the prospect. "That's almost enough to make me forget about the book. Almost, but not quite."
"Hey, Hilde," Quatre asked, "is this it?" He held up a thick book with a picture of a flower on the front and a "used" sticker on the side.
Hilde snatched it out of his hands. "Where did you find it?" she asked.
"Sitting on the table underneath your chemistry notes," he answered.
"Right where I left it," a new voice put in.
Looking up, Heero was pleased to see Duo coming through the door.
"Well, since I'm not you, I didn't know where you left it," Hilde rejoined, sticking her tongue out at him.
Duo ignored her. "Hi Heero. Sorry I'm late. Are you ready to go?"
Heero got up from his spot on the couch. "Yes, I'm ready."
"Great! Let me grab some stuff, and we can hit the road!"
Within fifteen minutes, Heero's bags and the remainder of Duo's luggage had been packed in the car, goodbyes had been exchanged with Quatre and Hilde, and they were on the road. Duo insisted on driving first, so Heero settled back and took a nap for the first stretch of the trip.
When he woke up, he had no idea where they were. The land looked the same on both sides of the highway: endless, flat, and brown.
"What road are we on?" he asked, yawning.
"One of the interstates," Duo answered. "Most boring stretches of road known to man. Say, Heero, there's a rest stop coming up soon. Do you want to switch then so you can drive? We're just going straight down this road for another three hours or so."
"Sure," Heero said. "But why don't you just pull off at the next exit and find a place to park so we can switch there?"
"Because I need to use the restrooms at said rest stop," Duo answered. "If I stay in this car much longer, I'm going to start singing the 'I Have to Pee' song."
"There's an 'I Have to Pee' song?"
"Yup," Duo grinned. "There's a little dance that goes along with it, but that's harder to do in the car."
Heero just snorted, shook his head, and continued to stare out the window.
~*~*~
"Hey, Heero! Wake up, we're here."
Heero blinked sleepily and sat up, wincing as his neck muscles complained about the position they had been in for the last hour or so. Looking out of the window, he observed that they had stopped in front of a small house. The lawn was mostly brown and dead, and off to the side of the house stood a garage with two old cars parked in front of it.
The passenger side door opened abruptly, and Duo was leaning down next to him, tugging at his arm. "C'mon, we're finally here!"
"And about bloody time too!" came a voice Heero didn't recognize.
Looking over Duo's shoulder, Heero caught sight of a man with grey hair. He was wearing sunglasses and the loudest Hawaiian shirt Heero had ever seen.
"Howard!" Duo launched himself at the man with all the enthusiasm of a five year old on Christmas. "Great to see ya!"
Howard somehow managed not to be bowled over by the assault, and accepted the hug gracefully. Then he held Duo at arm's length and surveyed him critically over his glasses.
"You're too skinny," he complained. "Don't they feed you up there?"
Duo laughed. "I'm in charge of feeding myself now. And anyway, you always say I'm too skinny."
"That's 'cause you are," Howard returned.
During this exchange, Heero had finally managed to wake himself up enough to get out of the car. He slammed the car door, and the noise seemed to draw Howard's attention to him. Peering over his glasses (Heero couldn't understand why he even bothered to wear them; it was night time, after all), he gave the newcomer the same critical stare he had fixed on Duo earlier.
"So, this is the boyfriend, is it?" he said. Duo nodded, and he went on, this time addressing Heero. "I was wondering when I was going to get to meet you."
"This is the first opportunity I've had to come here," Heero said. Holding out his hand, he added, "I'm Heero Yuy. It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir."
Howard shook his hand, but frown at him. "None of that 'sir' stuff; I can't stand it when people call me 'sir.' The name's Howard."
"Howard," Heero repeated, releasing his hand and taking a step back.
Howard nodded, apparently satisfied, and then gestured towards the open door of the house. "Well, c'mon in; I'm sure you're both tired after the long drive." He walked into the house, and they both trailed after him. They passed through a small living room, and by an even smaller kitchen. "Have you two eaten dinner yet?" Howard asked.
Duo nodded. "We got something on the way down."
Howard nodded vaguely. "Good. I'm afraid you're both going to have to stay in Duo's old room; the bed is made, and I set up a hammock in there too, since the bed is too narrow for two people."
"Either that, or you're just trying to sabotage my sex life," Duo quipped, not noticing the way Heero's ears went red at the suggestion.
Howard grunted. "You're an adult; your sex life is your own damn business. As long as I can't hear you, I don't care."
"Gee, that's nice to know," Duo said. He yawned widely. "Man, I'm beat. I think I'll give Heero a brief tour of the place and then hit the sack, okay?"
"Fine by me," Howard said. "See you in the morning."
Howard vanished into a small room that Duo said was his. Heero simply continued to trail after Duo as the other showed him where the bathroom was. "And this," Duo said, opening a door with a small flourish, "is where we stay."
The room was rather small, and barren. It contained a bed, a hammock, a card table, and two chairs.
"I know it's kind of small," Duo said, observing his reaction closely.
Heero shrugged. "No more so than the dorm rooms. It's just so... empty."
"That's because I don't live here anymore," Duo said. "When I did, the walls were covered with posters and you were lucky if you could see the floor under all my stuff. Now Howard usually uses it for storage space and only clears it out when he knows I'm coming to visit."
Heero nodded and continued to look around the small space.
"So," Duo went on, "do you want the hammock or the bed?"
Heero shrugged noncommittally.
"Have you ever slept in a hammock before?" Duo asked.
Heero shook his head.
"Then you'd better take the bed," Duo said. "Hammocks take a little getting used to."
Heero shrugged, but agreed. With the sleeping arrangements worked out, both young men quickly set about getting ready for bed. They took turns in the bathroom, and Duo insisted that Heero go first. Consequently, Heero was already in bed when Duo returned to the room.
Heero had expected Duo to change into his sleeping clothes in the bathroom, as he had done. However, Duo was used to changing in his own room, so when he returned, he simply stripped down to his boxers, ignoring the fact that he had an audience. A very appreciative audience at that...
Despite the fact that they had been dating for over two months, Heero had never seen Duo with so little clothing. He felt his mouth go dry, and had to swallow once or twice to solve the problem. Damn, but Duo looked good without a shirt...
"Goodnight, Heero," Duo said as he flipped off the light.
"Goodnight," Heero managed to respond.
There was the soft padding of feet on the floor, and then a rustling. Then suddenly, there was a startled yelp, followed by a thump and a curse. Heero sat bolt upright in bed. "Duo?"
More curses followed the first.
Climbing out of bed, Heero made his way over to the wall where the light switch was located and turned on the lights. What he saw was Duo sprawled on the floor, his bedding on top of him, and the hammock still swinging slightly.
"Are you alright?" Heero asked.
Duo blushed slightly. "I missed," was all he said.
Heero couldn't help it; he burst out laughing. For a moment, Duo just glare at him. But after a minute, he unbent a little and began to laugh too. "Guess it serves me right for being overly confident about how to handle a hammock, huh?"
Heero nodded, still laughing too hard to answered.
~*~*~
When Heero awoke the next morning, it was to bright sunlight and unfamiliar surroundings. After a minute, he remembered that he was in Duo's old room, a recollection aided by the sight of his companion sprawled in the hammock. Heero smiled sleepily as he surveyed his sleeping boyfriend. It was something he'd had occasion to do before; every time he'd spent the night with Duo before, he'd always been the first one to wake up in the mornings, and usually had to be the one to wake Duo up. Still, it was something he enjoyed.
It was obvious that Duo was not the most restful of sleepers. He'd twisted so that one of his arms was hanging out of the hammock, and he'd kicked the covers off at some point during the night. He was sprawled in a boneless and probably uncomfortable pose. Still, Heero couldn't help but find him attractive, even if he was at that moment drooling on his pillow.
That state of events was not to last long, however. A loud knock came at the door, accompanied by Howard's voice. "Duo! It's nearly noon!"
Duo's face scrunched up slightly. "Bugger off, Hilde," he muttered, still mostly asleep.
Heero suppressed a snicker.
The knocking intensified. "DUO!!"
"What?!" Duo snapped, sitting up abruptly. Unfortunately, his sudden movement had the undesired effect of unbalancing him, causing the hammock to flip. With an *oof* he hit the floor, spilling pillows and blankets on top of him.
"Duo?" Howard questioned, having heard the thump Duo made from outside.
"I'm up!" Duo answered sourly. "Or down, as the case may be," he muttered to himself. Then, catching sight of Heero's face, he added, "Stop your laughing and just be glad I didn't make you sleep in the damn thing."
After a shower and some breakfast (or lunch, depending on whose standards you went by), Duo was feeling much less grouchy. "So, Howard, what's on the agenda today?" he asked as he shoveled food into his mouth.
"What, I'm supposed to entertain you?" Howard asked teasingly.
"Nah," Duo answered easily. "I just figured you'd be happy to take advantage of the unpaid labor I provide."
Howard just snorted and shook his head, so Duo turned to Heero. "Hey, Heero, you ever worked on a car before?"
"No," Heero had to admit.
"Never?" Duo asked, sounding like he couldn't quite believe that.
Heero shrugged. "Well, just to put the oil in and stuff."
"Didn't you ever take auto shop in high school?"
Shaking his head, he answered, "No, I was too busy taking college prep courses. Why? Did you?"
Duo grinned. "I never took the class because I never needed to. My uncle here," he gestured at Howard, "is a mechanic. A damned good one too, if I do say so. Usually, when I come home for break, we spend some male bonding time with our heads under the hoods of cars."
"Sounds like fun," Heero said dryly.
Duo laughed. "Well, it can be. So, you want to come with us and learn a thing or two about cars?"
Heero considered for a moment. "Sure, why not."
As Howard eyed him as though sizing him up and Duo gave him a grin that had a feral element to it, Heero wondered what in the world he had gotten himself into.
~*~*~
"I can't believe you didn't know what a carburetor looked like," Duo laughed as he and Heero trudged towards the bathroom.
"I can't believe you find that so funny," Heero retorted irritably. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to be clean and free of the grease and grime that coated him. He'd been enjoying himself enough that he hadn't noticed until Howard had told him that he was a quick learner and ruffled his hair. Having a man he barely knew ruffling his hair was bad enough, but what made things worse was that, after working on cars all day, Howard's hands had been nearly black. Heero could swear he felt the grease seeping through his hair, and resisted the urge to rub his head, knowing that it would only make things worse.
"I get the shower first," he said.
"No way!" Duo protested. "It's my house!"
"And I'm your guest," Heero reminded him.
"So?" Duo said. "I got dirtier than you did today."
Their argument was interrupted by the sound of the bathroom door closing and, a moment later, the sound of running water. They stopped and looked at each other.
"Howard?" Heero asked.
Duo nodded, looking put out. "Who'd have thought? The old geezer beat us to it."
And they settled down together to wait until the bathroom was free.
~*~*~
The next day, when Heero woke up, it was to a silent house. Duo was asleep in the hammock, the same as the morning before, but there was no movement in the rest of the house. Curious, he got up and wandered out of the bedroom, ignoring the fact that he had very few clothes on.
There was no sign of Howard. Aside from himself and Duo, the house seemed to be empty. Nor could he find a note of any kind suggesting where Duo's uncle was. Confused, Heero settled down to wait and see whether Howard would put in an appearance.
As it turned out, Duo was the first one to put in an appearance. He came out, yawning and stretching, and groggily stumbled towards the kitchen, mumbling something about breakfast.
"Shouldn't you get dressed first?" Heero asked.
"Why bother?" Duo said as he headed for the coffee maker. "There's no one here but you and me."
"Where's Howard?"
"He had to go to work. It's Monday, and just because we're off doesn't mean he is." Having poured himself a cup of coffee of unknown age, Duo set about rummaging in the cupboards. "He won't be back until later this evening."
Heero nodded vaguely, watching his boyfriend pull out a box of cereal and two bowls. "What do we do today while he's gone?" he asked.
Duo shrugged. "Are you any good at cards?"
~*~*~
The next few days passed in a fairly uneventful manner. While Howard was at work during the day, Heero and Duo would pass the time by playing cards and board games, or by going out in Duo's car. Duo pointed places out to Heero, and told him about his high school friends, most of whom were no longer around. Heero got better at poker and card games in general, and enjoyed the pride that came with the ability to win every once in a while.
It was on such a day, as they sat on the floor in Duo's room playing Egyptian Poker, that Heero decided to ask about something that he had been wondering about for several days. "You know, Duo," he started causally, "you and Howard don't look a lot alike.
Duo paused for a moment, then threw another card onto the pile. "That's because he's not really my uncle."
"Then why do you call him that?" Heero asked.
"Because it sure beats calling him Dad," Duo answered harshly. He spotted a pair and slapped the pile a little more vigorously than was necessary. For another moment, they played in silence, neither one looking at the other.
Finally, Duo sighed and ran his hand through his hair in a nervous gesture. "Look, Heero, I'd really rather not talk about it. Suffice it to say that even thought Howard isn't related to me, he was the only one left after my parents died. That's all I'm going to say about it for now, okay?"
"Okay," Heero answered quietly. He quietly added another card to the pile. Another pair came up, but neither of them noticed, and it went unslapped. After a moment, Heero quietly said, "I'm sorry." He wasn't sure if he was speaking about Duo's loss or about his bringing the subject up.
Duo chose to interpret it as an apology for the subject. "It's alright," he said. "I just don't like talking about it, that's all."
Heero nodded understandingly, even though he didn't really understand. They continued to play in silence.
~*~*~
For a little while after their conversation, relations between Heero and Duo were somewhat strained. Heero tried hard to be careful and avoid any subject even remotely related to parents, and Duo seemed to be trying to avoid conversation in general. However, by the time Howard had returned, they had reached an uneasy truce.
If Howard noticed the tension between them, he didn't give any sign to that effect. However, Heero did notice that both he and Duo vanished for a little while after dinner. They were back before he had much time to wonder where they were, and he noticed that while Duo was still very subdued, he seemed more at ease.
That night, as they were climbing into bed, Duo finally spoke. "I'm sorry if I seemed irritated with you earlier."
"You had a right to be," Heero said. "It was really none of my business."
"But you're my boyfriend, so that makes it kind of your business," Duo pointed out. "It's just that things got a lot harder after my parents died. I mean, Howard's great, and he really tries hard, but it's not the same. And on top of all that, there were the financial issues, and..." he trailed off, then grimaced. "It was just a mess. In some ways, it still is."
"Is that why you have to work at the library?" Heero asked, forgetting some of his earlier trepidation about asking personal questions.
"Work in the library, apply for financial aid and scholarships, anything I can get," Duo said. "That's why it's so important that I do well in my classes, which was one of the reasons I was so glad you agreed to help me with my math that first quarter. Well, that and I got a great boyfriend out the deal," he added, smiling over at Heero.
"I don't recall that being part of the initial agreement," Heero grumbled teasingly.
Duo grinned. "It's a perk."
~*~*~
"Bye, Howard!" Duo yelled out the window one last time as they pulled away. Behind them, Howard raised his hand once more in a farewell gesture, and then they turned a corner and lost sight of him and the house.
"Watch the road, Duo," Heero admonished as Duo twisted his head to stare back longingly once more.
"I know," Duo said, straightening and giving him a sheepish grin. "I just always hate leaving home. I love school and all that, but the holidays always seem to short for me. You ever have that problem?"
"Not really," Heero admitted. "I prefer school to home. More freedom and more friends."
Duo smiled knowingly. "Well, you're in luck, because in approximately six hours, we'll be back at school and getting ready to start a new quarter."
"Yay," Heero muttered.
Tbc
Alright, I know it's been almost three months since I updated. I really am sorry. My excuses are: 1) this turned out to be an abnormally long chapter, and 2) I get distracted easily. Hopefully, the next part shouldn't take as long.
Muse: And don't forget you've got that biology midterm tomorrow...
Rapunzel: Shimatta!!
Disclaimer: Gundam Wing is owned by people far more rich and powerful than I am (for whatever that's saying). Warnings: AU, shounen ai (1+2) Author's Ramblings: Okay, when I went off to college, I started writing these "everyday life" stories. This is sort of the culmination of them, since it depicts what I think would happen if the guys lived "normal" lives and met in college. I know that this idea is far from new, but hey, you know what they say; you write what you know.
Welcome Distractions
By Rapunzel
Chapter 16: Impromptu Vacations
After Valentine's Day, the winter quarter seemed to go by unreasonably fast. Or at least it seemed that way to Heero, despite the fact that nothing particularly important happened. He and Duo continued to meet every week day in the library for studying, book stacking, or just chatting. All was quiet on the dorm front; Dorothy seemed to feel that her revenge was complete, and Wufei, for reasons best known to himself, didn't retaliate against her for what had become known around the dorm as "The Whipped Cream Incident."
Life seemed to run purely on routine for a few weeks, with very little deviation from what Heero had come to consider "normal." That was why he was so surprised, on the first day of finals, to see Wufei packing his suitcase instead of studying.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"Home, of course," Wufei answered. "For spring break."
"But spring break is only a week long," Heero pointed out. "It hardly seems worth it to go home."
"Well, we can't stay here."
That surprised him. "We can't? Why not?"
"Because they lock the halls over the holidays," Wufei answered. "They locked them over Christmas too."
Heero didn't quite know what to make of that. He had no burning desire to go home to his family, and had no means of getting there anyway, as he hadn't bothered to arrange to take a plane. Still, he hadn't considered the possibility that he wouldn't be allowed to stay in the dorms. With the break less than a week away and no means of getting anywhere, he was stuck with nowhere to stay. Action was required to fix this dilemma.
So, the next day, he put his problem before Duo. "Would it be possible for me to stay with you during the week?" he asked hopefully. He knew it was rather sudden, but he couldn't think of anything else to do, short of trying to get plane tickets to go back home, which he didn't particularly want to do.
Duo frown. "Well, normally it wouldn't be a problem, but I'm not going to be there."
Heero's spirits plummeted. Now he was truly stuck. "Where are you going?" he asked dully.
"Home," Duo answered. "I know it's only for a week, but I like going home." Seeing the despairing look on Heero's face, he added, "Now don't panic; if worst comes to worst, you can still stay in the dorms."
Heero looked confused. "I can? How?"
"Well, technically, they don't close the halls for the entire break, just for a few days. If you just stay in your room and leave the lights off and the door locked while the inspectors come through, they'll think there's no one there. Then, when they leave, you'll have the building to yourself. The only problem is that you have to stay inside for two days, because if you go outside, you can't get back in."
"And this works?" Heero asked dubiously.
Duo shrugged. "Apparently. I've never tried it myself, but some of my fellow freshmen last year did."
The thought of spending two days stuck inside was not an appealing one. "I suppose I could still try to get plane tickets..." Heero muttered.
"It'd be difficult," Duo said. "Remember, everyone wants to leave about the same time, and even if you could get some, they'd be expensive because you didn't get them in advance. Come to think of it, I really should get my train tickets soon. Trains aren't as popular, so it's not as bad, but still..." He trailed off, and a strange, thoughtful expression came over his face.
"What?" Heero asked.
"Hey, Heero, can you drive?"
Heero was surprised by the question, but answered, "Yes, I can drive. But I don't have a car. And anyway, my home is too far away to drive to."
"But mine's not," Duo said. "It would be even easier if I had another driver, and someone to split the gas cost with. Hey, Heero, how would you like to come home with me over spring break?"
Heero considered it. "Would I have to meet your parents?"
"Oh no," Duo said. "My parents are dead. I live with my crazy old Uncle Howard."
Heero opened his mouth, about to voice his surprise and condolences about Duo's parents, but shut it again. Something about the casual way Duo had told him made him think that Duo didn't want anyone making a big deal about it, probably because he didn't want to talk about it himself.
"Okay," Heero said.
"Okay as in, you'll come?" Duo asked hopefully.
Heero nodded.
A grin covered Duo's face. "Great! What day is your last final?"
"Thursday," Heero told him.
"My last one's on Friday morning. Tell you what, how about you get your stuff together and meet me at my place at about noon on Friday, and we'll take off from there. Does that sound okay?"
"Sure."
~*~*~
However, at noon on Friday, Duo was not at his apartment.
"He still hasn't gotten back from his final," Quatre told Heero as he admitted him.
"Is it usual for him to take this long?" Heero asked.
"It depends," Quatre answered. "If he has a multiple choice final, he can zip right through it. If it's an essay final, though, it might be a while. Please, sit down," he added politely, gesturing at the couch.
Heero sat down obediently. He wasn't quite sure what he should do while he waited.
Hilde came wandering into the living room. "Hey, Quatre, is Duo back yet?" she asked.
"Not yet," he replied.
Hilde swore. "That little twit swiped my biology book, and he hasn't returned it yet."
"What would Duo want with your biology book?" Quatre wondered.
"He said something about doing a paper on the convoluted writing style employed by scientists. I thought he was just joking, but he borrowed my book, and I haven't seen it since. Dammit, I need it back! My bio final is tomorrow!"
"You have a final on Saturday?" Heero asked.
"Yup. Sucks, doesn't it? Not that you'd know. You'll be gone by then. Are you taking your car or his, by the way?"
"His," Heero answered. "I don't have a car."
"Of course," Quatre said. "They don't let freshmen have cars."
"We're not supposed to," Heero agreed. "Some people still do, though. Dorothy brought hers; it's an ugly, yellow thing, and she has to pay extravagant sums for the parking permits to keep it there. I guess she thinks it's worth it, though."
"Well," Hilde said, "if you take Duo's car, that means I get his parking spot!" She smiled at the prospect. "That's almost enough to make me forget about the book. Almost, but not quite."
"Hey, Hilde," Quatre asked, "is this it?" He held up a thick book with a picture of a flower on the front and a "used" sticker on the side.
Hilde snatched it out of his hands. "Where did you find it?" she asked.
"Sitting on the table underneath your chemistry notes," he answered.
"Right where I left it," a new voice put in.
Looking up, Heero was pleased to see Duo coming through the door.
"Well, since I'm not you, I didn't know where you left it," Hilde rejoined, sticking her tongue out at him.
Duo ignored her. "Hi Heero. Sorry I'm late. Are you ready to go?"
Heero got up from his spot on the couch. "Yes, I'm ready."
"Great! Let me grab some stuff, and we can hit the road!"
Within fifteen minutes, Heero's bags and the remainder of Duo's luggage had been packed in the car, goodbyes had been exchanged with Quatre and Hilde, and they were on the road. Duo insisted on driving first, so Heero settled back and took a nap for the first stretch of the trip.
When he woke up, he had no idea where they were. The land looked the same on both sides of the highway: endless, flat, and brown.
"What road are we on?" he asked, yawning.
"One of the interstates," Duo answered. "Most boring stretches of road known to man. Say, Heero, there's a rest stop coming up soon. Do you want to switch then so you can drive? We're just going straight down this road for another three hours or so."
"Sure," Heero said. "But why don't you just pull off at the next exit and find a place to park so we can switch there?"
"Because I need to use the restrooms at said rest stop," Duo answered. "If I stay in this car much longer, I'm going to start singing the 'I Have to Pee' song."
"There's an 'I Have to Pee' song?"
"Yup," Duo grinned. "There's a little dance that goes along with it, but that's harder to do in the car."
Heero just snorted, shook his head, and continued to stare out the window.
~*~*~
"Hey, Heero! Wake up, we're here."
Heero blinked sleepily and sat up, wincing as his neck muscles complained about the position they had been in for the last hour or so. Looking out of the window, he observed that they had stopped in front of a small house. The lawn was mostly brown and dead, and off to the side of the house stood a garage with two old cars parked in front of it.
The passenger side door opened abruptly, and Duo was leaning down next to him, tugging at his arm. "C'mon, we're finally here!"
"And about bloody time too!" came a voice Heero didn't recognize.
Looking over Duo's shoulder, Heero caught sight of a man with grey hair. He was wearing sunglasses and the loudest Hawaiian shirt Heero had ever seen.
"Howard!" Duo launched himself at the man with all the enthusiasm of a five year old on Christmas. "Great to see ya!"
Howard somehow managed not to be bowled over by the assault, and accepted the hug gracefully. Then he held Duo at arm's length and surveyed him critically over his glasses.
"You're too skinny," he complained. "Don't they feed you up there?"
Duo laughed. "I'm in charge of feeding myself now. And anyway, you always say I'm too skinny."
"That's 'cause you are," Howard returned.
During this exchange, Heero had finally managed to wake himself up enough to get out of the car. He slammed the car door, and the noise seemed to draw Howard's attention to him. Peering over his glasses (Heero couldn't understand why he even bothered to wear them; it was night time, after all), he gave the newcomer the same critical stare he had fixed on Duo earlier.
"So, this is the boyfriend, is it?" he said. Duo nodded, and he went on, this time addressing Heero. "I was wondering when I was going to get to meet you."
"This is the first opportunity I've had to come here," Heero said. Holding out his hand, he added, "I'm Heero Yuy. It's a pleasure to meet you, Sir."
Howard shook his hand, but frown at him. "None of that 'sir' stuff; I can't stand it when people call me 'sir.' The name's Howard."
"Howard," Heero repeated, releasing his hand and taking a step back.
Howard nodded, apparently satisfied, and then gestured towards the open door of the house. "Well, c'mon in; I'm sure you're both tired after the long drive." He walked into the house, and they both trailed after him. They passed through a small living room, and by an even smaller kitchen. "Have you two eaten dinner yet?" Howard asked.
Duo nodded. "We got something on the way down."
Howard nodded vaguely. "Good. I'm afraid you're both going to have to stay in Duo's old room; the bed is made, and I set up a hammock in there too, since the bed is too narrow for two people."
"Either that, or you're just trying to sabotage my sex life," Duo quipped, not noticing the way Heero's ears went red at the suggestion.
Howard grunted. "You're an adult; your sex life is your own damn business. As long as I can't hear you, I don't care."
"Gee, that's nice to know," Duo said. He yawned widely. "Man, I'm beat. I think I'll give Heero a brief tour of the place and then hit the sack, okay?"
"Fine by me," Howard said. "See you in the morning."
Howard vanished into a small room that Duo said was his. Heero simply continued to trail after Duo as the other showed him where the bathroom was. "And this," Duo said, opening a door with a small flourish, "is where we stay."
The room was rather small, and barren. It contained a bed, a hammock, a card table, and two chairs.
"I know it's kind of small," Duo said, observing his reaction closely.
Heero shrugged. "No more so than the dorm rooms. It's just so... empty."
"That's because I don't live here anymore," Duo said. "When I did, the walls were covered with posters and you were lucky if you could see the floor under all my stuff. Now Howard usually uses it for storage space and only clears it out when he knows I'm coming to visit."
Heero nodded and continued to look around the small space.
"So," Duo went on, "do you want the hammock or the bed?"
Heero shrugged noncommittally.
"Have you ever slept in a hammock before?" Duo asked.
Heero shook his head.
"Then you'd better take the bed," Duo said. "Hammocks take a little getting used to."
Heero shrugged, but agreed. With the sleeping arrangements worked out, both young men quickly set about getting ready for bed. They took turns in the bathroom, and Duo insisted that Heero go first. Consequently, Heero was already in bed when Duo returned to the room.
Heero had expected Duo to change into his sleeping clothes in the bathroom, as he had done. However, Duo was used to changing in his own room, so when he returned, he simply stripped down to his boxers, ignoring the fact that he had an audience. A very appreciative audience at that...
Despite the fact that they had been dating for over two months, Heero had never seen Duo with so little clothing. He felt his mouth go dry, and had to swallow once or twice to solve the problem. Damn, but Duo looked good without a shirt...
"Goodnight, Heero," Duo said as he flipped off the light.
"Goodnight," Heero managed to respond.
There was the soft padding of feet on the floor, and then a rustling. Then suddenly, there was a startled yelp, followed by a thump and a curse. Heero sat bolt upright in bed. "Duo?"
More curses followed the first.
Climbing out of bed, Heero made his way over to the wall where the light switch was located and turned on the lights. What he saw was Duo sprawled on the floor, his bedding on top of him, and the hammock still swinging slightly.
"Are you alright?" Heero asked.
Duo blushed slightly. "I missed," was all he said.
Heero couldn't help it; he burst out laughing. For a moment, Duo just glare at him. But after a minute, he unbent a little and began to laugh too. "Guess it serves me right for being overly confident about how to handle a hammock, huh?"
Heero nodded, still laughing too hard to answered.
~*~*~
When Heero awoke the next morning, it was to bright sunlight and unfamiliar surroundings. After a minute, he remembered that he was in Duo's old room, a recollection aided by the sight of his companion sprawled in the hammock. Heero smiled sleepily as he surveyed his sleeping boyfriend. It was something he'd had occasion to do before; every time he'd spent the night with Duo before, he'd always been the first one to wake up in the mornings, and usually had to be the one to wake Duo up. Still, it was something he enjoyed.
It was obvious that Duo was not the most restful of sleepers. He'd twisted so that one of his arms was hanging out of the hammock, and he'd kicked the covers off at some point during the night. He was sprawled in a boneless and probably uncomfortable pose. Still, Heero couldn't help but find him attractive, even if he was at that moment drooling on his pillow.
That state of events was not to last long, however. A loud knock came at the door, accompanied by Howard's voice. "Duo! It's nearly noon!"
Duo's face scrunched up slightly. "Bugger off, Hilde," he muttered, still mostly asleep.
Heero suppressed a snicker.
The knocking intensified. "DUO!!"
"What?!" Duo snapped, sitting up abruptly. Unfortunately, his sudden movement had the undesired effect of unbalancing him, causing the hammock to flip. With an *oof* he hit the floor, spilling pillows and blankets on top of him.
"Duo?" Howard questioned, having heard the thump Duo made from outside.
"I'm up!" Duo answered sourly. "Or down, as the case may be," he muttered to himself. Then, catching sight of Heero's face, he added, "Stop your laughing and just be glad I didn't make you sleep in the damn thing."
After a shower and some breakfast (or lunch, depending on whose standards you went by), Duo was feeling much less grouchy. "So, Howard, what's on the agenda today?" he asked as he shoveled food into his mouth.
"What, I'm supposed to entertain you?" Howard asked teasingly.
"Nah," Duo answered easily. "I just figured you'd be happy to take advantage of the unpaid labor I provide."
Howard just snorted and shook his head, so Duo turned to Heero. "Hey, Heero, you ever worked on a car before?"
"No," Heero had to admit.
"Never?" Duo asked, sounding like he couldn't quite believe that.
Heero shrugged. "Well, just to put the oil in and stuff."
"Didn't you ever take auto shop in high school?"
Shaking his head, he answered, "No, I was too busy taking college prep courses. Why? Did you?"
Duo grinned. "I never took the class because I never needed to. My uncle here," he gestured at Howard, "is a mechanic. A damned good one too, if I do say so. Usually, when I come home for break, we spend some male bonding time with our heads under the hoods of cars."
"Sounds like fun," Heero said dryly.
Duo laughed. "Well, it can be. So, you want to come with us and learn a thing or two about cars?"
Heero considered for a moment. "Sure, why not."
As Howard eyed him as though sizing him up and Duo gave him a grin that had a feral element to it, Heero wondered what in the world he had gotten himself into.
~*~*~
"I can't believe you didn't know what a carburetor looked like," Duo laughed as he and Heero trudged towards the bathroom.
"I can't believe you find that so funny," Heero retorted irritably. At that moment, he wanted nothing more than to be clean and free of the grease and grime that coated him. He'd been enjoying himself enough that he hadn't noticed until Howard had told him that he was a quick learner and ruffled his hair. Having a man he barely knew ruffling his hair was bad enough, but what made things worse was that, after working on cars all day, Howard's hands had been nearly black. Heero could swear he felt the grease seeping through his hair, and resisted the urge to rub his head, knowing that it would only make things worse.
"I get the shower first," he said.
"No way!" Duo protested. "It's my house!"
"And I'm your guest," Heero reminded him.
"So?" Duo said. "I got dirtier than you did today."
Their argument was interrupted by the sound of the bathroom door closing and, a moment later, the sound of running water. They stopped and looked at each other.
"Howard?" Heero asked.
Duo nodded, looking put out. "Who'd have thought? The old geezer beat us to it."
And they settled down together to wait until the bathroom was free.
~*~*~
The next day, when Heero woke up, it was to a silent house. Duo was asleep in the hammock, the same as the morning before, but there was no movement in the rest of the house. Curious, he got up and wandered out of the bedroom, ignoring the fact that he had very few clothes on.
There was no sign of Howard. Aside from himself and Duo, the house seemed to be empty. Nor could he find a note of any kind suggesting where Duo's uncle was. Confused, Heero settled down to wait and see whether Howard would put in an appearance.
As it turned out, Duo was the first one to put in an appearance. He came out, yawning and stretching, and groggily stumbled towards the kitchen, mumbling something about breakfast.
"Shouldn't you get dressed first?" Heero asked.
"Why bother?" Duo said as he headed for the coffee maker. "There's no one here but you and me."
"Where's Howard?"
"He had to go to work. It's Monday, and just because we're off doesn't mean he is." Having poured himself a cup of coffee of unknown age, Duo set about rummaging in the cupboards. "He won't be back until later this evening."
Heero nodded vaguely, watching his boyfriend pull out a box of cereal and two bowls. "What do we do today while he's gone?" he asked.
Duo shrugged. "Are you any good at cards?"
~*~*~
The next few days passed in a fairly uneventful manner. While Howard was at work during the day, Heero and Duo would pass the time by playing cards and board games, or by going out in Duo's car. Duo pointed places out to Heero, and told him about his high school friends, most of whom were no longer around. Heero got better at poker and card games in general, and enjoyed the pride that came with the ability to win every once in a while.
It was on such a day, as they sat on the floor in Duo's room playing Egyptian Poker, that Heero decided to ask about something that he had been wondering about for several days. "You know, Duo," he started causally, "you and Howard don't look a lot alike.
Duo paused for a moment, then threw another card onto the pile. "That's because he's not really my uncle."
"Then why do you call him that?" Heero asked.
"Because it sure beats calling him Dad," Duo answered harshly. He spotted a pair and slapped the pile a little more vigorously than was necessary. For another moment, they played in silence, neither one looking at the other.
Finally, Duo sighed and ran his hand through his hair in a nervous gesture. "Look, Heero, I'd really rather not talk about it. Suffice it to say that even thought Howard isn't related to me, he was the only one left after my parents died. That's all I'm going to say about it for now, okay?"
"Okay," Heero answered quietly. He quietly added another card to the pile. Another pair came up, but neither of them noticed, and it went unslapped. After a moment, Heero quietly said, "I'm sorry." He wasn't sure if he was speaking about Duo's loss or about his bringing the subject up.
Duo chose to interpret it as an apology for the subject. "It's alright," he said. "I just don't like talking about it, that's all."
Heero nodded understandingly, even though he didn't really understand. They continued to play in silence.
~*~*~
For a little while after their conversation, relations between Heero and Duo were somewhat strained. Heero tried hard to be careful and avoid any subject even remotely related to parents, and Duo seemed to be trying to avoid conversation in general. However, by the time Howard had returned, they had reached an uneasy truce.
If Howard noticed the tension between them, he didn't give any sign to that effect. However, Heero did notice that both he and Duo vanished for a little while after dinner. They were back before he had much time to wonder where they were, and he noticed that while Duo was still very subdued, he seemed more at ease.
That night, as they were climbing into bed, Duo finally spoke. "I'm sorry if I seemed irritated with you earlier."
"You had a right to be," Heero said. "It was really none of my business."
"But you're my boyfriend, so that makes it kind of your business," Duo pointed out. "It's just that things got a lot harder after my parents died. I mean, Howard's great, and he really tries hard, but it's not the same. And on top of all that, there were the financial issues, and..." he trailed off, then grimaced. "It was just a mess. In some ways, it still is."
"Is that why you have to work at the library?" Heero asked, forgetting some of his earlier trepidation about asking personal questions.
"Work in the library, apply for financial aid and scholarships, anything I can get," Duo said. "That's why it's so important that I do well in my classes, which was one of the reasons I was so glad you agreed to help me with my math that first quarter. Well, that and I got a great boyfriend out the deal," he added, smiling over at Heero.
"I don't recall that being part of the initial agreement," Heero grumbled teasingly.
Duo grinned. "It's a perk."
~*~*~
"Bye, Howard!" Duo yelled out the window one last time as they pulled away. Behind them, Howard raised his hand once more in a farewell gesture, and then they turned a corner and lost sight of him and the house.
"Watch the road, Duo," Heero admonished as Duo twisted his head to stare back longingly once more.
"I know," Duo said, straightening and giving him a sheepish grin. "I just always hate leaving home. I love school and all that, but the holidays always seem to short for me. You ever have that problem?"
"Not really," Heero admitted. "I prefer school to home. More freedom and more friends."
Duo smiled knowingly. "Well, you're in luck, because in approximately six hours, we'll be back at school and getting ready to start a new quarter."
"Yay," Heero muttered.
Tbc
Alright, I know it's been almost three months since I updated. I really am sorry. My excuses are: 1) this turned out to be an abnormally long chapter, and 2) I get distracted easily. Hopefully, the next part shouldn't take as long.