I apologize for the lengthy break between chapters, and I should warn people that it may take a while for me to get the next chapter finished. This quarter is turning out to be especially hectic, and I may not have much free time for the foreseeable future.
Disclaimers: Gundam Wing and its characters do not belong to me. Warnings: shounen ai, language in later parts, Relena bashing? (I'm not trying to, but some people will hate her anyway.)
Courtship Rituals
By Rapunzel
Part 3: Apologies
The next morning, when Heero came into the living room, he was surprised to see the five roses sitting in a cup of water, looking slightly less sorry than they had the night before. Their presence made him feel rather guilty about snapping at Duo the previous night. After all, this whole mess wasn't Duo's fault; if he hadn't forgotten the flowers in the first place, he wouldn't have had to raid from Relena's garden. With that thought in mind, he sought out his roommate, intending to apologize to him, only to find that Duo wasn't there.
That surprised Heero. Duo didn't work with the Preventors like he did, and he usually left the apartment a little later than Heero. At first, Heero thought that the former pilot might be sleeping in, but his bedroom was empty as well. Confused, Heero wandered around the apartment once more, as if hoping to discover his roommate concealed somewhere. However, he was forced to admit defeat and start preparing for work or run the risk of being late.
/Duo,/ he thought as he donned his uniform. /Where the hell are you?/
"I'm sorry to make you come over so early," Relena said apologetically as she ushered Duo into one of the well-furnished sitting rooms in her house.
"It's no trouble," Duo assured her. "If you hadn't contacted me, I'd have been in touch with you anyway."
They sat down, Duo on the couch and Relena in an armchair facing him. Relena fidgeted a bit, twisting the arm cover of the chair for a moment before blurting, "It's just that last night didn't go at all as I wanted it to."
Duo snorted lightly. "I don't think it went the way anyone wanted it to. Heero didn't exactly plan for that to happen either, you know."
"Well, but what was he thinking, cutting my flowers like that?" Relena demanded.
"How was he supposed to know not to?" Duo asked.
She frowned furiously. "It's not exactly a proper thing to do," she said, sounding rather disdainful.
Duo threw up his hands. "He doesn't know about that! Heero's never had to be 'proper' before in his life! He's a soldier, Relena, or at least he was, and he still thinks like one. When he needs something, he simply takes it from wherever he can get it. That little thing called social etiquette doesn't mean much to him yet."
"That's why I asked you to help him," Relena said, exasperated.
Duo sighed heavily. "You did," he said seriously. "And maybe I'm falling down on the job, in which case you should get mad at me, not Heero."
"What makes you think I'm mad at Heero?" Relena demanded, surprised.
The look Duo gave her could best be described as skeptical. "Aren't you?" he asked. "Because that's sure the impression I was getting, and I'm almost positive it's the one Heero was getting too."
"I'm not mad at him," Relena protested. "Not really... Well, maybe I was, just a little bit," she conceded.
"You really upset him, you know that?" Duo said seriously. "He was in a very bad mood last night." He sighed, and repeated softly, "A very bad mood..."
Relena frowned. Duo sounded... hurt?
Whatever mood was gripping Duo, he seemed to shake it off quickly. "Anyway," he continued, "you have to be more patient with him. Dating rituals are a complicated thing, and most people have been learning them since childhood. Heero's not going to get this stuff overnight, if he ever does."
"Okay, okay," Relena said, making a placating gesture with her hands. "How's this? I'll call him up at work and say I'm sorry for making a scene."
Duo nodded. "You do that."
"Just please," Relena said, leaning forward beseechingly, "please don't let this happen again. My gardener is furious right now. She thinks Heero planted the aphids on her roses. The last time I mentioned him to her, she muttered something ominous about pruning sheers."
Duo winced. "I'll make sure he knows to steer clear of her."
"Good," Relena said. "And you'll still help out?"
"As long as Heero wants me to," Duo answered seriously. Then he glanced at his watch. "I'm sorry to cut this short, but I've got to go, or I'll be late for work."
He stood, and Relena stood with him. "Thank you for coming over," she said. "I'm sorry I had to get you up so early."
He waved that away. "Ah, don't worry about it."
She frowned at that, observing him a little more closely. "You look tired," she pointed out, and to her surprise, he really did. She didn't think she'd ever seen Duo tired before; he always gave such an impression of boundless energy.
Duo gave her a wan smile. "I had a little trouble sleeping last night, that's all. I'll take a nap or something later."
Relena nodded and let the subject drop. After all, it wasn't her place to pry.
The phone was ringing.
At first, Heero cursed the sound for distracting him in the middle of the file he was reading. Who the hell was calling him right before his lunch hour? And why? Whatever their reason was, Heero thought sourly, it had better be good. Then another thought occurred to him. What if it was Duo? Irrational though the thought was, for Duo almost never phoned him at work unless there was something very important going on, it spurred Heero into picking up the receiver and mutter an almost cordial "Hello?"
"Heero?"
Heero blinked. Relena? Of all the people to be calling him, she was one of the least likely. As far as he could remember, she had never called him at work before. Outside of work, yes, but never during.
Perhaps Relena sensed some hesitation on his end of the line, for she said, "I'm not interrupting anything important, am I?"
"No," Heero answered, tossing aside the folder.
"Oh, good," Relena sounded relieved.
"Why are you calling?" Heero asked, eager to cut to the chase. He had never understood the whole bother of dancing around an issue with a lot of idle chitchat when you could simply save a lot of time by coming right out and saying it.
"Well, it's about last night."
Heero grunted. He'd been afraid of that.
"It's just that last night really didn't go as well as I'd hoped," Relena said hesitantly.
/No shit?/ Heero thought, but didn't say it aloud. Relena had never really liked swearing.
"Well, I've been thinking about it, and I realized that I was probably a little harsh with you. I mean, it wasn't entirely your fault."
/Wasn't it?/ Heero wondered, but Relena was still speaking.
"It was really very sweet of you to think to bring me flowers in the first place, I suppose, and I don't think I appreciated that enough." Relena was talking very fast now, sounding nervous. "What I mean to say is that that attempt got botched, but would you like to try again?"
There was a breathless pause. Heero considered.
"Not right away," he said after a moment. He'd need time to consult with Duo, after all.
"Well, whenever you want," Relena answered, sounding slightly disappointed, but still rather hopeful.
Heero thought about it some more. "Friday?" he asked. That would give him a few days to prepare.
"Okay," Relena said, sounding breathless and excited now. "What time?"
"Six o'clock," Heero answered. That would also give him plenty of time for whatever plans he ended up making.
"You'll pick me up?" Relena asked eagerly.
Heero nodded. "Yes. Be ready at six."
"I will!" Relena assured him eagerly.
"Good," Heero said, thinking that this was anything but good. One part of his mind was jabbering away in panic, asking him just what the hell he thought he was doing. He should have consulted Duo first. "I have to go now," he said abruptly, wanting to end the conversation before he could dig himself in any deeper.
"Okay," Relena said. "I'll see you on Friday then. Oh, and Heero?"
"What?" he asked, feeling a little nervous about what she was going to say.
"You don't have to bring me flowers."
The moment Heero walked into the apartment, the smell of cooking onions reached his nostrils, telling him that not only had Duo arrived home before him, but his roommate was trying his hand at cooking. That was a little odd, since neither of them really knew how to cook well and they mostly just avoided the chore as much as possible. Still, he didn't have time to puzzle over it. He had an apology that he'd been waiting all day to make, after all.
Duo was standing by the stove when he entered the kitchen, his back to the entryway. However, he must have heard Heero's approach, for he turned around and gave his roommate a somewhat hesitant smile. "Hey, Heero. How's it going?"
"Better," Heero admitted. Taking a deep breath, he launched into what needed to be said. "Duo, I'm sorry I snapped at you last night."
The smile Duo gave him was a little less hesitant. "It's okay. You were in a bad mood."
"That doesn't mean I should take it out on you when you're trying to help me," Heero muttered.
"No," Duo agreed, "it doesn't. But you were upset, and I understand, and you've apologized, so now it's over. You said today went better?"
Heero nodded.
"Did you talk to Relena today?" Duo asked.
Heero was surprised. How the hell had Duo known that? It was positively uncanny sometimes, the way his roommate knew things without being told.
"Yes," he answered. "She called me up to apologize."
"Well," Duo said, "I guess that explains why you're in a better mood now."
/Does it?/ Heero wondered. It might, he supposed. After all, it was nice to hear confirmation that he hadn't totally screwed up this whole dating thing, however badly the previous night had gone. Which was good, because he was going to have to try again.
"Relena wants me to go out with her again," Heero told his roommate.
"And what did you say?" Duo wanted to know.
"I fixed the date for this Friday," Heero said. "Duo... I need your help, or I'm going to screw this one up too."
The smile Duo gave him had a hint of melancholy in it, but it was gone before Heero had time to try and discern its cause. All Duo said was, "Hey, that's what I'm here for. And don't talk so negative; you won't screw up this time."
"Duo..." Heero was touched. He wanted to say he was grateful. To thank Duo for all of his help. To thank him for putting up with his socially challenged roommate even in the midst of crises and mood swings. Instead, what came out of his mouth was, "Your onions are burning."
"Shit!" Duo whirled around and hastily reduced the heat underneath his pan, desperately trying to salvage the food. "Quick, Heero, open the windows before we set off the smoke alarm!"
Heero did as he had been told without comment, abandoning the idea of brining up his sentiments again. After all, he mused, there would be plenty of time to talk to Duo later.
Tbc...
And thus, the stage is set for the next fiasco...
And now, feedback for the reviewers!
Mazza2869: Thank you for your thorough comments. I do tend to be a little comma happy at times, and it's good that someone calls me on it. Most of you other corrections are well received too. However, with regard to my use of distemper, I stand by my choice of wording. In my dictionary, if you sift through the disease entries, you come on one that reads, "Ill humor or testiness." Hm... so you found chapter two a little flatter? How so? I probably can't see these things because I'm too close to it. And as for the G-boys having girly mannerisms, if I ever make them overly girly in anything other than a parody, I hope someone shoots me for the good of the fandom.
Camillian: It's true that while I'm not trying to bash Relena outright, I do write her as being somewhat less than understanding. That's the way she has to be for the plot to progress. And yes, Duo does care very deeply for Heero at the moment, he just hasn't said anything yet.
kari073: Thanks for your enthusiasm. I'm afraid updates will be rather infrequent, but I hope that doesn't drive you off. With regards to the POV, I was planning to mostly tell it from Heero's point of view, with a little bit of Relena thrown in to explain some things. Not so much Duo, I'm afraid. I figure he gets enough POV time in my other fics. As for what scenes I'll do next, well, you'll just have to wait and see. .
Thanks to everyone else who commented on this fic! I may not have gotten to everyone, but I really do appreciate all the comments I get.
Disclaimers: Gundam Wing and its characters do not belong to me. Warnings: shounen ai, language in later parts, Relena bashing? (I'm not trying to, but some people will hate her anyway.)
Courtship Rituals
By Rapunzel
Part 3: Apologies
The next morning, when Heero came into the living room, he was surprised to see the five roses sitting in a cup of water, looking slightly less sorry than they had the night before. Their presence made him feel rather guilty about snapping at Duo the previous night. After all, this whole mess wasn't Duo's fault; if he hadn't forgotten the flowers in the first place, he wouldn't have had to raid from Relena's garden. With that thought in mind, he sought out his roommate, intending to apologize to him, only to find that Duo wasn't there.
That surprised Heero. Duo didn't work with the Preventors like he did, and he usually left the apartment a little later than Heero. At first, Heero thought that the former pilot might be sleeping in, but his bedroom was empty as well. Confused, Heero wandered around the apartment once more, as if hoping to discover his roommate concealed somewhere. However, he was forced to admit defeat and start preparing for work or run the risk of being late.
/Duo,/ he thought as he donned his uniform. /Where the hell are you?/
"I'm sorry to make you come over so early," Relena said apologetically as she ushered Duo into one of the well-furnished sitting rooms in her house.
"It's no trouble," Duo assured her. "If you hadn't contacted me, I'd have been in touch with you anyway."
They sat down, Duo on the couch and Relena in an armchair facing him. Relena fidgeted a bit, twisting the arm cover of the chair for a moment before blurting, "It's just that last night didn't go at all as I wanted it to."
Duo snorted lightly. "I don't think it went the way anyone wanted it to. Heero didn't exactly plan for that to happen either, you know."
"Well, but what was he thinking, cutting my flowers like that?" Relena demanded.
"How was he supposed to know not to?" Duo asked.
She frowned furiously. "It's not exactly a proper thing to do," she said, sounding rather disdainful.
Duo threw up his hands. "He doesn't know about that! Heero's never had to be 'proper' before in his life! He's a soldier, Relena, or at least he was, and he still thinks like one. When he needs something, he simply takes it from wherever he can get it. That little thing called social etiquette doesn't mean much to him yet."
"That's why I asked you to help him," Relena said, exasperated.
Duo sighed heavily. "You did," he said seriously. "And maybe I'm falling down on the job, in which case you should get mad at me, not Heero."
"What makes you think I'm mad at Heero?" Relena demanded, surprised.
The look Duo gave her could best be described as skeptical. "Aren't you?" he asked. "Because that's sure the impression I was getting, and I'm almost positive it's the one Heero was getting too."
"I'm not mad at him," Relena protested. "Not really... Well, maybe I was, just a little bit," she conceded.
"You really upset him, you know that?" Duo said seriously. "He was in a very bad mood last night." He sighed, and repeated softly, "A very bad mood..."
Relena frowned. Duo sounded... hurt?
Whatever mood was gripping Duo, he seemed to shake it off quickly. "Anyway," he continued, "you have to be more patient with him. Dating rituals are a complicated thing, and most people have been learning them since childhood. Heero's not going to get this stuff overnight, if he ever does."
"Okay, okay," Relena said, making a placating gesture with her hands. "How's this? I'll call him up at work and say I'm sorry for making a scene."
Duo nodded. "You do that."
"Just please," Relena said, leaning forward beseechingly, "please don't let this happen again. My gardener is furious right now. She thinks Heero planted the aphids on her roses. The last time I mentioned him to her, she muttered something ominous about pruning sheers."
Duo winced. "I'll make sure he knows to steer clear of her."
"Good," Relena said. "And you'll still help out?"
"As long as Heero wants me to," Duo answered seriously. Then he glanced at his watch. "I'm sorry to cut this short, but I've got to go, or I'll be late for work."
He stood, and Relena stood with him. "Thank you for coming over," she said. "I'm sorry I had to get you up so early."
He waved that away. "Ah, don't worry about it."
She frowned at that, observing him a little more closely. "You look tired," she pointed out, and to her surprise, he really did. She didn't think she'd ever seen Duo tired before; he always gave such an impression of boundless energy.
Duo gave her a wan smile. "I had a little trouble sleeping last night, that's all. I'll take a nap or something later."
Relena nodded and let the subject drop. After all, it wasn't her place to pry.
The phone was ringing.
At first, Heero cursed the sound for distracting him in the middle of the file he was reading. Who the hell was calling him right before his lunch hour? And why? Whatever their reason was, Heero thought sourly, it had better be good. Then another thought occurred to him. What if it was Duo? Irrational though the thought was, for Duo almost never phoned him at work unless there was something very important going on, it spurred Heero into picking up the receiver and mutter an almost cordial "Hello?"
"Heero?"
Heero blinked. Relena? Of all the people to be calling him, she was one of the least likely. As far as he could remember, she had never called him at work before. Outside of work, yes, but never during.
Perhaps Relena sensed some hesitation on his end of the line, for she said, "I'm not interrupting anything important, am I?"
"No," Heero answered, tossing aside the folder.
"Oh, good," Relena sounded relieved.
"Why are you calling?" Heero asked, eager to cut to the chase. He had never understood the whole bother of dancing around an issue with a lot of idle chitchat when you could simply save a lot of time by coming right out and saying it.
"Well, it's about last night."
Heero grunted. He'd been afraid of that.
"It's just that last night really didn't go as well as I'd hoped," Relena said hesitantly.
/No shit?/ Heero thought, but didn't say it aloud. Relena had never really liked swearing.
"Well, I've been thinking about it, and I realized that I was probably a little harsh with you. I mean, it wasn't entirely your fault."
/Wasn't it?/ Heero wondered, but Relena was still speaking.
"It was really very sweet of you to think to bring me flowers in the first place, I suppose, and I don't think I appreciated that enough." Relena was talking very fast now, sounding nervous. "What I mean to say is that that attempt got botched, but would you like to try again?"
There was a breathless pause. Heero considered.
"Not right away," he said after a moment. He'd need time to consult with Duo, after all.
"Well, whenever you want," Relena answered, sounding slightly disappointed, but still rather hopeful.
Heero thought about it some more. "Friday?" he asked. That would give him a few days to prepare.
"Okay," Relena said, sounding breathless and excited now. "What time?"
"Six o'clock," Heero answered. That would also give him plenty of time for whatever plans he ended up making.
"You'll pick me up?" Relena asked eagerly.
Heero nodded. "Yes. Be ready at six."
"I will!" Relena assured him eagerly.
"Good," Heero said, thinking that this was anything but good. One part of his mind was jabbering away in panic, asking him just what the hell he thought he was doing. He should have consulted Duo first. "I have to go now," he said abruptly, wanting to end the conversation before he could dig himself in any deeper.
"Okay," Relena said. "I'll see you on Friday then. Oh, and Heero?"
"What?" he asked, feeling a little nervous about what she was going to say.
"You don't have to bring me flowers."
The moment Heero walked into the apartment, the smell of cooking onions reached his nostrils, telling him that not only had Duo arrived home before him, but his roommate was trying his hand at cooking. That was a little odd, since neither of them really knew how to cook well and they mostly just avoided the chore as much as possible. Still, he didn't have time to puzzle over it. He had an apology that he'd been waiting all day to make, after all.
Duo was standing by the stove when he entered the kitchen, his back to the entryway. However, he must have heard Heero's approach, for he turned around and gave his roommate a somewhat hesitant smile. "Hey, Heero. How's it going?"
"Better," Heero admitted. Taking a deep breath, he launched into what needed to be said. "Duo, I'm sorry I snapped at you last night."
The smile Duo gave him was a little less hesitant. "It's okay. You were in a bad mood."
"That doesn't mean I should take it out on you when you're trying to help me," Heero muttered.
"No," Duo agreed, "it doesn't. But you were upset, and I understand, and you've apologized, so now it's over. You said today went better?"
Heero nodded.
"Did you talk to Relena today?" Duo asked.
Heero was surprised. How the hell had Duo known that? It was positively uncanny sometimes, the way his roommate knew things without being told.
"Yes," he answered. "She called me up to apologize."
"Well," Duo said, "I guess that explains why you're in a better mood now."
/Does it?/ Heero wondered. It might, he supposed. After all, it was nice to hear confirmation that he hadn't totally screwed up this whole dating thing, however badly the previous night had gone. Which was good, because he was going to have to try again.
"Relena wants me to go out with her again," Heero told his roommate.
"And what did you say?" Duo wanted to know.
"I fixed the date for this Friday," Heero said. "Duo... I need your help, or I'm going to screw this one up too."
The smile Duo gave him had a hint of melancholy in it, but it was gone before Heero had time to try and discern its cause. All Duo said was, "Hey, that's what I'm here for. And don't talk so negative; you won't screw up this time."
"Duo..." Heero was touched. He wanted to say he was grateful. To thank Duo for all of his help. To thank him for putting up with his socially challenged roommate even in the midst of crises and mood swings. Instead, what came out of his mouth was, "Your onions are burning."
"Shit!" Duo whirled around and hastily reduced the heat underneath his pan, desperately trying to salvage the food. "Quick, Heero, open the windows before we set off the smoke alarm!"
Heero did as he had been told without comment, abandoning the idea of brining up his sentiments again. After all, he mused, there would be plenty of time to talk to Duo later.
Tbc...
And thus, the stage is set for the next fiasco...
And now, feedback for the reviewers!
Mazza2869: Thank you for your thorough comments. I do tend to be a little comma happy at times, and it's good that someone calls me on it. Most of you other corrections are well received too. However, with regard to my use of distemper, I stand by my choice of wording. In my dictionary, if you sift through the disease entries, you come on one that reads, "Ill humor or testiness." Hm... so you found chapter two a little flatter? How so? I probably can't see these things because I'm too close to it. And as for the G-boys having girly mannerisms, if I ever make them overly girly in anything other than a parody, I hope someone shoots me for the good of the fandom.
Camillian: It's true that while I'm not trying to bash Relena outright, I do write her as being somewhat less than understanding. That's the way she has to be for the plot to progress. And yes, Duo does care very deeply for Heero at the moment, he just hasn't said anything yet.
kari073: Thanks for your enthusiasm. I'm afraid updates will be rather infrequent, but I hope that doesn't drive you off. With regards to the POV, I was planning to mostly tell it from Heero's point of view, with a little bit of Relena thrown in to explain some things. Not so much Duo, I'm afraid. I figure he gets enough POV time in my other fics. As for what scenes I'll do next, well, you'll just have to wait and see. .
Thanks to everyone else who commented on this fic! I may not have gotten to everyone, but I really do appreciate all the comments I get.