Warning/Pairing: Duo and Heero, smidgeon of angst, fluff

Author note: I'm posting this earlier than usual because I'm leaving to go out of town in an hour. I don't know if I'll be able to upload stories for the 23-25th onto ffn. (I'll be at a friends and his computer doesn't have a writing program apparently). You can still read them though because I'll be able to load them directly into my live journal account. You can access it from my bio section under webpage.

December 22nd

Angel Wings

The ornament wasn't very big. He didn't even know if Heero had a tree. Actually he hadn't seen Heero in a year and wasn't exactly sure where he was, just the general area of a small town.

It'd taken a long time to learn that much.

The ornament was light, delicate silver woven together to make a pair of wings. He'd seen it in the shop window and immediately thought of Heero.

So he'd bought it. And then realized rather stupidly that it might seem odd to track Heero down, turn up out of the blue and hand him a Christmas ornament. Did the guy even do anything for Christmas?

At least he wasn't with Relena. Duo was honest enough with himself to admit that the idea of Heero off cuddling up with Relena made him want to throw things. Break things. Kick small puppies.

Which was totally ridiculous because he'd hardly spoken with Heero, let alone told him he had a huge man crush on the guy.

Well more than a man crush. Duo didn't think about Heero constantly but when he did it made his chest ache. He often talked to him, or at least talked to a Heero that he pretended was there to listen. Just letting him know about his day, the things he'd seen, if something was bothering him.

Duo hoped that wherever Heero was, he was happy. And not alone. Just not with Relena, of course. Duo was alone and it was . . . lonely.

The ornament sat in a small black box, tied with a red ribbon. The shopkeeper had been an elderly woman with white fluffy hair and a kind smile. She'd thought he was buying it for his girlfriend. He'd explained it was for his best friend whom he hadn't seen in a very long time.

She'd told him she hoped he found his friend soon. "You look too sad for this time of year." Then she'd given him a sugar cookie, tied his muffler more securely around his neck and sent him out.

Old people were weird.

So now he was hovering in the public library, waiting for the librarian to bring him a copy of the town's phone directory. He didn't really expect Heero to be listed but it wouldn't hurt to check.

He wondered what Heero was doing in a place like this anyway. He'd figured Heero would take off for the colonies but he'd end up back on Earth. In a small town in the northern hemisphere that got a lot of snow.

It'd been snowing all day. Duo had walked through it, occasionally pausing to scoop up a handful and lick it. He hadn't expected it to be so fluffy. And tasteless. He wasn't sure what he'd expected.

There was a large tree in the town square across from the library. It was decorated with lights and red bows and children ran around it chucking snowballs at each other. Duo clutched the small box tighter and wondered not for the first time, what the hell he was doing here.

He could be on an island somewhere lying on a beach. Or on Howard's ship tinkering with equipment. The sweepers would be passing the rum around by now, belting out obscene Christmas songs and getting toasted. If he were on a beach he could be working on his tan and not here, figuring out how to pull his hat further down over his ears.

But on a beach he'd be alone. And on the sweeper ship he'd feel alone. And at least here he was moving and doing something. Even if it was a bust and Heero was busy or had company, he could at least just leave the gift on his doorstep.

There weren't any Yuys listed in the phone book. He hadn't really expected to find any. He shut it and closed his eyes in defeat. Absently rubbing the ache in his chest he slumped back in the chair discouraged.

There was a thud as someone dropped a stack of books and a muffled cry by the librarian. He opened his eyes when he felt somebody standing in front of him and looked up.

Blue eyes stared at him in shock, the librarian practically tugging on the man's arm and asking him if he was ok.

Duo stared back, the ache suddenly gone and held the box up to the figure in front of him. "I was looking for you. I wanted to give you a present . . . "

He trailed off when Heero continued to just stare at him and he fumbled the box a little before setting it down to rest in his lap. "I just saw it and thought of you. It's ok if you don't celebrate Christmas."

Suddenly Heero was on his knees in front of him pulling off his hat and tugging on his muffler. Duo let him, confused but kept still. Finally Heero stopped pulling layers of winter clothes off and silent reached out to touch the edges of Duo's hair.

Oh.

"You cut it." When Heero finally spoke it was the same raspy voice Duo had heard answer him in his imagination every day.

"Yes." Duo reached out to touch the ends of Heero's own hair. Still the same chocolate brown that refused to lay properly.

"Why?"

The librarian must have decided they were ok, even though Heero was still on his knees in front of Duo. She'd wandered away, gathering books up off the floor. Duo watched her disappear and then looked at Heero wondering how to explain something he wasn't sure of himself.

"It was time to move on. Time to . . . look forward."

"Do you regret it?" Fingers gently touched the ends, smoothing them and brushing a loose strand out of Duo's eyes.

"Sometimes." He swallowed, "Looking forward is hard to do when you're always alone."

Heero finally noticed the box and picked it up. "This is for me?"

Duo nodded. Heero carefully untied the ribbon and lifted the lid. The silver wings rested in tissue paper, glowing in the light.

Heero lifted them out of the box and watched them spin slowly in the air. He was silent for a long time and then put them back and closed the lid.

Duo was beginning to wonder if he'd done something wrong, when Heero suddenly stood, pulling Duo into a tight hug. "Thank you." He whispered in his ear.

Duo hugged him back. "I've been looking for you."

Heero let go and touched Duo's hair again, smiling softly. "Here I am."

...O...

The letter was waiting for her when she opened her shop that morning. Inside was just a photograph. She recognized the young man, he'd come into her shop alone, a face so lonely and sad, wanting to buy a gift for his friend. This time though he wasn't alone; he was standing next to another young man, arm slung over his shoulder. And he had the most beautiful smile on his face.

There was a simple note on the back.

"Thank you."