Duo hummed lightly to himself as he moved lithely around the tables in the little restaurant his smiles soft and soothing as he served the customers. The entire restaurant seemed to be affected by the man's gentle smiles as he served them his warm aura filled with amorous thoughts of a certain chocolate haired man. His braid waved behind him lackadaisically as he moved with a certain jump and spark in his step his hands moving with ease and practice as if caressing a smooth face instead of balancing a set of six plates full of food.
Larry watched his chestnut haired friend move and smiled to himself thoughtfully as he watched the friend he had come to cherish move about so gracefully. "That boy is in love." An old woman commented to no one although Larry heard it since she was sitting at a table right next to his counter. "I would suppose he is and a good thing too, he's too hard on himself." Larry responded as he watched his friend's glorious smile rain down upon another table.
"I say it's sure good to see that young love like his still exists." The old woman said with a certain wispy air to her tone. "The kind that seems to just exude from every pore of their body and settle on them and everyone around them like a good quilt during the winter blizzards." She continued with a knowing smile. Larry nodded in agreement as he watched his amethyst eyed friend walk back smiling and checking his customers and other tables.
"Hey Larry, what's up?" Duo said with a faint hint of a smile beginning to show again. "Nothing kiddo, just..." Larry began as the door opened causing both men to turn around and notice the new customer walk into the store. Keri moved to serve him, but stopped as Duo put a hand on her and moved towards the man himself. Larry watched his friend walk with a near bounce towards the chocolate haired customer and greet the man with warmth that seemed to be suffused with a deep affection.
"Hey Mr. Blue Eyes." Duo said softly his amethyst eyes gleaming with barely concealed mirth. Heero's eyes looked into those same eyes his own cobalt orbs suddenly turning warm and caring as he looked at the chestnut haired beauty. "Baka, you know my name by now." Heero said in a near whisper as if a loud voice would break the look that seemed to be absorbing their worlds.
"Nope, I forgot." Duo said mischievously as he began to smile brightly. "Am I that forgettable?" Heero asked as if he was hurt his eyes laughing silently. "Maybe you can refresh my memory." Duo smiled as he watched the Japanese man barely contain what was threatening to be a very big smile. "Refresh your memory, ne? Hmm, I seem to remember sharing a blanket with this almond haired man one summer night with the skies being lit on fire in a spectacular display." Heero said breathlessly as he restrained the urge to grab the man into what would be their first kiss. But he wanted their first kiss to be very special and so he restrained himself.
"Hmm, I think I recall such a time. Although I wish I knew who this almond haired man was." Duo said with a frown as if trying to recall the memory although his brilliant smile betrayed him. "Duo?" Keri asked as she nearly bumped into the long haired man who had stood lost in the customer's blue eyes. Duo shook his head as if brushing off a fly and smiled brightly as he motioned for Heero to follow him to a table.
The two men walked slowly constantly sneaking a glance at the other with shy, but furtive peeks and subtle smiles. Larry and the old woman chuckled at the sight, the two men's obvious feelings for the other amusing the two as the woman was relieved to see young love, and the manager relieved to see his hard working friend finally give in to his youth and enjoy the feelings of being in love.
Larry watched as Duo wrote down whatever the wild haired man was ordering which seemed to be only a small amount, but took longer as the two men kept staring at each other deeply. Larry chuckled as Duo finally turned and the world seemed to resume normal speed as the braided man now seemed to burst with mirth as he conversed easily with customers and the other servers.
Duo handed the order back to Larry whilst turning around and catching the cobalt eyed man looking at him directly with a piercing gaze. Larry took the order softly as Duo's grip on the paper loosened. "What?" Duo said suddenly turning back around noticing that the paper wasn't in his hand. Larry chuckled lightly as he looked at what the man had ordered. "Make sure salt is put in the rice, he loves that." Duo said off-handedly to Larry.
"Hmm?" Larry asked noticing the old woman give him a wink.
"Larry, pay attention man!" Duo said with a smile as he caught himself looking at Heero again. Larry said Duo's name a few more times before finally reaching out to touch the obviously preoccupied man. "What?" Duo said confused. "Nothing Duo, go serve the customers." Larry said with a smile and looked up to watch the braided man talk to customers, but not surprisingly end up back at the chocolate haired man's table.
"Guess I shouldn't expect Duo to pay too much attention to much else." Larry commented to the old woman with a huge grin on his face. The old woman nodded brightly as the two watched the object of their conversation talk animatedly to the customer who seemed to have stolen his heart.
"DAD!" Liam yelled loudly as he opened the door to his father's art studio. Duo sat mesmerized in front of his easel his hand poised just away from the white canvas. Duo snapped his head quickly towards his son, dashing a bright red streak across his painting for one of his courses. He smiled as he looked at the red smear, making the painting look crossed by the color of love, and decided he'd keep the painting and turn it in, instead of starting a new one. He dimly wondered if a certain blue would look nice on the canvas.
"DAD!" Liam yelled almost into his father's ear as he stood next to him. Duo jumped slightly at the loud interruption in his reverie. He turned towards his son and smiled brightly as he picked his red headed child up into his arms.
"Dad! Stop it! You have been so weird ever since Uncle Quatre's party thingy." Liam said giving up on trying to wrestle away from his father and settling for just sitting in the braided man's arms moping. Duo smiled a little bit and took his son into their little kitchen as thought of what to make them for dinner.
"I have not been acting weird Li." Duo said half-heartedly as he found a package of chicken in the refrigerator and pulled it out along with some baby spinach and various other food items for a meal. Duo frowned inwardly to himself as he thought of Heero, he really liked the man, he didn't really know why it was so strong, but he did like him. He sighed inwardly as he thought about the chocolate haired-man he liked Heero a lot, but he wouldn't bring him around Liam, not unless he knew for sure that he was someone important. However, he didn't know at all what Liam would think about his dad dating other people, he knew the other people being men wouldn't really bother Liam, but it was other people.
"You're lying." Liam said flatly his tone brooking no argument. He handed his dad one of the various seasonings from the cupboard right above him as Duo prepared the chicken by cleaning it and now covering it in various seasonings.
"Hey Li, what would you say if I started dating." Duo said casually as if he was ignoring his son's previous statement. He poured some water into a skillet where the chicken was sitting and covered the chicken with onions and other vegetables and covered it with a top so it would steam. He looked at his son briefly before reaching above the red head and grabbing a can of creamed corn and a can of regular corn.
"What's dating?" Li asked innocently causing his braided father to laugh loudly. Duo often forgot that his son was only five years old Liam seemed to be like one of his best friends sometimes instead of his little boy. Duo thought for a moment on how to explain what dating was, he smiled to himself as he thought of how he hadn't planned on this speech for awhile.
"Well, you know how Danae has Uncle Q, and Uncle Trowa?" Duo asked his curious son. Liam nodded his head in the affirmative as he watched his father struggle to explain dating while preparing a chicken and vegetables. "Well to get two daddies, or two mommies, or a mommy and a daddy, the parents have to date each other." Duo said slowly allowing his mind to figure a way to say it.
"So mommies and daddies all over go out on dates to find other mommies and daddies to create families." Duo said with more assurance as he began to feel confidence in his explanation. "A lot of times mommies and daddies have already dated when they have a kid, but some mommies or daddies have to find another mommy or daddy a bit later." Duo said.
"Well then you should date too Daddy." Liam said matter-of-factly. "This way you can have someone to be up with you when I'm sleep." Liam said as he turned around to climb off the counter. Duo lifted the boy and set him on floor lightly. "Daddy I'm tired of making dinner, I'm going to watch T.V." Liam said running into the living room and turning on the television. Duo smiled softly as he listened to the sounds of some random cartoon coming from the television.
"Thanks Hilde." Duo said to himself and to her, she always seemed kind of fill in for him when he wasn't sure about how to go further as a parent.
() Flashback ()
"You know, this is going to be absolutely insane." Duo said to the brown haired woman as he watched her old a little bald child in her arms. They sat in a sterile hospital room considering each other deeply.
"Maxwell, I would appreciate it if you didn't point out the obvious." Hilde said harshly although a smile lit upon her eyes. Duo stuck his tongue out at the woman his eyes twinkling.
"But I mean, c'mon, a gay man and his best friend raising a child they conceived on a drunken night. It seriously sounds like a bad sitcom." Duo said with a bright laugh as he ran his hands softly over the infant's soft head.
"Whatever, you're the one that thought so much vodka would be fantastic mixed with rum." Hilde said in a defensive tone her eyes pretending to be offended. "Whatever, your just a fag hag that couldn't resist my wiles and charms." Duo said haughtily. "HAG!" Hilde said indignantly as he used one arm to slap Duo across the arm playfully.
"You know this means one day we will have to explain sex to some little runt who hopefully won't be ugly because of your genes." Duo said with a devilish grin on his face. "Whatever, I have to work hard to make sure he's smart knowing all the dumb-ass genes he got from you." Hilde responded tartly.
"Whatever." Duo said with a grin. "I will always be there to help you with Liam though Hilde, always." Duo said suddenly turning very solemn. Hilde nodded her head understandingly. "Yup, no matter what we are both the parents of this future hellion and even if I have to walk down from heaven to bitch slap you myself for being a moron, I will always be there to show you the right way to do it." Hilde said with a bright smile that held all the serious tones nevertheless.
() End Flashback ()
/You have always been here Hilde, and I don't think I could do it without you./ Duo thought sadly. Hilde had died in a car crash one day on her way back home to Duo and Liam, when they'd found her body she had in her hand a box with a two crosses one for Duo and one for Liam. Duo smiled sadly as a tear rolled down his cheek, he wouldn't give Liam the cross until he was older, but he wore his everyday as his reminder of one of his best friends ever.
He had taken full responsibility of Liam from that day and had yet to regret it. Sure sometimes it was really hard, having to do so much, but Liam was more than worth it. It used to scare Duo to realize to what lengths he would go to, to ensure Liam's health and happiness, but now he took it in stride. Smiling as he finally finished dinner, he called Liam and the two set down to a chicken dinner with mashed potatoes and creamy corn. Duo's spirit lighter as he thought that maybe Liam wouldn't have a problem with him dating Heero.
Author's Note
I'm really sorry for taking so long, but some huge things came up and I needed a lot of time to collect myself.