Author: Gypsie1201

Pairing: 1+2, 3x4

Rating: PG

Warnings: Fluff, Gettogether-ness, Preventers-ness

Archive: Debs-Dragon - GW Diaries and Akira_1x2

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or any of its characters, nor will I make any money from the creation of this story.

Feedback: All is welcome and very much appreciated.

Summary: Duo receives a special Christmas present.

Just a little Christmas gift for your enjoyment. I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe Christmas.

A Christmas Wish For Me

Duo Maxwell sat at his desk in the office he normally shared with his partner, Heero Yuy, trying to finish up the last of his paperwork before the end of the day. The last mission they had been on for the Preventers had been especially grueling and Lady Une had decided that both he and Heero needed a few weeks off to recover. The fact that their unscheduled vacation would allow them to be off for Christmas was not missed by the longhaired young man. Quatre had been very adamant about wanting all the ex-Gundam Pilots to be together for the holiday and evidently, not even Une could stand up to his steely resolve. But while Duo did not particularly mind the thought of attending the party the blonde billionaire had planned, he was not looking forward to five days of dealing with the same blonde's constant questions and badgering. At times, he really regretted telling Quatre about the crush he had on Heero.

To give Quatre credit though, he never did say or suggestion anything that he himself had not already thought of a few hundred times. Unfortunately, thinking about them and actually doing them were two entirely different things.

With a firm shake of his head, he turned his attention back to the report he was working on, not failing to miss Heero's return only a few minutes later.

"Hey Heero." he said without looking up. "How was the meeting?"

"Good." the blue-eyed man answered. "The new recruits are almost ready for their first missions. MacIntyre should be able to finish up their training by the first of the year."

"That's good." Duo said as he flashed a smile at his partner. "And doubly good that we won't be here to baby sit them through mission play."

"Hn." Heero grunted with a nod of his head before turning his attention to his own report.

The remainder of the afternoon was passed in relative silence with only necessary mission talk being offered between the two. When quitting time rolled around at five, they packed up, and walked out of the building together.

"So, I'll see you Saturday at Quatre's?" Duo asked as they exited the lobby doors, trying to keep the pleading tone from his voice.

"I'm having lunch with Relena on Saturday." Heero answered and watched with heartsick pain as the braided man's face momentarily fell at those words. "But I'll be there on Sunday morning."

"Oh, well." the chestnut-haired man smiled even as his heart twisted painfully in his chest. "Tell 'Lena I said hi, ok?"

"Of course." Heero agreed, but he could not leave it like that. Seeing his best friend in so much pain and knowing he was the cause of it was not how he wanted to start this vacation. After all, he had gone to great pains to convince Lady Une to give them the time off together. "Listen, Duo--"

"I better get going." Duo cut in, already starting to walk down the sidewalk in the direction of his apartment building, which was only a few blocks away. "I'll see you on Sunday."

"Duo, wait!" Heero called, but the braided man only waved and kept on walking.

With a sigh, Heero turned toward the parking garage across the street where his car was parked. His own apartment was located near the outer limits of the city and while he had tried on numerous occasions to talk Duo into moving into his extra bedroom, so far he had had no luck. Duo would always claim that he could not afford to pay even half the rent and that he did not really mind living in the Preventers' apartments. Maybe, after the trip to Quatre's, things would change.

********************

It was nearly noon when the cab Duo had hired pulled up in front of Quatre's estate. Giving the driver the requested payment, plus a suitable tip, the longhaired man climbed out of the cab and started up the steps that would take him to the front door.

Before he had even made it halfway up, the door to the mansion was suddenly thrown open, and out popped the blonde man himself; Quatre's bright smile and cry of his name warmed his heart and brought an answering smile to his own face. With the constant missions and reports they had been pulling at Preventers, it had been a long time since the five of them had managed to spend any quality time together. And while he and Quatre tended to spend a few minutes on the phone every night, it was not the same as spending actual time in each other's company.

"Hey Quat." Duo smiled just before the man wrapped him in a bear hug.

"I'm so glad you're here, Duo." Quatre said, giving the longhaired man another quick squeeze before pulling back and grabbing his hand. "Come on, let's get you settled."

Within fifteen minutes, Duo's duffle bag was unpacked in the room Quatre had set aside for him and he was comfortably situated in the cozy den downstairs with a cup of hot chocolate.

"Ah, that hits the spot." he sighed while sinking down into the overstuffed chair he had chosen and gazed into the low burning fire.

"I'm glad you liked it." Quatre chuckled from his own chair beside his friend; his cup of tea resting on his thigh as he watched the pure joy cross that heart-shaped face.

"No one makes cocoa like Anita." the other man explained as if it was an obvious statement.

"I'm so happy you like my housekeeper."

"If I could afford her, I'd take her away from you." Duo said with a wide smile and wink before turning back to the fire.

Shaking his own head at his friend's antics, the blonde also turned his attention to the fire and for the next several minutes the only sound in the room was the soft pop of the wood as it was consumed.

"So," Duo began, breaking the silence. "where's Tro?"

"He's on L3 for the next couple of day." Quatre said with a soft smile. "Spending some time with Catherine before returning for the party."

"Ah, family." Duo chuckled, earning him a glare from the blonde billionaire.

"And what about Heero? Where might he be?" Quatre shot back, instantly regretting it at seeing the smile fall from Duo's face. But before he could say anything to retract his words, another smile, this one more rueful and self-deprecating than he liked seeing on that beautiful face, took its place.

"He's probably having lunch with Relena as we speak." the violet-eyed man said, giving his chocolate a swirl before downing the rest of it in one gulp, suddenly wishing it was something stronger. "Their probably trying to pick out china patterns or something."

"Oh, Duo." Quatre sighed. He more than anyone was well aware of just how much the longhaired ex-pilot cared for his taciturn partner. And, unfortunately, he was also very much aware of Heero's feelings on the matter as well. "You don't know--"

"Please, Quat, just drop it ok." Duo said with a sigh of his own. "I've thought very hard about this over the last few days and I've decided that it's time to accept it and move on."

"Duo--"

"Please Quat." the longhaired man begged and at the tone of his voice, sounding old beyond his years, the blonde could not help but relent.

For the rest of the afternoon, they sat in silence, watching the fire burn and thinking their own thoughts.

********************

Pulling his car to a stop at the foot of the front steps, Heero turned off the engine and removed the keys from the ignition. For a long moment, he simply sat there, thinking about the items he had wrapped up in the trunk of his car. At that moment, he knew his future happiness was dependent on the events that would occur over the next few days and for a split second, he had the intense desire to restart the car and drive as fast and as far away as he could.

In the end though, he opened the door and stepped from the car, walking around to the back and popping the trunk. Then gathering the three large bags located there, he turned toward the steps. It was still quite early in the morning, meaning that most everyone except the housekeeper would still be asleep, something that was quickly apparent when the gray-haired woman answered the door on the second knock.

"Ah, Mr. Yuy, come in, come in." she said with a bright smile, ushering him inside and taking the bags from his hands. "I'm afraid that everyone's still sleeping at this time."

"That's fine, I'd expected as much." Heero said with a smile. "If it's alright, I'd like to get settled into my room, maybe sleep for a few hours before everyone wakes up."

"Of course, Mr. Yuy. Your room has already been prepared."

********************

When Duo woke up at around nine o'clock that morning, he stretched lavishly on the bed before settling back down into the lush, down comforter and enjoyed the warmth and safety it gave him while his mind was busy planning out the day ahead. After another few minutes though, his bladder informed him it was time to be up and about and once he was finished in the bathroom, he knew his stomach would be ready for breakfast. So, climbing reluctantly from the bed, he headed for the bathroom to start his day.

Twenty minutes later, refreshed from a quick shower, the violet-eyed man strolled into the kitchen where Anita was busy whipping up pancakes while sausage and bacon was frying on the stovetop.

"Morning." he said with a big smile on his face as he came over to peek over the woman's shoulder. "That smells like heaven."

Laughing softly, the aging housekeeper ribbed Duo with her elbow to keep him away from the stove while she finished flipping the cakes she was working on. "I'm glad you approve, Mr. Maxwell." she said with another soft laugh.

"Aw, I told you to call me Duo. I get enough of that at the office." the man said with a pout before reaching around her, snatching a piece of bacon from the plate sitting beside the stove, and dancing out of her reach when she turned brandishing the hot spatula.

"Shoo, you little rascal." Anita motioned at him with another wave of her hand, her face showing her disapproval although it was colored with a hint of humor. "You'll get your breakfast along with everyone else."

With a happy laugh carrying him through the house, Duo left the kitchen and headed for the den, knowing that if Quatre was up, there is where he would be. Slipping in the door, he found the blonde sitting in the same chair he had been in the night before, sipping a cup of tea.

"Morning, Quat." he said as he crossed the room to join his friend.

"Good morning, Duo. How did you sleep last night?"

"Like the dead." the longhaired man said before falling down into his own chair.

"I see you've been harassing Anita already this morning."

"Hey, I wasn't harassing her. I was just saying good morning."

"Yeah, and stealing breakfast." Quatre laughed as he took a sip of his tea. Then, just as the amusement appeared on his face, it quickly fell. "Um, Duo, I think you should know--"

Before he could finish, the door to the den opened once again and in walked Heero, still looking fresh from his own shower and dressed in a pair of plain black slacks and a dark blue, button up. For one long moment, Duo found he could not breathe.

Across the space dividing them, Quatre watched as several emotions crossed his friend's face; surprise, longing, desire, acceptance, and finally, loss. In his heart, the blonde knew that time was running short for both of them and if something was not done soon, their one chance of happiness could be forever lost.

"Hey, Heero." Duo chirped and Quatre was further disheartened to see the familiar joker's mask settle firmly into place. "Didn't know you made it in yet."

"I arrived early this morning." the dark-haired man stated as he crossed the room, sitting on the couch located to Quatre's left although his eyes never left the longhaired man's face. Only a second later, another of the blonde's household staff knocked on the door before entering carrying a large silver tray with a fresh pot of tea.

"Thank you, Rachel." Quatre said with a smile once the woman had set the tray down on the table before them. With a curtsy and a smile of her own for her employer, the woman turned and left them to their breakfast tea.

"So, Quat, have you heard from Wufei about when he'll be here?" Duo asked as he leaned forward to pour himself a cup of tea. Quatre's quick slap to his wrist had him sitting back and glaring at the blonde; a pout firmly fixed on his face.

"He should arrive this afternoon." the blonde man said as he poured two cups, adding the required cream to Heero's cup and sugar cubes to Duo's before handing them to his two friends.

"And Tro should be back by tonight too." the braided man with a wide grin. "It'll be nice to have us all together again."

"Yes, it will." Heero agreed with a nod of his head.

"How was your lunch yesterday, 'Ro?" Duo asked with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "You and 'Lena set a date yet?"

"Duo." Heero said with an exasperated sigh and shake of his head. It was an old argument between the two of them. But no matter how hard he tried, he just could not convince his stubborn partner that his relationship with the Vice Foreign Minister was purely as friends. It still did not stop him from trying though. "Relena and I are friends; we're not getting married."

"You just keep telling yourself that." Duo laughed, but even the dark-haired man could hear the dark edge to it and once again, he began to wonder if his plans would work out the way he envisioned.

Luckily, before the braided man could continue that line of teasing, Rachel returned once again to inform them that breakfast was ready. Setting their cups down on the tray so the young woman could remove it once they were gone, they stood from their seats and filed from the room.

********************

It was later that afternoon when they found themselves seated comfortably in the den again with a warm fire burning in the background, casting a cozy glow over them. Just as Quatre had said, Wufei had arrived at around four o'clock that afternoon with Trowa making his appearance nearly three hours later and the five of them had enjoyed a late dinner before settling in for some quiet time together.

"It's Christmas Eve, you know." Duo said, breaking the silence that had settle over them and while the braided man did not say it, they all knew what he was referring to.

"Yeah, it's hard to believe that it's been two years since the end of the war." Quatre agreed with a soft smile on his lips from where he was wrapped safely in Trowa's arms.

"And a year since Barton." Wufei added with a look of consternation on his face. While the others, especially Heero, had forgiven him for his part in the uprising that had nearly destroyed the tenuous peace they had fought so hard to obtain, the Chinese Preventer still could not completely forgive himself.

Reaching across the space that separated them, Heero rested his hand on the other man's shoulder, giving it a squeeze. In return, Wufei gave the man a small smile before turning his attention to the flames that were merrily dancing in the fireplace.

"Oh, I nearly forgot." Quatre suddenly said as he sat up and turned a blinding smile on the man sitting behind him, knowing he had something that would take their minds away from thoughts of the past. "We were going to exchange gifts tonight since the party will take up much of the evening tomorrow."

Jumping to his feet at the blonde words, Duo turned toward the tree that was situated in the far corner of the room. Underneath, there were numerous wrapped presents just waiting to be passed out and torn open. Before anyone could stop him, the braided man bounced across the room and began digging through the brightly wrapped parcels. The others could only watch in amusement as he quickly and flamboyantly divided the gifts into five piles before just as enthusiastically delivering them to their perspective recipient. Then sitting back down in his chair, he turned to his own stack of presents and reached forward for the first one.

"Wait." Heero called before the longhaired man could touch the first box, causing his best friend to look up at him with curious eyes. "I..."

By this time, the others had also turned their attention toward the dark-haired young man, and Heero could feel the sweat begin to pop out on his forehead. For one frightening minute, he thought for sure he would not be able to go ahead with his plans. In truth, he had wanted to do this on Christmas night, after the party, when all the guest had gone home and he could have Duo all to himself. But as the day had gone by, the plan had changed without his knowing and it was only when he opened his mouth to stop Duo that he realized he no longer wanted to wait. He had waited for over two years now as it was.

"I uh...." he stammered, his eyes tracking to each of the expectant faces watching him. In the end though, it was the encouraging smile on Quatre's lips that finally allowed him to steel his resolve and with a shake of his head, he turned back to his partner. "I forgot to put a gift under the tree." he finally told the man with conviction before standing from his chair and coming to stand beside Duo's.

"Oh?" Duo asked in little more than a breath, the intense look in Heero's eyes stealing his breath and sending a shiver down his spine. But as he watched the blue-eyed man kneel at his side, he felt something else begin to grow in his heart.

"Duo, you've been my best friend since before the end of the war. I know I don't tell you enough how much your friendship means to me, but I know that you know I'm not very good at expressing my feelings." Heero stated in a quiet voice while holding that violet gaze, which had widened even further with each word he spoke. "Over the past year though, somehow my feelings for you changed, deepened, and I can't allow another year to end without telling you."

Swallowing sharply against the dryness that seemed to have taken up permanent residence in his throat, Duo asked with no small amount of hope coloring his words, "Tell me what?"

Instead of answering right away, Heero took a moment to reach into the back pocket of his slacks, then turning back to the beautiful man still watching him with pure intent, he reached forward and took Duo's left hand in his own. "I've asked you on numerous occasions to move in with me, taking my spare room." he continued while slipping the simple, silver band over the last knuckle of Duo's ring finger. Looking up again, he finished, "I'm asking you again, only this time, I'm offering mine."

For the longest moment, the only sound in the room was the roar of the fire as four people waited with baited breath for the longhaired man's answer. While at the same time, Duo was having a hard time accepting it was really happening at all. But the look in Heero's eyes, a look he had seen many time before but had never been able to place, beseeched him in a way he simply could not deny. And just as the first tear began to track down his cheeks, he slipped from his seat and into his best friend's lap.

"Yes." he whispered as he wrapped his arms around Heero, burying his face in the man's neck. "Yes."

OWARI

 

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