Author: SkyLark

Warnings: Mild Angst, Sap, Romance

Rating: PG-13

Pairings: 1+2+1

Archive: Debs-Dragon - GW Diaries

Betaed by: ShenLong Deb

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing, or its characters. I just love playing with them.

Silver and Gold

There are a few things that I consider myself to be pretty damn good at. I was a bad-ass of a Gundam pilot and that carried over into my becoming a force of a Preventer... in my humble opinion, of course.

But there is one thing that I think of as my true calling- and that's decorating.

Yes, I'm a bit of an extraordinaire when it comes to stringing lights and whatever other ornament that I can get my hands on to make my house the center of every major national event. Whether it's Halloween, the Forth of July or even Valentines' Day just for the hell of it, I have my beach side place decked out to welcome the holiday.

Without going so over the top that my home looks gaudy or cluttered, I've mastered my craft to the point of even being published in some of the local papers.

I think that my desire to go to such measures comes from my past. Ever since I was a kid living off the streets and living in sewers, I wanted a home that I could decorate like the residences in the 'better' neighborhoods of L2. While no one on the Colony could really afford anything extravagant, those few lights and holiday symbols were beacons of hope amidst the shit that was life there.

And so when I bought my house, the next investments I made went towards every color of light and d¨Ścor I came across. Learning the ropes of what was both decadent and tasteful, I picked up fast on how to make quite the arrangements that only improved over the years.

Five years after having my house, I have to say that I'm proud of my craft. It might not be the manliest of talents, especially for a Preventer and former Gundam pilot, but it's something that I can say is mine.

Of all the holidays, though, Christmas is when I really shine in my unique skill. Considering how it's my favorite holiday and the time that brings on the fondest memories of the Maxwell Church, I spared no expense in being able to create a bright, wintery wonderland that I could bask in.

Every year, my home is decked in white lights that line the outside while colorful bulbs fill the inside. I get the tallest tree that I can fit in my high-ceiling living room that's always dressed from the ornate star at the top to the Christmas-themed skirt that wraps around its base. Then, for the rest of the house, there's holly, sparkling snowflakes, porcelain manger scene and even an old model train that runs from room-to-room on the first floor.

Since I began creating my masterpiece of a silver and gold theme, the doors to my home are opened to my friends and fellow Preventers for the annual Christmas party that I throw the weekend before the actual holiday. It only made sense for me to make that a new tradition- what with my being a social person who enjoys when their hard work is appreciated. I look forward to the festivities more than any other time of the year.

This season, I'm getting an earlier jump on my work than usual. Last night during my commute home from work, I'd heard the weatherman announce over the radio that this year we're going to have a warm streak. At an unseasonable sixty-degree weather this late in November for Maryland, it's the perfect time for me to work on the outdoor lights before the temperature plummets again.

Knowing what my day had in store, I wake with a smile and practically jump out of my warm bed. The overcast sky that's muting the sunlight isn't nearly enough to put a damper on my mood this day. Quickly changing into a beat up pair of jeans and a light sweater, I rebraid my hair before descending to the first floor that's filled with boxes of sealed up decorations that have been waiting a year to see the light of day again.

My windows still have the Thanksgiving displays and orange lights that will remain up until the following weekend. What I plan on arranging won't disturb what I set out for the approaching 'Turkey Day.'

Breakfast is thrown together and hardly tasted, my excitement is so amped up. There's nothing more fulfilling to me than being able to do something I'm good at.

I whistle a few cheery Christmas songs and move to the lone, covered crate that's sitting in the living room doorway. Removing the sheet from its top, I beam down at the decorations inside... well, one particular piece to be specific.

This is another tradition of sorts. Nothing else comes out of the boxes before this small, simple item is in its place, even at a time like this when I'll be most focused on the outdoor arrangements.

Probably the most prized of all of my Christmas decorations is this little bell that's painted a brilliant silver with a tuft of white-and-red berried mistletoe. It's my history with this plastic ornament that makes it so special. Carefully taking it up, I climb onto a chair and use the loop of twine at the top of the bell to hook it to the nail that's permanently embedded at the center of the doorway.

Hopping to the floor, I fold my arms and stare up at the mistletoe with a wide grin.

Call me an idiot, but I credit that simple ornament with my growing connection to a certain retired Perfect Soldier that I've been pining after ever since we met during the wars. Over the course of the last near decade, Heero Yuy has gone through quite the transformation from being the cold, isolated person that he used to be.

While I'd love to take full credit for pulling him out of his shell, the credit actually goes to my professional partner and best friend since he was the one who did all the hard work. Undoing all of Doctor J's humanity-erasing training was not an easy feat, but I'm proud to say that Ro's made leaps and bounds in developing his feelings and making them known through expression and not just by word.

Most of those self-discoveries began when Yuy was off traveling the Colonies for a whole year at the end of Dekim Barton's attempt to attack the Earth. He returned at the start of the New Year on my doorstep to invite me to become a Preventer with him. Instantly, I knew that there was something different about him. Just the simple fact that he shared how he only trusted me as a partner said a lot to how far he'd come.

And how could I ever let him down over a request like that?

Those changes in Heero have only made me all the more a puddle of goo around him. Where I was weak in the knees over his easy-on-the eye looks, I was completely taken when his true personality came out. We've worked together, laughed together, had a few drinks together and shed the occasional tears together since the last time we'd ever laid eyes on our Gundams.

Sometimes, that's enough... more than enough. But I can't help but hope that maybe some day he'll just up and ask me out some time. There have been many occasions when I get the impression that he might be open to the idea. We've flirted the more comfortable we've grown with each other and neither of us have ever expressed an interest in anyone before.

Our playful jabs and hints all began a couple of years ago thanks to that bit of mistletoe. At the end of my Christmas party, Heero stayed behind to help me clean up. At the end of the chore, we both ended up in the doorway of the living room. Well aware of what was hanging over our heads, I smirked at my partner and leaned towards him as I closed my eyes.

Chuckling, Yuy humored me and kissed my cheek. That's been another tradition of ours now. Every year, we end the night in the same spot and I get a peck on the cheek from my best friend. Every year, I tell him he owes me a real kiss one of these years. And every year he laughs, "Don't worry. You'll have it."

If there's one thing that I know about the former Perfect Soldier it's that he never makes a promise that he doesn't intend to keep.

Maybe one of these decades he'll quit dancing around the issue. Though I've made my intentions pretty clear, the ball is in my partner's court. No need to push anything that he might not be ready for and regret rushing things.

Good things come to those who wait.

For the time being, I can enjoy my little inside joke of always making up my theme of silver and gold Christmas decorations. Like me and Heero, the shades are total opposites in many ways. But they also go beautifully together in such a way that it's hard to imagine one existing without the other.

At least I'd like to think of as being like that.

Now that my decorating can begin, I turn and gather the stack of boxes labeled 'lights.' Resuming my whistling, my braid sings behind me as I head off to the front deck where my tools are waiting.

*   *   *   *   *   *

Practice definitely does make perfect.

I made record timing in stringing the porch and doorways with everything down to the icicle lights. And the weather's so nice out that I'm able to get away with a tank top thanks to the light workout I'm putting in for my efforts.

At the end of lining either side of my walkway leading to the front of my house with candy canes and Santa's reindeer, that leaves me the roof to set to work on. It's just about my normal lunch time, but I'm still to excited to be at all hungry.

Taking hold of the tall ladder that I lean against the shorter wall of the house, I hook my tool belt on and hoist a long coil of white lights to hang from either of my shoulders. Easily climbing onto the shingles of the roof, I lower my gear and assess the best approach to stapling the edges.

From my elevated spot, I look down the line of houses that are to my right along the beach with a good number of years between each residence. Seems as though I wasn't the only one with the bright idea of using the warm day to get a start on the holiday decorating.

Teams of husbands, wives and kids of all ages are working together to arrange their living quarters for as far as I can see. Well... with the exception of the house directly next to mine. The corner of my mouth curls as I look upon that estate. For the whole of the season, that will remain the only place without so much as a couple of candles to glow in the windows.

Heero's by no means a Scrooge, nor can he exactly be called a non-believer in the religious faith behind Christmas. He does, however, fail to see the importance in decorating for any holiday.

'Besides,' as he reminds be every year with a snort, 'why do I need to decorate when you do enough of that for the two of us?' One of the nice things about my best friend is that is as far as he goes with any ribbing he gives me over my hobby. I think he gets that it's important to me, so he doesn't go on to give me a hard time about it.

Shaking my braided head in amusement, I look away from my partner's home and get back to the task at hand. Carefully crawling on my hands and knees, I take hold of my staple gun and the first line of large bulbs to set them along the roof trim.

I'm not really sure how long it takes me to make my way half-way around the whole perimeter of the house for the second and last turn, but I'm taking my time with it. Even though I can't see the sun behind the thick clouds overhead, I can tell it's starting to get dark. It's been at least three hours since I started up here going by that. And there's at least another hour or so left to make it nice and dim by the time I'm finished.

Should have trusted my instincts to get to the higher peak of the roof first. If I stop now, I'd have more than the enough time tomorrow to finish the job. But that means that I'd have to leave something that I started unfinished... which never sits well with me.

Hurrying myself as much as I can, I get to the steeple-pointed top of the attic that stands at the three-storied section of the house. Up here, the wind is stronger and cooler in its greeting. The darkness is really setting in, but I still have my flashlight and the glow from the other residences which is more than enough to work with.

Of course... that didn't mean that I was able to see everything. Such as a soft spot in the shingles beneath me that had my right foot breaking through just as I was trying to find my balance against the gusts. The violent jar to my ankle brings on a loud snap of bone and a shot of pain that causes me to cry.

Another strong push from the wind had me panicking to brace myself with a muttered curse under my breath. Suddenly, more of the roof is coming apart underneath my strained weight and I'm falling forward over the ledge. With a scream, I scramble to grip onto something... anything, but my fingers only just managed to touch the edge of the rain gutter before I feel myself falling free backwards.

In those horrifying seconds, I suddenly become all too aware that there's a steel, sharp-spiked fence somewhere under me.

That's the last thought I have before something pierces my left shoulder clean through and the world goes black.

*   *   *   *   *   *

Blinking my eyes open, I groan against the dull ache that's settling down into every bone in my body. When my vision clears, I'm initially startled by the unfamiliar white-ceiling tiles that I'm staring up at. The next thing that my mind takes in is the steady beeping that's coming from my left side.

Without even having to look around, I know that I'm in a hospital. I've been in this situation enough times to be all too aware of that. My clouded thoughts are scrambling to think of what the hell happened before I lost consciousness as I desperately try to put the pieces together. The rise of my anxiety is making the beep my heart monitor pick up a few paces.

"Easy, Duo," a familiar voice soothes at the same time that a hand appears and its calloused fingers run through my long bags. "You took one hell of a fall back there and you're going to hurt yourself if you move too much."

Heero.

... 'a hell of a fall?' think to myself, feeling the deep frown of confusion deepening on my face.

Then it hits me. I was falling from the roof of my house's highest point before everything blacked out. Between the height, how I fell and whatever I landed on, it only stood to reason that I would likely be a little banged up. But a 'little banged up' was a far cry from how much pain was setting in.

As soon as his voice pulled me back to the present, my partner appears to carefully sit on the edge of my bed. His cobalt eyes looking a little sunken in due to the dark circles he's sporting, his lips curl in the small smile that he's only given me. "Hey," he greets softly.

In a weak croak, I manage, "H-hey." Instantly, Yuy turns to reach for a cup of water and holds the straw to my mouth. At first, I take a few greedy gulps that make me wince. I slow down when I realize how sore my throat is and stop as soon as I've dampened my larynx enough.

Heero pulls the cup away and I lift my strained neck just enough to appraise myself.

Gasping sharply, my eyes widen at the cast that's covering my right leg from my ankle to the middle of my thigh. There are bandages that are peeking out from under the left shoulder of the light green hospital gown that I'm wearing. Going on how heavy my chest is, I can tell it's wrapped pretty tightly in gauze that's suspending the support board against my back. Then there's the dozen or so cuts and bruises that are all over the exposed skin of my arms and legs.

"You came up with quite the list of injuries," my best friend sighs, shoulders slumping heavily to make him look all the more worn by exhaustion and what I can only take as worry. Shaking his head, he ran off, "Cracked ribs, stressed back disks, three fractures in your leg, slight internal bleeding that had to be stopped..."

His voice trailing before he could go on with the assessment, he shuddered, "Shit, Duo, you're lucky that you didn't break your neck or bleed out before anyone found you impaled on your fence."

And by 'someone,' I assume that he means he was the one who got to me first. It only made sense that he would have heard me scream since he lives just next door to me.

Biting my lip at the shimmer in his haunted eyes that I caught before Heero turned away to fight them, I reached with my good arm to squeeze the hand closest to me. For him to be this shaken, I had to be in pretty bad shape. It also speaks volumes to how much he cares about me, something that makes my heart skip a couple of beats.

My cheeks blushing, I squeeze his hand and frown, "You mean to tell me that after living through the war, Barton's attempted take over and all the shit we've seen as Preventers that I was almost taken out while decorating my house?"

A huff of a laugh breaks from Yuy, as I'd hoped to accomplish. He reaches up with his free hand to roughly rub at his closed eyelids, ridding the tears that threatened to spill. "Baka," he snickers deeply, voice still thick with emotion.

Chuckling at the irony of the situation, embarrassing as it is, I accept the light 'punch' that Heero gives my arm when turning to face me again with an amused smile on his face. Against my defenses to fight the fatigue that's overcoming me, I yawn widely as I ask, "How long have I been out?"

Slowly drawing a deep breath, my partner frowns, "A week. You were put under heavy sedation for the more intense of the procedures performed on you. For the last couple days, you've been in and out of consciousness but you are were never alert or awake enough to know it."

I feel my jaw drop. A whole week? Fuck but I had to be in a bad way.

Just then I realize that I'd completely missed Thanksgiving. And I might even miss Christmas at home, if the extent of my injuries were any tell tale to the recovery that I'd need to make before I could be released from the hospital.

Damn it! Of all the shitty luck! Here I'd been looking forward to the festivities only to likely find myself on my back and in a medical ward.

Something flashed in Heero's cobalt eyes that tells me he's reading my mind. "Don't worry," he smirks. "If Sally and I have any say in the matter, we'll make sure you're home for Christmas. Of course, there'll be rehabilitation, but it won't be anything too extensive and I know how stubborn you when you get your mind set on anything."

Those words melt away any of the distress that had begun to settle. He was right. I wasn't about to let a little fall and a few injuries keep me down like this for long.

A concerned frown settling on my face, I realize aloud, "You've... been here with me this whole time?"

Shrugging, Yuy admits, "Well, maybe not the whole last week since Wufei, Trowa and Quatre insisted on us taking shifts so that I got some sleep and food. The time that I spent away went to repairing your fence and roof. But I was here every chance I could be." He grins, "What kind of partner would I have been if I didn't do that- especially since you would have done the same for me?"

I love him so damned much.

God, what I wouldn't give to have the full use of my body to hug him right now. Instead, I try to fend off the sting in my eyes, managed a small smile and whisper sincerely, "Thank you, 'Ro." The hand in mine squeezes back tightly in response.

"You really should go home and get some sleep," I mumble as my eyelids begin to close on me as the light sedative dripping from my IV begins to take its hold over my senses again. I can feel his fingers lightly brushing down the bridge of my nose the way a person would pat a kitten, a trick that never fails to get me to sleep that only he knows.

Beyond the darkness that's trying to claim me, I hear Heero say softly, "I will when my watch is over." It's a code of ours from the field. He means that he's got my back and it's okay to rest as he takes the reins until I'm ready to fight another day.

It does the trick and I sigh as I fall into the blissful oblivion of a recuperating sleep.

*   *   *   *   *   *

Just in case I haven't made it perfectly clear, I have the best group of guys to have as friends that anyone could ask for. Between Heero and our fellow former pilots' daily visits along with their assistance through my rehabilitation, I was able to manage to get around on crutches and get along fine in record time.

That never came as a shock to Sally and she was all too happy to give me her blessings to prepare to return home the weekend before Christmas. All too happy to bail out, I am practically vibrating with anticipation for my partner's arrival to collect me.

Grinning when he steps into my room, Yuy goes right for my duffle bag of belongings to slug the strap over his shoulder as I right myself on my crutches. "Ready?" he smirks when our eyes meet.

"Shit, yea," I cheer, all but racing for the door even with the weight of my bulky leg cast. Laughing, Heero shakes his head in amusement and holds the door for me.

The car ride back to my house is made with me mostly blabbering away to keep up a conversation. In the back of my mind, I know that my home is only partly ready for Christmas. Unable to finish the work I'd started, it's going to be a depressing thing for me to spend the holiday without my carefully planned arrangement, including my annual party.

When we pull into the driveway of my darkened house as night falls, Heero assists me out of his car and lends a shoulder for me to balance on in my hop up the steps of my front porch. Holding my door open to me, he smirks and holds an arm out like a proper gentleman.

I snicker and hobble inside. Hopping only a couple of bounced steps back in from the doorway, I nearly fall back when the lights come on without my being anywhere close to the switch. Dozens of people suddenly jump from behind my furniture and every nook and cranny to shout a cheerful, 'Surprise!' in chorus.

Falling back from the shock of the greeting, I'm caught by Heero from behind so that I'm steadied again. Slack-jawed, I stare in wide-eyed disbelief at the 'family' and friends from the other Gundam pilots to Preventers' agents to Relena, Hilde, Catherine, Lady Une and Sally. Even Zechs and Noin are present.

All around, the house is lit and decorated right down to the last detail exactly how I would have set it. The little toy train runs on the tracks that have been placed from space-to-space. And from here, I can see the decked out tree that's standing in the living room amidst the wintery display set in my silver and gold theme.

Taken completely aback as everything sets in, I allow my eyes to mist over as I stare at my chuckling guests. "I-I can't believe..." is all that I can manage before my throat fills with a thick lump that blocks any other words from escaping.

Snickering by my ear, Yuy leans close to whisper, "Surprise. I hope you don't mind my taking advantage of the spare key you entrusted to me to set your decorations up."

Can this guy get any more incredible? It's physically hurting me to know how deep I've fallen for him.

"This is incredible, 'Ro. But I had no idea that you even knew how to decorate," I smirk, casting my partner a glance from the corner of my eye.

His shoulders shrugging, he grins, "Well, I couldn't help but pick up a few things from you after all his time." In other words, he really did get how important this was to me. And he wasn't about to have me go without it.

Leaning back against him, I breathe by his ear, "Thank you." Before I can say any more, or my best friend can react, my guests are falling in around us to greet me and begin the party.

*   *   *   *   *   *

Not one single detail was missed in the planning of my annual Christmas bash. Every homemade cookie, appetizer and bowl of punch and eggnog was available. Of course Heero had help in getting the whole event together, but all of the planning and detailing was his brain child as Quatre had confided in me.

In the end, the only thing different about the yearly event was the fact that I had to get around using a pair of crutches. Other than that, I didn't have a care in the world, laughing, talking and carrying on with everyone.

By the time the last of the guests filter out late into the evening, my cast's covered in multi-colored messages, signatures and pictures that have been scribbled on with pens and markers. Worn out physically and emotionally from the excitement of the whole surprise, I collapse with a deep sigh onto my living room couch when Heero and I are the only ones left.

Resting my head against the tall back cushions, I continue to admire the glow of the lights reflecting from the silver and gold tinsel and ornaments on the tree. "You really outdid yourself with all of this, 'Ro," I smile to him as he approaches. Shaking my head up at him, I comment, "There's no way I could you repay for everything."

"No repayment needed," Yuy grins. Slowly scanning the room, he says quietly, "You know, I think I actually like this whole decorating thing. It was actually a lot of fun getting all of this together."

My eyes widen and I snort, "Don't tell me that this has converted Mister You Decorate Enough For the Both of Us For Me To Even Bother?"

As he snickers, I take hold of my crutches and manage to balance myself on my good foot. Still looking to the decorations around, Heero replies softly, "Maybe it has." Meeting my gaze, he walks beside me as we head out of the room together and shares, "This whole experience over the last few weeks has really taught me a lot about appreciating the simple things... and how I shouldn't take anything for granted."

I pause, locking the crutches onto the floor so that I can turn towards my partner as I ask, "Yea? Like what exact-"

Suddenly, I'm cut off by the firm press of Heero's lips against mine. Gasping sharply in shock, my mouth opens as his does and our tongues are intertwining. Stunned as I am, it only takes me a second to get pull my thoughts together and close my wide eyes as I return the heated kiss by pouring everything that I have into it.

A deep moan fills my ears and I can't tell which of us it came from. Right now, I'm too damned captivated by the overwhelming feelings that are being passed onto me. I can feel every bit of how much Heero loves me, needs me, wants me. I can feel a couple tears run down my face from the intensity of it all just as his arms wrap around my waist to lift me up. Hearing the crutches fall to the ground, I'm pulled tightly against my partner's chest as our kiss continues.

Then, only when we absolutely need to catch our breaths, we pull away and rest our foreheads together and pant quietly. For a few elevated heartbeats, we just stare into each other's eyes. A small smile curling his lips, Yuy tell me, "A promise is a promise." Gesturing up with his head, I follow his line of sight to find the mistletoe over our heads in the doorway.

I laugh. All this time, I'd completely forgotten about that treasured decoration. And just as I'd hoped, Heero remained a man of his word. That 'real' kiss that he owed me was better than anything I could have ever imagined... not to mention the world of possibilities for us that it opened.

Swallowing nervously, Heero continues to hold me up from my feet as he asked in a breath, "May I... stay the night with you?" Though this would be far from the first time we'd ever crashed at each other's places, there was a far different meaning behind this request. There was so much more to it, what it suggested to the boundaries of our relationship.

My face felt like it was going to split from the wide smile spreading across it. "I'd like that," I whisper back, nodding firmly to whatever this meant between us.

After everything we've been through together, I can't imagine this all turning out to be any way but the best.

Matching my grin, Heero tilts his head and leans in for another earth-shattering kiss that makes my toes curl. Easily shifting so that he can carry me in his arms, he takes us through the rest of the house to my bedroom... kissing me the whole way there.

*   *   *   *   *   *

Come Christmas morning the following week, a silver ornament in the shape of a bell is added to the tree with both our names written in gold lettering along with the words 'Our First Christmas Together.'

The first of countless more to come.

OWARI

 

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