Author: Zazu

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: Yaoi, fluff

Pairings: 1+2+1

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing, nor do I own the characters. I have borrowed them here for some fun and creativity, and this is not for profit. I do, however, own the plot mentioned here, and any instances that you may find similar to real life events are purely a coincidence.

Notes: I've read fics about putting up trees but not the opposite. Here's an attempt, since I don't actually traditionally do the tree thing (I will, one day!) This is what I think it might feel like...to take down the tree.

Undecorating

Work wasn't starting until tomorrow, and today was the ideal day to do it. If he left it any later, who knew when he would have time again?

Duo studied the Christmas tree in the living room. It wasn't too big; taking it down and putting away the ornaments wouldn't take all that long. He just didn't want to do it yet. Christmas trees were new to him, this being his second year to have one. Last year, he'd put off taking it down and it ended up being around until March.

Quatre had teased him about keeping holiday spirit.

He grinned at the memory of Heero hiding a present there for Valentine's day, because Duo honestly did not think to look there.

It wasn't that he felt the task would be a chore. It was just a little sad. They hadn't had much of a holiday break, but the tree at home, along with the lights, had brought a little spirit of the occasion in. And now that it was over, it was only right to put things away until next Christmas. Certainly, one couldn't keep the tree up and out all year; then it wouldn't be bringing spirit by the following Christmas.

He sighed, setting the large box down. There were little boxes within it that housed some of the more fragile ornaments, as well as the boxes for the lights.

On that note, why was it always harder to put things away than to take them out? It took him a lot longer to put the lights away than it did to hook them up.

Giving himself another minute to study the lit tree, he reached over to switch them off and pull the plug. Another part of it was that this year's tree had already looked different from last year's, despite the similar ornaments. He realized that each year would be different, if only slightly, with new ornaments or even a different place for each of the older ornaments.

The point was, the whole decorated tree was a creation by him and Heero. Although he'd only taken down a tree once in his life, he couldn't help but feel a little melancholy at taking apart their creation.

A door opened behind him and footsteps came down the short hall. "Duo?"

"Hey, finished showering?" he asked, turning around. Heero was just towelling off his hair. Duo noted a couple of stray droplets that ran down Heero's bare chest.

"Yes," Heero replied the obvious, moving closer and setting the towel on the coffee table. "Taking down the tree?"

Duo hummed in answer, still holding the electrical plug.

"Duo?"

Duo looked over to Heero to see that his lover was studying the tree.

"We have pictures," Heero said softly. "Right?"

Duo nodded. "Yes," he answered. "We took pictures."

"Then it's okay," Heero smiled, reaching to touch a purple ornament.

"It's okay?" Duo asked.

Heero met Duo's gaze. "Yes, it is," he said softly. "So long as our creation is somehow preserved, that's all that matters. And there's always next year, or rather, later this year, when we'll do this all over again."

It always warmed Duo, the way that Heero could understand him, or share the same thoughts he had. Slipping an arm around Heero's waist and leaning his cheek against a warm shoulder, he reached up and touched the blue ornament close to the purple one that Heero was touching. "We'll keep doing this every year right?"

"Every year," Heero agreed. "So...ready to take it down?"

Duo moved his hand from the ornament to Heero's jaw, turning Heero's head towards him. "One more kiss in front of this tree," he whispered before sealing their lips together.

A minute later, they parted, and in Heero's hand was the purple ornament. Heero smiled.

"We'll put it up a little earlier next...this year," Heero said, correcting himself for the little slip. "Thanksgiving weekend?"

"Sure," Duo agreed, taking down the blue ornament. As they worked together, undressing their beautiful tree, Duo watched the way Heero carefully put each ornament away and suddenly realized that it wasn't so much about destroying their shared creation.

Perhaps it was about the beginning and end of things that would begin again, created a little differently each time, with precious memories to be preserved, for as long as they could continue it.

OWARI

 

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