Heero Yuy stared at the ceiling, his expression troubled. It was the same every morning. A routine they had kept with almost ritual faithfulness since the end of the Mariameia incident. Heero would wake up at 5:30, deliberate uselessly for half an hour, then wake Duo up. A question. An answer. Then Duo would slink out of bed, get dressed, and go make breakfast.
//Ten minutes until 6:00,// an unhelpful, nervous part of his mind supplied.
He didn't understand what was so important. It obviously was to Duo. Every morning, he seemed to wake up with such hope, and Heero would watch it slide almost imperceptibly out of his eyes and voice with every logical answer.
Heero knew he wasn't supposed to see either emotion, the hope or the disappointment. Duo tried so hard to hide it, but Heero saw through Duo's masks as well as Duo seemed to pierce his own.
It has to be important, otherwise it wouldn't mean so much to the baka.
He sighed as his internal clock reminded him what time it was. His stomach twisted slightly. He clamped down on his anxiousness ruthlessly. It was irrational.
Resolutely, he nudged his koibito in the ribs. One cloudy violet eye slid open, obviously under heavy protest. Duo never was a morning person.
"Mmmm 'rning 'ero." Duo mumbled, his words slurred by a lazy yawn. "Time to get up a'ready?"
"Aa."
"So, whatcha want for breakfast?" The first question sounded careless, routine. Heero knew better.
"Mint tea." Heero responded, his eyes downcast. Now came that question, that ever feared question.
"Why?" Curiosity and a dash of hope were laced through that sleepy tenor, the same as every morning.
Heero thought about it. With a slight panic, he realized that he didn't particularly HAVE a reason this time. It wasn't healthy, wasn't nourishing. He had just blurted it out. Undisciplined. He'd never even tasted mint tea before, just seen the box, unopened, in the back of the cabinet shelf, one of Duo's whimsical purchases.
But then, his rational answers had only brought that painful disappointment in his lover.
"Because I /want/ it." Heero finally answered.
Both violet eyes snapped open, suddenly clear of any trace of sleep. Heero blinked at Duo, he'd never seen this reaction before. Shock? Was it the wrong an... no, Duo's face transformed into an honest, heartfelt 100-kilowatt grin, and Heero found himself scooped up into an enthusiastic hug.
Duo leapt out of bed, kicking off the bed covers. "You /want/ it Hee-chan," he leaned down and pressed his lips to Heero's quickly but with affection, "you got it!"
Humming, he dashed off for the kitchen, only pausing to grab a fresh pair of pants to hop into as he danced his way down to the kitchen to make breakfast.
Heero shook his head and got up at a far more sedate pace. His lover was confusing, Heero thought with a touch of fond bemusement. He seemed to enjoy the simplest of things.
Owari
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