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"Agglomeration"Written By: The Plotting Housewife Disclaimer: Gundam Wing belongs to Bandai, Sotsu
and associated Parties. This work is written for pleasure not profit. Rating: R Warnings: Holiday Fic, Yaoi, Humor Pairings: 1x2 Summary: It's Memorial Day and Duo celebrates
his American heritage in typical American fashion. " Stars and Stripes " Heero's first lucid moments on that warm Monday morning in late May had been the tepid breeze that filtered in through the open window, the sunshine in his eyes, and the musical sounds of singing birds outside. He smiled and stretched languidly, relishing in the fact that he had absolutely nothing to do that day. The perfect weather just made it all the better. He stretched out awakening muscles and groaned at how good it felt, closing his eyes as a warm breeze brushed across his face. The faint scent of freshly cut grass wafted across his nose and he allowed himself to just...feel. It was something Relena had been constantly trying to drill into his head. Stop, relax, enjoy life and all its simple pleasures. He found it got easier the more he forced himself to do just that. It was difficult to retrain yourself, to kick the old habits away. His Perfect Soldier persona had been ingrained in his psyche since he could walk. To become the person you would have been if not for the absolute indoctrination you were forced to undergo, a daunting task, but one he was determined to overcome. He honestly never thought he'd make it in peacetime. Never believed he could exist in a world that wasn't rampant with war. Believed himself obsolete when allies and enemies alike laid down their arms for the sake of unity. Of course, he'd had help getting to where he was. Relena had been an inspiring and uplifting presence in his life as well as Quatre. Two of the best friends he'd ever had. Even more so, the close camaraderie he had with Trowa and Wufei also played extremely important roles in his life. He'd been pleased, but not surprised when he'd learned that Quatre and Trowa had finally gotten together. It wasn't easy with both of their grueling schedules, but they managed and Heero was immensely happy for them. They'd overcome a lot to be together, but Heero had always known they would be. After watching their interactions during the war, there was simply no question that they were meant to be. But, the best part of all had been Duo. Now, if he was to say that anything shocked him, it would have been his relationship with his braided comrade. That was something he'd never seen coming. But Duo had been there when he was struggling so hard to eke out a life during a time when war was no longer necessary. Been there when he was lost, desperately trying to keep his head above water. His arms had been warm, strong, safe when Heero could no longer take it and collapsed under the agony of having no place in a world that didn’t need him. Duo had let him know he was needed, even wanted. Duo had let him know that the one who needed and wanted him most was Duo himself. To his surprise, he'd discovered that Duo had also been floundering, seeking a place to belong, and wondering what his purpose was in this post-war world. Together they learned that there was a place for them, a purpose, even if it had only been for each other. They clung together in desperation during their darkest moments and learned to let love into their hearts in their brightest. Everything else just fell into place. If anyone had told Heero he'd be in love with another man, living with another man in the quiet, almost mundane world of suburban America, he'd have said they were crazy. Yet, here he was, among the flag-waving, corn-fed good ol' boys of the Midwest. Inevitably, they'd adopted the way of life that was so common in this region of the world. They shoveled and salted their driveways in the winter and hung tacky Christmas lights across their gutters during the holidays. In the spring, they planted their gardens and mowed their lawns, and in the summer they ate hot dogs, drank lemonade, and dutifully attended barbeques and baseball games. When fall came around, they raked their leaves, lit jack-o-lanterns for their porch, and enthusiastically consumed everything that was pumpkin spiced. It was nice. Predictable in ways his life had never been before and he grew to love the easy-going culture of the local community. He'd adapted much more quickly than he could have anticipated, though he'd initially struggled a little more than Duo. Duo had advantages that he didn't. Namely his friendly, outgoing personality, his need for socialization, and, like a chameleon, he knew how to acclimate himself into his surroundings. But Heero eventually got there. It helped to have Duo as a lover. He often acted as a buffer between Heero and the world in those early days, cushioning the blow until Heero himself was ready to emerge into his new life. He was eternally grateful to have Duo by his side and knew he wouldn't be where he was now without him. "Shit! Goddamn...fucking...hell. Why won't you light?!" Speaking of which. Heero climbed out of bed and padded to the window. He slid the screen up and stuck his head out, looking for the source of the colorful cursing. He spotted Duo at the grill, angrily trying to light charcoal that just wouldn't ignite. And for good reason. It had been rainy yesterday and Duo had forgotten to put the cover back on from the last time he'd used it. There was no way on Earth that wet charcoal was going to light no matter how much butane he squirted on it. "Duo." His lover looked up in surprise before his face split into a wide, but somewhat frustrated grin. "Mornin' Hee-chan!" "What the hell are you doing?" Duo waved his hands at the grill. "Trying to build a new Gundam out of this barbeque." At Heero's raised brow, he threw his hands up. "I'm trying to light the stupid thing!" "It's nine o'clock." Duo shot him a look that said, Yeah...and? "Why are you trying to grill so early?" "Because it's Memorial Day and I want to start the day off right. This is what Americans do on this day and don’t ask me why. I did not make the rules." He clicked the lighter again and cursed when it flickered out. "Damn it!" "Duo, it's never going to light. The coals are wet." "I know that! You think I'm stupid?" He tried again. "Arrrgh! Sonofa -" Heero declined to answer that and pulled his head back inside, closing the screen. Ah, yes. Memorial Day. A popular patriotic holiday, particularly in the Midwest. It was a day of remembrance of America's fallen heroes. In addition to that, it was what the Midwest considered the "unofficial start of summer" which meant picnics and barbeques galore. When he glanced out the front window on his way to the kitchen, he could see the long row of red, white, and blue flags billowing in the breeze. He stepped into the kitchen and over to the coffee maker, yawning idly as he dumped out the used grounds and scooped new ones into the filter. He slid the filter into the pot and hit the switch, shuffling over to a stool. He plopped down and waited for the coffee, resting his chin on his hand. He hoped Duo wasn't planning on shoving an over-abundance of hot dogs and burgers on him from sunrise to sunset like he had last year. It had taken three months before he could even look at another burger after last summer's Fourth of July fiasco. He jumped five feet off the stool, his hands automatically reaching for the sidearm that was no longer there when a loud bang went off outside. It was powerful enough that he could feel it through the floor and it rattled the windows. He scurried to the back door to see what had happened and nearly collided with a soot-covered Duo. His braided lover grinned awkwardly, his teeth gleaming white in the blackened char on his face. He looked up sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck. "Eh-heh. Hi, love." "What the hell did you do?!" He looked over his shoulder and Heero glanced around him to see the smoking remnants of their barbeque grill. "Well..." He turned back to Heero. "We need a new grill." He groaned and turned back into the house, in desperate need of coffee now, and dreading spending the rest of the day being dragged from one home improvement store to the next. So much for doing nothing today.
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