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"Here's to Us"Written By: Presser Pairings : 1x2 Disclaimer : Gundam Wing characters aren't mine Rating : PG-13 except for part 12 which is NC-17 Warnings : AU, some sap, some fluff, some angst. Spoilers: None Feedback : Yes please!
"Here's to Us"
~ 3 ~ Author's Note: Special thanks to Mishimo Tatsuo, my dear boyfriend, for his expert knowledge of kendo. All mistakes, of course, are mine. Duo parked at the corner of Third Street and Bruner Avenue. He locked the door of his Volkswagen Beetle and dropped a quarter in the meter, then headed across and down the street, flyer in hand. Squeezed between a convenience store and a record shop was a metal door set in brownstone brick. The sign above read "Martial Arts of Japan." Duo tried to look through the square of glass in the door, but could see nothing through the smears of dirt and grease. He pulled on the door, which grudgingly opened, and was face to face with a steep set of stairs. Duo felt slightly claustrophobic as he climbed the narrow passage to the second floor. At the top was another door with a sign, hand-lettered,
that read "Please come in." Duo opened the wooden door and
stepped into a room, longer than wide, old but clean linoleum, three
concrete pillars, and a number of metal folding chairs against two
of the walls. A small table was in one corner of the room near the
door with a note pad and three pencils. At the far end of the room
near small windows were six students wearing the traditional uniform
of kendo students: a woven cotton top and pleated skirt-like trousers.
Two of the students wore armor: a helmet, body protector, gloves and
a protective covering over the groin. An older man, obviously the
master, was instructing the students in the use of the "Thrust now! No, no, push with your hips! Try again." The master was insistent, but not abrasive. Duo stood at the door, waiting. Eventually the master noticed him. With a clap-clap of his hands, he dismissed the class. "Don't forget that the tournament is next week. We have extra practice on Wednesday evening." The camaraderie of friends echoed through the room as armor was removed and gym bags were retrieved. The master approached Duo. "May I help you?" A spare frame, bent with age, but agile nonetheless. Wisps of gray framed eyes that sparkled. Duo showed the flyer in his hand. "I saw this at Miranda's Book Nook, and thought -" "You thought you'd come and find out what kendo is." A statement. "Yes, I've been thinking about getting back in shape, and I -" "Kendo is the way of the sword. It is more than exercise; it is an attitude, a way of living, of breathing." The master's voice glowed with the enthusiasm of a younger man. "I, ah..." "Do you have it in you to learn a way of living?" Penetrating eyes focused on Duo. "Yes. No. I don't know. I mean, maybe." Duo
winced at his lame attempt to answer. The master narrowed his eyes
and leaned in to inspect Duo. He studied the face before him, then
suddenly grabbed his arm. Duo flinched. The master ran his hand lightly
across Duo's bicep, down his forearm, ending by taking his hand. He
gently pulled the fingers apart, turning "You are agile, that much is clear. If you are willing to work, you can master it. Come back on Monday night. Seven thirty. One hour. Wear loose clothes. You can purchase your uniform then." The master turned and began to walk away. "Wait!" The master stopped and slowly turned, looking at Duo over his shoulder. "What is your name?" "You may call me Master Isoki." He turned and walked to the far end of the room. * * * Monday night found Duo breathlessly hurrying from his car to the Martial Arts of Japan studio. He had reworked his schedule so that he'd have Monday nights free - easily the slowest night of the week, anyway - but had run into three different regulars just as he was closing up, and felt obligated to spend a bit of time with them. He strode quickly down Bruner Avenue to the small door next to the convenience store and pounded his way up the stairs, pushing through the door at the top in a rush. Master Isoki was standing at the small table near the door, showing another beginner how to sign in for each class. As the door banged against the wall, he looked up sharply, his eyebrows creased between flashing eyes. "Oh, sorry, I didn't know the door would -" "Young man! Drop your bag!" "I, ah..." "Drop your bag!" Duo did. "Now stand up straight. At attention." Duo complied. "Put your arms out straight in front of you. Make fists. Good. Now turn your fists over, open your fingers, palms up. Cross your arms over your heart. Close your eyes. Breath deeply, three times." Duo did everything he was told to do, wondering at Master Isoki's instructions. "Open your eyes. Slowly. Now look at me. Are you calmer?" "Yes, I am." "Good. Be on time from now on." The master returned to the table, where he began to show another student how to sign in. Duo uncrossed his arms and noticed four other beginners like himself standing against one wall, near the chairs. They were smiling at him. Duo picked up his gym bag and walked over to them. One extended his hand. "Hi, I'm Jon. Don't worry about that; it happened to Fiona not five minutes ago." "Really?" "Yeah," Fiona said, her Irish accent thick. "Apparently our instructor is a stickler for punctuality." "And for form, among other things, Miss Fiona." Isoki spoke from behind the group, startling them all. The twinkle in his eyes belied the serious tone in his voice. A small smile graced his lips. "Shall we begin our class?" Isoki led the group to the far end of the room. * * * "This is the basic stance. Master this, and you will have a foundation on which to build." Isoki clapped his hands twice, a gesture that Duo would soon learn meant that class was over. "You can purchase uniforms tonight if you want, by next week at the latest. They are $65.00 and will last you quite a while with good care." The master turned and walked to the front of the room near the door, leaving his new charges to talk among themselves. "Pretty intense, wouldn't you say?" Jon spoke in a whisper, afraid Isoki would hear him. "Yeah, really," Fiona said softly. "But that's part of what I want," Duo said. "I'm out of shape, and I need someone who'll be tough on me. It may be rough going at first, but I'll be better for it." "Probably true for me, too. I could stand to lose a bit of these," Fiona said, patting her hips. The group smiled as they moved to claim their bags, pulling towels to wipe their faces on. Duo noticed that the front of the room was filling up
with people wearing their kendo uniforms. Must be an advanced class,
he thought. He checked to see that he had all of his belongings and
headed for the door. As he did, one of the advanced students turned
around. Duo found himself facing the Japanese man who had visited
his shop the previous week. Dark blue "Hi, I'm Duo Maxwell. You were by my shop a few days ago, I believe." "Uh, y-yes." The man looked down, then away, his eyes darting back and forth. Geez, it's like he's looking for a place to hide, Duo thought. "What's your name?" The man stopped cold, then raised his eyes slowly to look directly at Duo. The effect was stunning. "He-Heero Yuy." After a moment, he put his hand in Duo's. Duo was struck with the suppleness of the man's hand. "Pl-pleased to m-meet you." Heero pulled his hand back, then looked away. Duo felt awkward, his heart going out to the young man. "Well, I hope you'll come by again. I make a mean oatmeal pie." "Oatmeal pie?" Heero stared at Duo, puzzlement on his face. "It's like pecan pie without the nuts. You probably think /I'm/ nuts to suggest such a thing could be good, but it's one of my customer's favorites." "I - I'd like to tr-ry it." "Great. It's a date then," Duo said, flashing his most charming smile. "Well, I should be going, and it looks like you've got a class that's starting." "Master Isoki doesn't like l-latecomers." "Tell me about it! I found that out an hour ago." Duo smirked. Heero smiled slightly. "Well, perhaps I'll see you later, Heero." "Y-yes." Heero turned to pick up his bag and moved to the far end of the room. Duo exited the room and headed down the steep stairs, then out ontoBruner Avenue. He walked the short distance to his car with a bit of a bounce. TBC |
