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"Bad Luck Turned Good "Written By: Zazu 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. All of the characters depicted in this story
are adults. Rating: NC 17 Warnings: Yaoi, lemon, angst, Pairings: 1x2x1 Summary: Get together fic. "Bad Luck Turned Good " Chapter 1
They day he went to the salon named Spellbound had been one of those bad days. To start with, his coffee machine’s timer had reset so Heero didn’t have coffee in the morning. He’d run out of tea as well; it was on his grocery list for the next visit. He hadn’t realized that he didn’t have any bagels left and he remembered that he’d given it to Roger Thompson, the ten-year-old next door, who was hungry and had locked himself out of his apartment.
The barista at the café downstairs had spilled his drink; thankfully Heero had managed to get out of the way quickly. He’d been able to grab a muffin there too, and was just settled to eat it when his cell phone rang.
His secretary informed him that the client he was going to see at noon needed to see him at ten am, which was an hour and a half away. Assuring his secretary that he did, indeed, have the documents he needed with him, Heero made the decision to skip dropping by the office and head straight to his client’s office.
The trip would take about half an hour, so Heero took his time eating his muffin and mentally going over his notes for the meeting before leaving.
He’d just stepped out of the café when he felt something gloppy hit his head. With a wince, Heero reached up and gingerly touched the mess. Of course, of all days to be victim to a passing bird’s droppings, it had to be that day.
Without any other choice, Heero noticed the salon, Spellbound, across the street and immediately headed in. The price for a wash was twice the amount of his usual place. Heero managed to use a tissue to wipe the mess before he stepped in.
“Can I help you?” The girl at the counter asked.
“Yes, can I get my hair washed?” Heero asked. “Wash and dried,” he amended.
“Do you have an appointment?”
Heero mentally cursed. “No, but I really need a quick wash.”
“Come right in,” a voice called. Heero looked up and stared. The man beckoning to him was wearing tight jeans with a dangling silver chain and a black button down shirt. His chestnut hair was pulled back. Heero took a step and followed him, noticing when the man turned around that the hair was tied in a braid. “Leave your jacket here.” The man gestured to a chair and Heero set his briefcase down with his jacket and tie before taking a seat at the reclined chair.
“First time here?” The man asked, handing Heero a thin water-proof robe.
“Yes,” Heero said. “Actually, I was rather…lucky I guess. I received an offering of bird droppings as I stepped out the café across the street.”
The man nodded sympathetically. “You might want to loosen up your first button so I can tuck the towel in at the back of your neck. My name is Duo, by the way.”
Heero compiled and sat still as Duo slipped a towel in place before guiding Heero to lie down. “Am I taking up your time?” he asked. “I didn’t have an appointment.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Duo said. “Your hair is short so this shouldn’t take too long.”
The water was warm and Heero found himself relaxing and he closed his eyes. “Thank you,” he said sincerely.
“Your hair is soft,” Duo commented, expert hands massaging the shampoo onto Heero’s scalp. Heero almost moaned when Duo massaged his head.
He was almost sorry when the treatment was over; all the irritation he had been feeling from the poor morning was gone, soothed away, and Heero felt more awake than he had after his coffee. Duo led him to a chair and briskly towelled his hair off before grabbing a hair dryer and working to dry Heero’s hair.
“Do you work around here?” Duo asked.
“No,” Heero answered. “I live a couple of blocks away. I was on my way to the bus stop when I stopped for coffee. How long has this place been open?”
“About a year,” Duo answered.
“And you’re taking appointments,” Heero said. “This place must be popular.”
“Somewhat,” Duo said.
Their eyes met in the mirror. Duo smiled and Heero looked down, feeling a little shy.
Before long, Heero’s hair was dry. “You don’t put anything in it, do you?” Duo asked.
“No, I don’t.” Heero stood up once Duo was finished and took off the robe. Buttoning his shirt and tying his tie, Heero slipped on his suit jacket and picked up his briefcase. “Thank you for making an exception for my lack of an appointment.”
“No problem,” Duo smiled. “Have a great day…”
“Heero Yuy,” Heero quickly introduced himself, realizing that he hadn’t when Duo had shared his name.
“Have a great day, Heero. If you want an appointment, just give us a call. Grab a card from the front desk.”
“I will. Thank you again.”
“You’re welcome.” Duo waved and called to the front. “Hilde, can you cash him out, please?”
“Sure thing!” Hilde replied from the front desk. Heero dug out his wallet as he approached. “You’re lucky,” Hilde said.
Heero looked at her, confused. “What do you mean?”
“Duo is our most popular hair dresser,” Hilde informed him. “He never does the actual hair washing for clients; that’s what the rest of us girls are for.”
Heero wouldn’t have guessed judging the professional way Duo had washed his hair and massaged his scalp. He handed off the money and tip and picked up a card.
Duo Maxwell, Director and Stylist.
“How early in advance do appointments have to be made?” he asked out of curiosity.
“A day or two,” Hilde said.
“Thank you,” Heero nodded, glancing at his watch. With another glance towards the back of the shop where Duo was smiling and chatting with his client while expertly wielding scissors and a comb, he left the shop.
The day wasn’t so bad after all, Heero decided.
*****
Two weeks later, Heero was fingering the Duo’s business card. He usually got his hair trimmed after month and a half to two months, and now was the time to do it.
Did he really have to spend double the money and go back to Spellbound? Thomas knew exactly what he wanted and he didn’t have to make an appointment there.
He was dialling the number for Spellbound before he knew it.
“Spellbound, Duo speaking, how may I help you?”
Heero swallowed. “Uh, hi. I’d like to make an appointment for a haircut please.”
“Do you have a preferred stylist or is this your first time?”
“My name is Heero. Heero Yuy. I came in about two weeks ago for a wash because…”
“Because you were the lucky recipient of some bird poop,” Duo chuckled. “I remember you. So, you want a hair cut?”
“A trim,” Heero answered. “Is that…okay?”
“Of course it is. Unfortunately, I’m booked up over the next three days…assuming that you wanted to book me?”
“I do,” Heero quickly said. “I’m not in any real rush.”
“If you want to drop by tonight, I can fit you into the last slot. Your appointment shouldn’t take too long. Are you okay for six forty-five pm?”
“Yes, that would be fine.”
“See you later, then!”
“See you.” Heero hung up and flipped the card between his fingers again. It was then that he noticed that Spellbound closed at six thirty pm.
Regardless, Heero showed up five minutes early for his appointment and had to tap on the locked door.
“Hi,” Hilde greeted him. “You’re Duo’s last appointment?”
“Is it okay?” Heero asked, glancing at the store hours again. “Aren’t you closed?”
“It’s fine,” Hilde let him in. “Duo said you wouldn’t take too long so come on in.”
He stepped in and looked up just as Duo exited from the back room.
“Hey,” Duo greeted him with a smile.
“You didn’t tell me that you were closed at this hour.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Duo said. “Go on home, Hilde. I can lock up.”
“Ciao,” Hilde said and waved before leaving.
“Lock the door for me will you, Heero?” Duo asked, rummaging around for a robe.
“Sure.” Heero locked the door and walked to the back, setting his briefcase down with his jacket.
As Duo began to wash his hair, Heero blinked at the ceiling. “I heard that you don’t usually wash your client’s hair,” he said.
“Not usually,” Duo admitted. “As you can see all the girls are gone now.”
It didn’t mean that Duo had to take him on as an extra appointment, but Heero didn’t know how to ask that either.
“So what is it that you do?” Duo asked.
“I’m a business operations consultant,” Heero answered.
“Ah. So you tell people how to run their businesses.”
“I advise them on how they could better run their businesses,” Heero corrected.
“Is this where you tell me that I’m not going to profit from working overtime when I don’t get paid overtime?”
Heero tilted his head back. “I really didn’t want to inconvenience you, Duo. I could have come a few days later.”
Duo made eye contact with Heero. “Maybe I’m the one inconveniencing you,” he said softly before setting Heero’s head back in place so he could finish up his task.
“For someone who doesn’t usually do this, you’re really good at it,” Heero said when Duo began to massage his head.
“Thanks.”
They didn’t speak again until Heero was sitting in front of the mirror again. Duo walked off to get a pair of scissors just as Heero’s phone rang.
“Relena?” Heero answered the phone after looking at the caller id. “No, I’m not at home.”
Duo stood behind Heero, waiting patiently, so Heero hurried with his call. “You don’t need to stop by with it. I left it on my desk on purpose. Really, it isn’t urgent, don’t worry about it. That’s fine. I’ll see you tomorrow, Relena. Goodbye.” He hung up. “Sorry about that.”
“Girlfriend?” Duo asked.
“No. Just a co-worker.”
“Do you have one?” Duo asked, then flushed. “Sorry, I shouldn’t be nosy.”
“No, I don’t,” Heero answered anyway.
“I don’t either,” Duo said. “Not that you asked but I figured it’d be fair to answer. Just a trim?”
“Yes, please.”
Duo set to work. “The last person I dated…wasn’t all that great, so I decided to take a break from the whole dating scene. This time, I guess I just want to be a bit surer of myself and the other person before…”
Heero nodded only to have Duo still his head with a chuckle. “Sorry,” he apologized for moving. “I know what you mean.”
“Same thing happen to you?” Duo asked.
“No, but…Being sure sounds good.”
“It is good,” Duo said. “Although Jason was nice and attentive from courtship to steady dating…until I realized he was nice and attentive to more than one person. But if people are like that, two-faced until they are dating you steadily I mean, I guess it makes it hard to be sure.”
“Jason?” Heero asked softly. Duo stilled.
“Does that bother you?”
“It bothers me that he cheated on you,” Heero said.
Duo shrugged. “It’s been nine months.”
“I…Her name was Nicola.”
“You don’t have to tell me, Heero.”
“It’s only fair,” Heero pointed out just as Duo had. “I worked too hard, she said, and when we vacationed over the long weekend, I realized that it wasn’t going to work out with her.”
“Why not?”
“She only booked one room with one bed and…obviously intended to do more than sleep, only…I found out that I wasn’t exactly…interested.” Heero looked down at his feet, heat rising in his cheeks. It wasn’t something he’d shared with others, and he hadn’t the slightest clue why he was sharing it with his new hairdresser.
“Well, for what it’s worth I can see why she wanted to get into bed with you,” Duo said softly. “How…how long ago was this?”
“A year,” Heero said.
“So…you only found out then that you were interested in men?”
“I guess you could say that,” Heero said. “Or rather, it was only then that I really acknowledged it. Nicola was the second girl I’d ever dated, but the first was someone from college and we lasted all of two weeks before her boyfriend of one month came looking to beat me into a pulp.”
“Shit,” Duo shook his head. “People these days don’t really know the meaning of commitment, do they?”
“Maybe not everyone,” Heero said.
Duo ran his fingers through Heero’s hair then, focusing on the reflection. Heero swallowed at the handsome face Duo presented and Duo’s eyes met his. “So,” Duo said softly, idly playing with Heero’s hair. “Are you interested in…maybe trying to date a guy? Someone who knows, or at least appreciates, commitment?”
“I would be interested,” Heero replied. “Not that…not that I came here only for that, of course.”
Duo chuckled. “Of course not,” Duo said. “There was no way either of us could have known…um, not that I set your appointment at this time to…okay no, that would be a lie and I don’t lie. I did set this appointment for you because I wanted to get to know you, to be friends with you, and it’s easier to talk like this without others listening in.”
Heero smiled. “So…are you free for dinner tonight? Now? My treat.”
Duo brushed the stray hairs from Heero’s neck and nodded. “Sure. Just give me a few minutes to close the shop.”
“Take your time.”
Dinner went by quickly as the both of them talked and got to know each other a little better.
“Where do you live again?” Duo asked as they stepped out of the restaurant.
“Two blocks that way,” Heero gestured. “And another block down.”
“Greenfield Apartments?” Duo asked. “Block A or B?”
“A,” Heero answered.
“I’m in Block B,” Duo laughed. “Let’s go.”
“Wow,” Heero fell into step with Duo. “Talk about coincidence.”
“Yeah,” Duo nodded. “I only moved in two weeks ago, actually. Nice place.”
“Quite nice,” Heero said. “What floor?”
“Seven, facing the front courtyard. You?”
“Twenty-first, on the other side of the building.”
“Must be a good view.” Duo knew that there were no other tall apartments on that side of the building.
“Do you want to come see?”
“Sure.”
They made their way to Heero’s and once he had toed his shoes off, Duo made his way to the window. “Wow,” he breathed, looking out at the lights of other buildings and moving cars.
“Coffee?” Heero asked.
“Water is fine, or I won’t be able to sleep.”
Heero brought out a glass of water for Duo, who took it with a smile of thanks. “It’s beautiful.”
“It is,” Heero agreed. "Let me switch off the living room lights. It looks even better.”
Once the lights were gone, Duo took a step back to look. “It really does look better,” Duo said. “I take it you stand here to enjoy the view every once in a while?”
“Every night, actually,” Heero admitted. “It clears my head.” He took in the view of Duo at the window, automatically committing the image to memory.
Duo caught him looking. “What?” he asked.
“Nothing,” Heero said, turning away and reaching for the remote control. He turned on the television, just in time for the news. “Have a seat.”
Duo took a seat next to Heero, setting the glass on top of the coffee table. They watched the news together, commenting on the headline stories before the finances came on.
By the time the finances were over, Heero felt Duo leaning on his shoulder. “Duo?” he called softly. There was no answer, and Heero switched off the television. Duo didn’t stir, and Heero figured that Duo had dozed off.
He cautiously leaned his cheek against Duo’s hair.
It was just as soft on his cheek as it had looked.
An hour later, Duo stirred, moving slowly before stilling. It was only when Heero shifted that Duo sat up.
“Sorry,” he muttered. “I didn’t mean to fall asleep.”
“Finances bore you?” Heero asked with a chuckle.
“No, I just…didn’t sleep well last night I guess.” Duo stretched and looked at the clock. “I guess I better head home then,” Duo said. “Good thing I live so close, right?”
“Yes,” Heero agreed. “Go get some rest.”
Duo stood. “I…”
“What is it?”
Duo grinned. “I don’t have your number, Heero. I’m guessing that you don’t want me to show up unannounced?”
“Oh!” Heero pulled out his cell phone and handed it to Duo. “Sorry about that,” he said as Duo typed in his number and pressed the call button. Another ringtone sounded before Duo hung up, pulling out his own phone to save the number.
“Great,” Duo grinned. “So…I’ll see you soon?”
“Soon.”
“I’m off work at closing tomorrow. Do you want to come over for dinner?”
“I have a business call to make at eight,” Heero said. “But if you want to come over and don’t mind my tending to business for fifteen or twenty minutes…?”
“I don’t mind,” Duo said. “I’ve got some homemade pasta sauce. I’ll cook it and bring it over and do the dishes while you make your call.”
“Sounds great,” Heero smiled. “See you tomorrow, then? I finish work at five, so I’ll be home by five-thirty. Just ring the bell up.”
“Will do,” Duo slipped his shoes on. “I had a great time tonight, Heero.” Duo rubbed the back of his neck.
“So did I,” Heero replied.
“I take it…dating a guy seems okay?”
“More than okay,” Heero assured him.
“Well…” Duo said. “I…” he leaned forward and kissed Heero’s cheek. Squeezing Heero’s hand, he grinned, cheeks a little flushed. “I don’t usually offer any kisses on a first date, but I figured I could make an exception since I’d…already slept with you.”
Heero smiled. “See you tomorrow?”
“Goodnight, Heero.”
“Goodnight, Duo.”
He watched until the elevator arrived and Duo stepped in after a final wave. Closing the door, Heero switched on the living room light and picked Duo’s glass up from the coffee table.
They had slept together, literally, and Heero had to admit that it was pretty much more than what he’d done with Nicola; once they had realized that it wasn’t going to work out the way she wanted it to, Nicola had booked a separate room and they’d left the resort the next day.
To Heero, it felt more intimate than anything he’d ever done with anyone. Arguably, having his hair washed by his now-potential-boyfriend was pretty intimate, too. Heero knew now, without a doubt, that he preferred dating men than women. The few months he’d spent with Nicola hadn’t been nearly as comfortable as the time he spent with Duo, and Heero could guess that it would only get better. His bad luck that day two weeks ago had turned into incredibly good luck.
He couldn’t wait to see Duo again.
- TBC -
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