Giraffe On Fire, GW
Title: Giraffe on Fire
Author: Ellie Biel
Fandom: Gundam Wing
Characters/pairing: Heero Yuy/Duo Maxwell
Rating: PG
Warnings: AU
Word count: 926
Notes: Written for the 7snogs theme #6 "argument"; part 4 in a 7 part series.
Disclaimer: The characters of Gundam Wing to do not belong to me and are used without permission for fun, not profit.
Part 1: Sunny Side Up
Part 2: Two Peas
Part 3: All's Fair in Love, War, and Killing Zombies
Duo looked at his handiwork and frowned. "I don't know," he said, leaning forward to dab a little more red on the hair and nose. "I think I need to try it just one more time."
Heero started to argue, but Duo's cry of protest silenced him and he huffed out a sigh before resigning himself to Duo's resuming his artistic endeavors. He still hadn't quite understood how the job had fallen to Duo. It wasn't as if Duo had ever expressed much of an interest in art or in children, but he didn't seem to mind volunteering his time, and Heero suspected that being used as a test canvas was a perk Duo was enjoying just a little too much.
So far he'd managed to acquire a butterfly on his left cheek, a dolphin across his forehead, a Pikachu on his chin, and, on his right cheek, the clown Duo was currently working on.
If this face paint didn't wash off as easily as Duo had assured him it would, he was not going to be pleased.
When Duo had first asked him, Heero had assumed Duo was kidding. It had been completely random and out of the blue, and he'd refused to be a part of it until Duo had reminded him of all the nights that he'd let Heero hog the video game controller.
At least no one other than Duo was going to see him like this.
Duo was frowning again, and Heero thought it was a bad sign until Duo looked at him with a gleam in his eyes and a grin. Then he knew he was in trouble.
"I still need to practice," he said. "The clown looks like he was painted by Picasso or Dali."
"Kids should be exposed to different types of art."
Duo rolled his eyes. "Heero, that may be true, but what four year old can you think of that wants a burning giraffe on their cheek?"
"One with good taste?"
Duo ignored that comment. "Unbutton your shirt."
Heero eyed the paintbrush suspiciously. "Why?"
"Like I said, I need more practice."
"No. Oh, no, you are not painting any other part of my body - Duo, I said no!"
Duo had put the brush between his teeth and was unbuttoning Heero's shirt with the ease of someone who'd done it before. "I'll make it up to you," he mumbled around the wood in his mouth. He looked up at Heero and leered. "Promise." He slid the shirt off Heero's shoulders and pulled his chair closer to Heero. "You won't regret this."
"I doubt that," Heero muttered.
Five more painted on tattoos later, Duo proclaimed he was finished. "Want to see?"
"Not really."
Duo ducked his head and kissed Heero on his unpainted nose. "You were a really good sport. I really will make it up to you."
"Duo, when people talk about kissing and making up, this isn't exactly what they meant." He lifted his chin and leaned forward to plant a kiss of his own on Duo's lips. "But...it's okay."
It was. He felt silly, a little embarrassed, and Duo had almost poked him in the eye with the brush at one point, but it had been nice, being close to Duo. Heero leaned forward a little more to reach behind Duo's neck and bring him in closer for a much more satisfying kiss, leaving Duo with a bit of smudged Pikachu on his face. It was too bad it wasn't edible.
Duo was carefully putting away the paints and he brought his brush and the coffee cup he'd been using to rinse it off to the sink, and when he turned around, he looked a little guilty.
Heero felt a sneaking suspicion coming on. "What?"
"Well, it's like this," he said, "I really appreciate your letting me practice. It was a lot of fun, and I think I did get a lot better. You'll notice if you check the one between your shoulder blades before you get in the shower. And by the way, the one near your neck is a burning giraffe, and I think it would look cool on any preschooler."
Duo cleared his throat and began backing out of the kitchen and toward the bathroom. "And I know you'll see the humor in this-"
Heero got to his feet and began advancing on him. "Tell me these are water based paints."
"Oh! Yes, they are!" Duo looked relieved, but he continued his retreat toward the bathroom. "It's just that-" He turned and fled the short distance to the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. "There is no children's fair this weekend and I've got dibs on the shower!"
Heero stared at the door in disbelief as Duo's words sank in, and for a minute he thought of all the ways he would carry out his plans of revenge against Duo for this prank, or whatever it was. He shook his head, and started back toward the kitchen.
He stopped.
He hadn't heard Duo turn the lock, and really, Heero had far more need of the shower than Duo did, and it was Heero's apartment. As a good host it was his duty to make sure Duo knew where the towels were located. He put his hand on the doorknob, and an evil grin spread across his face. Duo had told him to check out the burning giraffe, after all, and it would be remiss of him if he didn't do it right now, before he forgot.
He turned the knob.
Part 5: Pins and Needles