Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Painting the Desert ❯ Getting to Know You ( Chapter 2 )

Getting to Know You

As Duo stood up his legs wiggled more than Christmas Jell-O molds, after all, he hadn't eaten in three days. And for Duo Maxwell to go three days without eating was a record for the Maxwell family.

Quatre helped him climb back into bed. "You must be famished. I'm sorry I didn't think of that or I would have had some food waiting for you."

Duo smiled at the boys good nature. "No problem, anyway, now you can get something you know I like."

"What would that be?" Quatre asked preparing to take Duo's order.

"Anything really, I'm not picky." Quatre smiled and walked out of the room.

He hurried to the kitchen and told the cook to prepare something tasty and quick. He thought about Duo the entire time, his laid back attitude, his careless braid, and most of all his eyes, those dangerous cobalt eyes. The cook prepared a couple of sandwiches, grilled cheese and a turkey club, Quatre gathered them onto a tray with a couple bags of chips and bottles of water. He debated weather or not to pluck a vased flower to place on the tray as well, but thought better of it. How would Duo interpret that?

Duo only had to wait twenty minutes before Quatre returned with sustenance. He placed the tray on the night stand and pulled up a chair next to the bed. "I hope you don't mind if I eat lunch with you," Quatre said as he began rearranging the tray.

"Not at all, " Duo smiled and picked up the turkey club. Quatre watched him inhale the sandwich, this boy sure had an appetite.

"Um, your American aren't you, Duo?" Quatre asked as Duo finished by wiping his mouth on his sleeve.

"That obvious, huh? Yeah, I'm from the good old US of A."

Quatre smiled, "If you don't mind me asking, why are you in the Middle East?"

Duo laid back on the bed, opened a bag of chips and began the story.

Quatre listened intently to the entire narrative. "Wow, that was a long and somewhat interesting story."

Duo smiled, "yeah, and it explains everything."

Quatre looked down, bothered. "Except one thing, is anyone going to be missing you in America?"

Duo thought a moment, "not a one, in fact, I don't have anything to return to."

Quatre smiled, his mind made up. "Well then, you'll stay here. I insist."

Duo nodded, "how could I refuse?"

* * *

Quatre was so excited about his new friend living with him that he hurried about the main house getting everything possible to make Duo comfortable. He prepared a wonderful room, just across the hall from his where Duo could sleep. And he rustled up some clothes for him to wear. He couldn't stop smiling at the idea of that boy with the long braided hair living with him, sleeping across the hall from him. Quatre stopped a moment, he was getting flushed.

Duo sat in bed very pleased with the recent turn of events. How did he ever get so lucky? To live in a mansion, at least that's what Quatre said it was, but from the size of the grounds it seemed more like a castle. Duo leaned back and put his hands casually behind his head to take a short nap only to be awakened by an unpleasant smell. It was him, three days without a shower can do that to a guy. He got up from the comfort of the bed, and this time made it out of the door without a single falling incident. Duo wandered down corridor after corridor in a vain attempt to find somebody, hopefully Quatre, to tell him where the bathroom was.

Quatre caught Duo slowly making his was down the east wing's main hallway glancing at the various priceless paintings that lined the wall. "Duo! What are you doing out of bed?" he asked, trying to mask the concern in his voice.

Duo smiled at the familiar face. "Hey Quatre, I was just looking for you. I really need to take a shower."

Quatre blushed slightly, embarrassed that he hadn't thought of that, and by the vivid image his mind provided of Duo naked and wet. "Of course, right this way," he said as he lead Duo down the hall.

Quatre stopped in front of a few closed doors. "Here we are. That will be your room, and I hope you don't mind sharing a bathroom with me. I'm right across the hall."

Duo couldn't help the smile that broke onto his face. "Not at all."

Quatre continued, "there are towels in this closet and the bathroom is right there. If you need anything let me know, not that you'd need anything in the shower but. . . " Quater's face turned crimson as he let the sentence trail off.

Duo continued smiling as he gathered up a towel and walked into the bathroom. How did I get so lucky, indeed?