HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, DUO-STYLE
1x2x1, ficlet, humour
for Sharon, for Moments of Rapture's 6th anniversary

"What's this?" Heero held up the sheet of legal-looking print, edged in an aggressive red border. "It's a letter threatening legal action," he answered himself, his tone puzzled. "For a bill that was due - and that I thought you paid - two weeks ago."

Duo glanced up, frowning. He sat at the desk, bare chested, a pen behind his ear, another one between his teeth, and ink imprints all over his arms and torso. There was an impressive pile of scrunched paper at his feet. "You know how it is," he growled. "The check's in the post. I told 'em that."

"And the milk's off," said Heero, still shuddering from the emotional shock of opening the fridge door and having mouldy dairy products go for his throat. "It was on your list to fetch the groceries. And I also answered the phone to Hilde earlier and she was... gnashing her teeth."

Duo shrugged, his head bent down over the desk again. "I said I'd get back to her about the dinner. I'll check the calendar. I'll get around to it."

Heero grimaced. "In between the gnashing, she said to tell you not to bother, because the dinner came and went three days ago and none of the other guests was prepared to hold your soup course any longer."

Duo looked up, startled. "Dammit! And she promised me my favourite, too. I hadn't realised time was passing so fast. I'll call her and apologise."

"No you won't," said Heero, quite calmly. "Your memory is like the proverbial sieve. Like you forgot to get the groceries; you forgot to feed the fish until one of them leaped out of the tank; you forgot to sort out the washing so all my white undershirts are now a selection of pastel colours; you forgot to go to the dentist-stroke-optician-stroke-doctor-"

"That's all fine now," said Duo, hurriedly. "The rash thing. You know?"

Heero sighed. "You forgot my birthday..."

Duo flushed. "Hey man, you know I felt bad about that, I made it up to you, didn't I, with the tickets for the game-?"

"-that you forgot to turn up for?" Heero countered. "And then when we planned the trip into town for your birthday..."

"-which you picked me up for, for God's sake, two hours early-"

"To make sure you made it, yes. But then there was still a rush to get you out of the apartment on time and all that trouble with the neighbours when you came out to the car..."

Duo winced. "It's a mistake anyone can make."

Heero's eyebrows raised. "To forget their pants???"

Duo sighed. "The boxers were warm enough, I didn't really notice."

Heero rolled his eyes. "And it had to be the ones with the "roger that" in bright red arrows on the front opening..."

"They'll vote me back into the neighbourhood watch committee in time," Duo sulked.

Heero leaned over and slammed his hand down on the desk. "This has to stop! You must pay more attention to the important things in your life - give more care to what's important."

Duo looked crestfallen. "I know. I will." He reached across and stroked Heero's arm soothingly. "Things like you, Heero. And how I feel about you. And how cute you are. And how hot you are. And how you're the one who gave me those boxers in the first place, I believe..."

Heero rolled his eyes again, but he looked distracted. "I just think-"

"And things like this!" Duo continued, ignoring him. He swept up a large sheet of paper with a flourish, waving it under Heero's nose. It was covered with drawings of balloons and stars and party poppers and... well, Heero could see a huge medley of celebratory illustrations, few of them in proportion, most of them in colours never seen either in nature or in the mall, and all of them drawn in thick, bold marker strokes that nearly cut through the paper. He winced.

"Great, yeah?" Duo beamed. "And I'm on time for once!"

Heero peered at the slogan on the paper, twisted in amongst the shapes of pixies and large transformer robots and ice cream cones of at least 6 flavours.

"HAPPY 6th ANNIVERSARY, MOMENTS OF RAPTURE".

Heero grinned. Duo dropped the paper and pulled him in for a hug and he forgot any worry about bailiffs arriving on the doorstep and the homicidal fungi in the fridge. And when Hilde rang back to gnash some more to him about her infuriating friend - and Heero's lover - Duo Maxwell, Heero let the phone ring off the hook.

He and Duo had posted the Anniversary wishes on Live Journal and were now in bed, Duo was panting softly and Heero was tracing the inky shapes on Duo's body with his tongue.

They were both paying attention to the important things in their life.