Work Text:
So many many moons ago there were things called mailing lists, the Yahoo 1x2 ML among them. I used to post there, a few short stories. Was archived at ‘The Vault’ and had a FF.net page, and Live journal (does that still exist?) All that is long gone (even my FF.net stuff) and I had thought that everything was gone with it. I still read, but I do not know if I’ll ever write again. So, now, much closer to retirement than I was 20 years ago, and where the highlight of my day is cleaning out my emails, lo and behold, what do I come across? Something I thought was very much in my past. A short story. A drabble, really. But it’s mine! So, Ima gonna sit it here for a while. I don’t know if I’ll find anything else. But It made me happy to find just one. Hope you get a smile from it, slight amusement perhaps? Or maybe the next time you eat a tuna fish sandwich you can ponder the meaning of true love. ; )
Warnings: OC, sap, shounin ai,...Duo explanations.
What is true love? More than just words.
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True Love and Tuna Fish Sandwiches
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‘But he doesn't say it?’ Janice asked, lowering her voice at the last moment. The room was empty except for the two of them and her voice echoed off the drab walls of the staff lounge.
Duo shrugged, ‘Nope.’ He put his change in the vending machine and looked over his choices.
‘But… how do you know?’ She asked, taking a seat.
Duo made his choice and punched in the appropriate numbers. ‘I just know. I mean, its not like he's never said it, but really, he doesn't need to.’
Janice didn't reply, taking a bite of her sandwich while she mulled it over. Duo tried to explain, ‘You got a boyfriend, right?’
After she cleared her throat, Janice answered. ‘Fiancé, Eric. We've been together for almost two years and if he didn't say ‘I love you’, I'd think something was seriously wrong.’
‘Well, I guess some of it comes with time.’ Duo opened his snack and took a bite.
‘What comes with time?’
‘You just come to a place where the ‘I love yous’ are said in other things.’
‘Like?’
Janice pulled out the chair next to her, giving invitation for Duo to sit. Instead, Duo sat on the table and gave thought to his answer. ‘Ok,’ he said, turning to Janice, ‘Like last week, I needed an oil change. I hate to do them. Heero hates to do oil changes too, but that's exactly what he did for me on his day off. I didn't even ask.’
Janice smiled. ‘So how do you say it?’
Duo didn't even have to think about it. ‘Mushrooms in the spaghetti sauce.’
Janice raised a brow. ‘Mushrooms?’
‘I hate mushrooms. Can't stand `em. Don't think a fungus should be allowed to be put in anything consumable. But Heero likes them. And so, I put them in the spaghetti sauce, just for him.’
‘I guess it's the little things,’ Janice sighed.
Before Duo could take another bite of his chocolate bar, Heero walked into the lounge, plucked the chocolate bar out of Duo's hand and replaced it with a paper sack. ‘You forgot your lunch on the counter. Snickers is not a meal.’ Heero then walked over to the trash can and made a show of dropping the chocolate bar in the garbage.
‘Hey! That's not what the commercial says.’ Duo pouted.
‘Duo.’ Heero growled, in a way that said, ‘I am immune to your looks, do not argue.’
‘Thanks man.’ Duo said genuinely. He smiled in a way that even Janice could see the underlying meaning in his words. ‘See ya at home.’
Heero nodded and walked out. Janice waited until she was sure the Heero was well out of hearing range. ‘So, I take it that was an ‘I love you’ moment?’
Duo grinned. ‘That was an ‘I love you with all of my heart’ kinda moments.’
Janice rolled her eyes. ‘You guys are so mushy I'm gonna be sick.’
‘You betcha babe. This…’ Duo said, pulling a tuna sandwich out of the sack and holding it up, ‘This right here, is true love.’
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Sakusha ( Now Sionnache)