Shopping Spree (Wufei/Duo) LW4 Title: Shopping Spree Authors:trio and petermaxwell Characters: Chang Wufei and Duo Maxwell Fandom: Gundam Wing Theme Set: LW4 Theme(s): Accomplished Warnings and Notes: male/male relationships
Lunch had been comfortable, a nice, light meal between two old friends. And while it did not surprise Wufei that he enjoyed Duo's company, it did surprise him a bit to realize just how much easier he was around Duo, now that the war was past and they had time to just be two men, instead of two vigilante soldiers. He'd chosen a small restaurant in the nearby mall for their meal, reasoning that once they were done, it would be much easier to simply get up and start walking around where they were to shop rather than having to drive further. And for lunch, casual was good.
Once he'd paid and they were walking out of the restaurant, though, Wufei turned his thoughts to their purpose for beng there. "I brought the list you made," he offered, digging the paper out of his pocket. "Do you have any suggestions as to where to start?"
Duo brought up one hand, shielding against the sunlight that filtered in through the skylights as he glanced around the mall until his eyes alighted on a brightly coloured storefront that was a few minutes' walk from where they were. "When in doubt, look for the most gaudy thing you can find. It's generally a kid/baby store." He pointed down towards the store, then started off at a slow pace. It wasn't for his own sake he was moving slowly... it was for the sake of those who weren't paying attention to where THEY were going, that he might knock over at his normal speed.
Wufei snorted, shaking his head and walking beside Duo. "Gaudy, hmm? Well, that's good to know, I guess. It will help when birthday presents are expected, at least. What did you decide was the most important thing on the list?" he asked curiously, a bit surprised at the speed, or lack of it, but not complaining in the slightest.
"Onesies," Duo said, nodding softly. "And clothes that'll be easy to get the kid out of. And the cloth nappies, and maybe a few receiving blankets. Those are the little things that Cat won't think of when he's trying to get the best of everything."
Wufei nodded, tucking the list back into his pocket as Duo proved that he didn't really need it. "Cloth nappies. Will we find those in this store too? The rest certainly seems like it would be available here."
"It should be, if we actually find a baby store. Most that carry clothes and supplies carry everything we need..." Duo paused then, frowning as he saw the garish storefront with nothing but toys, obviously for older children. "Aaaaand it's a wash. Maybe there'll be a baby store down the way."
"Should I comment on your questionable advice?" Wufei teased quietly, smirking at Duo. In truth, he'd sought Duo's advice more than once. But this wasn't war-time anymore. He was allowed a bit of humor.
Sticking his tongue out, Duo just grinned. "You're so wise, YOU find a baby store," he commented, folding his arms over his chest and giving every indication that he wouldn't budge until Wufei made a decision. "One of us has to get lucky."
Wufei arched an eyebrow, regarding Duo for a long moment before nodding. "Very well," he said mildly, and only the amusement in his black eyes gave away that he was laughing inside.
"I'm waiting." Duo snickered, making a prolonged, extravagant bow as he motioned Wufei forward. "Lead on, my friend, I'm following you." He was having fun with this, and it felt GREAT to him. He hadn't really had time for something like this in far too long.
"There's this ancient Chinese secret," Wufei confided, as he slowly made his way through the halls. "It must be practiced any time one is in a mall and there is no clear path to take."
One brow lifted as Duo moved to follow him. "Ancient Chinese Secret eh? Fei, if I didn't know better, I'd swear you got a sense of humour." The braided pilot grinned then, moving to hook his arm in Wufei's as they walked. "It's good to see."
Wufei snorted, tensing very briefly before relaxing into the casual touch. It meant nothing... he just had to keep telling himself that.
"But you do know better, Maxwell," he returned serenely, then stopped, nodding to a desk not far from where they were. "We've reached the end of our journey, and now we have but one more task before the ritual is complete," he intoned calmly, then tugged Duo along to approach the woman on the other side of the desk.
"Excuse me, ma'am. Would you happen to know where the baby store is here?" he asked, resting one hand on the sign that read 'Information'.
Snorting softly, Duo crossed his arms over his chest again and glanced off into nothingness. "Philistine," he muttered, but the amusement was still apparent in his voice.
Duo appeared thoughful for a moment, then a grin spread across his face wickedly. "Think Quatre would kill me if I got the baby its first puppy?"
Wufei stared at him for a moment, then shook his head. "You're insane, aren't you? Consigning them to a baby and a puppy at the same time? And what if it's allergic?"
Rolling his eyes, Duo just shoved his hands into his pockets. "I was kidding, Fei..." he murmured, subduing himself just a bit as they continued past the pet shop without another glance.
Wufei glanced over at Duo and frowned slightly, then casually glanced up at the ceiling. "Give it a month and then offer to babysit," he suggested quietly, nudging Duo toward the baby store. "When you bring back the kid, bring the puppy as well, if the kid's not allergic."
Nodding, Duo moved into the store, still not glancing back at the puppies that were bounding around in the cages next door. It didn't take him too long to navigate to the newborns section and start rifling through the displays. Almost immediately, he was back to normal. "LOOK Fei! They have camoflage onesies!" Snickering, Duo held one up. "It's unisex... it's green!"
Wufei blinked, then blinked again, then laughed wryly, moving to drape it over one arm. "I know better than to argue with you about these," he informed his friend, then paused, staring for a moment before reaching out to another decorated with metallic paint. "I'm not sure whether to be impressed or offended," he muttered at the sight of the Chinese dragon dancing across the front.
"Most dragons would look at the shiny and want it," Duo snickered, draping it over Wufei's arm as well as a few others that were garishly decorated. He briefly held up one that had an arrow pointing up and said 'This is what Trouble looks like', as well as one that just said 'Daddy's Angel' but was yellow instead of a 'girl-pink', as Duo called it. Those went into the pile, and then he began digging through a basket of blankets.
Wufei watched in bewildered admiration for long moments, then made his own way over toward one wall, peering at a set of oddly-shaped pillows. "Maxwell?" he called out, picking one of the U-shaped monstrosities up and examining it. "What is this?"
"Oh!" Duo grinned, grabbing one. "These are for breastfeeding..." He proceeded then to sit on the floor with the pillow around his waist. "The baby goes here, and it holds them up so that the mother doesn't get tired. They work great for bottle feeding too, because you're not holding all their weight on your arm. And then you can sit the baby in the middle of it later, it'll help them learn to sit up." He hooked it over his arm then, getting up. He was oblivious to the pair of giggling mothers-to-be who had watched this exchange with great amusement at the man's actions.
"You know," Wufei started, peering at the pillow before deciding he didn't like the design printed on it and moving to examine all the others, "entirely too much about babies. Were you aware of that? For all the knowledge you possess, I keep expecting a herd of Maxwells." He paused, then shuddered theatrically for effect. "And then the world would be in ruins."
Shaking his head, Duo just smiled. "I helped a lot with the younger kids at the orphanage. And after the war, I went back to help rebuild it. The Maxwell Church is standing again, and there's about eighty kids living in the orphanage now. I used the money I'd filched from OZ and put it to good use." He watched as Wufei looked through the patterns, then moved to the side to start inspecting the baby gowns. "So I got used to being around little kids. A lot of them lost their parents in the war, or just to L2 alone."
"Why aren't you working there?" Wufei asked quietly, sliding his eyes to his friend before settling on a pillow with cartoon lions all over it.
A shrug was all that answered him. "Hey look, Fei! They've got a circus themed crib set!" With that, Duo was off again, picking out the set in its entirety.
You want to be, don't you, Maxwell? Wufei thought to himself, wondering if he was really reading his friend right. But he was smiling as he made his way to where Duo was bouncing. "Surely they already have a crib set?" he asked.
"They may HAVE one, Fei, but this is the PERFECT one!" Duo was nearly bouncing on the balls of his feet, grinning from ear to ear. "Quatre loves circuses, Trowa was IN the circus, it's great. They'll love it!" Duo turned then, chattering animatedly about the set, and started picking out extras, like a mobile to hang over the crib, little plush wall decorations, all that matched.
So long as he kept up the smile, no one else would notice what was really going on behind his eyes. Part of him hated that he was here... hated that he had been forced to seek out company from the one person he swore he'd never make an ass out of himself in front of. He hated being alone... and now he was with the one person he wanted most to be with, and knew it wouldn't last much longer. He wanted to be at the Maxwell Church, but couldn't be. He refused to put those kids in any danger, and having an Ex Gundam Pilot as a benefactor would draw too much attention if it were discovered.
Wufei chuckled, eyeing the growing mass of things and suddenly grateful that he had a steady job. Quatre may be rich, but he was not. However, he did have a fair amount squirreled away... enough to cover it without too much of a dent.
...So long as he ran interference on SOME things.
Duo continued to pile on the items, making sure he got everything on their list and THEN SOME. Finally, when he was convinced there was well over 50 pounds of 'stuff' for one no-more-than 10 pound baby, he moved to the counter and pulled out his wallet.
Wufei blinked, reaching out to stop him. "Maxwell?" he asked quietly, glancing at the wallet. "I thought this was my gift?"
Duo smirked then, glancing to him. "You paid for dinner... and I never said they were JUST yours..."
"If they're not just mine, I still get to at least pay for half," Wufei informed him archly, digging out his own wallet even as he relinquised Duo. With a small smirk and a twinkle in his eyes, he added, "To do anything less would be unjust."
Rolling his eyes, Duo handed a plastic card to the girl behind the counter. "Buy me lunch again and we're even. Don't think I don't know how much the bill was."
Wufei, however, pointedly took note of the total, moving to write it down on a small slip of paper within his wallet. "You're not getting off that easily, Maxwell. I have my ways," he assured Duo.
"And I have access to your bank account," Duo replied, grinning as he scooped up the bags and darted off towards the main area of the mall.
Wufei blinked, staring after the other for a moment before hurrying after. "Maxwell!"
"Yeeeessss?" Duo's voice was nearly syrupy-sweet as he turned to face Wufei, walking backwards with the bags held behind his back. It never failed... Wufei was SO easy to get a rise out of sometimes.
"Don't give me that," Wufei countered, stalking up to Duo. "What exactly did you mean by that?" he demanded, though there was no serious anger in his voice... something Duo, who had so often heard him truly angry, could easily tell.
"I meant exactly what I said, Fei," Duo said, grinning. "You don't really think we got PAID for the war, did you?"
Wufei arched an eyebrow, folding his arms over his chest. "Go on," he prompted.
Duo glanced around at the crowd, then sighed a bit. "Later? I'd rather not get into it here."
"Over dinner, then?" Wufei suggested. "We'll pick something up to eat at home and you can share everything." He paused, then glanced around the mall before tilting his head. "There's one more thing we need to get. Come with me?"
Nodding, Duo tagged along with Wufei, the momentary threat to his well-being diminished by the thought that he might see something new. "What do you need to get?"
"In lieu of the real puppy, for now," Wufei said calmly. "We need a stuffed one. Right? Sort of a... sneaky warning?"
"Now THAT sounds like a plan!" Duo replied, nearly bouncing as he walked alongside Wufei again. "With a little collar and tag."
"A real tag?" Wufei asked mildly, relaxing as Duo's energy came springing right back. As much as Duo sometimes drove him crazy, there was something unsettling about the man when he was too serious. It just wasn't in his nature, Wufei reflected as he walked along beside Duo, back toward the toy shop they'd initially passed. Not the way it was in Wufei's, at least.
"A real one," Duo confirmed, nodding as he looked back at the pet shop. "We can pick up a collar there and get one of those engraved tags to put on it."
"One less piece of equipment for them to deal with later," Wufei considered, watching Duo for a moment before nodding. "We should try to match the type of stuffed dog to the real type you intend to get them, as well," he noted.
That made Duo stop for a moment, lost in thought. "Hadn't really thought of that yet... I mean, I'd wnat to find something that they'd like, that wouldn't scare the kid, and wouldn't be a pain in the ass for them."
"Indoor dog or outdoor dog?" Wufei asked, moving to watch Duo's face. "And small or large?"
"Indoor... not much fun having a dog if you can't have it inside. I'll keep it with me for a few weeks to housebreak it before I give it to them." On the topic of the size of the dog, Duo went quiet again, not quite certain.
"Maxwell?" Wufei finally prompted, looking curious. "What is it?"
Shrugging, he glanced at Wufei. "I just don't know what size it would be. I mean, you can have dogs with crappy personalities, no matter what size they are."
Wufei nodded slowly, watching Duo for a moment before deciding. "We'll pick up the stuffed dog tomorrow. Let's get this stuff home and do some research, shall we?" he added, nodding to the bags of stuff already weighing them down.
"Not going to be much point in researching, we won't know what dog we're getting til we actually go shopping for the dog." Duo snickered then, taking one or two of the bags Wufei had and hefting them up to his shoulders. "Good for the arms. Let's go, I'm hungry again."
"On the other hand, knowing a variety of dogs that typically have good personalities for children might make the shopping easier," Wufei pointed out, smiling slowly as Duo mentioned his hunger. "And being able to plan for the size of dog will help when we plan for the other equipment they'll need, yes?"
"True..." Duo agreed. "You think of everything, I swear." Grinning, Duo headed down the mall walkway in the direction they'd come. "I mean, what good is it to give them a dog if they have to buy everything for it, right? And I can start it on some basic training. Trowa can handle the rest."
"Do you suppose we can get some of their used clothing? Dirty but not filthy, by preference?" Wufei mused thoughtfully.
"Probably... although they'd wonder why I needed it." Already, his mind was working on exuses he could give the other two pilots, that much was obvious by the 'gears whirling' look in the indigo eyes as they moved for the doors.
"I have little doubt that you, master of pranks, could get anything you wanted out of them, with the right application of your particular skills," Wufei returned with a smirk.
"It's gonna take thought, though," Duo answered, shifting the bags slightly as he walked. "Quatre would likely fall for anything with how wound up he is lately, but Trowa would THINK."
"And outright theft would be difficult," Wufei nodded. "What would be best would be to wait until the child is born and get some dirty clothes from it, too," he pointed out.
Nodding, Duo braced his hip against the door and held it for Wufei as they exited out into the parking lot. Once he was outside, he just paused for a moment and let his eyes close, inhaling deeply as the breeze caught his hair and made it drift around his face. All too often, he forgot what it was like to feel this, with real sun and real breeze instead of the artificial weather created by the colonies.
Wufei paused, just watching Duo for a moment as he remembered his own, very similar reaction the first month or two he'd lived on Earth. Besides... there was no harm in admitting to himself, at least, that Duo was handsome like that, basking in sunlight. He just couldn't say it aloud. Ever.
Part of him wished he could stay, but he doubted that would be possible. Duo knew that his visits were always short-lived, no matter where he went. It just wasn't really a good idea to get into the habit of mooching off of his friends, no matter how much he wanted to be around them. "Let's get this stuff home," he murmured, a bit more subdued as he turned and started for the car.
Wufei nodded, noting the change in Duo without much alarm. Earth had a sobering effect on him, too... a way of reminding them all of just what they'd missed out on, growing up where they had. He said nothing as he fell into step beside Duo, giving his friend the space he likely needed for this.