Author's Notes: A short that was written to brighten a friend's day.
Rating: PG, angst
Pairings: Implied Duo/Heero.
Written: 2004
Heero reminded Duo of lemon candies.
He'd never actually tell Heero that. Who knew how the Perfect Solider would react to that? Heero readily sent hundreds of people to their death but had conniptions if he saw a dead puppy. Hell, this was the dude who fell off a building and then set his own damn leg. Hardcore, man, hardcore. No, it was easier just to think about lemon candies in relation to Heero and not say anything.
Although Duo lived with the minor dread he'd have a Pinky and the Brain moment. He'd say "What are we going tonight, Heero?" Then Heero would say "Infiltrating a splinter cell to make sure they aren't trying to kill off Relena." And then he'd say "But you remind me of the lemon candies I use to snitch as a kid." It would be bad.
There was a reason Heero reminded him of lemon candies. On L2, during the summer when the air hung heavy with heat and humidity but before the worse of the plagues had begun, the shops bring import the seasonal treats. It's ridiculous because on the colonies you can have the exact same produce all the time due to advances in hydroponics and low gravity horticulture.
Like ghosts of traditions from Earth, there was seasonality in the food on the colonies. There were potatoes, nuts, and yellow squash with an occasional tangerine for Christmas in the winter. Corn, turkey, pumpkins and apples in caramel showed up in the fall. During the springs local markets had strawberries and colored eggs, mint candies and soft chocolates.
During the summer was the best. There was watermelon with banded rinds of green and dark black seeds for spitting. Berries came in every hue during the summer: red and blue and black and purple. You could find food so spicy your mouth would burn for hours or salads so cold they made your teeth ache. Last but not least, there was candy in giant barrels, each piece carefully wrapped in shiny plastic or tin foil.
The kids in the orphanages would steal the candies by the handful. Duo was often the distraction while others grabbed a handful and ran. It wasn't long before the shopkeepers figured it out. Soon others were doing the distracting and he was the one grabbing shiny wrapped candy and bolting.
Lemon candies were always his favorite. Sharp and sweet, wrapped in golden cellophane. He always tried to grab at least one from the barrel when he made the snatch. Sometimes he dropped the candies in his haste to get away and sometimes Father Maxwell would be called to make him give it back.
Which was why he always thought of Heero when he thought of lemon candies. He'd grabbed on to Heero as tightly as he could because Duo kept expecting to lose him. Either he'd let go and Heero would fall to someone else or the war would take him away.
Only it hadn't. Heero made it through. If anyone was going to die in a war it was going to be Heero, and he hadn't. Duo had taken a risk, had grabbed on, and had made it through. Sometimes it still didn't seem real. Not until the candy was in his mouth and the reward for his daring was his alone.
Life with Heero was sharp and sweet and thrilling, just like the candies of his youth, and Duo had learned to savor every moment.