❝ Did you just throw a sock ball at me!? ❞

 

“So what if I did?” Duo glared at Trowa his fists on his hips, “What are you gonna do about it?”

 

Trowa arches one brow, then shrugs as if to say ‘nothing.’  Subtly though, he kicks off one of his shoes.

 

“Depends on if you do it again.”

 

Duo spied the motion and grinned. He grabbed another sock from the pile on the table in the outlet store and balled it up before lobbing it at Trowa’s head. He had originally just wanted the man’s attention, was going to point out that the food court was in the other direction and he was starving… but now?

 

The second sock bomb is more than expected, (this is Duo after all,) and Trowa easily plucks it from the air.  Using the sock’s own momentum, he tosses it back at Duo, without the intent of landing any sort of hit.  It’s a warning shot.

 

“Knock it off,” Trowa warns, thought the corners of his lips quirk into something like amusement.

 

Duo snickered, “You know you like it.” He tossed the balled up sock back at Trowa after picking it up off the floor. “You hungry man? ‘Cause I’m starvin’ and the food court is in the opposite direction of that turtleneck you’ve been eyein’ for the last few minutes.”

 

Trowa catches the sock again, but this time holds onto it.  He also slides his shoe back on, deciding not to start a full on war.

 

“I could eat,” he says with a nonchalant shrug, meaning he could pick at something while watching Duo sample the range of food court.

 

To the turtleneck comment though, he frowns and turns back to the garment in question.

 

“I was thinking about buying it,” he admits.  “Cathy says I need more clothes?”

 

Duo snorted, “More clothes… dude she’s a girl you know. She means more of a variety of clothes. I’m sure that if you came back with another green or blue turtleneck she might explode.”

 

Duo looked around the store for a moment before making an ‘a-hah!’ gesture and motioning Trowa to follow him. He walked over to a rack of nice button-up long sleeve shirts. The fabric was nice and light and he was sure Trowa would look good in them. “How about something like this?” He held out a white one for the other man’s inspection.

 

Trowa is less than impressed by Duo’s selection. Seriously, what’s wrong with more turtlenecks? He purses his lips and shakes his head.

 

“I’m just going to ruin it.”  He says sullenly.

 

Honestly, he could make the same argument for most things in the store, but he knows he has to come back with something. Otherwise he risks Cathy bringing him back here herself, and that would be a nightmare. For the sake of propriety,  he reaches out to touch a sleeve, and happens to catch a glance of the price tag.

 

“…Let’s just go get something to eat.”

 

Duo rolled his eyes and found an emerald green shirt like the white one. After eyeballing the shirt and his friend several times to make sure it would fit him he went up to the counter and bought it before handing it to Trowa. “Consider it a gift and don’t say I never gave you anything.” He winked and headed out of the store and down the mall-way toward the food court.

 

Trowa suddenly finds himself in a muddled haze of surprise and annoyance, holding a brand new shirt.  He scowls then quickly follows after.   He doesn’t need Duo’s charity.  Pulling a few crumpled bills out of his jeans pocket,  Trowa hits Duo in the arm with the cash.

 

“Here.”

 

Duo growls at him and pushes the money back, “It ain’t charity Trowa! I probably won’t have money by your birthday, at least not enough to get you somethin’ decent! It’s an early gift. Did you not hear me the first time?” He glared over at the man, “If it’s gonna make you feel so bad… just buy me somethin’ to eat.”

 

“I don’t have a birthday,”  Trowa mutters, but shoves the bills back into his pocket without further protest.

 

He has every intention though, of spending the money on Duo somehow.  He’s so resolved in that fact, that he doesn’t even bother feigning guilt when Duo suggests it a moment later.  Instead, he shrugs, and ignores looking back at Duo in favor of scoping out their options.

 

“So what do you want?”

 

With an exasperated sigh and shake of his head Duo followed the man into the food court. “I dunno man, hot dogs, Chinese food… ooh, Japanese food. I wonder if either place has pork buns? Though I doubt it, this is a mall.”

 

He looked sideways at Trowa, “And yeah you do. Relena gave us birthday less ones birthdays when she and Quat got us IDs. You just probably never looked at it… or don’t care about it. But I do… and I plan on celebrating everyone’s with them, even WuFei’s. And he’s gonna hate it!”

 

Duo cackled evilly as he wandered around trying to figure out what he wanted to eat. Everything looked good… but nothing really caught his interest.

 

Trowa scoffs, rolls his eyes, and quickly represses the urge to reach into his back pocket and look at his ID.  Duo’s right; he has never checked nor cared before.  He still doesn’t care now. The date printed on the card is just another stolen piece of identity.  He doesn’t need to know what it says…

 

He’ll still check later though.  If nothing else, it’d be nice to have a heads up on what day he can expect Duo’s mischief.

 

Now grinning, Trowa vaguely gestures to the other side of the food court.

 

“I think there’s Indian food over there.”

 

“Ooooh, that sounds good!” Duo’s gait acquired a more pronounced bounce as he headed over in that direction. Duo had a huge thing for curry, lots and lots of curry. “Come on Tro! There’s food to be eaten!”

 

With less enthusiasm, Trowa follows, the expression he gives Duo just short of “long-suffering,”  He doesn’t truly mind though; all of the other man’s attention on food is making him at least a little hungry.

 

“I’m right behind you,”  he says dryly.  “You don’t have to shout.

 

Duo looked over his shoulder and stuck his tongue out at Trowa, “What, you don’t like my enthusiasm?” He got in line and once his turn was up ordered his curry with bright shining eyes. While he waited for it to be made he looked over at Trowa, “Where do you want to sit?”

 

[Text sent at 13:24:07 to Trowa from Cathy] Hey, are you still at the mall with Duo? Don’t forget to get some new clothes! Also don’t be late for dinner, I’m making meatloaf!

 

[Text (to Cathy)]  He bought me a shirt.

[Text (to Cathy)]  I will be late.

 

[Text (to Trowa)] Well that’s nice of him. But don’t you want more than just one shirt? And what do you man you’ll be late? Why will you be late?