All this from one comment, "Why don't you cook when I'm home?"

He was right. Heero only cooked when Duo wasn't due home for an hour after he got there. Long enough to have it all on the table and all the cans out in the trash. He was sure Duo would have noticed them in the can when he took the rest of the trash out. But if he had, he'd not said anything.

Duo leaned in the kitchen doorway and watched Heero as he tried to crack the eggs and dropped them into the bowl. He chased egg shell bits fishing them free of the part he wanted. He was grateful he didn't have to figure out how to separate the white from the yolk. He'd have been forever trying to fish that much out.

He stared at the bottle of vanilla and tried to decide just how much was the right amount. He drizzled it in watching the way it swirled, pouring in more than he intended. "Shit," he muttered and set the bottle down. He cracked a couple more eggs into the mix and hoped that any left over would be freezable once he was done.

He soaked the slices of bread in the mix and tried desperately to get them back out without tearing them up as they dripped and sagged.

Duo fought back the chuckle as Heero struggled with the task. Mister Perfect was far from perfect, and his stubborn pride was taking a hit for it. Duo couldn't tell Heero he'd known about the canned food for well over six months now. It wasn't like he was late that often, but he'd expected Heero to at least tell him he couldn't cook beyond heating up canned stuff. Duo tried to throw the man a bone with requesting french toast, but obviously, this was also going to be a test of his ability to eat things he wasn't sure were truly safe. He smiled as Heero grumbled again and glared at the skillet and spatula.

"Come loose," he growled almost silently at the mess. He couldn't believe eggs and bread could be so damned difficult to deal with. He was sure it was easier breaking into an OZ base and bringing the whole place to the ground. It really should be easier to fix something so basic.

When Heero looked at the pathetic pile of burned french toast, glaring at it as if it would unburn itself and turn into the most delectable thing in the world, Duo could see the signs of failure in Heero's shoulders.

"Ya know, I think I changed my mind. I'd rather go out to eat tonight," Duo said, slipping his arms around Heero's waist. He regretted it immediately as Heero tensed in his arms.

"Sorry," Heero nearly whispered.

"Why didn't you just tell me?" Duo asked placing a kiss on Heero's neck.

"What?" Heero asked, not daring to give away anything more than he obviously was with the plate.

"I've known all along about your cooking skills. Or lack thereof. I even picked something simple so you had a chance," Duo said kissing his neck again.

Heero glared at the plate more, now only because he knew he couldn't turn to see his lover's face. He'd been played horribly.

"Let's just toss this out and go out to eat. Tomorrow, I'll show you how to make french toast, up close and personal," Duo said holding Heero tight to his chest.

"Up close," Heero breathed.

Duo ran his hands down Heero's arms, hands landing over Heero's to move them to the bottle of vanilla. He curled Heero's fingers around the bottle and moved it back up into the shelf with their joined hands. "And personal," Duo finished and nipped Heero's ear playfully.

"I don't think we'll be eating dinner on time tomorrow," Heero swallowed. Maybe not being able to cook was a good thing. He certainly wouldn't object to a few private lessons from Duo, maybe give a few of his own.