AN/ Think I need to just get this off my chest!
Standard Disclaimer Applies. Looks at Heero and Duo and Quatre and Milliardo and... Curse you Sunrise!
Surprises and Tribulations
Part One: Take-Out for Two
By: Honourable Fool
Duo sighed as he flopped himself onto the couch. What a day! Hours at the shop working on everything from a kids radio to a sweet, antique Harley Davidson recreation from the 1990's! The guy had bought it on the internet but had hit a problem he couldn't fix. Turned out the engine was bust! He was not happy when he found out he had been gypped, and it took Duo about ten minutes to calm him down enough to explain he could replace it. The guy was all grateful – until he heard the price! Man! It wasn't his fault! A guy's gotta eat, you know! And steak was getting expensive these days…
He considered turning on the TV for a moment, but realized his arms were way too tired to reach the remote sitting a full foot and half away from him on the coffee table. Life was tough some days. And hadn't even had the chance to drop by the salvage yard to see how Hilde was doing!
He kicked off his shoes, leaving them in the middle of the living room floor, and lay back on the couch, throwing his feet up into the air and allowing them to fall back down with a poff on the deep green cushion. His breath lifted his fringe away from his eyes for a moment as he breathed out heavily, only to have them fall back down, tickling his nose. Hilde had been threatening to cut them again. He didn't mind trimming his bangs, but as soon as she got those scissors in her hands she would start eyeing his braid. There was no way in hell she was coming near his hair with scissors! She claimed it was unruly, getting absolutely everywhere! But he didn't see the problem as long as he kept it in a braid. To be honest he liked the feel of the long plait hanging down his back as he worked on something, occasionally having to flick it back over his shoulder when it fell too far forward. He didn't mind. It had been his companion for so long the idea of parting with it made him shudder. And some days Hilde would get that look in her eye and he was always sure she was about to pull a Delilah.
He hummed to himself at the thought, putting his hands up behind his head and closing his eyes. She would never dare. Besides, he was sure she secretly liked his hair.
The sound of the door broke his thoughts. He sat up on the couch, his face splitting into a huge grin as Hilde walked into sight. She stopped in the doorway to the living room, hand raised to pull her little plum beret off her head. Duo was about to throw a greeting her way when he noticed her eyes widen a little, staring at him. He paused, mouth agape, a frown collecting on his brow in small folds. And then her eyes met his, fire burning in them, and it hit him. He jumped up from the couch as if he'd been electrocuted and looked cautiously over at his girlfriend.
"Duo!" She half yelled. "How many times have I told you not to sit on the couch without changing your clothes!"
He winced at her. He had been so tired after his long day he had completely forgotten the layers of grease and sweat and who knows what else that had been collecting on his clothing all day. An idea occurred to him. "Hil," he said in playful tones, giving her one of his trademark, throw-away smiles. "Look, I…" but she cut him off.
"I don't wanna hear it." Her voice was flat with exhaustion, her raised hand rubbing her eyes instead. He felt a twinge of guilt as he watched her, glancing over at the dark spots he had left behind and hanging his head like a scolded child.
"Babe," He tried again, no smile this time, only a reconciling look. "It's nothing…" But that was the wrong thing to say.
Her eyes flew open at his words, the fire back in them. He felt a momentary jolt thrill through his body at the sight. He did love how fiery she got sometimes. "Nothing! Duo Maxwell!" He winced convulsively as she hollered. If he had had a middle name she would've used that too. She took a few steps into the living room and it was all he could do not to back away in terror. Her rage was the worst when she was tired just after getting home from work. "Three couches! Three! That's how many you've ruined because you never listen to me!"
"Well if we'd gotten a black one like I wanted to this wouldn't be a problem." As soon as the words left his mouth he backed up a few steps, cursing himself for speaking before thinking. That was how he always got into the doghouse with Hilde.
Her eyes were raging at him. They'd had this argument a hundred times, each time worse than the one before. He felt his doom was at hand if he didn't come up with something soon. His mind raced, throwing away countless funny comments that would have only dug him deeper. Why was that all he could think of. "Go to your room!"
His jaw dropped. He couldn't believe she had just said that! "What? You can't…" His voice faltered at her look and he knew it was the best thing to do. She was tired and anything that could come from him would only make things worse, and she would end up saying something she'd regret. For a moment he wondered how he could do what she said and still keep his dignity without really getting it from her later. He settled on a casual shrug, lacing his fingers behind his head. Walking casually past her seething form and out into the hall, he muttered loudly, "Not goin' cause I was told. Just got nothin better to do."
He sensed her turning to yell at him again, but had already dashed into his room and closed the door before she could. One good thing about being quick and stealthy was that he could always run from a fight when he had to. Normally he wasn't a coward. In a fist fight he'd have no problem sticking it out. But Hilde was another story.
Duo sighed, leaning casually against his door, a secretive smile playing devilishly at the corners of his lips. Yea, she was his little spitfire. Sometimes she was so irresistibly cute, especially when she got all riled up. And that temper of hers…
He shook his head quickly to drive away those thoughts. No point in getting himself all worked up. He'd just end up taking care of it himself, and that was never as much fun.
Pushing himself off the door he walked over to the mirror above his dresser, peering casually at his image. He jumped a little. No wonder Hilde had flipped! He could clearly see fresh grease and sweat stains on his working clothes along with a greenish tinged one that he thought might be cleaning fluid and completed with a great big smudge of dirt extending from his nose to half way across his cheek. He even detected some filth in his hair where he had scratched his head or worried his bangs in consternation. He was filthy!
Another sigh escaped his lips as he gave his reflection a crooked look. He'd have to concede defeat on this one and apologize to Hilde. Oh well, he shrugged. He was a big enough man to know and admit when he was wrong.
Unzipping his jacket he headed for the bathroom that connected both their rooms. He crossed it first, still fully clothed, and checked into Hilde's room. She must still have been assessing the damage he'd done to the couch cushions, trying to decide if they were salvageable. Closing the door he gave it a push to make sure it stuck in the door frame. The doors on either side of the bathroom leading to their respective rooms had no locks. Since before they had decided to go out together, when each was sure of his or her "secret" crush on one another, they had made a game of "accidentally" walking into the bathroom at "bad times", neither one initially catching on to the fact that both of them were leaving the door slightly open on purpose, inviting the other one's "invasion". It was a game they had continued, even after they were no longer just roommates. But today Hilde had yelled at him, righteously or not, and he was not about to give her the smug satisfaction of yelling at him and trying to see him naked.
Duo let the water run for a minute, throwing his dirty jacket onto his bedroom floor. A moment later he had peeled off his sweaty undershirt, his pants and his boxers, and they were all untidily piled in a heap in his bedroom. Steam began to pour out from the shower as he pulled the hair tie from his braid, running his fingers through his hair to smooth out the plait. Before he had finished the mirror was entirely fogged up and the hot, moist air had filled the bathroom and was spilling into his own room.
The water always gave him goose bumps when he first stepped under it as it drove the chill from his body. But then the steam would fill his mouth, the rushing water pounding down on his head, running over his shoulders and streaming across his back, and he would relax into the heat like an old lover.
He restrained a laugh at his last thought, lest Hilde should hear the echo of it. Lover? He'd never had a lover before! And the one girl he'd honestly thought about… Hilde had already made it clear that she wasn't ready for that step in their relationship yet. And when she would be was beyond him.
He rolled his shoulders under the hot stream, allowing its natural therapeutic attributes to work at his tired muscles. It wasn't that he was in a rush, of course. He wasn't one of those kinds of guys. Most of the time he was content to love her with his actions and words, rewarded with the occasional make-out session on the couch and, if he was quick enough, a quick feely or two before she batted his hand away, her eyes half-hooded in pleasure, her movements languid and slow, as if her body was too heavy to respond. But he knew it was because she only half wanted to respond. When he kissed her neck in just the right spot, his hand resting casually yet possessively on her stomach, and she would start to whimper in the back of her throat, trying to hide it from him…
Duo shook his head. He had to stop that! As long as there was that one little half that said "No, not yet" then he couldn't even think about. That didn't mean he wouldn't, but really he shouldn't because it was only going to get him really sexually frustrated, and he didn't want to frighten her when she finally said yes. Until that day – until that day he had to start thinking of ways to get her to forgive him about the couch! Again. He had completely forgotten about it, thinking about how sexy she looked when she was riled up, and then the heat from the shower… Turning reluctantly from his pleasurable train of thought he grabbed the soap, finally getting down to business. He sighed, already missing his fantasy.
A half an hour later Duo emerged from his room freshly laundered with a clean pair of casual denim jeans on and a black t-shirt with a patterned red and black shirt thrown over. His braid was still damp and hung heavily from the base of his neck, swinging dangerously with every turn and smacking his backside as he walked.
He had checked in Hilde's room already, but hadn't found her there. Curious, he went down the hall, checking the living room before poking his head into the kitchen. He found her sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of tea in her hands, staring off at nothing. He hadn't meant to be so stealthy coming down the hall, but now that he'd snuck up on her he couldn't resist using the opportunity.
Leaning against the doorframe, hands shoved easily into his pockets, Duo stared at Hilde. She was small, about a whole head shorter than he was, with pale, northern European skin and short, dark hair that seemed to have violet highlights. Her eyes were violet to match, a lovely, sad shade that gave her face a sensual look when she looked up at him through her long dark lashes, eyes set in that small fair-toned face. Her bangs hung just perfectly across her forehead, never hiding her face, unlike Duo's that he'd just brush his fingers through and where they landed they landed. She had her ankles crossed daintily under the table, her body leaning forward as though at any moment she might just fold herself in half and be perfectly content. He watched her take another sip of her steaming tea, admiring how delicately she held the hot mug between her hands. She truly was beautiful.
"Hey," he called from the doorway, a devilish grin on his face. He tried not to chuckle in delight as she started, blushing to see him standing so casually in the doorway as if he'd been there all along.
"Hey." She answered quietly, eyes staring at the floor. He frowned. That was an unusual response. He had been expecting (and looking forward to) her taking one look at him and giving him a huff of annoyance, letting him know she was still mad at him. He already knew how he'd react; walking up behind her, he'd lean against the back of her chair, leaning in close so she could smell his clean shower scent, and whisper in a deep voice that he was sorry right in her ear so that his breath would tickle her cheek. And then he'd stand upright again, and plant a soft, chaste kiss on the top of her head, and she would melt, unable to hold back her forgiveness. But this strange, meek reaction of hers was more than a mystery to him.
Pushing off from the door frame he stepped towards her, allowing his concern to show on his face. "Hil, is everything…?" But before he could finish she was speaking.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you. I know you were tired and didn't mean to do anything wrong. And…" she hesitated a little. "And you're right, maybe next time we should try a black couch."
Duo couldn't have been more surprised if she had started yelling at him again. In fact, he would have expected something like that. But this… Hilde never apologized, especially not when she was right. He was missing something here. Scratching his head, he responded, "No, it's alright. You were right. I should've changed first. If I'd been paying attention I would've noticed. I'm sorry too."
Hilde looked up at him finally, a deep blush covering her features. She seemed just as surprised by his apology as he had been by hers. "But…"
He stopped her. "Don't worry about it! Look, I apologized, you apologized, let's call it even." She looked like she was about to protest again, so he said, "If it'll make you feel better, I accept your apology. There, better?" He grinned at her, hands held open in a slightly goofy pose. He just wanted to make her laugh, hating to see her so upset by something stupid.
She smiled at him, seeming much more content with herself, and nodded.
"Good." He said, relieved that the worse part was over with. Clapping his hands and rubbing them together, he said, "Now, what's for dinner?"
Hilde just looked at him a moment, eyes quietly puzzled. "I didn't start anything. I wasn't too sure if you had something – special planned." She said simply, her eyebrow slightly raised.
"Special?" he asked, wondering what that meant. "Hmm. Nope, can't say that I have." He snapped his fingers, pretending to just come up with an idea even though he'd been secretly wanting it all day. "Hey, how about Chinese?"
Her small smile seemed to falter a little. "Take-out?"
"Yea! Simple, yet delicious!"
"And fattening." She countered. But he was already prepared.
Leaning in close to her he said in a low but casual voice, "Yea, but you don't have to worry about anything like that." He felt a soaring triumph at her blush, knowing that he had won before she even inclined her head. "Great!" he exclaimed, already rushing over to the drawer to dig out the menu for the Chinese place.
While he was still searching he heard her ask in a slightly strange voice, "Do you want to watch a movie while we eat tonight?"
He froze in his spot, registering and replaying the words in his head. Slowly he turned to face her and saw her looking straight up at him in a face perfectly serious and smiling. His face split into a grin. A moment later he had her in his arms, half lifting her off her chair, and was planting a big, sloppy kiss on her face. "Hilde, I love you!" He told her.
She laughed at him and gave him a shove that didn't actually move him, but he obeyed it anyways. He was getting the special treatment tonight! Chinese take-out in the living room with a movie and his girlfriend? He had no idea what had gotten into her, but right now he didn't care!
They were sitting side-by-side on the floor, leaning against the couch. Duo had his arm around Hilde's shoulders and she had pressed herself into the curve of his body, head resting on his shoulder, hand laying on his stomach feeling the gradual rise and fall of his breaths. The movie was winding down, the dramatic music crescendoing for the credits. The remains of their dinner was still all around them, half-eaten and empty containers pushed to the sides with chopsticks sticking out pell-mell. As the screen cut to black from the final panoramic view and the endless list of names and unfathomable jobs began to roll by, Hilde stretched into him, curling even tighter and yawning, adorably cat-like.
"Well? What'd ya think?" he asked her.
She sat up beside him, supporting herself with a hand on his abdomen. The muscles there tightened as her light weight pressed against him, and he hoped she would take it to be because he was just supporting her.
"It was alright." She said non-committally.
"Alright? Hilde, are you sure you watched the same movie I did? I mean, that chase scene alone, it's classic!"
"It seemed a bit silly to me."
"Silly!" He smiled through their fake argument. It was the same one they always had whenever they watched one of his movies, and he enjoyed it every time.
"Well, yea! Just tell me, how is it that he manages to arrive at exactly the right moment every time? That just isn't possible! It's unrealistic."
"Of course it is! It wouldn't be so good if it were realistic!"
She smiled at his seeming lack of logic. But instead of responding with her usual come back at this point in the fake argument, she leaned forward and kissed his nose, saying, "I'm just glad you liked it."
When she leaned back he had the look on his face, and as he leaned forward, she didn't protest. His lips met hers and in a moment they were wrapped around each other, her arms around his neck and shoulders, his clinging to her waist. He pulled her closer to him, running his tongue over her lips, until he actually had her sitting in his lap, small and content and curled against his chest. In this position he had to tip his head back to kiss her, but he didn't mind, as her change in environment brought on a slightly more aggressive Hilde. She opened her mouth to him, but flooded his own with her tongue before he could respond. Her hands were in his hair, rubbing his neck and caressing his chest, completely owning all of him that was within her reach. She brought both her hands into his hair, her fingers flexing against his scalp as she deepened the kiss even more, practically consuming him. His hands tingled with the sensations she was causing, and he prayed that he didn't ruin the mood because in her current position he would not be able to hide his desire from her.
And all of a sudden she broke the kiss off. Her hands were still buried in his hair, and he was pleased to note that her eyes were just as glazed over as his, but when he leaned up to capture her mouth again she moved farther back, refusing him more. He pouted at her, hoping she would think his face cute enough to give in to his desire, but she only laughed a beautiful, tinkling laugh, a sound more gorgeous than any music he'd heard before, and gave him a chaste kiss on the forehead.
A second later she had bounced off his lap, leaving his hair falling out of its plait in odd little kinks, and him sitting there feeling the cruelty of the world and women. She stopped in the doorway to look back and giggle at his dazed look.
"Wait there. I'll be right back." She told him, a mischievous glint in her violet eyes, and bounced out of sight.
'Alright,' he thought to himself. 'This confirms it. I am most definitely missing something here!' He thought about it for a moment, wondering what could have brought on the special treatment. He couldn't think of anything to explain Hilde's behavior. But as she bounced back into sight again, breathless and glowing, hands held behind her back, he decided he didn't care.
She tried to contain herself as she came over to him, kneeling at his side. He couldn't help but grin at her poorly hidden glee. "I got something for you."
He was surprised. "For me? What for?"
Hilde only laughed at him, giggling adorably. She had the cutest dimples when she laughed. "What do you think?" she asked playfully. And before he could respond she pulled out a small black package from behind her back wrapped in a red ribbon with a card. "Happy Anniversary, Duo."
He couldn't stop it. His jaw dropped.
AN/ Show of hands, who saw that coming? Hee! I hope no one did. Review and tell me if you did. I wanna know, did I keep you guessing? I'll be honest, I had no idea where I was going with this until I got about four pages into it (this is page eight on my computer), and then I couldn't believe I was gonna go there! And when I did… :-D That last line made me laugh for several enjoyable minutes! I'm still giggling! Anyways, this was gonna be a oneshot, but I think I'll make it a two-parter. I have to warn you, I'm not too sure how the second chapter will work. I may have to up the rating. But anyways, this is my first DuoxHilde fic so again, please review and tell me what you think. I was pretty comfortable about writing Duo, but I'm not too sure about Hilde… As always, comments, criticisms, praise, and other forms of paraphernalia are welcome. (Bring on the flames people! C'mon, roast me! AIEEEEEEEEEEE! TT )