I'll Be There By Your Side: part 1
By: Hilde
Note: I only own the story, don't sue.
Also: It's the future, the drinking age has been lowered to 16. Stupid, but it works.
She looked up at the clock. It was getting late. Duo still hadn't returned.
"Where is he?" he wondered, as she angrily thrust another dish into the soapy water, and scrubbed it vigorously. "It was his turn to do the dishes tonight, too," she thought.
Duo had left only a few hours ago, shortly after they ate dinner.
"Hey Hilde, I'm going to take a short walk outside. I'll do the dishes when I get back, k?"
"Sure Duo. Just be careful, and don't stay out too late."
Duo gave Hilde a quick peck on the cheek, and reached for the door. "Don't worry about it, Babe," he said as he walked out the door, closing it behind him.
That was the last she'd seen him.
"He could at least call, and tell me he's going to be late, or where he is!"
It was going on the third hour since Duo had left, eleven o'clock at night. Fears started to form in Hilde's mind.
"What if he's been abducted, or mugged? No, he's a Gundam pilot, he wouldn't. Street fight? Maybe. Probably got distracted. That is sooo like him," she continued, her mind ruling out each "what if" and "maybe."
Hilde looked up at the clock again, 11:15. She realized she had been scrubbing the same dish for fifteen minutes. Finally, she put the last dish in the dishwasher.
Click-click. The door opened. Duo walked in, grinning like an idiot. Hilde was standing in front of him, arms crossed, ready to "greet" him. Duo slammed the door shut, then turned to face Hilde.
"Duo Maxwell! Where have you been?!" she practically yelled in his face.
"Out," Duo replied, stepping into a better-lighted area of the room.
His clothes were ripped and muddy, with a few minor bloodstains and he had a few bruises and scratches.
"Duo! Are you all right? Just where HAVE you been. And what HAVE you been doing?" concern for Duo overtaking her anger.
"Sike I 'ed, ou'. Hahaha. Fight. Haha. I won," Duo replied, slurring his works, but still smiling like an idiot.
"Have you been?" Hilde started, but thought of a better way to find out. She walked over to Duo, and kissed him. "You've been drinking again, haven't you?"
"Woohoo! Some kiss, Hot Lips!" Duo almost yelled.
"I'll take that as a yes. Now get into the bathroom, and clean yourself up. Then put on a new set of clothes."
Duo stopped smiling and looked totally serious. He glared at Hilde. It wasn't a normal, "back off" or "playful" glare. It was like "leave me alone, or I'll kill you."
Hilde backed off. The look on Duo's face was so intense, it scared her.
"Duo," she whined.
Duo just glared in response.
Hilde mustered all her courage, she HAD to make sure Duo was okay, and walked over to Duo, took his arm and tried to get him to walk with her.
Duo didn't budge. Then, he raised his other arm, and brought his hand to Hilde's face. Hilde let go of Duo's arm, and staggered back, hand to her face, where Duo had just slapped her. He had never hurt her before, physically, at least. Something was definitely wrong.
"I told you, leave me ALONE!" he yelled at Hilde, before running to the bathroom.
Hilde heard a loud, angry yell, then a powerful bang on the wall, and felt it tremor through the apartment. Hilde ran to her room, closed the door behind her, flopped onto her bed, and started to cry into one of her white pillows.
A few minutes late, she heard the sound of retching coming from the bathroom. Hilde was too angry at Duo. Angry for slapping her, angry for staying out so late, without a note or call, and making her worry so much. Angry for letting him go out at night, when he would do something like this. Sure, a quick trip to the bar now and then, but Duo NEVER got drunk. Until now. Something was wrong, and she was just lying in bed, crying about it. Angry at herself for being so selfish.
"Duo, I wish you would tell me what's wrong. I can help. Please," she whispered her request hoarsely into her tear-wet pillow.
Duo had been in his room a while now, trying to clear his head, but not sleep. Anything but sleep. Finally, he came to a decision. He crept silently down the short hallway, to Hilde's room. He was grateful the door was only closed, not locked; he didn't want to have to pick the lock to his best friend's room.
"Hilde? Hey, you awake?" he whispered, as he poked his head in her midnight-dark room.
When Hilde didn't respond, he figured she was asleep, and silently closed the door and sighed. He didn't look forward to another night like, well, he didn't want to think about it.
End of part 1.
Bum bum bumm… Ahem, maybe not, but there IS a part 2. Please let me know what you think of this one, so I'll do the next one ASAP! Thanx!