Love Hurts: part 3
By: Hilde
Duo stared down into the creamy chocolate-brown coffee in his mug, as he sloshed it around.
Quatre walked into the cafeteria, and noticed Duo, hunched over a cup of coffee.
"Good morning, Duo," Quatre chimed.
"Mornin'," Duo mumbled back.
"Duo, what's wrong? It's that girl, Hilde, isn't it?" Quatre asked, looking very sympathetic.
"Yeah," Duo replied softly.
"What happened?"
"I guess we kindda broke up. Although it seems like we never really started any boyfriend-girlfriend, goin' steady stuff to begin with."
"Why don't you go back to see her? We don't have any missions at the moment."
"She won't want to see me again."
"What if Hilde DOES want to see you again? It can't hurt to try, now can it?"
'I guess," Duo replied as he got up and left. Although he really didn't believe Hilde would want anything more to do with him. But never the less, he caught the next shuttle from PeaceMillion to L2.
(Since everyone knows the standard shuttle boarding, flying, and docking procedures, I'll skip it)
Duo found himself walking down familiar streets, passing familiar houses. He just walked down the street, hands in his pockets, thinking
"I can't do this, not just yet."
Yet it took all his will power to walk away.
He found a looming building that let tourists climb to the top to view much of that area of L2. Duo decided to go on up, maybe it would clear his mind a bit.
When he got up to the top, he noticed it was deserted. Not many tourists came to the colonies, or COULD come to the colonies with the war. So he had the whole place to himself.
"Great," he thought, as he looked out over the city.
"I'm pretty high up," he said to the lonely breeze, looking down.
He remembered the gun he had hidden inside his shirt, and considered that. He looked down again.
"If I fall, I have some chance of survival, but with this gun," Duo thought, holding the gun in his hand, looking over it very carefully.
Duo just stood there, before finally coming to a decision. He put the gun back in his shirt, and walked back down the stairs, and finally, back to those familiar streets.
This time, he couldn't stop himself. He didn't want to. Duo walked straight to Hilde's apartment, and the doorbell for her area.
No response. He pressed it again. Nothing stirred.
"Arrgghh! Damn it!" he yelled in frustration.
He slammed the doorbell rapidly, making a long series of echoing rings. Then he waited. No one answered.
Duo turned around, and stalked away, his hands jammed into his coat pockets, black baseball cap covering his eyes.
He just walked down the street, not caring where he was going, or who he was bumping into.
"She's really gone. Nothing. She really doesn't want anything more to do with me. I had my hopes up. Now I feel even worse. She's really gone," Duo repeated to himself, over and over, in his head.
The streetlights grew fewer, the buildings closer together; the sound of police sirens and bar noises grew. It was "getting dark out" (colonies have a light system that simulates natural light for the "daytime"). Duo didn't care. Nothing mattered. Nothing but Hilde…
"Aahhhhh!!" Duo heard a scream, which sounded like Hilde's! He looked up. Nothing. Not even a stray dog or cat. He shrugged and continued walking.
Again. This time it was, " Stop it, you! Hey! What are you doing?! Leave me alone! AHH! Got off me you…" that was definitely Hilde.
Duo ran down the street, guided only by the shrieks and shouting from somewhere ahead. At last, he found Hilde. But he also found a gang of tough-looking street guys, looking for trouble.
"It wouldn be so bad if yous would jus' cooperate wid us, girlie," one of the thugs breathed from right behind Hilde.
Even though Duo was standing a little ways away, he could tell what those guys were up to. Hilde's top just barely covered her, as did her pants.
"Hey you!" Duo yelled, distracting the gang. "Leave her alone!"
"You talkin' to me? Wanna save your little girlfriend, huh kid?" the leader sneered.
"Come 'ere, runt!" one challenged.
"Yeah, make us stop! We're having some 'fun' with her. You're a man, why not join us?"
A low, angry growl issued from Duo's throat as he pulled the gun out, and aimed it straight at Hilde's tormenters. "I'm warning you," he threatened.
By this time, Hilde had slumped to the ground, unconscious.
The gang members looked at their leader for what to do next. The leader pulled out a sharp knife, and started to advance on Duo.
Duo's finger tightened on the trigger.
The pack leader lunged at Duo. Duo fired the gun on reflex, narrowly missing one guy's ear. Duo felt a searing pain in his side as the knife cut.
Duo pretended not to notice the pain. Instead he shot straight into the group. They all stopped. They realized he was serious.
"Hey, hey mon, take it easy, will ya? We was jus' jokin' wid yas…" The gang started to back away.
"Go on, beat it, you punks," Duo commanded.
The gang moved back even further, as Duo advanced on them. The gang ran.
As soon a Duo was sure the thugs were gone, he ran over to Hilde.
She tried to look up. "You, came back…" she breathed, before falling into unconsciousness again.
"Just hold on, Hilde. It's going to be fine. You're going to be okay," Duo said, wrapping his coat around her. He gently picked Hilde up and carried her to the main street, where he signaled a taxi. The taxi dropped them off in front of the apartments.
Duo remembered that Hilde had given him a key to her apartment, and he dug in his pocket, until he found it.
He took Hilde back to her room, and lay her down on the bed.
Once he was sure she would be all right, he left to get some anti-septic, band-aids, an ice pack, and some pain reliever. He had realized Hilde had only received minor bruises and scratches, but apparently a rather serious blow to the head.
He came back from his "scavenger hunt" with his arms full of supplies. He gently took his coat off Hilde's body, wincing slightly from his own cut. Then he began to doctor Hilde up. When he was done, he left a glass of water and an aspirin on Hilde's bedside table, then left to tend his own wound.
Before he had a chance to put another shirt on, he heard Hilde's voice, as she woke up. Immediately, he was in her room.
Hilde awoke to find Duo sitting backwards on a chair, watching her lovingly.
"Duo?"
"Hilde! You're awake! Are you okay?" Duo asked, obviously very concerned.
"I'll be fine, if I could just have an aspirin," Hilde said.
Duo laughed. He handed her the aspirin and glass of water.
"You're one tough cookie, Hilde," Duo laughed as Hilde took the pill.
Hilde looked at Duo and noticed the state he was in, physically. He had a bandage wrapped around him, slightly stained with blood on Duo's right side.
"Duo, what happened to you?"
Duo realized Hilde had noticed the bandage. "Huh. It's nothing. I'm a Gundam pilot, remember?"
"Duo…"
'It's a long story, Hilde."
"I'm not going anywhere."
"And I won't let you."
Hilde glared at Duo, but he just smiled.
"Well, I heard a scream, and…" Duo continued to tell Hilde the story of the gang battle.
"What were you doin' out there all by yourself, that late?"
"I wanted to take a different way home, but as it got dark, these guys came out of nowhere…"
"And I can guess where it went from that."
But Hilde had fallen asleep. Duo just sat in the chair, watching Hilde, so many questions in his mind. Eventually, he fell asleep.
The next evening, Hilde was feeling much better.
"Just a few scratches and a little bump on the head, that's all," she had said, when Duo found her out of bed the next day.
Hilde finally had the courage to ask the question that had been bugging her since Duo had come back.
"Duo," she began, "why did you come back?"
Duo took a deep breath, and let it go. He looked up into Hilde's eyes. "What have I done to you?" he wondered. "I had to. I had to see you again, because I still, never mind," he stated. "Why do you care?" he added, anger suddenly taking him for a brief moment.
Hilde looked hurt, and Duo now felt bad. Then Hilde did something that really surprised Duo. She started crying; into him. As if it were a reflex, he put his arms around the trembling Hilde, holding her close. Then, when she had almost stopped, she looked up at Duo. It hurt him to see her this way. Tears still running down her face, anger, terror, sorrow, and loneliness in her tear-clouded eyes. She was the first to speak.
"Duo, I'm so sorry…"
"But why, Hilde?" he softly questioned.
"I…I couldn't stand it. Being so alone w-without you. I need to, can't stand it; why did you leave?" she said in a mix of jumbled thoughts and sentences.
"I had to. I didn't want to. If I had stuck around, they would've been back. I didn't want you to get hurt. Because," he paused, considering his next move, "because I love you, Hilde. I love you." He held her even closer.
Duo wasn't sure if that made Hilde happy, or if it hurt her even more, because she smiled, then started to cry again.
He was silent for a few minutes, and just sat on the couch, holding Hilde safe in his arms. Then he spoke. "Hilde, I don't expect you to forgive me for leaving you, but…"
"I love you, Duo," she interrupted, temporarily stunning Duo. "I couldn't stand being without you, because I love you. I thought that by 'ending' this, I might be able to move on and forget you. But I couldn't. I love you, Duo," she paused, the added, "and I forgive you."
Tears started to form in Duo's eyes. "Oh, Hilde," he sighed, still holding her tightly against himself.
How can I ever make it up to you?" Hilde asked, realizing how much she had hurt Duo.
Duo grinned, then replied, "You could meet me in my bedroom."
Hilde smiled, and promptly gave a Duo a playful little slap, then said, "Maybe."
"Sorry, I should be the one apologizing. I really am sorry, Hilde." He paused before continuing. "And to answer your other question, I came back because I had to see you again. I came back because I love you, Hilde." He stopped again. "Okay, okay, I forgive you, Hilde," he added.
Hilde smiled.
Then Duo gave Hilde a kiss on the lips.
When he pulled away, "Oh come on, you can, too."
This time Hilde kissed Duo, and he kissed back.
"That better?" she asked.
"Much," replied Duo, grinning.
Then they both went for it, full, all-out kissing, tongue and all.
When they finally pulled away, Duo picked Hilde up, and carried her to his room, locking the door behind him. Hilde had no objections.
Duo and Hilde were finally back together, and off to a wonderful start to their new relationship. Now, neither of them ever had to be alone, especially at night, again.
End of "Love Hurts" series.
I really hope you enjoyed this series. I had fun writing it, etc. Please leave feedback! Thanx!