Disclaimer:
I worship Sotsu. I am poor.
-------------------------------------------
Ahhh, Thursday, finally
Thursday. The last day of Heero's bachelor days, but who else would live the
single life no more? Duo woke up and pretty much fell out of bed, pulling on a
loose fitting sweater and slippers he walked past Hilde's room. Unfortunately
for Duo, the rumors surrounding his love life with Hilde weren't true.
They had been living together,
but otherwise not much romance had entered the home besides Duo's one night
stands. As the metaphor goes, Hilde always left the light on for Duo. And when
he woke up, hung over, or alone from a momentary flame, she'd help him in the
morning and just generally take care of him.
Duo wasn't in the least
ungrateful he'd always take care of her, protect her, cheer her up, and do
little nice things for her. The problem wasn't the mutual attraction, which, at
times, was blatantly obvious. No, like so many strangers to love, the problem
was the mutual acknowledgement. Those darn three little words, said over and
over in the head to the dream that is the person you love.
When Duo woke her up, he
didn't want to say, "Good morning." He wanted to say, "Good
morning, love," or some similar term of affection. The closest he got was
his tease, calling her "babe".
He glanced in as if without
care, but at seeing she was still asleep he took a step back and leaned up
against the doorframe. He sighed at his own, ironic shyness towards Hilde. Some
part of him knew, conclusively, that Hilde shared his love, but the other part
of him just wanted to puke -- which doesn't help.
Whenever he got close to
saying those annoyingly simple words, he'd get literally worried sick. What if
she wouldn't forgive him his trespasses? What if she didn't love him in a
romantic sense? What if she loved him?
In that latter question lay the most threat to Duo. If she loved him back, and
he loved her, what was he supposed to do. Where would they go from there, besides
the bedroom of course...?
She stirred momentarily,
rolling to face him, but still asleep. She was beautiful to him, in a sort of
cute, playful way. She always laughed at his jokes and anecdotes, and handed
him tissues when he cried. He turned away, scratching his head as he thought.
As he entered the kitchen, he heard
her walking down the hall to the bathroom. The shower quickly started and he
heard her singing a low melody. He chuckled and knocked on the door, "Want
some breakfast babe?"
The singing stopped a moment and she shouted back, "Sure, what is
it?"
Duo smiled, "Wanna go out for breakfast?"
"Alright, be out soon." She said and then continued to sing her tune.
Duo went into his room and pulled on his priest outfit, he wasn't any priest,
but black always was his color.
Hilde scooted past him in the hall as he left his room, closing the door to her
own and getting dressed.
He waited patiently by her door. She spoke to him, "So, is the bachelor
party tonight?"
"Yeah..."
Hilde was silent a moment, "Well, I bet you'll have a lot of fun, just
don't get to drunk, you don't want to be hung over for the wedding." She
said as she walked out the room, smirking at Duo.
Duo laughed nervously. "Yeah..."
------------------------------------
Heero had much the same
routine as Duo did, watching Relena sleep from her door.
Relena wasn't asleep, she knew Heero was watching her, and inwardly, she smiled. Heero slowly walked over to her bedside and sat, his eyes never leaving her face. He put his face right in the pillow next to her. He could smell her acutely there. Her perfume and lotion mingling in the sheets as he slowly breathed it in. Apples.
He held her hand, his eyes were
tightly closed, and he still rested on her pillow. Relena could open her eyes
and look at him. His rugged hair looked softer somehow, and he seemed peaceful.
------------------------------------
The walk from their mechanics
store to the diner was quick, and Duo recited an anecdote about his piloting
days, Hilde laughing and smiling the whole way there.
As they finally got in the diner, the waitress smiled, "2?"
Duo nodded and they sat down, both grabbing menus.
"It's gettin' near valentines, isn't it?" The waitress commented,
Hilde blushed.
"Wait, replay, Hilde blushed, what the heck?" Duo thought.
The waitress winked at Duo and gave him a nudge. She then smiled again at Hilde
and added, "Lucky girl."
Hilde's eyebrow rose and she
burst out laughing in an attempt to conceal her awkwardness, Duo joined in for
the same reason.
Why was this so different? Instead of the carefreeness they usually enjoyed in
each others presence, both seemed, uncertain... Maybe the bachelor party and
wedding were making them even more aware of their own romantic lives, of lack
thereof.
Hilde fiddled with her jacket button on the seat next to her and Duo looked
nonchalantly out the window. None of their usual boisterous chit-chat, they
were completely silent.
Duo was both confused with himself and Hilde, he didn't understand although he
knew the reason they were silent.
Why be silent when there's so much to be said?
Duo rehearsed with his reflection in the window changing faces and mouthing the
words. He wasn't sure how to approach it, make a joke, be subtle, spell it out?
Hilde watched him, he looked so distance, so unhappy.
She was uncertain as well, but as a scary thought entered her head, she spoke
without really thinking about it...
"Are you in love with Relena?" Hilde said quietly, almost hoping Duo
wouldn't notice but answer anyway.
Duo looked, and right so,
thoroughly surprised by Hilde's assumption.
He shook his head, so baffled he looked like he had been caught in a crime.
Hilde started to cry a little, she stood and jogged out the diner, "Don't
say it..."
Duo bolted up, but spilt coffee on himself, cursing his clumsiness he pushed
several waiters out of the way, trying to get outside. Hilde stepped into a
cab, Duo tried to hail it, but the cabby pulled away just as Duo could look in
at Hilde through the window.
Duo didn't even realize he was talking until the word reached his head, clouded
with worry, "Shit!"
He hailed another cab and jumped in, yelling angrily, "Follow that
cab!"
-----------------------------------
Relena and Heero were having
some romantic time, or, in laymen's terms, making out. Hilde quietly slipped
in, she saw them, they were so passionate yet conscious of each other. So aware
and concerned, amazingly, Heero was incredibly gentle. Relena caught Hilde out
of the corner of her eye and Heero saw her a moment later. He got off Relena
and nodded to her, walking out to the gardens.
Hilde burst out crying as soon
as she reached Relena. Relena rubbed her back and held her, "It's ok,
Hilde, calm down, please, tell me what happened."
Hilde sniffled, trying to regain control of the waterworks. Hilde realized that
she couldn't tell Relena, could she? She wouldn't just ruin it for her and Duo,
she might ruin it for Relena and Heero and maybe even destroy Heero and Duo's
friendship.
"It's Duo..." She said, in a tone barely above a whisper. "He
doesn't love me."
"How do you know, Hilde?"
"I asked him if he loved someone else and..."
Relena quieted Hilde. "It's alright... I'm sure he didn't mean it..."
Hilde sighed. "That's the problem, I just don't know what I meant...
But... The way he looked at me..."
Heero walked in slowly, leaning on the doorway summoning Relena over to him.
Duo ran up to the mansion door, he had given the cabby his fair and was now two
steps from Hilde...
He knocked frantically, interupting Heero and Relena talking.
"Hilde! Wait!"
At seeing Duo Hilde ran from the house, through the gardens, Duo tried his best
to catch up, but she was to far away, to far ahead.
He fell to the ground on his knees, breaking right where he sat. "Why do I
always ruin everything!?" He yelled.
Relena and Heero ran over to him, comforting him the best they could.
"Heero, why didn't you tell her I was ready to marry her?"
Relena gasped in surprise and Heero sighed, "I was about to when you came
in, but I wasn't sure if it was right or not..."
Duo
spent the remainders of the day trying, unsuccessfully, to find Hilde. He went
to all her usual "cheer-up" spots, even the park bench where they had
spent so much time talking and laughing. But all, alas, were vacant, perfect
match to his heart.
--------------------------------
It was raining the night of
the bachleor party, it matched Duo's mood far more then he'd be likely to
admit. Quetra professed sobriety, until, finally, they got him to drink and he
downed shots with the best of 'em.
Wufei, in his typical manner,
was stolid and silent -- but looked unusually unhappy, not just with everything
since it was all inferior... No, his sadness was focused on one object, that of
his affection... Heero wasn't really enthusiastic, but he didn't care much for
a bachleor party. Duo drank and sang and played their drinking games. They only
played one, it was enough to get them drunk enough to pass out, so it served
its purpose.
Trowa grew a smirk, "How about we play, 'I've never'?"
Quetra nodded at his lover's remark, "Let's shall."
Duo, Heero, and Wufei eventually fell into line with similar responses and sat
around a table, a bottle of champagne in the middle.
"Ok!" Said Quetra enthusiastically, "I'll start!" He put on
a thoughtful gaze and smirked.
"I've never drank a whole bottle of whiskey!"
Trowa laughed, "God only knows what that would do to you."
Wufei rolled his eyes, "Before or after it would kill him?"
Duo reached forward and took a sip of his glass.
Heero raised an eyebrow, in fact, in this, he was not alone -- collectively,
four eyebrows were rose.
"Jesus Duo, that's alot." Trowa commented.
Duo nodded, he seemed elsewhere.
Wufei sighed, "Fine, I have one, I've never fallen in love."
Everyone took a sip, and then Duo looked over at Wufei. "Bullshit you
never have."
Wufei sighed arrogantly, putting on a face of indignation.
"I've never waited after Sally hand and foot, protected her, saved her
life, and looked after her for months on end and denied I loved her."
Quetra said with a gigantic grin.
Wufei looked furious, everyone looked at him expectantly.
He spat in his glass and grumble something in Chinese.
Trowa thought for a moment, "I've never lost my mind."
Quetra laughed and sipped, "Amen to that."
Duo smirked, "I've never worn the same spandex pants for an entire
year."
Heero sighed, exasperated, and took a sip. Trowa also leaned forward and
sipped.
Everyone looked at him in total shock. "I don't want to know." Duo
said.
Trowa shrugged and pointed towards Heero.
Heero deliberated on what to say.
"I've never left anyone, wait, hn, I've never run away, wait, I've never
gotten blown up... Hnnnn--"
He scratched his chin.
Everyone rolled their eyes in annoyance. "Neeevvvverrmind..."
--------------------------------------