Sometimes Words Get In the Way
by: Obsolete Love
Heero watched as Duo dropped an armful of clothes inside a black sailor knapsack, then pulled out his usual black outfit from the lot. He hasn't seen that outfit since… 'Hmm, long time ago.' He watched his friend move automatically. Duo's fingers moved like lightning as it braided his hair neatly down his back and finally, he donned on his favorite black coveralls and boots.
'What happened here?' Heero asked himself as he unconsciously picked a shirt from the floor and deposited it on the dresser beside him.
Even when he could only see half of Duo's face after the girl told him the news, he could see and feel the blast of emotional pain… And when Duo had looked at him… it seemed as if he had just been to hell and seen all the goddamned souls being recklessly tortured. Pain like no other.
He had watched silently as Duo dialed the airport and calmly booked a flight… His calmness was unnerving, though. He was too calm… But inside, through those usually merry violet eyes, he could see turbulence…
Heero jerked himself out of his stupor when he heard Duo curse inside the bathroom.
"How could she do this?! I mean… I was never disloyal!!! Why?!"
'Yes… why…' Heero thought, trying to understand… He could feel so much anger against Hilde right now… So much anger as though it was he who was betrayed… Is this how friends are supposed to feel?
"Old France to some idiot with a stupid name! I mean, Zhahn Pauhl Ffle-whatever! A chateau in the country… a resort by the beach… a dang memorial dedicated to his rotten family name!"
Duo came out of the bathroom and kicked his cabinet close. "Why the heck am I even packing?! Why don't I just let her go and to hell with it?! To hell with her!"
Heero watched as Duo stopped and faced his bed… then slowly, his friend's eyes tilted up and faced his… Eyes brimmed with unshed tears… Fists clenched tightly by his sides…
He didn't have anything to say… He couldn't. He doesn't… At the moment, Duo seemed to him, one of the strongest people he knew, maybe even the strongest… To be able to take this news and… still want to fight for her…
"You want to fight for her… that's why…" Heero nearly frowned when he heard his own voice filter through the room.
Duo shook his head as Heero's words dropped on him.
"She's your happiness… and you don't want to lose her…" Heero frowned… where are those words coming from?
Duo shook his head once again, but Heero saw a sad grin on his friend's face.
"You know, Heero… once you open your mouth, you're just like Trowa… The things you say always have significance…"
Duo picked up his sack and his passport then walked to Heero, gratitude showing in his eyes. "Thanks, buddy." Duo whispered before giving Heero a half hug.
Heero's eyes widened slightly at the friendly gesture, but it was a quick enough hug and Duo was already running down the hallway.
"Heero! Help yourself at the yard! Wish me luck! I'm going to get her back!"
Then, the door slammed.
Heero looked around the empty house with mixed feelings… He suddenly felt a protectiveness over Duo… almost akin to how he feels about Relena, but different, almost as if… family…
He shook his head to clear his thoughts as he walked out of the house, and locked it. He's sure about one thing though… He's going to look for Hilde and see what game she's playing…
But for now…
"How the hell am I going to distinguish what Titanium alloy is?!" Heero muttered angrily under his breath while he walked to the yard, and hoped that one of Duo's workers was there.
~*~
Duo twisted, grabbed, untwisted, pulled, and grappled the stress stick he bought from one of the shops inside the airport while he sat in his seat.
'Not helping…' Duo thought sadly as he let go of the stick and let it fall onto his lap…
His whole world just shattered in front of his eyes… His hopes, his dreams… his future… it's all twirling down the drain and he couldn't plug it…
He wasn't able to get much information from Iris… He didn't know what came over him when he started asking for the jerk's name and where they're staying… Telling Iris to book him a room and to meet him when he calls her instead of asking for more info.
'God! What was I thinking?! I should have been more level headed!' Duo smirked sarcastically. 'You've been through war with a good head on your shoulders and now, this. It was suddenly severed with your own scythe…'
All he could think about was getting to Hilde and making her see him again…
Duo sighed as he slumped deeper in his chair. 'Hilde… You couldn't… you can't love another man… you just can't…'
~*~
"Where is she?" Duo demanded as soon as he saw the familiar blonde woman running towards him.
Iris stopped in the middle of the busy floor and let an angry Duo stride to her. "I… I don't know. She went out on a date with him."
"A DATE?!" Duo bellowed, attracting curious stares from other people.
Iris swallowed hard to contain her embarrassment. "Duo please! How are you going to be able to see through this if you're angry?"
"Angry? Me? Angry? Who's angry?" Duo asked as his death grip tightened on the stress stick, pulling it on either ends.
Iris looked at the poor stick significantly. Duo looked down, saw what he was doing and blushed slightly as he let go of his frustrated grip.
"Let's go and I'll tell you all I know so far." Iris offered as she tugged at Duo's arm.
~*~
"HE WHAT?!!!" Duo bellowed out at Iris who cringed and willed her shaking fingers to grip the steering wheel of the rental car gently…
"Duo! Do you want us to get into an accident?! I want to live, you know!" Iris snapped back. She's under pressure herself! She couldn't stand seeing Hilde and that Jean together! They're just not right!
Duo sighed. "Sorry, Ris. I didn't mean it."
"You've done it four times for the last two miles! I know that you mean it!"
Duo grimaced. "But hell! He kissed her hand and he gave her roses and he kissed her on the lips all in the span of one day?! Not to mention that they went out to dinner and probably danced and now they're together again! How'd you expect me not to react to that?!"
Iris willed herself to mentally count backward from 20. By the time she was finished, she thanked God that the hotel was just around the corner.
"Well?" Duo asked for the fifth time.
Iris sighed as she parked. "Duo, you're reacting the way all men should given the situation. Jealousy is a part of a rela-"
"I'm not JEALOUS!!!" Duo cried out as he slammed the trunk close.
"DUO MAXWELL! IF YOU DON'T STOP BEHAVING LIKE AN IMMATURE HOMOSAPIEN, I'M NOT GOING TO HELP YOU!!!!"
Duo blinked a couple of times, as if to clear a haze from his eyes, and saw that the usually placid Iris, Ph.D. in BioChem Iris was utterly… mad.
His head hung in deject. "I'm sorry, Iris… really…"
Iris nodded as she tried to calm her frayed nerves. "First, let's get you checked in and we'll discuss about Hilde over lunch. I'm starving and I'm sure you are too."
Her voice left no room for argument and Duo willingly complied… His brains have gone haywire… he couldn't think… the only thing flitting in his mind was the thought that he might lose Hilde…
~*~
"So you want me to act as if everything is fine? Are you nuts?!" Duo cried out in a hushed tone. Then he shook his head. "Oh yeah! Right of course you're nuts! Bio chem doctor here in front of me! Maybe I should just go to a psychiatrist!"
Iris looked around and so did Duo. Obviously, they got everyone's attention with the way they were being looked at.
"Ah hehehe…" Duo instantly slumped in his chair and promptly hid his face in the menu.
"Actually, Duo… what I want you to do is to lie low and not let Hilde see you… She doesn't know that I called you and if she does, she'll get mad at me. Not to mention that she'll think badly of you because you're checking up on her and when you tell her that she can't go out with him she'll grow angrier because she doesn't like people telling her what to do."
With each word Iris said, Duo felt the burden on his chest become heavier…
"Shoot! Now I lost my appetite." Iris muttered as she dropped the menu on the table in frustration.
Duo sighed and did the same thing. "Let's just order room service in your suite… I don't think I can stand prying eyes any longer."
Iris looked around and blushed at the passing glances everyone's been giving them. "I think you're right, Duo…"
The two stood up and quickly walked to the elevator to escape…
~*~
"May I use your restroom for a minute?" Duo asked as he looked around the elegant suite.
Iris covered the silver and placed the table napkins on the cart. "Sure, go ahead. It's the last door to the right."
Duo nodded and proceeded to the room while Iris walked to the phone to tell room service that they were finished…
~*~
Hilde sighed as she walked up the stairs… Not that she hates elevators… it's just that she needs to think right now… Jean Paul was absolutely… the perfect gentleman…
Sweet…
Hilde tilted the long stemmed red rose to her nose and smiled against the velvety texture of its petals.
Charming…
She remembered the way he opened each door, moved each chair… their light conversations…
Handsome…
His wavy black hair and high cheekbones… straight Roman nose and firm… lips…
And definitely… everything! He loves art, music, theatre… intelligent conversations, light banters…
But why is it… why is it that there was that something missing…?
Sparkling, merry violet eyes invaded her previous image of Jean and Hilde quickly shook her head.
"Oh go away Duo…" Hilde sighed as she opened the door to her floor. "It's not as if you ever told me how you felt about me…"
She was about to pass by Iris' room when she suddenly felt the need for a familiar face… There was no need to show Iris that everything was not going well with Jean- not that it wasn't going well…
Hilde opened the door with a wide smile on her face and saw her friend by the telephone. "Iris! I just had the most wonderful afternoon with Jean! He took me sight seeing to his chateau! Oh it was magnificent!" Hilde saw Iris' eyes widen… 'Probably surprised to see me…'
"The little devil tried to kiss me under the lover's tree…" Hilde giggled as she twirled the rose under her nose. "You're probably wondering why I'm home early… he invited me to dinner tonight, at his villa…" Hilde's voice faded at the panicked look on Iris' face.
"What? What is it?" Hilde asked as she slowly turned around…
A tumult of emotion crashed against her as she stared into those familiar eyes that, at the moment, looked so hurt… at that man she had thought… 'Oh God… why now?'
"Hello, Hilde…" Duo said as casually as he could as he walked up to her.
Hilde swallowed, straightened her back and tilted her chin. "Hello, Duo."
Iris could feel the tension between the two as they stared at each other, their eyes clashed with unsaid arguments-
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
Iris grimaced at Duo's bellow. She saw Hilde's eyes spark with fire and knew that right then and there… she had seen the beginning to the end…
"This man might be a… a killer! A rapist! A damn assassin!"
"For your information, Duo Maxwell! He's a gentleman! He's the most perfect gentleman I've ever met! He's… he's got taste, he's got charm… he knows how to eat properly and he's neat! Not to mention that he owns his own company and is romantic and not a chauvinist!" Hilde's pent-up anger got out of her cage as she blasted at Duo. Years of showing him how much she cared for him… how much she feels for him, and he doesn't even acknowledge her as…
Duo felt his breath knocked out of him at the things Hilde pointed out to him, defending that man, whoever he was… and pointing out… pointing out the things he's weak at…
Nothing more to say for now… nothing more…
With one last angry look at Hilde, Duo turned around and walked out of the room. The door slammed his good bye.
Hilde looked away. 'God! Did those words actually came out of my mouth?!' She could feel tears forming in her eyes…
"Hilde…"
At the sound of her friend's meek voice, Hilde started to move. "Iris, shut up. I don't want to hear it." She whispered as she walked out of Iris' room and into her own, fell down onto her bed and wept in frustration…
She knows… God she knows that she'd hurt Duo just a while ago…
It's not that he's not neat… he's got his days… its not that he's not charming… its not that he doesn't have manners… truth be told… Jean and Duo were in the same class… but there's just one different thing between the two… For the past years that they had been together, he never acknowledged their relationship, while with only two days of going out with Jean, he had already acknowledged her as his lady to everyone he knew…
"I've already said my good bye… don't make me say it out loud, Duo…" Hilde whispered against the pillows as she cried…
She knows that she has to get ready for her date with Jean tonight… but right now, she couldn't seem to stop crying…
~*~
Iris slowly walked into the hotel bar. Her eyes instantly zoomed to the depressing figure drinking to his heart's content, and chatting with the bar tender…
If it weren't such a real thing, Iris would have laughed at the irony of it all… They do say that bar tenders were the priests of drunk men… and from the glasses in front of Duo, he's drank more than enough in the ten minutes that he's been gone…
"… Can you believe it? Sheesh! Women! Who could understand them!"
Iris sighed in relief, not hearing any slurred words in Duo's sentence.
"Yeah, I know what you mean… Some of them are just…" The bar tender sighed.
"Correctly said, my man." Duo replied as he plunked the glass in front of him. "Another."
Iris shook her head. This is the first time she'd ever seen Duo in such a depressed state. "You know, drinking doesn't help."
"Iris, when I want your opinion, I'll ask for it." Duo grumbled as he grabbed the glass in front of him.
Iris held on to her temper… 'It's the alcohol talking… not him.' She breathed in for control. "Duo, I'm not going to leave you here like this."
Duo shrugged. "Fine… Do whatever you like, Iris."
Iris looked at the bar tender who shook his head. With a sigh of someone who had just given up, Iris sat next to Duo and got herself comfortable. Besides… 'How long will it take him to drink himself to misery, anyway?'
~*~
Iris shook her head and glanced at her watch. She blinked and stared once again. 'Jeeze! I've been here for four hours already?!' Iris asked herself and quickly looked over at Duo who was still drinking.
'Dear Lord! If there's any drinking contest, I know whom I'm going to be rooting for!'
"Duo… don't you think-"
Hilde's laughter reached her ears, and stopped whatever she was about to say in her mouth.
She saw Duo's glassy eyes transfer its attention from the alcohol in front of him to the couple just walking down the grand stairs.
Iris groaned inwardly… 'God… Trouble…'
Duo saw Hilde with a man's arm around her shoulders… Nobody needed to tell him that this high cheek-boned, straight nosed, pale skinned peon was Jean… The same Jean stealing his Hilde from him…
It all seemed unrealistic to Iris as Duo ambled to take a stand and walked, as calmly as he could, to the man- Jean… and Hilde.
Iris quickly went in front of him. "Duo… Please, I think you shouldn't-"
Duo gave her a glare akin to the ones Heero gave him before and left Iris in stunned shock. She could only watch Duo reach the unsuspecting couple…
His hand went back…
Hilde turned and her eyes widened…
Before anyone could do anything-
The sound of knuckles connecting with a man's nose resounded throughout the room.
Time seemed to stand still for that moment…
Blood spurted out of Jean's nose as he bent down to hold his face, and groan in pain, while Hilde, eyes blazing with hate, faced Duo and slapped him right across his face…
"Stay away from me!" Hilde cried out as she looped an arm around Jean and walked out of the hotel.
Iris could only stare at the event in shock… She'd never… it was so rare to see Duo get mad… rarer still to see him do any physical damage to anyone… and this…
That seemed to shake Duo back to consciousness as he glowered at everyone and walked to the elevator with as much dignity as he could muster…
Even his triumph was short lived… It was satisfying to hear that crunching sound as his fist connected with that Jean's face… but…
Duo's hand went up to his numb face, the sting of Hilde's slap could still be felt on his cheek, and not to mention the slight ringing that was echoing in his ears.
His hatred for the man doubled as he walked into his room, and went straight to his bathroom to wash off the blood that covered his knuckles…
Duo looked at his reflection in the mirror… took in his drunken state and slammed a hand against the door as a set of expletives left his lips.
He ruined it big time with Hilde…
'Stay away from me!'
Hilde's voice resonated in his mind and he placed both his hands over his ears as if to try to stop the onslaught of her words…
"Definitely ruined it…"