Part II
The phone rang, and my life was instantly flushed down the drain. I was worried about Hilde anyway, so naturally, when that chime interrupted the steady stream of silence I had established in the apartment, I jumped a foot out of my chair. Make that a mile. I glare at my least favorite form of communication, but was prompted by yet another annoying ring. Muttering curses in many, many languages under my breath, I angrily pushed myself up from the chair I had been seated in and sauntered slowly over to the phone, taking my time. It was probably just one of Hilde's girlfriends anyway...Kami knows they weren't haters of the phone.
It had probably rung about five times when I finally picked it up, and heard the frantic voice of someone whom I was not familiar with say hurriedly, "Mr. Maxwell?"
Frowning, I responded. "Yes, this is he."
There was a sigh of relief on the other end which oddly set my nerves on edge. "Your wife, Hilde--"
"She's not my wife." What gave me the sudden urge to correct him? It's not like I didn't love Hilde, didn't consider the option of marriage before. Kami knows I did love her, so goddamned much that it hurt to be away from her. So much that the thought of losing that love to anyone else, anyone, terrified me. Ha, that's a laugh! Me, the God of Death, Shinigami if you will, afraid of losing something I wasn't even sure was mine in the first place.
The love of a woman.
The older sounding man on the other end of the line seemed, to say the least, taken aback by my comment, but recovered quickly enough to murmur a few seconds later, "That explains why she ran out so quickly! She's not even married to the guy!"
"What?" Thoroughly confused and starting to get extremely worried, I winced as the plastic of the phone bit into my hand while I squeezed tightly, but did not let up on my hold. "What's wrong with Hilde? Who are you? What's going on?" I demanded, practically shouting at the man.
He cleared his throat slowly, and my anxiety increased almost to an unbearable point until finally, he answered. "Hilde came in to see me about how she's been feeling lately, and I ran several tests on her...all of them negative. The last test I ran, though, Mr. Maxwell, came back positive. She's about three weeks pregnant."
One would think my first, initial reaction would be one of shock, as is the case with most surprises. I, however...was angry. Furious, enraged, indignant...call it what you will; I was pissed. My thoughts flew in and out of my conscious mind so quickly that I didn't catch on to them long enough to say anything comprehendible, so the doctor thought my speechlessness was shock and chuckled quietly. How I wanted to shove my phone down his throat...
"I understand why you're surprised, Mr. Maxwell. Hilde...she was quite upset when she heard the news, though, and ran out of here in a huff. That's why I called, to tell you that."
Hilde left? Upset? Good, my subconscious crooned, obviously delighted by this statement. Maybe she got hit by a car, the slut... I smirked at the thought, and the doctor continued. I should have known I couldn't be that lucky...
"An old man came in and said he offered to share his taxi with her, but she just grimaced and ran off towards the park in the rain."
`It's raining?' I glanced outside, and the beating of the huge droplets on the window confirmed my inquiry, making my smile broaden. Maybe she'll get hit by lightning...and it'll kill the child, but leave her all for me...
"I just thought that maybe you'd like to know, Mr. Maxwell, in case you're going to go get her. If you calm her down enough, maybe you could bring her by? I would like to check a few more things with the baby..."
Rolling my eyes, I answered sarcastically, "Yeah, sure." and hung up, reaching for my sweatshirt and car keys. Odds are I knew exactly where she going...
* * *
"Hilde? What...why are you out here? It's raining pretty badly..." I've always been one to mask my true emotions and this statement was exactly an example of that. I pulled off the `concerned and worried boyfriend that loves you' bit way too easily...and that gullible girl bought it! Much like she did everything else...
Although, surprisingly, when she looked up at me, she was scowling. I frowned back, slightly confused, and she responded sarcastically in a way unlike her normal happy-go-lucky self, "I know it's raining, Duo."
`Why is she angry? I didn't do anything!' You got her pregnant, moron. `Oh yeah. well it was her fault!' Seeing that frowning at her wasn't going to improve the situation, I quirked a brow, deep in though, and smiled as warmly as I could at her without gagging. "Hilde? Let's go home, okay?" I paused a moment, then decided ignorance was the best way to go. "Did you make it to the doctor's?" I added. Reaching down, I pulled her into my arms, anger subsiding a tad as passion overcame me and reminded me why I loved her so much.
The sight of her put me on edge, preparing to pounce. The scent of her hair had the same effect on me as if I had jumped off a cliff: exhilaration. Her touch...it lit my skin afire, caused my insides to work at a thousand miles a second, and my brain to go into overdrive.
Many would say I'm shallow for listing these things, but don't make assumptions yet; I'm not finished.
A wonderful thing about Hilde is that not only can she strike up a lively conversation with anyone, but she also knows how to listen. I could talk to her for hours, not hear a word come from her beautiful lips, and feel instantly better from the hug she gave me afterwards to reassure and comfort me. She was also very intelligent, which, of course, is why her conversations were more fun than other people's.
The last reason why I loved her so much was because she loved me...only me. She had never loved anyone else, never been intimate with anyone else...never shared her secrets, goals, and fears with anyone else until she met me. She was so pure and naive when we met...I guess that's what probably drew me to her in the first place. Innocence.
That's why I loved her.
Guiding her to the car, I helped her in, buckling her seatbelt and closing the door, then jogged over to my side of the car and got in, wrapping my arm around her shoulders. She pushed against me, sighing contentedly, and I began the drive home. Rain pattered sporadically against the roof of the car, creating a surreal percussion routine that I absently drummed my free hand against the wheel in time to. Hilde sighed again, and I felt her snuggle farther into my black sweatshirt, wet hair brushing against my forearm, causing a tingle to run up and down my spine.
I pulled into the lot of our apartment, and parked in our spot, shutting off the car. She looked asleep, but I knew she was far from is as her hand teased my inner thigh. I allowed a quiet moan escape my dry lips and kissed her forehead, murmuring, "Hilde-babe? We're here." Her eyes popped open as she remained statuesque for a moment before climbing into my lap and planting herself firmly on my upper thighs, shoulders rising and falling quickly as her breathing increased.
"Duo..." she sighed out, hand running up and down my chest, nails raking against the thick cloth separating our lust-filled bodies. "Duo..." she repeated, leaning forward more. "You know what that scent does to me...you naughty, naughty boy, Duo..."
I chuckled, knowing exactly what she was talking about. Old Spice, my cologne, drove her insane as soon as she breathed it in. We have left many a dinner party because the smell was so overpowering she couldn't control the urge to rip my clothes off...
Which is why I wore it as much as I could.
Her fevered kisses came quicker and less far apart than the rain, which had turned into a steady downpour and was hammering into the hood of my car. Not wanting to continue our actions in such a cramped space, I reached around her and touched the horn, which caused her to jump visibly off my lap, heightening my arousal even more.
"Hilde, we gotta take this inside!" I panted out between kisses. She nodded and opened the door, leaping out and dragging me along up to the apartment building while digging into my pockets for the keys.
`Maybe I should find her soaking wet in a thunderstorm while wearing cologne more often!'
She threw open the door and pulled me against her, which I made no move to prevent, tearing off my sweatshirt in the process. Eventually we made our way to the couch and divested each other of the clothing that was remaining, ready to begin our body worshipping. However, not even five minutes into the action, Hilde stopped, eyebrows meeting and furrowing, and practically leapt off the couch and strode quickly towards the kitchen, grabbing a quilt to cover herself with.
A bit too shocked to respond, I laid still for a few seconds, then jumped off the couch to follow her, figuring it was all just some kind of a game. Hilde was...well, to say the least...in to games. Catching her, I made a sandwich with the refrigerator around her and continued our previous action, kissing her hard.
Only when I felt her tiny frame writhe against mine in an emotion being anything but passion did I realize that she really didn't want to have sex at all, and was trying to get away. In cliche style, the angel and devil in me began their debate. The good in me screamed to stop, and stop I almost did; yet that was before the devil spoke up. If she actually keeps that thing you created, how many more times will she even get close to flirting with you, buddy? And if she didn't want this in the first place, why did she initiate it? To tease? Take what is rightfully yours!
I sided with the bad side for once and found out very quickly that that probably wasn't the best choice as Hilde reared back and kneed me in the crotch, dropping me instantly. Pure, intense pain coursed through my body, and I got caught in a coughing fit that racked my lungs and burnt my throat with its dryness, making the situation much worse. Doubled over, I pressed my forehead to the cool tile floor of the kitchen and held my aching lower half, alternately clenching and unclenching my teeth as wave after wave of torture ran through my nerves, setting them on fire.
Feeling slight pressure on my shoulder and a quiet calling of my name in my dazed state, I felt my muscles tense instantly as anger gripped and squeezed my heart, driving rational thought from my head.
I hated her.
Simply that: I hated her.
And at that moment I decided she deserved as good as she gave...
So I hit her.
You heard right. Me, loveable, fun-filled Duo--hit a woman. Not only that, but the woman carrying my child. The woman I presumably loved.
I hit Hilde.
And it felt damn good.
Hearing the thud as she collided with the wall on the opposite side of the room, I felt my lips draw into a smile. All pain leaving my body as my senses numbed, I got to my hands and knees and pushed myself off the floor, standing slowly, but making sure I kept my back to her. I alternately cracked one knuckle at a time on each hand, then my wrists, and finally, my neck, rolling my head around on my shoulders. I could heard Hilde sobbing, weeping, across the room, but did I care? Not in the least bit. I wanted to see, though; I wanted to watch her suffer.
Turning sluggishly around, I faced her, and almost grinned when she cowered back away from me, pushing herself into the wall. This is what I wanted, this is what I thrived on. Fear. I wanted her so afraid of me she was scared shitless to ever leave me for someone else. She could never leave me for someone else, ever. She was mine, as was the child she held.
Mine.
Walking forward leisurely, I glared at her, catching and holding her ice blue eyes for me...just me. "Hilde...Hilde-babe, Hilde-dear..." Just in using those pet names I saw a brand new type of fear instilled in her form, and I wanted to laugh. She was so afraid of me!
"N-n-now, Duo...there is a perfectly good explanation for all of this--"
"Did I give you permission to speak?" The contempt held in my voice was insurmountable by all means--no one could have sounded as angrily calm as I did at just that moment. It was almost mockingly so, even, but it was so angry. "It's very rude to interrupt, you know."
Upon reaching the edge of the table, I knelt down, facing her, and scooted forward, reaching out for her face.
In all the hatred, all the anger...I still loved her. I did, as hard to believe as that may be. I loved Hilde so very much, and nothing could ever change that. She was mine, and I made a point to love all that I owned.
"You know what else is rude, Hilde? Kneeing people, especially your lover, in the crotch."
Still gazing into her terrified eyes, I reached forward with my other hand and slipped it inside the thin quilt wrapped around her body, resting it on her shoulder in a gentle, but firm way. Winking at her, I noted, "But, all will be forgiven if you just do me a favor and suck as hard as you can!" Using surprise and strength, I pushed her down on me, reveling in the immediate pleasure such wet warmth brought flowing through my body. I could feel her teeth clench as she fought against me, grasping frantically at the hand I was using to hold her down, until she finally got a grip on my arm and drug her nails into my flesh while pushing me away at the same time. I jumped up, knocking her off me, and shouted, annoyed, "What the hell is wrong with you?!"
That's when reality smacked me square in the forehead, then pushed me over and proceeded to pummel my self-conscious with mind-numbing blows. She's pregnant! my thoughts screamed. She's fucking pregnant and you're forcing yourself on her like a fucking bastard-ass son of a bitch! What the hell is wrong with you?
I heard the door slam nearby as Hilde had stomped off, and felt my lips tug into a smirk.
Ha...bet she won't try getting pregnant again after what just happened...
I glanced around the disheveled kitchen once and walked out, heading for the couch. Looking to the closed door of my room, I waved slowly, and whispered, "Goodnight, Hilde my dear..."