The Tailor

Chapter Eight

Part One



"A sponge bath? Hmm." Hilde slowly walks up to him with a sly smile. Sponge dripping in hand. She sits on the edge of the bed, close to him. "Why? Are you saying you're dirty?" Hilde leans up against him. Duo became speechless when she walked up to him with that smile and that look in her eyes. Then he became mush when she leaned up against him. Being this close to a woman would never bother him. Hell, he sleeps with them for money! But since he declared he loves for this woman the closeness is something more. His breath is caught in his throat when she leans in closer. Duo could hear the beating of his heart in his ears. He is using all his will power to restrain himself from jumping her and playing out his little fantasies he has about her.

Hilde leans in closer and she looks into those purple eyes that she loves so much. Love? Hilde pulls back. And for the first time she sees Duo's state. His face is red and he seems to be having problems breathing. Stepping back gave Duo some time get out of his state. Soon a grin shows up. Duo throws his legs over the side of the bed. He leans forward, still sitting and griping the bed.

"Dirty? Maybe. If you are talking about my mind . . . " Plop. Duo is interrupted when a sponge comes in contact with his face. Hilde laughs as she picks the sponge up. She returns it to the tub and wheels the cart over to the sink. Duo hops off the bed, wiping his face dry. "That wasn't nice."



"Oh? Well Mr. Maxwell."



("Uh oh. She called you by your last name. Not good at all.")



"I would think it only fair for leading me on like that." Duo sighs in relief. "By the way Duo . . . " She places the tub on her cart. "Where is my dress?" Ah! The dress! He totally forgot about it.



"Back at the shop. Why?"



"I need it tonight!"



"I'll get it."



"Duo! I leave tonight!"



"So? Come by and . . . " ("Uh, not a good idea Duo. You have a 'date' with Liz tonight.") "Uh . . . how about I met you at the café near my work. Say around seven?"



"I plan on leaving at six! How about you met me at the bus stop . . . "



"Bus stop?"



"Yes, the one by where I live. I can tell you how to get there . . . "



"Why don't you drive?"



"Don't have a car." Her voice is a little annoyed. Cause being she is asked this all the time. "Can't afford one. You know . . . bills, school and more bills."



"Sorry." Duo looks at his feet. Ashamed at himself. For what? He doesn't know but whatever it was it made her upset. Hilde sees her harsh tone hurt him. She walks over to him and hugs him. "W-what? Hilde . . . "



"Shh. Just hug me." Duo wraps his arms around her. He rests his cheek on the top of her head. "You are such a good friend. Don't ever think that I'm mad at you. I don't think I could ever be mad at you."



"Don't say that so soon . . . " Why does she have so much trust in him? Dammit. He did his job. He made her feel happy, feel like she had a real friend when her 'real' friends failed. He should have left after that. Given her the dress and left. However, his damn hart told him that if he let her walk out of his life he would regret it for all eternity. Duo hates himself right now . . . He has to tell her the truth . . . the whole truth. "Hilde . . . we need to talk."



("Uh oh. That tone. I know that tone. It's the 'It's been great but lets never see each other' tone. Well Hilde girl. It's been fun.")



Hilde pushes away. She leans on the cart. Arms cross. Her defense up, ready for his blow.



"I...I think you need to know the real me, before you go and say anything."



"The real you?" ("What could he mean? The junk yard? The one that Peter told me? Why would that bother him?") "Wait . . . " She shouts. Duo is startled and takes a step back. Hilde starts to laugh. "Is this about your 'junk' yard?"



"What? How did you know?"



"Peter. He owns a scrap yard on Bullberry road. He told me that he tried to buy it off you but you wouldn't give it to him."



"Peter?" Duo tries to place the face to one in the past. He never met Peter before. Or did he? It's been so long.



"Yes. Is that what you wanted to tell me?"



"Yes . . . "



"Why would I care? You had me believing that you were going to tell me something bad." Hilde smiles warmly at him. "Oh Duo. I don't care."



"What else did he tell you?" There is a hidden darkness to his voice.



"Nothing . . . just that you own the largest scrap yard and that you had it closed for years. He wanted to know why. I told him that you took up the job of a tailor."



"What?!" Duo grabs her by the shoulders. "Did you tell him where I work?"



"No! I didn't. Why would that matter?"



"I...uh. Sorry. I broke the guy's nose. Didn't want him finding me and bugging me for money." He lets go and steps away.



"Oh, well there's more to what he said . . . " Duo becomes pail. ("More? What more could he tell her?") Suddenly, the thought of her knowing the truth becomes a horrible idea. Having her know what he is. She might be the only person he knows that doesn't look down at him, the only one who respects him. Losing that would mean then end. "He said you where a street ra . . . a homeless person. That you stole and did horrible things." Duo's dark past on the streets come back to him. He can no longer look at her. He's ashamed of his life. Ashamed of everything. If only he was as strong as her, he would never be in this mess. Hell, if he was more like her could have been a doctor and maybe meeting Hilde on more respectable terms. "But that . . . it doesn't matter to me. Duo look at me." She pleas with him. Hilde can no longer control herself. Duo really cares about what she thinks of him. He has shown her so much in such a short time. Hilde can't fight it. That is if she ever was fighting her feelings. She takes his hand is hers, pulling him to look at her. "I don't care if you killed a person. I don't care . . . I don't care." She places his hand on her cheek. Tears running free. Hilde lets go of the wall she placed up when Peter left. So lets go and takes another blind jump. But this time, she knows she has a friend . . . she has Duo. He should be a stranger . . . but he feels like so close. He shouldn't mean this much to her . . . but he is so open to her . . . "I don't care . . . " Her voice is a whisper. "Nothing will stop me from loving you." Duo takes control of his hand, putting light pressure on her. He closes the space between them, drawing his other hand up to cup her face. The words have been spoken. Duo now knows her feelings for him, now she needs to know his for her. He lowers his head to claim her lips. It isn't a small peck. It's a kiss to end all kisses. It's a kiss to speak for Duo. The kiss is his feeling's translator since his words would only fail to let her know that he thinks the world of her. That she means the world to him.





Hilde finally found her happiness. Duo finally found his freedom.

















Been long enough? Oh well, here it is. I don't have school until Thursday so maybe I'll write more. I swear I will finish all my stories!

Please R&R!

Thanks!

^.^