Hilde's Fashion
by Oyuki
Standard disclaimers apply.
AN: I wrote some of this in my futures (home ec) class. I don't have physics anymore, so hopefully my grades will be a little better and I'll have more time to write.
Duo could see Hilde walking towards the stairs. He couldn't believe she looked so good, and he hadn't even gotten a chance to tell her. He cursed under his breath. He'd totally blown it. He'd finally realized what a selfish, conceited, bitch he'd been for his whole life. And right before he was ready to change, his one chance to redeem himself had been blown to bits when Hilde had heard his stupid story. Hilde wasn't just his once chance to make him feel better about himself. He'd gotten to know her a little bit of her, a little bit of what lay beneath the clothes and the bad hair and he'd learned that sometimes you had to look beyond what people could see. And he felt like the scum of the earth for behaving that way. He'd based his whole life, all his relationships in looks and never happened to realize that there were things under that.
But now? Now he had to find Hilde and beg her to let him make it up to her. But what could he say? 'I'm sorry that slept with you to get you to agree not to take my father's office. I just really wanted the responsibility of being president.'
He raced after her. His legs were longer, and he didn't war heels so he caught up to her when they reached the underground parking garage. Duo grabbed Hilde's hand and she was jerked back to face him.
"Get your hands off me, Duo!" she said and tried to pull her hand away.
He sighed, but didn't let go. He pulled her towards him and said, "Let me talk to you, please. How much did you hear?"
She stopped struggling and finally looked at him with tear-filled eyes. He never meant to make her cry. "I never meant to--"
"Yes you did, Duo. You meant to hurt me, and you know that. I bet you were hoping I'd quit! But to answer your question, I heard everything. I heard you telling your stupid friend that you felt bad about what you did because I was a nice girl. I heard everything, and let me just tell you that I also think you are an immature child. You have no respect for anything! Now let me go!" Hilde pulled her hand away and walked to her car.
He closed his eyes, but he didn't let her outburst get to him. He needed to say something, not to make himself feel better, but to make her feel better. He took off after her again and reached her before she unlocked her car's door. "Listen to me, Hilde, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I hurt you. Believe me, making love with you was incredible. I'm sorry--"
"Don't apologize to me, Duo. Don't apologize because it's no one's fault but my own. I was an idiot and I believed every lie that came out of your mouth! I was an idiot, again, and I let this happen! How could I have let his happen again? Why did YOU do it? You know how hurt I was after Trowa, I told you and you still went ahead with your little plan! Well, let me tell you that I won't ever make that mistake again! Never again will anybody, ever, make a fool out of me! I won't let myself be suckered again!" In the spur of the moment, she raised her other hand and slapped him.
He didn't say anything. The red imprint of her hand throbbed on his cheek. He shook his head at her. His heart was doing little cartwheels in his chest. His mind screamed at him that he'd hurt a wonderful human being. He had hurt a woman who was as fragile as glass. Someone whose self-esteem had taken a blow straight to the heard before and he'd done it too. He'd taken her heart and her emotions and stomped on them, just like Trowa had done.
"I said I was sorry, Hilde. I meant it. You heard me in there! I know I was being selfish and I was being a bastard, but I'm sorry! What can I do to have your forgiveness?" he asked. He didn't know what he could say to make her see that he was truly sorry for hurting her.
"Frankly, I don't care if you're sorry. For that matter, sorry doesn't matter! And what you can do to make it up to me is--" she started but was interrupted by Heero yelling out his name.
"Duo! Duo, where are ya man?" Heero yelled out to his friend.
Duo let go of Hilde and turned towards Heero's voice. Hilde took the opportunity and opened the door of her care and slipped inside. She closed her door with a loud bang. Duo looked back at her and pounded on her window.
"Hilde, wait! Wait, please!"
She ignored him and started the engine. with one last look at him she drove away making her tires screech.
Duo covered his face with his hands. Heero ran up to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Man, I never thought I'd live to see the day you would beg for forgiveness," Heero said seriously.
Duo shrugged off his friend's hand and walked to his car. "I can't let her go...," he paused, "like that. I need to... Shit, I don't know what I need to do. I just need to see her and apologize."
*~*~*~*
Hilde tried to concentrate on her driving. It was better than trying to concentrate on Duo. She'd been an idiot. A total idiot! How could she have believed Duo could ever like her, could ever be interested in her? She was the ugly duckling, the dork who liked the boss' son. She shook her head, concentrating on her driving she drove home. She took deep breaths, she focused her eyes on the road. When she pulled into the parking lot of her building and released the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding.
Closing her eyes she rested her forehead on the steering wheel. She didn't want to cry, but her heart was breaking. It refused to listen to her rational side. Tears escaped her closed lids. She sat up and took her seat belt off. Her legs were a little unsteady. Her heart was beating fast. She had to get home.
Before she could get to the elevator, she heard another car coming. It was Duo's silver Jaguar. 'Fuck,' she thought. She ran to the elevator.
Duo was far enough into the parking lot to see Hilde run into the elevator. He parked his car and ran after her.
He didn't reach her in time. The elevator was on its way to her floor. Frustrated he ran towards the stairs.
*~*~*~*
'Oh God! Why can't he leave me alone for now?' She all but ran into her apartment and shut the door with a loud bang. She locked the door and leaned against it. Giving a deep sigh she walked to her bedroom where she proceeded to change her clothes. "Looks like I won't be going to work for the rest of the day," she said.
Outside, Duo was just in time to see her door slam closed. "Hilde!" he called. "Let me talk to you! Please, let me apologize! Hilde, if you don't let me in I'm going to yell my apologies through the door so the whole building can hear them. And I don't care if they call security!" Duo waited for her response. Nothing. "I'll count to three! One... two... three! Hilde, come on babe!"
Duo leaned on the door. He felt crushed. He didn't know why, why he felt this... this desperation. He needed to make her understand that he had never meant to hurt her. "Hilde, I never meant to hurt you. I know that it's redundant, but I mean it. I was calling off my little bet with Heero before you showed up! I was doing it because... because I care about you. I didn't want to hurt you like that other guy did." He hoped she was listening. As much as he wanted to apologize he didn't go around shouting his most inner thoughts in the middle of a hallway.
He heard a shuffling on the other side of the door. He heard some clocks click, and for a second his heart soared. She was opening the door! His hopes were soon crushed when the door opened a little only to be stopped by the chain. He could see part of Hilde's face. Her red eyes made him bite his lip.
"I'm not good at expressing my emotions, Hilde. Not even during sex, but if you give me a chance--"
"You're only sorry that you got caught! If I hadn't heard anything, and you still hadn't asked me not to take your father's offer, whatever it is, you would have been perfectly content!"
"You're right, I'm an asshole. But please, understand me, I've never regretted anything I ever did. The only thing I regret is the way I treated you. I know I don't deserve to ask this, but please give me another chance. I care about you, Hilde. This is so hard to say, but please, give me another chance and I'll show you that I care."
Hilde looked at him for a long moment before she closed the door. Duo waited there, hoping, praying that she would open the door again and let him in or tell him to leave or something. She didn't do anything, though.
He felt like crying. Strange, nobody would ever think that a man like Duo would ever cry over something. Especially a woman when he had so many panting after him.
Wiping his eyes, Duo walked to the parking lot.
*~*~*~*
Hilde's emotions were going wild. One part of her was elated at the fact that Duo said he care about her, another part of her was enraged that he'd used her to fulfill his selfish wants, and there was a third part of her that was saddened. That part of her was still a little girl, the little girl who had been rejected by her own family. The little girl who desperately wanted a friend to tell her everything was okay.
The phone rang. 'Probably Relena,' she thought. "Hello," she answered.
"Hilde, it's Richard Maxwell, I have something to ask you. Could you please come to my office, let's say about now?"
Silence, then, "I'll be there in an hour."
tbc...
AN: I had a little time to write today. I wrote a little more than usual. Please review!
by Oyuki
Standard disclaimers apply.
AN: I wrote some of this in my futures (home ec) class. I don't have physics anymore, so hopefully my grades will be a little better and I'll have more time to write.
Duo could see Hilde walking towards the stairs. He couldn't believe she looked so good, and he hadn't even gotten a chance to tell her. He cursed under his breath. He'd totally blown it. He'd finally realized what a selfish, conceited, bitch he'd been for his whole life. And right before he was ready to change, his one chance to redeem himself had been blown to bits when Hilde had heard his stupid story. Hilde wasn't just his once chance to make him feel better about himself. He'd gotten to know her a little bit of her, a little bit of what lay beneath the clothes and the bad hair and he'd learned that sometimes you had to look beyond what people could see. And he felt like the scum of the earth for behaving that way. He'd based his whole life, all his relationships in looks and never happened to realize that there were things under that.
But now? Now he had to find Hilde and beg her to let him make it up to her. But what could he say? 'I'm sorry that slept with you to get you to agree not to take my father's office. I just really wanted the responsibility of being president.'
He raced after her. His legs were longer, and he didn't war heels so he caught up to her when they reached the underground parking garage. Duo grabbed Hilde's hand and she was jerked back to face him.
"Get your hands off me, Duo!" she said and tried to pull her hand away.
He sighed, but didn't let go. He pulled her towards him and said, "Let me talk to you, please. How much did you hear?"
She stopped struggling and finally looked at him with tear-filled eyes. He never meant to make her cry. "I never meant to--"
"Yes you did, Duo. You meant to hurt me, and you know that. I bet you were hoping I'd quit! But to answer your question, I heard everything. I heard you telling your stupid friend that you felt bad about what you did because I was a nice girl. I heard everything, and let me just tell you that I also think you are an immature child. You have no respect for anything! Now let me go!" Hilde pulled her hand away and walked to her car.
He closed his eyes, but he didn't let her outburst get to him. He needed to say something, not to make himself feel better, but to make her feel better. He took off after her again and reached her before she unlocked her car's door. "Listen to me, Hilde, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I hurt you. Believe me, making love with you was incredible. I'm sorry--"
"Don't apologize to me, Duo. Don't apologize because it's no one's fault but my own. I was an idiot and I believed every lie that came out of your mouth! I was an idiot, again, and I let this happen! How could I have let his happen again? Why did YOU do it? You know how hurt I was after Trowa, I told you and you still went ahead with your little plan! Well, let me tell you that I won't ever make that mistake again! Never again will anybody, ever, make a fool out of me! I won't let myself be suckered again!" In the spur of the moment, she raised her other hand and slapped him.
He didn't say anything. The red imprint of her hand throbbed on his cheek. He shook his head at her. His heart was doing little cartwheels in his chest. His mind screamed at him that he'd hurt a wonderful human being. He had hurt a woman who was as fragile as glass. Someone whose self-esteem had taken a blow straight to the heard before and he'd done it too. He'd taken her heart and her emotions and stomped on them, just like Trowa had done.
"I said I was sorry, Hilde. I meant it. You heard me in there! I know I was being selfish and I was being a bastard, but I'm sorry! What can I do to have your forgiveness?" he asked. He didn't know what he could say to make her see that he was truly sorry for hurting her.
"Frankly, I don't care if you're sorry. For that matter, sorry doesn't matter! And what you can do to make it up to me is--" she started but was interrupted by Heero yelling out his name.
"Duo! Duo, where are ya man?" Heero yelled out to his friend.
Duo let go of Hilde and turned towards Heero's voice. Hilde took the opportunity and opened the door of her care and slipped inside. She closed her door with a loud bang. Duo looked back at her and pounded on her window.
"Hilde, wait! Wait, please!"
She ignored him and started the engine. with one last look at him she drove away making her tires screech.
Duo covered his face with his hands. Heero ran up to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "Man, I never thought I'd live to see the day you would beg for forgiveness," Heero said seriously.
Duo shrugged off his friend's hand and walked to his car. "I can't let her go...," he paused, "like that. I need to... Shit, I don't know what I need to do. I just need to see her and apologize."
*~*~*~*
Hilde tried to concentrate on her driving. It was better than trying to concentrate on Duo. She'd been an idiot. A total idiot! How could she have believed Duo could ever like her, could ever be interested in her? She was the ugly duckling, the dork who liked the boss' son. She shook her head, concentrating on her driving she drove home. She took deep breaths, she focused her eyes on the road. When she pulled into the parking lot of her building and released the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding.
Closing her eyes she rested her forehead on the steering wheel. She didn't want to cry, but her heart was breaking. It refused to listen to her rational side. Tears escaped her closed lids. She sat up and took her seat belt off. Her legs were a little unsteady. Her heart was beating fast. She had to get home.
Before she could get to the elevator, she heard another car coming. It was Duo's silver Jaguar. 'Fuck,' she thought. She ran to the elevator.
Duo was far enough into the parking lot to see Hilde run into the elevator. He parked his car and ran after her.
He didn't reach her in time. The elevator was on its way to her floor. Frustrated he ran towards the stairs.
*~*~*~*
'Oh God! Why can't he leave me alone for now?' She all but ran into her apartment and shut the door with a loud bang. She locked the door and leaned against it. Giving a deep sigh she walked to her bedroom where she proceeded to change her clothes. "Looks like I won't be going to work for the rest of the day," she said.
Outside, Duo was just in time to see her door slam closed. "Hilde!" he called. "Let me talk to you! Please, let me apologize! Hilde, if you don't let me in I'm going to yell my apologies through the door so the whole building can hear them. And I don't care if they call security!" Duo waited for her response. Nothing. "I'll count to three! One... two... three! Hilde, come on babe!"
Duo leaned on the door. He felt crushed. He didn't know why, why he felt this... this desperation. He needed to make her understand that he had never meant to hurt her. "Hilde, I never meant to hurt you. I know that it's redundant, but I mean it. I was calling off my little bet with Heero before you showed up! I was doing it because... because I care about you. I didn't want to hurt you like that other guy did." He hoped she was listening. As much as he wanted to apologize he didn't go around shouting his most inner thoughts in the middle of a hallway.
He heard a shuffling on the other side of the door. He heard some clocks click, and for a second his heart soared. She was opening the door! His hopes were soon crushed when the door opened a little only to be stopped by the chain. He could see part of Hilde's face. Her red eyes made him bite his lip.
"I'm not good at expressing my emotions, Hilde. Not even during sex, but if you give me a chance--"
"You're only sorry that you got caught! If I hadn't heard anything, and you still hadn't asked me not to take your father's offer, whatever it is, you would have been perfectly content!"
"You're right, I'm an asshole. But please, understand me, I've never regretted anything I ever did. The only thing I regret is the way I treated you. I know I don't deserve to ask this, but please give me another chance. I care about you, Hilde. This is so hard to say, but please, give me another chance and I'll show you that I care."
Hilde looked at him for a long moment before she closed the door. Duo waited there, hoping, praying that she would open the door again and let him in or tell him to leave or something. She didn't do anything, though.
He felt like crying. Strange, nobody would ever think that a man like Duo would ever cry over something. Especially a woman when he had so many panting after him.
Wiping his eyes, Duo walked to the parking lot.
*~*~*~*
Hilde's emotions were going wild. One part of her was elated at the fact that Duo said he care about her, another part of her was enraged that he'd used her to fulfill his selfish wants, and there was a third part of her that was saddened. That part of her was still a little girl, the little girl who had been rejected by her own family. The little girl who desperately wanted a friend to tell her everything was okay.
The phone rang. 'Probably Relena,' she thought. "Hello," she answered.
"Hilde, it's Richard Maxwell, I have something to ask you. Could you please come to my office, let's say about now?"
Silence, then, "I'll be there in an hour."
tbc...
AN: I had a little time to write today. I wrote a little more than usual. Please review!