Chapter 2
Heero took the long, lonely drive home. He kept telling himself it wasn't going to be that
bad. It was only a month. Maybe not even that. But that bad feeling kept coming back.
Something was going to happen. He didn't know why he felt that way. He just pushed it away
and walked into his apartment.
He put his key's down and closed the door. It was quiet. Too quiet. He turned on the
radio and lay down on the couch. He needed a nap to take his mind off of the emptiness that
would be there to stay. He closed his eyes and let himself drift off into nothingness.
~*~
Duo Maxwell stepped off of the shuttle. He was so happy to just be back in space. He had
missed it. He looked around for the person he was to meet. Her name was Hilde and
apparently had worked with the same agency that he did for some time now. He always liked
meeting new people and had always been a trusting person. He saw the sign he had been
looking for and walked towards it. Holding it was an attractive young woman about his age.
She had short black hair and was wearing a green sweater and a pair of jeans. It seemed she
just saw him. Eyes immediately going to the long braid. He chuckled. It was usually the
first thing people noticed. She looked back at his face. "Duo Maxwell?"
"That's me. I hope I'm on time. Wouldn't like to keep a lady waiting." She smiled back at
him. 'Still got it Maxwell.'
"
I'm Hilde Schbeiker. We're going to be working together from now on Duo. I hope you can
work hard." She winked at him. He realized being away from Heero wasn't going to be as
hard as he thought it would.
He began following her to her car. "It's been assigned that we'll be living together until
you have to leave. Is that alright with you?"
"It's fine. I'm glad I won't have to be living alone. It just wouldn't be the same after
living with Heero for so long."
"Heero? Is that you're boyfriend?"
"You're rather direct. No, he's just someone I work with. I guess you'd call him my
closest friend."
"I'm sorry. I'm sure you won't think about Heero at all while you're here." He almost
raised his eyebrows at her. "I mean, you're going to be working so hard. This colony isn't
doing well. I'm sure you've heard a bit, but it's only the tip of the iceberg. You may
find yourself here longer than you expect."
They reached the place where Duo assumed he was staying. It was a cozy little place. She
led him to a small room. "This is where you'll be sleeping. I know it's not very big but
mine is just as small. It's the best the company can do right now."
He gave her a reassuring smile. "It's alright. I've lived in worse as a kid." He felt his
stomach grumbling and looked at his watch. Almost seven o clock. "Hey Hilde," he put one
of his bags on the bed. "How 'bout you and I get to know each other better over dinner?
My treat."
~*~
Heero woke up a few hours later. He was looking at the clock when he heard his stomach
start growling. It was almost eight. He got up and looked in the fridge. Plenty of food
but he remembered he was only cooking for one. He sighed and got out a frozen dinner. He
popped it in the microwave and turned on the TV. After a few minutes of surfing he found a
news special that looked mildly interesting. The show ended and Heero decided he should go
to bed. Tomorrow he would have work to distract him. Tomorrow he would call Duo.
Heero took the long, lonely drive home. He kept telling himself it wasn't going to be that
bad. It was only a month. Maybe not even that. But that bad feeling kept coming back.
Something was going to happen. He didn't know why he felt that way. He just pushed it away
and walked into his apartment.
He put his key's down and closed the door. It was quiet. Too quiet. He turned on the
radio and lay down on the couch. He needed a nap to take his mind off of the emptiness that
would be there to stay. He closed his eyes and let himself drift off into nothingness.
~*~
Duo Maxwell stepped off of the shuttle. He was so happy to just be back in space. He had
missed it. He looked around for the person he was to meet. Her name was Hilde and
apparently had worked with the same agency that he did for some time now. He always liked
meeting new people and had always been a trusting person. He saw the sign he had been
looking for and walked towards it. Holding it was an attractive young woman about his age.
She had short black hair and was wearing a green sweater and a pair of jeans. It seemed she
just saw him. Eyes immediately going to the long braid. He chuckled. It was usually the
first thing people noticed. She looked back at his face. "Duo Maxwell?"
"That's me. I hope I'm on time. Wouldn't like to keep a lady waiting." She smiled back at
him. 'Still got it Maxwell.'
"
I'm Hilde Schbeiker. We're going to be working together from now on Duo. I hope you can
work hard." She winked at him. He realized being away from Heero wasn't going to be as
hard as he thought it would.
He began following her to her car. "It's been assigned that we'll be living together until
you have to leave. Is that alright with you?"
"It's fine. I'm glad I won't have to be living alone. It just wouldn't be the same after
living with Heero for so long."
"Heero? Is that you're boyfriend?"
"You're rather direct. No, he's just someone I work with. I guess you'd call him my
closest friend."
"I'm sorry. I'm sure you won't think about Heero at all while you're here." He almost
raised his eyebrows at her. "I mean, you're going to be working so hard. This colony isn't
doing well. I'm sure you've heard a bit, but it's only the tip of the iceberg. You may
find yourself here longer than you expect."
They reached the place where Duo assumed he was staying. It was a cozy little place. She
led him to a small room. "This is where you'll be sleeping. I know it's not very big but
mine is just as small. It's the best the company can do right now."
He gave her a reassuring smile. "It's alright. I've lived in worse as a kid." He felt his
stomach grumbling and looked at his watch. Almost seven o clock. "Hey Hilde," he put one
of his bags on the bed. "How 'bout you and I get to know each other better over dinner?
My treat."
~*~
Heero woke up a few hours later. He was looking at the clock when he heard his stomach
start growling. It was almost eight. He got up and looked in the fridge. Plenty of food
but he remembered he was only cooking for one. He sighed and got out a frozen dinner. He
popped it in the microwave and turned on the TV. After a few minutes of surfing he found a
news special that looked mildly interesting. The show ended and Heero decided he should go
to bed. Tomorrow he would have work to distract him. Tomorrow he would call Duo.
