Note: Here is where my copyright character comes in. Like him? Don't like him? Up to you. But DON'T USE HIM!! This chapter ends on an unusually happy note too! ^ ^
Ch. 2-Gas'la
The next morning Hilde woke up to the sunlight coming in through her window and birds chirping happily. Thank God for spring was the first thought to cross her mind. Sitting up in her bed she rubbed her eyes gently and then looked around her. Realizing how late it must be she hurried out of her room and down the hall to see Duo sitting on the couch, remote in hand. When he saw her he grinned. "Mornin', Sleeping Beauty," he jabbed as he turned off the TV. "You must've been tired…"
She smiled slightly and walked over, sitting down next to him and resting her head on his shoulder, a yawn coming from her lips. "Yeah, I guess I was," she replied softly. "I'm surprised you're not still asleep…" She looked over at the clock; it was almost noon. "Normally you're still snoring away to your heart's content…" For some reason she just felt so sleepy and relaxed, she couldn't explain it.
Duo shrugged slightly, trying not to jar her head around too much. "I just woke up early I guess," he offered as he began to channel surf, clicking the buttons on the remote rhythmically. "We switched roles today, huh?" She nodded and removed her head from his shoulder, stretching her arms above her head. "But, I am kinda hungry…" he hinted and looked at her out of the corner of his eye.
"Fine, I'll go make breakfast," she grumbled and stood up, walking over to the kitchen to start making breakfast. "Geez, ya' tell a guy you love them and you automatically become their slave…" Her grumbling made Duo laugh as he turned off the TV and walked into the kitchen, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. "No sweet-talking your way out of it, Duo," she stated and yawned again. "I'll grumble anyway."
He laughed and kissed her cheek. "Okay, I won't. That's simple," he said, still chuckling quietly. "I don't need any coffee, I already had some. But, I wouldn't mind you telling me you love me again…" He was rocking her back and forth so she couldn't mix the eggs correctly. She'd barely managed to crack them with his arms around her.
"Duo…" she complained and grimaced as he kissed her cheek. "Do you want breakfast or not?"
"Come on, please?" he begged. "I won't leave you alone until ya' do…" His grin turned into a toothy smile when she glared at him. "It can't be that hard."
She sighed in exasperation and kissed his cheek. "I love you, Duo," she told him honestly then turned back to where she was trying to mix the eggs. "Now, will you leave me alone so I can make you breakfast?" He kissed her neck and then removed his hold on her, walking back over to the couch. "Thank you," she told him gratefully. "But, I'd like an 'I love you' in return."
He gave her a funny look. "I was gonna wait till after breakfast, ya' know, to say along with the 'thank you', but I guess saying it twice won't hurt," he replied and grinned again as he stretched out along the couch. "I love you, Hilde."
When he said that she couldn't help but smile, blush appearing on her cheeks. She finished mixing the eggs and poured them into a pan, turning on the heat underneath. "How many pieces of toast do you want?" she asked as she took down the bread from the top of the refrigerator. "One or two?" She turned to look at him.
"Two, of course," he retorted, as if she should've known. "After three years you don't know? Geez, Hilde." He gave an exaggerated sigh and crossed his arms. When he saw her expression he cracked up. "Chill out, I was just kidding! But, I do want two pieced of toast." He picked up the remote again and turned the TV back on; flipping through the channels and stopping on one of the news reports.
She began to cook the eggs, pushing them around on the pan with a spatula until they were almost completely cooked. Adding some shredded cheddar cheese she let them finish cooking as she took down to plates and set them on the counter. Once they were done she put them on both plates, putting the larger serving on Duo's plate. As if on cue the toast popped out of the toaster and she picked up the two brownest ones and covered them in butter, then grape jelly. She placed them on Duo's plate as well and then grabbed the other piece of toast and placed it on her plate, putting a little bit of butter on it. Then she poured each of them a small glass of orange juice. After pouring herself a cup of coffee and filling it with cream and sugar she carried the plates over to the table, setting them down and then returning with the orange juice. One more trip with her coffee and she was ready to sit down next to him.
"Another child's gone missing," he informed her darkly as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Damn sick people. Who would take a little boy?" A picture appeared on the screen showing a little boy with messy chestnut hair. His eyes were a dark indigo and he was smiling happily. "This time the disappearance was on L2." He shook his head as he reached for his fork and then took a bite of his eggs.
"Do they have any idea who could've done it?" she asked as she took a small bite out of her toast, her eyes on the TV screen. "What a cute little boy…I feel sorry for his parents…" She took a sip of her coffee and rested back against the couch.
Once again he shook his head as he finished his eggs. "No clue, there's no evidence unless they find the boy," he explained. "They're sending out search teams to try and find him. The parents are a mess…they have no clue who could've done it." He picked up his toast and rest against the couch with her, his expression stern. "I feel sorry for the parents, but I feel even more sorry for the boy. What he must be going through…it's hard to be without your parents when you're seven, but it's even harder when you're kidnapped. I hope they find that jackass and kill him."
She looked at him in surprise as she finished her own eggs and took a sip of her orange juice. "Kill him? Duo, we don't even know if the boy is dead yet…" she reasoned with him before taking another sip. "How can you take a life and justify it unless the person has taken a life himself?" She calmly finished her orange juice and set the empty glass on the table.
The news broadcast switched over to another story and Duo turned to look at her. "Anybody who tries to take a child from its parents and scare them should be punished, for all we know that boy's not dead, but he's being tortured!" he exclaimed. "That's worse! The sick bastard should die!"
"Everyone seems to think they have the right to take a life," she stated softly, "but they don't. They can't even justify it unless the person has taken a life as well. And even then, it's barely justified. Let alone right, Duo. I agree, this is horrible. But life in prison will be worse than death anyway. Let him suffer in a jail cell. Unless they find the boy dead, that should be enough."
He shrugged and stood, taking his plate and glass over to the sink and rinsing them. "Whatever," he replied under his breath. "I'm getting dressed and going to open the shop for today, alright?" He tried his hands on his boxers and walked down the hallway to his room, shutting the door behind him.
She winced at the sound of the door clicking and looked back up at the TV screen to see the picture of the boy once more on the screen. Her heart lurched in her chest when she noticed the chestnut hair and indigo eyes. The boy looked like Duo! Telling herself she was just noticing a coincidence, she finished her coffee and took her dishes over to the sink, washing all of them at the same time and placing them in the dish drainer.
Then she walked back over and picked up the remote to turn off the TV. Before she shut it off she heard the boy's name-James Totten. The name sent shivers up her spine before she clicked the power button, turning the screen black. Rubbing her arms to warn away the sudden chill she walked down the hall and stopped at Duo's door. She knocked lightly on it. "Duo, I'm going to take a shower, okay?" she asked softly. "Then I'll be ready to work…"
"Kay."
Sighing she walked towards the bathroom, stopping at the linen closet to grab a washcloth and a towel, and then shut the door behind her. She turned on the water to let it warm up and then lifted the nightgown above her head and set it on the floor. Then she took off her underwear and ran a brush through her hair before stepping into the warm water. At first she stood there and let the comforting water run over her and then she grabbed the shampoo bottle, squirting some of it into her hands and then she spread it through her dark hair.
After she'd rinsed it out she took the conditioner and rubbed the ends of her hair with it, rinsing it out as well. Then she put a few squirts of body wash onto her washcloth, rubbing it up along her skin to cleanse it. Washing the suds off she turned off the shower and stepped out, razor and shave cream in hand. She walked over to the bathtub and turned on the water, sitting on the edge to shave her legs. Rubbing the shave cream along her legs she shaved off the skin and rinsed her legs in the water. She let the water drain out and stood to dry herself off.
Once her skin was dry she wrapped the towel around herself and she washed her face, patting her face dry with the face towel. She brushed her teeth and then took the hair dryer out from under the sink and plugged it in to the socket. Turning on the heat she began to dry her hair. When the first side was about dry a shadow caught her eye. Stopping the hairdryer, she turned to look around her, only to see nothing. Telling herself it was nothing she turned back to the mirror and turned the hairdryer back on, continuing to dry her hair. Just as she was finishing the other side the shadow caught her eye again. Her heat beat quickened and she turned once again to find nothing.
Sighing she unplugged the hairdryer and wrapped the cord around it, setting it in the cabinet under the sink. Looking once more in the mirror she turned to open the door. She gasped when she opened it. A man was standing in the doorway. He had chin-length white hair and unordinarily long ears. Each one had two hoops in them. His eyes were a bright green and almond-shaped; his skin was milky white. On each side of his face was a strange mark just under his eyes. He was wearing a forest green tunic with a navy sash and black pants. Around his slender neck was a black chain with a foreign symbol on the end.
"Does Duo Maxwell live here?" the man asked, his voice surprisingly silky and smooth. It was also much higher than a normal man's, making him sound almost womanly. Wondering whether or not this was truly a man, she stepped back into the bathroom, her hand on her chest. "It's very important."
Flustered, she looked around her. "Y-yes, he lives here," she replied unsurely. "What do you want? He must've already gone to work…if he didn't hear you knock, I mean…" The man grinned and grabbed her arm, pulling her towards him. Once she was out in the hallway he let go and shut the bathroom door. "What do you-"
"So you're his mate…" he murmured, his voice sounding almost like a growl as he walked around her. "Not a bad choice…for an human I mean…" He reached out and pulled away the towel, fully exposing her body to his eyes. She covered herself as best she could, making him chuckle. His hands pulled her arms to her sides, allowing his eyes to wander over her. "Yes…very nice…" His green eyes had an almost hungry look to them, making her very nervous.
Her body tensed in fear with thoughts of what she didn't want to happen running through her mind. "Human? Y-you mean…you're not…human?" she asked weakly, trying to keep conversation going between them.
He looked up at her and released her arms, allowing her to pick up the towel and wrap it back around herself. "Human? Ha! Hardly," he replied shortly. "So, what is your name, human?" The look in his eyes was still very hungry and she couldn't take her eyes away from his, they seemed almost hypnotic when he looked like that. "Don't worry, I won't force you," he told her, almost as if he could read her thoughts.
Surprised at his last statement she had to concentrate in order to tell him her name. "Hilde, Hilde Schbeiker," she said, her tone very quiet and meek. "What's your name, if you don't mind me asking that is…" Anything to keep him from getting offended or angry. Anything.
"My name?" he asked and cocked an eyebrow; the expression was very attractive, she noticed. "You can call me Gas'la, that's a close as you can get to the real thing in this language of yours." He blinked dramatically and turned away from her, looking around him. "Do you humans always dress like that?" he asked, changing the subject. "I know the males do not, but you seem to barely cover yourself…" He turned back around to look at her again.
Looking down at the towel she blushed, shaking her head. "N-no…we normally cover more…" she tried to explain. "I was just going to get dressed when you stopped me in the doorway…you see, the clothes are in my room…"
He looked her up and down, then grinned. "I see. I would like to see your room, Hilde Schbeiker," he told her honestly. "That is, if you don't mind directing me…I'll find it either way." When he said the last phrase her breath caught in her throat. This made his grin wider. "Do I frighten you, Hilde Schbeiker?"
"J-just call me Hilde, it's easier," she offered as she walked slowly towards her room, opening the door and entering. "If you wouldn't mind, I prefer to change in private…" He nodded and she smiled slightly, closing the door behind her. She hurried into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt and then opened it again. "Well, this is my room…"
Gas'la looked in through the doorway, his eyes seeming to take in every detail. He rubbed his fingers along the doorframe thoughtfully. "It's a very nice room," he commented. "Very nice…" Suddenly he stood upright and looked around him. "Looks like Duo Maxwell is home…" he explained, looking at her with a grin. "This will be interesting…I'll be here, so don't mention me." His last command seemed almost threatening and she found her heart beating faster.
She heard the door open and someone enter. "Hilde, what's taking you so long?!" Duo's voice cried down to her and she smiled with relief. He was there now, she was no longer alone with the strange man. "Hilde?!" She could hear him walking towards her. "C'mon, Hilde! We've got a business to run!" Once he saw her he stopped and put his hands on his hips. "What took you so long, Hilde? I've been waiting for you."
Tears of gratitude were forming in her eyes. "Nothing, I just got caught up in the warmth of the water in the shower…I'm sorry…" she apologized, steering around Gas'la. "I'm ready now, just let me grab the books, okay?" He sighed in exasperation as she walked over to get the books off of the shelf. Once she was ready she laced her arm through his and smiled. "You okay, Duo?" she asked suddenly as she closed the door behind them. "You seem kinda moody today…" She frowned thoughtfully. "Is it something I did?"
"No! It's nothing," he replied and smiled. "I'm just thinking about that boy that was kidnapped… this one really got to me, I don't know why…" He shook his head. "Maybe it's that they think all the kidnappings have been done by one person. Since they're all male with brown hair and blue eyes. Patterns, ya' know?"
She nodded as they entered the small building out front of the junk yard. "If that's all that's bothering you…" she replied softly. "You just seem upset with me today…is it about the kidnapper getting the death penalty?"
Duo turned and looked at her. "Of course not. I'm not that stuck on it, Hilde, you worry too much," he assured her. "I'm going out to the lot. Hope we get a lot of costumers today, don't you?" He smiled and gave her the thumbs up sign, and then he headed out the door. As soon as he'd left Gas'la appeared in front of her again, a sneer on his face.
"Thank you for your cooperation," he said softly, lifting her chin so his lips her inches from hers. "Hilde Schbeiker…the chosen mate of Duo Maxwell…how very interesting…" Then he kissed her. Their lips touched for only a second, but it was enough to make her heart beat quicken and her whole body tense. When he let her go she pulled away and put her fingers to her lips. "You do taste good…I wonder if that's what he finds to interesting…" he commented.
She glared at him. "What do you mean?" she asked shortly. "And, if you're not human, then what are you?"
Gas'la sneered at her and crossed his arms over his chest. "What I mean, is that he might be attracted to you for your taste," he explained. "Or, is there something else I wonder…" His eyes flicked quickly along her body. "As for what I am, I can't tell you that, Hilde Schbeiker."
Hilde felt anger rise up within her. "Duo's not that shallow!" she retorted, her eyes spitting fire. "He may seem that way, but he's much deeper than that." She put her hands on her hips and looked up at him. "And, I told you, call me Hilde. It's much easier." With that said she turned around, facing her back towards him.
"Is he really not that shallow? How do you know he's not lying?" he asked softly as he came up behind her, his breath tickling her ear. He wrapped his arms around her waist without making and effort to pull her towards him. "Hilde Schbeiker. I like the full version much better."
She pulled out of his embrace and stared at him with a mix of contempt, surprise, and anger. "Don't touch me! I belong to Duo, not to you!" she cried, wrapping her arms around herself. "I will always be Duo's…always… As for how I know he's not that shallow, after living with him for three years, two non-stop, you learn a few things about a guy!" She was slowly backing away from him, moving towards the door.
Seeing this, Gas'la moved in front of her and grinned a taunting grin. Making her blood boil with the sarcastic look in his eyes. "How much do you know about him, Hilde Schbeiker?" he asked simply, blocking each move she made. "Do you know his birthday? What happened to his parents? Why he wanted to leave last night? How old he is? Whether he's really human or not? His favorite color? Boxers or briefs? How he likes his toast? Tell me, Hilde Schbeiker, how well do you really know him? After three years, how well do you know him?"
"How did you-"
"How did I know? I know more about him than you do. Do you know what he's doing at this very moment?" he asked simply, crossing his arms behind his back.
"N-no, but…"
He grinned, this time revealing perfectly white teeth. "He's spinning a wrench around his right pointer finger…and thinking about…you, actually. Feel flattered?" he told her casually. "As for his birthday, I'm sure you know that one. What happened to his parents, to the extent that you know, is true, but very vague. Yes, he is a war orphan. His mother was brutally murdered protecting him and his father was blown up with the rest of their apartment building. Duo was the only survivor, mainly because his mother's body acted as a shield. I bet you're just dying to know why he wanted to leave last night. You saw him cry. He hates pity, simply because everyone that gave him that look eventually died. His age, 18. Is he human or not? That's a good question, now isn't it?" He sneered then, making her body rigid with anger. "Favorite color-black. Nice and depressing isn't it? He's not as happy as he seems… Duo wears boxers because briefs are too tight. And he likes his toast dark brown with a lots of butter and grape jelly."
Hilde's eyes were wide with surprise. "B-but…he never told me…he said he never told anyone…" she stuttered. "Did he tell you about his parents? Or why he wanted to leave? And what's with the question about his humanity?"
"He didn't have to tell me anything, Hilde Schbeiker, not a thing," he replied. "I knew all of that off the top of my head. And to think, I've never even met the guy. I didn't know he had a braid…still, at least. I know about Sister Helen though. She was very pretty, he thought so too. Pity she had to die on him, isn't it?"
She sat down in a chair and stared up at him in shock. "Sister Helen?" she asked simply. "Who's Sister Helen? Died on him?"
Gas'la started to laugh at her question. "He never even told you about her?! I'm surprised!" he exclaimed. "Then again, maybe he thought you'd get jealous or something. You see, after his parents were killed we became a member of a gang run by a man named Solo. Unfortunately, Solo died and he named himself Duo, claiming that together he and Solo would be Duo. Then he became the leader of the gang until he was taken in by the Maxwell Church. Father Maxwell was the residing priest and Sister Helen was a beautiful young nun. When she tried to cut his hair he wouldn't let her, so she braided it. He liked it so much I suppose he's done it ever since. The Prevention Army came and destroyed the church, killing Father Maxwell and Sister Helen."
"I had no idea…" she muttered in shock. "He never told me any of this…but, wait, how do I know you're not lying to me?" She stood up, suddenly feeling strong again.
He grinned. "If you can talk it out of him, you'll find it's the truth, Hilde Schbeiker," he told her seriously. "I wouldn't lie to someone like you." He sighed and looked out in the direction of the junk yard. "I don't think he would either, to tell you the truth…he's not that kind of person…" His expression turned almost wistful, making her nervous.
"Someone like me? What do you mean?" she asked.
"Never mind that, Hilde Schbeiker," he replied simply, turning back to look at her. "I must go. You can't mention me to him, understand? I'll know if you do, and I won't be happy. And, trust me, you want me to be happy."
Hilde nodded mutely, thoughts of what he could do if he were angry running across her mind.
Gas'la nodded then and blew her a kiss. "Later, Hilde Schbeiker," he stated before he disappeared. She looked around for him, only to find that he was truly gone. Looking out into the junk yard and then out the entrance, she found him nowhere.
"Gas'la?" she asked, testing whether or not he was just not visible. When no one answered she believed he was truly gone. 'Who was he? Very strange…not human, does that mean he's neither male nor female?' she wondered as Duo came skipping in through the door.
"Hey, Hilde! I just got a big sale!" he cried happily. "A thousand dollars worth of stuff! Ready to right it down?!" His grin was so wide and boyish she had to giggle, a grin of her own spreading across her face. "I say we celebrate with lunch! It's on me!" he said, doing a little dance. "A thousand dollars, Hilde! A thousand!!"
She picked up the pencil and opened the book. "Ready when you are, braid-boy," she replied with a wink. "After this we go to lunch, kay?" He could be so cute when he was excited or happy. She just wanted to hug him.
Duo took a deep breath and calmed down slightly; enough to give her the list of merchandise purchased by a rich collector visiting L2. Then they were off to lunch, arm-in-arm with wide smiles on their faces. Hilde decided to not worry about the strange Gas'la incident for the rest of the day. As long as she was with Duo there was nothing to worry about. Plus, they were a thousand dollars richer!