Note: Alright, Gas'la is very weird…^ ^() If you don't like homosexuality DON'T READ THIS! He definitely shows some hints of it. Just a little warning. And, at the end there is a LEMON/LIME scene. I'm not sure which one, but if you will take offense DON'T READ!
Ch. 4-Nightmares
"Hilde, what's going on? Who's this guy?" Duo asked. His voice sounded full of hurt and confusion, his gaze studying both Gas'la and the situation. Gas'la sat back on the bed and turned his head to look at Duo, letting his eyes wander along Duo's body, studying every inch of him. This made Duo a little uneasy and he found himself backing slowly outside the room.
Gas'la's mouth slowly formed a smile, which looked more like a sneer the way it pulled at only one corner of his mouth and the way his delicate eyebrows pulled together. "Why hello, Duo Maxwell," he greeted with mock properness, his voice icy under the surface. "I had higher expectations, but you'll do." With that said he stood and walked over to him, placing a hand on his cheek and looking into his indigo eyes. "Do you know who I am?" The question was mocking, making Hilde tense behind him.
Duo turned away from Gas'la's touch, staring at Hilde. "What were you doing to her?" he asked, his voice turning deathly cold and completely ignoring his question. "If you so much as touch her, I'll-"
"Kill me?" he butted in with that grin of his. "I don't doubt that you'd try, Duo Maxwell, but whether or not you'd succeed is still in question. Funny…how a face so beautiful could let itself become human…love a human…" His fingers were trailing along Duo's face with the wistful look once more in his green eyes.
Once again Duo tried to escape his touch with a grimace on his face. "What are you talking about?" he scoffed. "I know I'm attractive and all…but…aren't you a guy?" The thought alone was making him sick. He slowly tried to move over closer to Hilde, but Gas'la stood in the way.
"What am I?" he asked mockingly. "Male or female? Or…am I both?" With that he wrapped his arms around Duo's neck. "I hope you're the one…I like you…" His lips were dangerously close to Duo's when he whispered this and Hilde could see Duo tensing and trying to pull his face away. Hilde grabbed Gas'la around the waist and pulled him away and down to the floor.
Then she dived into Duo's arms, resting her head on her chest. "Thanks, Hilde," he muttered. "That guy was really gonna kiss me…" He kissed her hair and then tipped her head up to kiss her.
Gas'la stared up at them from the ground, surprised that she had managed to catch him off guard. Seeing him about to kiss her, his blood boiled and he stood, ripping her away from him. "Duo Maxwell, you will listen to me," he stated, wrapping his arms possessively around Hilde. "This human is not worthy of you. I will awaken you, but not here. Not now. I will come for you later. Until then, you can have your human." He grabbed her chin and forced her face up, then kissed her. His tongue pushed into her mouth and then pulled out as he broke it off. With a sneer on his lips he disappeared, causing Hilde to fall to the floor.
"Hilde!" Duo exclaimed and ran over to her, wrapping her in his arms. "What was he doing to you? Who is he? What did he want?" He smoothed her hair and ran his hands down her back, making sure she was still with him.
Her chest was heaving with heavy breath and her heart was pounding unnaturally fast in her chest. Trying to catch her breath, she hugged Duo close to her and closed her eyes. She had been so afraid he would take him from her, in front of her eyes, and she'd have been helpless to stop it. Finally her breathing started to return to normal and she could speak, even though her heart was still pounding in her ears. "H-his name is Gas'la," she told him, still short on breath. "He's the killer of those boys…I don't know what he wants…"
"Calm down, Hilde, it's okay…" he soothed, rocking her back and forth in his arms. "He's gone now…he's gone…" He kissed the top of her head again and tilted her head so that he could look into her eyes. "Are you okay? You're breathing awfully hard…"
She nodded and took in a deep breath, filling her lungs to capacity, but her gasping didn't stop and neither did the pounding of her heart in her ears. "I-I'm fine…" she told him, trying to hid her discomfort. "I'm just glad I didn't loose you." She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair, brushing the bangs out of his eyes. Blackness was starting to form in the corners of her eyes and she blinked, trying to clear it away, but it was persistent.
"Is this what you were talking about before?" he asked, searching her face with his eyes. Her skin was getting paler and he could feel her weakening in his arms. "Hilde? Are you sure you're okay? Hilde?" Then she passed out in his arms, going suddenly limp, her eyes closing. "Hilde? Hilde?!" he exclaimed and held her close to him. "Come on, Hilde, wake up! Wake up!"
He stood with her limp form in his hands and then carried her over to the bed, laying her down on the soft mattress with the pillow beneath her head. Worried, he checked her pulse and found a slight one beating beneath the surface. He sighed in relief and then sat down on the floor next to the bed, taking her limp hand in his. Bringing it to his lips he kissed it and held it against his cheek. "C'mon, Hilde, wake up…" he whispered. "I need you to wake up…"
There was no response from her body at his touch or his words. Instead she lay, unmoving, on the bed. Deciding he wasn't going to leave her, he settle down for the wait, his eyes never leaving her.
It was dark. Very dark. At first. She couldn't see anything. There was silence too. Lots of it. Nothing filled her ears. Nothing. It was dark and quiet. She couldn't tell if she was awake or asleep, all she knew was that there was nothing around her. And it scared her. She tried to reach out, just to see if there was anything there to touch. But she couldn't move. Or was it just that she had no limbs to move? Was she dead? No…she couldn't be dead. It didn't feel like death at least.
Then a light started. At first it was just the size of a pinpoint and she had to squint to see it. At least, she thought she was squinting, she wasn't sure. Then, slowly, it began to get bigger, until it was the size of a pin-pong ball. She wanted to touch it, but couldn't move. Was she even breathing? Yes, she could hear it now. Her breathing was echoing in the blackness around her. The light expanded more and more, centimeter by centimeter, until it reached the size of a small bouncing ball. Now it was bright and she had to close her eyes to block out the pain caused by the light.
Heat was coming from the light. She could feel it on her face and skin. She opened her eyes again in wonder of the light. It was even bigger than before, but she was getting used to the brightness of it. The warmth was captivating, making her almost smile. She had to touch it, that much she knew. Trying once more, she saw her hand reach out slowly and touch the warm light, only to find it a solid substance under her fingertips. Shocked, she moved her hand away and stared at it. Each of her movements was slow and dreamlike.
Then she looked down at herself to find herself standing, completely nude, in front of the light. But, the fact didn't bother her. Instead, she smiled and reached out again to touch the light. It had gotten bigger still and she could feel the smooth surface underneath the light. She placed her other hand on the other side of the light so that she was holding it in her grasp. Warmth flooded her body and she closed her eyes happily. She was safe.
She could suddenly feel something traveling up her back, making her skin prickle and her whole body tense. The warmth was fading away, but the light remained. Confused, she tried to turn to see what was touching her, only to find that she was stuck in place, unable to move. This thought alone made her panicked, her eyes widening in fear. Something was wrapping around her neck slowly. It was smooth, damp, and clammy. Definitely not human.
She wanted to lift her hands up to her neck to push it away, but they were stuck to the light and it wasn't letting them go. Whatever was touching her neck was wrapping around tighter, making it harder for her to breathe. She was trying to gasp for breath, but she couldn't open her mouth. Her lungs were begging for air, but they couldn't get it.
Then, she was falling, the light slowly being pulled from her vision. She tried to scream, but no sound escaped when she could finally open her mouth. The scenery around her slowly faded into crimson and then she landed harshly on a cold damp surface. Whatever had been around her neck was no longer there and she brought her hand up to touch where it had grabbed her. Something slippery and wet met her palm and when she pulled it away she saw blood dripping from it. Panic filled her and her heart beat quickened, pulsing in her ears.
In front of her was an upside down cross, blood dripping from the ends into a shallow pool. All the walls were draped in crimson and when she reached out to touch one she found that they turned liquidy at the touch, looking like blood. Scared, she pulled her hand away and held it to her chest. Tightness formed in the center of her chest and suddenly she couldn't breathe. Gasping for breath she reached her hands up to her throat, only to feel the blood dripping down her neck.
Two shadowy figures appeared on either side of the upside down cross, draped in cloaks. She stared at them, pleading for help with her eyes. Slowly they walked towards her, their boots clicking on the floor and echoing in the empty space. When they stood on either side of her, her breath returned to normal and she found she could speak.
"What do you want? Why am I here?" she asked, frightened at the scenery and the cloaked figures. No matter how close they stood to her they still looked like shadows, their faces unrecognizable. They didn't answer either. Instead, they simply stood on either side of her, staring at each other in silence.
Then she began to shake. It started small enough, more like a quiver. Slowly she started to shake more until her body was completely vibrating, stretched out across the cold floor. She was shaking so much she could hear her bones rattling together. Pain started in her joints and slowly made its way to her head, which was pulsing with each convulsion. She wanted to cry out, but once again her voice had left her.
Just when she felt her body would fall apart the two figures nodded to each other and picked her up by her arms, one on either side. The convulsions stopped and she found herself being dragged over to the upside down cross, her legs trailing along the floor.
Duo was just about to doze off when suddenly he saw her body convulse on the bed, her breathing coming out in gasps and sweat dripping down her face. Her expression showed that she was in pain. Whatever was happening was hurting her. He could feel her hand getting unusually hot and then deathly cold in intervals under his touch.
"Hilde? Hilde, you have to wake up. Wake up!" he begged and held on to her hand tighter. "Please, Hilde, you have to wake up! Open your eyes! Open your eyes!"
She ignored his pleas, her eyes remained closed. Her body continued with it's convulsions and her could see her face going red and then flush right before his eyes. Not knowing what else to do, he wiped the sweat from her face and stared down worriedly at her. "Hilde…come on…wake up!" he begged. "I want you to open your eyes!"
Her mouth opened in an attempt to scream, but no sound came forth. She pulled in air desperately and her arms started to flail around her, hitting Duo hard in the face. He cried out in pain and fell back onto the floor as her body continued to move. Her breathing was getting more and more desperate and the sweat was wetting the pillow behind her head. The temperature and the color of her face continued to fluctuate and all he could do was sit there and watch, helpless to stop her pain.
'I'm sorry, Hilde…' he thought, closing his eyes so he didn't have to watch. 'If only you'd wake up…why won't you wake up…?' He bowed his head in defeat; he could still hear her thrashing around on the bed, trying to breathe and cry out. The convulsions were fast and big, her body almost jumping off the bed with each one.
No matter what he said she wouldn't open her eyes, couldn't open her eyes. Her screams were silent, the pain evident on her face. Scared, he turned away from the scene and looked out the window of her room. The outside was so peaceful, the night sky as dark as ebony, with one single star lighting the night.
The figures had pinned her to the upside down cross, one foot on each arm and her hands bound up above her head. She struggled against the chains, only causing them to dig deeper into her wrists and ankles. A grimace crossed her face as she felt fresh blood drip down her skin and join the rest of the blood in the pool beneath her.
It was getting hard to breath again and she found herself gasping slightly for breath. The figures had faded away and the room had suddenly turned black. Though she couldn't see anything, she could sense a dark presence in front of her. Fear made her skin prickle and a lump form in her throat. For some reason, she suddenly wanted to cry. Tears leaked down out of her eyes and made a red trail down her face. They were tears of blood going to join the rest of the blood.
Indigo eyes suddenly shone in the darkness and she gasped at the brightness of them. Whatever the presence was, it was moving towards her, slowly. When it finally stood in front of her she could make out the outline. It was tall and held something in its hand. The urge to scream became strong enough that the sound finally escaped her, echoing in the room.
Once the echoing ended the room slowly lightened, turning crimson once more. The figure in front of her wore all black, but she couldn't see the face. A scythe was held in its left hand. It moved closer to her and then she registered a sneer on the unclear face, its indigo eyes laughing at her. One of its cold fingers ran along her jaw line and stopped under her chin, tipping it up so that it could get a better look at her face.
Her whole body tensed at the deathly cold of its touch. "W-what do you want?" she asked, her voice quivering. A smell reached her nose, it smelled of decay, but also of something else. Something familiar. It was a much sweeter smell. The two scents mixed together, twisting and forming a new scent all its own.
She wasn't sure if the figure spoke or whether she simply heard it in her head, but it told her in a deep voice. "The end of the world." The words were so simple, so plainly spoken that it made a knot form in her stomach. It was making her feel nauseous, that smell was. Or maybe it was the words. She couldn't tell which. The figure was getting closer to her, but she still couldn't register any of the features on its face. Then, it kissed her. Its lips were cold, but the kiss was warm and passionate. After it pulled away she found that she really had to gasp for breath.
"Hilde…" the voice was Duo's, but she couldn't see him anywhere. "I love you…" His voice sounded sad, desperate, as if he'd never see her again. Then the figure picked up the scythe, ready to slice through her.
"Duo? Duo? I love you too!" she cried out desperately. "Where are you, Duo? I can't find you!" Her voice was choked and tears fell from her eyes again, this time salty and not blood. "Duo, please! Show me where you are!"
The figure froze for a second and then started to swing the scythe towards her. "The end of the world starts with you," the deep voice stated, deathly calm.
Then, the scythe came down.
He heard her scream, making him turn back around to stare at her. Three scratches had crossed her body. One on her neck, the other two on each wrist. The convulsions had calmed slightly and he felt it was safe to get near her again. He took her hand in his and leaned over her to look into her face. The expression was now one of sadness, not so much pain.
"Hilde…" he whispered and kissed her sweaty forehead. The salty taste on his lips made him smile slightly. It was a new taste for her. He liked it. But not in this situation. "You have to wake up…" He smoothed her bangs out of her face gently and ran a finger along her jaw line, stopping under her chin and tipping it up to kiss her.
'Maybe this will wake you up…' he thought before he leaned down and kissed her, as passionately as he could with her not responding to his kiss. When he pulled away he looked down at her face once more. She was gasping for breath again, reminding him that she wasn't dead.
The convulsions completely stopped and she stopped gasping for breath, her breath rate and heart beat returning to normal. Her body temperature and skin color returned to normal as well and he breathed a sigh of relief. Her skin was still wet with sweat, but other than that it looked like she was simply sleeping. "Good girl…now all you have to do is wake up…" he whispered, running his hand along her face, glad that she looked okay.
"Where are you, Duo? I can't find you!" Her voice was choked and tears fell from her eyes. "Duo, please! Show me where you are!" Her arms flailed out in front of her and he pulled her to him, running his hands along her back and through her hair, making sure she could feel his touch.
He closed his eyes when he felt her body quiver with fear and abandonment. "I'm right here, Hilde, I'm right here," he told her soothingly. "I'm right here…" A scream escaped her lips and then she opened her eyes and stared into his face. "Hilde! Y-you're awake!" he exclaimed and held her against him tighter as the tears came down her face in rivers. Tears were filling his eyes as well, but he wouldn't let her see.
"There you are…I thought…I'd never see you again…" she stated, her voice shaking with fright as she held him tightly, squeezing him against her. "Oh, God, Duo…I-I was so scared…you weren't there… you weren't there…" He could visibly see her shaking in his arms. "It was so cold…so dark…so empty…" She ran her hands through his hair. "Don't ever leave me…don't ever leave me…" Her voice was desperate and scared.
Duo slowly started rocking her back and forth, his fingers rubbing up and down her backbone. "It's okay…I'm right here…I'm right here…" he soothed her in a hushed voice. "I won't leave, I promise I won't leave you…I'll stay right here…" She pulled away slightly and looked up at him, tears still leaking silently from her eyes. He smiled sadly and brushed them away with his thumbs, then kissed her gently. When she wrapped her arms around his neck and gladly kissed him back he smiled slightly. 'I'm not going anywhere, I'm staying right here, right here where you need me,' he thought. 'I love you…'
When they pulled away he held her at arms length and stared deeply into her eyes. "I love you, Hilde," he stated surely, his voice never quavering. "And, I swear, I will never leave you. As long as you need me, I'll be here." She blinked but said nothing. "Understand? Never. I will never leave you."
She nodded, her bottom lip quivering slightly. "I love you too!" she exclaimed and pulled him to her in a rush, covering his face with kisses. "I need to be with you…if you left me…I think I'd cease to exist." Then she kissed him passionately, playing with his tongue and tasting all of him. She needed to feel him. Know that was really there. Physically.
Her hands wandered down his body and grabbed the bottom of his shirt, pulling it up over his head and dropping it on the ground. He stared at her in surprise and she grinned slightly, a light blush covering her cheeks and turning them a powdery pink. Since she didn't stop him, he moved to take off her shirt as well, seeing her skin for the second time that day.
Then he kissed her deeply, causing her breath to catch in her throat until he pulled away, trailing his kisses down the center of her neck. It was then that he saw the scratch and narrowed his eyes. Whatever had happened had hurt her in real life. Not wanting to think of it now, just wanting to think about Hilde, only Hilde, he bit down on the smooth skin of her neck and began to suck slowly at the surface.
She arched her neck and sighed, wrapping her arms around his smooth back and rubbing the smooth skin with her thumbs. When he pulled away she kissed him again before his lips could travel down farther. However, when they pulled away he took the opportunity to kiss her stomach again, his hands moving along the curves of her hips, waist, and breasts, finally stopping there and going around the back to unlatch her bra.
When the thin white fabric had been pulled away she sighed in release and her hands found the end of his pants and rubbed the button nervously. He noticed her stalling and placed a hand over hers, staring into her eyes. "We don't have to do this…" he reassured her.
Hilde shook her head and smiled sadly. "I need to feel you, Duo," she responded simply as she undid the button and pulled down the zipper. "Let me feel you…nothing but you…I need to know you're there…that I'm not alone…" Tears were wetting her eyes, but she pushed them back and kissed him again. While they kissed she pulled his pants away from his hips and let them fall to the floor. He kicked them off and undid her button as well.
She could smell him. His hair, his skin, everything. The smell was so familiar to her, but she didn't pause to think. She just wanted to feel, to touch. It had to be tangible under hands. They wandered up and down his smooth chest and stomach as he pulled her jeans down. The skin was so smooth, so warm. She could feel the toned muscles hiding underneath and a burning similar to the one before began to grow in her stomach.
Kicking off her jeans she lay back on the floor, pulling him with her. They touched and felt. Love and passion flowed from both of them as they kissed, letting their hands wander along each other. They weren't alone. They could feel it, physically and emotionally as they merged and became one, their bodies tangled together in a knot of love.