Stirring the wooden spoon around the pot, she raised herself up to check inside and make sure everything was cooking, as it should be. Satisfied that nothing would burn, she pressed a button and lowered herself down a fraction in the air. The breeze from the window over the sink caught her hair and ruffled it, catching her attention. Looking over, she stared out at blue skies and dreamily smiled. Turning the stove down, so nothing was in danger of ruining dinner, her mind was free to wander. The past week was nothing but bliss for the both of them. After the entire stay in the hospital and admitting they cared for each other in the duration, it was like a giant weight was lifted off both their shoulders. A blush crept up her face from the amount of open flirting and teasing Duo bombarded her with the day after he brought her home. 'It was like that little admittance was holding him back.' She marveled, slowly shaking her head. It was SO strange that saying 'I care for you' could change an emotional river so drastically.
...Emotions... A slow, almost evil smile curved her mouth and her fingers drifted up to brush against them. They'd shown a LOT of feelings in the past week, so much more than normal that it nearly overwhelmed her. Closing her eyes, she rekindled the memory of their first kiss, and the softness of Duo's lips; how gentle and unsure he was. She NEVER saw Duo unsure about ANYTHING until that day. It sure was an eye opener past his cocky, funny exterior. Propping a hand up for her chin, she pleasantly sighed. That afternoon was a day to remember...ever since then, things were so DIFFERENT.
Sitting in the living room, she sighed again for what seemed the millionth time that day. The book listlessly fell in her lap for the seventh time since she picked it up. Rubbing her eyes, she couldn't get rid of that caged feeling that plagued her since she got home. SURE it was better to be in a wheelchair than to not be able to move at ALL...but with Duo around, there really was no DIFFERENCE. The ONLY times he'd let her use rapidly deteriorating legs was bathroom uses. She had to nearly beat him over the HEAD to get him to see REASON for that! She looked up at the open curtains and intense longing speared through her. She wanted to go OUTSIDE! And NOW. She wanted to move her legs more than just getting up to use the bathroom or getting in bed. Or swinging them around when the footrests were in upright position. It was so INFURIATING. When Duo was near, which was nearly ALL the time, she could hardly move her ARMS. It wasn't good to do so ANYWAY, but how did she expect to use them when her wound HEALED if she didn't exercise?? It was going to be harder to get her body back to normal if Duo never let her out of the chair. Her legs constantly fell asleep from disuse. She only picked the book up for something to DO. Duo wouldn't let her do dishes because she'd use her arms, she couldn't take a shower because it was hard enough to do with doctor's orders, and Duo wouldn't let her go outside unless he was WITH her. Prisoner anybody? She huffed and wistfully stared at the colony's fake sun.
Early in the morning, which was TOO early for DUO, he rushed out to the junkyard, saying he had some finishing touches on a big project he was working on. She figured he was fixing up Deathsycthe and planning on leaving soon. Heaviness weighed on her heart, but she didn't think TOO much about that thought. She didn't want to think like that because she KNEW Duo wouldn't leave her here like this, even though she could manage just fine on her OWN. With as bad as he was pestering her, it was doubtful he'd up and leave on a mission. Not even MISSIONS seemed as important as her care. Least, that's what SHE thought. But it was dangerous to get confidant that Duo wouldn't leave. She didn't TRULY know Duo inside and out; the war was CERTAINLY more important than one injured girl he cared for. This was a galaxy-wide struggle and he was needed as much as possible. It was a severely depressing thought. Managing on her own and regaining the independence she held onto wouldn't make up for his exuberant company.
To annunciate her point, the back door nearly crashed off the hinges as Duo practically tore in from the kitchen. "THERE you are! Good...you're not doing anything!" He rambled excitedly, almost skidding to a stop in front of her.
"How CAN I? You won't LET me remember?" She retorted, giving him a fierce glare at her boredom.
"Mere technicality." His hand waved off her attitude as if it was nothing and she became aware of the grease that dotted his hands and the coveralls he donned this morning.
"What's up?" She asked, forcing her agitation down. Getting into a scuffle over something she WASN'T going to change was pointless. This was DUO here. He merely grinned and didn't answer her, which peaked her curiosity. Nearly running behind her, he maneuvered her chair from the living room and out the back door. The first thing she was glad for was fresh air and sunshine on her face. A real smile lit her face. "Any reason I'm allowed to come outside, mister anal?" She lightly quipped, making a deliberate jab at his overprotectiveness. She gave a small giggle and waited for him to muss her hair or return the jab. When he didn't answer, she looked up, seeing his chin and cheekbones curved upwards in that adorable smile of his. Somehow, being in this position seemed intimate somehow...probably because she had a pretty good view of his jaw line, something she liked about him. "Did you lose your hearing out here?" She asked. Her arms crossed, her good mood turning to impatience. "Did you fix up the Deathsycthe?" Silence. "Did you lodge a SCREW in your EAR?" She loudly asked, huffing when she received the silent treatment. Was he ignoring her? She didn't do anything he didn't ALLOW... Stopping in the center of the yard, her arms uncrossed as she turned in the chair. "What're you DOING??" She snapped, intolerance rearing its ugly head.
He stepped out from behind her, wryly smiling. "It's a surprise, miss IMPATIENT. I have something for you." He smiled brightly and ran behind a pile of junk, out of her view. She humphed and slouched in her wheelchair, knowing if she moved an INCH he'd know and lecture her on keeping safe and not moving her arms. But her interest was stirred and the wheels started working. He GOT her something? A present for her...WHY? It was no special occasion, no birthdays he would even REMEMBER, so what was the big secret? Yet, on her own violation, her eyes were glued to the pile of junk he ran behind, patiently awaiting his arrival with whatever was behind there. Her senses perked up from being cooped up for so long as her eyes remained glued. The sun felt good on her exposed skin and she felt the breeze softly blowing from the generators. The smells and sounds of the neighborhood reached her nose and ears. One sound in particular got there quicker then the rest, also causing her to sit up in interest. The mystery finally revealed itself when Duo came out from behind the pile, HOVERING in the air.
'WHAT THE-?!' Flew through her mind. Her eyes were glued to Duo and what he was riding on, which floated off the ground as he flew to her. Her eyes widened and she sat ramrod straight as she stared in allure. She became slightly aware that her mouth was open in fascination of the peculiar object he was riding on. It clamped shut. She watched the miniscule movements of his hands as he directed the chair, one hand moved a joystick; the other pushed buttons that lowered him once he was directly in front of her. He lowered himself enough to step out, a bright smile on his face the entire time. She raised an eyebrow and continued to gap at the odd contraption in front of her. The thing was spacious and she judged the distance wide enough to cross her legs and have enough room left over. The armrests and controls were spacious enough for comfortable movement. Cushions on the bottom, back, armrests, and sides kept any possible injury down. Metal poles connected near the bottom edges of the seat, a flat metal space big enough to be called a footrest. Solar panels on both sides of the machine were obviously the power source. As odd and high tech as it looked...it looked like a supped up WHEELCHAIR.
Noting an extremely familiar shade of blue, she turned to Duo's awaiting figure and blankly stared at him. A boyish, tentative grin took the place of the bright exuberant one and she was mildly shocked. This was a rare time to see Duo uncertain and unsure. Both hands were clasped behind his back as his braid swayed while he rocked on his heels. An UTTERLY adorable picture and she had to fight not to smile. "Nice color." She hinted with a smile, thinking that he looked SSOOO cute.
He kneeled so she wouldn't have to look up so far and met her gaze. "Yea...I wanted it to match your eyes." He softly muttered, a compassionate, but discomfited smile on his face. Tears came to her eyes at such a romantic gesture and heat crawled up her face at his insinuation. Was that a compliment of some kind? Duo felt EXTREMELY embarrassed by telling Hilde such an intimate detail, but he saw the pleased look in her eyes. He also noted the blush that spread up her cheeks, nose, and forehead and didn't regret saying it. He found it cute when she blushed that and he was able to crack her tough soldier façade. He wanted to say something else, but figured he'd give her a break for now. There was PLENTY of time to embarrass and compliment her later. Swallowing thickly, he looked away for a second to gather his courage, then lovingly back at Hilde's eyes. "So...do...you LIKE it?" He timidly asked.
Hilde broke his gaze and stared at the chair. She gained a faraway look as she studied it, and he fought the urge to fidget. He HOPED she liked it, he MADE it especially for HER! A LOT of time and planning went into the design and trying to find the right parts. Constructing some he KNEW didn't exist was a challenge, too. Trying to find an ample power supply was easy, but trying to put the solar panels in a place that would capture extremely small amounts of light WASN'T. He thought the machine was too loud, but that was just HIM. It was a LOT better than some fans he came across while making it. He wanted the wheelchair as quiet as possible so if Hilde fell asleep in it, it wouldn't wake her. Finding a battery that would STORE the solar energy during night was another hard part. The less she got out of that chair, the easier it would be on his NERVES. He ALREADY worried over her day and night, over what she could possibly injure by doing what. It was like caring for a child you desperately wanted to keep from harm and childproof the house.
Hilde felt Duo expectantly watching her and jerked her eyes back to him. His uneasiness was apparent and she affectionately smiled. Reaching a hand up, she good-naturedly flicked his nose. "I utterly LOVE it Duo." She said softly. His jovial grin broke out and she reached down to hug him, contrite for snapping at him earlier. Who KNEW...certainly not HER. But he knew of her occasional short fuse, so he knew what to expect. Suddenly, she was in the air, in Duo's arms.
"Come on, I'll show you how it works." He said, eager to show off her new 'toy'. She smiled after carefully being put into her new chair. She watched with interested eyes, marveling that he MADE her an electronic wheelchair she could move around on her own in. No more being pushed through the house or forced to sit in one spot and not be able to do anything without facing consequences. This was freedom on SOME level... She fought tears through a touched smile. No one EVER did ANYTHING like this for her and it warmed her heart incredibly. Her full attention turned back to him as he showed her all the gadgets on the arm of the chair. When he briefly looked at her, to make sure she was paying attention no doubt, she became aware of the extreme closeness of their faces. Both of their eyes locked and neither could break the pole of intensity. Somewhere in the back of her mind was telling her she SHOULD move. But the majority of her mind squashed that urge to an unrecognizable pulp. Duo's eyes intensely flickered across her face and it was consciously heating up her face.
"Duo?" She almost inaudibly whispered, confused and a little uncertain at this turn of events. His hand softly brushed against her cheek, as if bringing them further into the trance. Involuntarily, her eyes closed, her head tilting towards his hand...not meaning to do so that renounced, but not regretting she did so.
"Hilde." She peeked through slits at the guttural sound in his voice. The intense amount of emotion almost scared her. Every bit of his features was serious, and it was directed solely on HER. Shivers crawled up her spine. His face moved closer as his eyes fluttered shut, hers following suit. The uncertain wavering of his lips touched hers and hers quivered in response at the unplanned, but not UNWANTED, action. Her hands moved on their own violation up to his neck, to subconsciously bring him even closer.
The second his lips touched hers, he felt the utter bliss and contentment. But he also felt the instability of them and that was what caused him to pull back. Or maybe it was HIS mouth that was shaking from such an adrenaline rush and bundled nerves. "Hilde?" He breathed, voice shaky. It was a question of perplexity and hesitation. His mind reeled from the kiss, even though feather light and brief. The chivalrous side of him wondered if she WANTED to do that. The look in her eyes COULDN'T have steered him wrong. He became acutely aware of her arms around his shoulders and wondered when THAT happened. 'Maybe she wasn't ready.' He awkwardly thought. His gaze guiltily lowered. 'I pushed her.' Kept repeating through his mind. There was nothing worse than self-doubt after a first kiss with someone you liked and no one said anything to break the tension. Since that seemed to be the case, an apology was warranted. Perhaps even DEMANDED.
"I'm sorry Hilde, I didn't mean to push you I-" He stopped rambling soft apologies when he felt a brush from his neck slowly move forward. It crept from his shoulders, up the back of his neck, across his jaw line, and stopped at his chin. His entire head was tingling at what she'd just done. His vision blurred as he looked in her eyes, the blood roaring in his ears, heart beating wildly. The adrenaline in his body rivaled any battle rush he experienced in the war! The sadness in his heart changed to relief when he saw the passion burning in those beautiful eyes. Her hands gripped his chin and pulled, wanting to go back to that passion. Quickly complying, his mouth eagerly pressed against hers as they let out all the bottled emotions and sexual tension that was only dimmed by their flirting. Her arms snaked around his neck again and held him tight until both pulled away, gasping for breath.
He couldn't get the idiot grin off his face. It was brighter than the artificial sun shining down on them, and held all the happiness in his heart. 'That was better than my DREAMS.' He realized. Since they openly started flirting, he always thought about kissing Hilde, but didn't want to push if she didn't want to kiss him BACK. Relieving a curiosity, and brewing want turning to need, wasn't as important as the fact that if she DIDN'T want to kiss him, she'd pull away. To have Hilde pull away from him with such an intimate action would deeply hurt him and bring awkwardness to their friendship. So it became a secret passionate fantasy of his that he lived in almost everyday. But finally, fantasy became reality. Leaning his forehead against Hilde's, he let the silence loom over them.
Hilde was trying to control her breathing to get her heart rate under control. Her lungs heaved to get in a good amount of air, which was not good with her current condition. Yes, it'd been a month already since she was injured and fate wove such an interesting future for her, but she wasn't allowed to exercise to strengthen her body. Not to mention, she wasn't used for the rush and emotions that assailed her with such a simple action. Her adrenaline rushed throughout her body, and it dumbed down the pain a little. And the feelings that coursed through her from the kiss far surpassed any pain she could possibly feel. Her eyes closed when his forehead rested against hers, still trying to take deep breaths to calm down. She hadn't expected his kiss, but she knew it was something he wanted to do...and something SHE wanted to do as well. Cracking an eye open, a large smile resided on Duo's face and her heart swelled at his happiness. For once, she made him genuinely smile without WORRYING about her.
His wise guy nature peeked out as the silence began to bug him. "That's a HELL of a THANK YOU." He softly murmured. "I should do something like this more OFTEN for you." She broke out into a giggle fit and his forehead pulled away to get a good look at her. He watched with amusement while a blush lit up her face as she smiled and bit her lip. He smiled at the adorable picture she made and leaned down to kiss her again, unable to contain himself. His entire heart expanded and he relished in the fact that he could now kiss her openly and claim her lips as his own, that she would kiss him with the same intensity and not reject him. A moment later, he halfheartedly pulled away to finish showing her the gadgets, feeling lighter than he EVER felt.
She resisted the urge to giggle and squeal like a little girl. Her fingers brushed against her lips again, sighing contently. Looking back at the pot, she turned the stove off and let it sit to cool a bit. Expertly maneuvering the joystick, she elevated in the air enough to get over the table and chairs and out the back door. Pushing the it open with the chair, she moved into the sun and listened to the sounds of the neighborhood. "DUO!" She shouted, still smiling. A clang and a loud curse shortly followed. She snickered and propped her head up. "HEY DUO!" She called out again, trying to get his attention, and contain her laughter at the same time.
'I know what WILL.' She thought, smirking.
"DINNERTIME!" Half a minute later, he stalked out from behind a pile of trash with an overworked, frustrated look on his face. When his eyes raised and met hers, it melted to only happiness as he stared at her and the chair he so lovingly built for her. She warily eyed the grease on his coveralls, hands, and face, mildly surprised it wasn't in his HAIR. But this was DUO here, with hair THAT hard to maintain, he was going to take VERY GOOD care of it! She knew without a doubt he was going to kiss her like he always did, because he could; not that she minded ONE bit. When he was nearly five foot from her and closing, she piped up. "You are going STRAIGHT for the bathroom to clean up before you touch me OR dinner Duo Maxwell." She commanded, in a voice that left no room for argument.
Stopping in front of her, he raised an eyebrow at her. She ALWAYS said that though. He looked down at the grease dotting the palms and back of his hands. 'What's she WORRIED about?' He wondered. He looked back at Hilde's clean face and hands, and knew THAT was the reason she didn't want to touch him was to KEEP clean.
"WHAT?" He asked good-humored. When she pointedly stared at him, his hands rose as if in sight of the barrel of a gun. He took note of her gaze nearly level with his, and gauged the time and distance he could decimate to sneak a quick kiss in before she tracked him down and yanked on his braid like last time. But it wasn't as hard as when she did in the past, because he knew she didn't mind one damned bit...even if he WAS covered in grease. He moved closer to her chair and stood there silently, biding his time.
She sighed and shook her head. Now in his head a little more, she didn't know if she WANTED to know this much about him. He was a little devil; he lived up to his NAME. "I KNOW you want to kiss me and you intend to do so, so you might as well get it over with so I can go clean my face." She announced.
He smirked and briefly leaned down to capture her lips with his. Leaning back, yet close enough, he deliberately brought his hand to her face and dragged his thumb lightly across her chin, leaving a swath of grease. Leaning back, he walked past her and through the back door. "NOW I'll go clean up." He merrily announced. "And I'll get that pot off the stove for you too." The hum of her chair sounded behind him as she followed him in to clean her face as well.
Her head inanely shook and a hand touched her face to find out WHERE he touched her so she could clean up easier. Although the chair was relatively small and maneuverable, it was no match for the narrow bathroom door. It was the only place a mirror inhabited. "Do you want me to HURT you?" She lightly threatened.
He stopped in the kitchen doorway and grinned. "Oh PLEEAAASSE DO!" She looked at him wide-eyed and blushed lightly. His grin turned evil as he walked toward the chair again. "Hurt me baby." He purred, leaning in on his arms. Her cheeks reddened even more at such a lewd insinuation and she nervously looked at the controller on her chair. That was the first time their play turned more bawdy than normal. His dirty hands traveled up to her chin and forced her to look at him. Violet eyes burned passionately as he looked at her. Butterflies flittered in her stomach as her veins handed out adrenaline in large doses. "Any ideas?" Her mouth gaped open, but nothing came out. He smiled softly, eyes going to her lips. "Mind if I think of a few?" He leaned down and hungrily kissed her. Her arms snaked up his chest to his neck, trying to pull him closer. He pulled back and kissed her lightly a few times. "How about that?" He stepped away, seeing her automatic pout when he kept out of reach. A hand shielded his eyes. "No, NOT fair!" He merrily shouted, pretending she was torturing him with that look. In a way, she WAS. Those puppy dog eyes of hers were enough to get him to cave and give her anything she WANTED.
She hadn't realized she WAS pouting, but touched a hand to her swollen lips with a grin. "But DUUOOOOO!" She slightly whined. His fingers parted as he looked at her through them. She evilly grinned and waved a slender finger at him, beckoning him over. He raised a brow and wolfishly smiled at her, sauntering over. She leaned on the side of her chair as she looked at him. He leaned to kiss her, but she quickly pulled back.
"Hey!" She reached up and gave his braid a good yank. "OW! What was THAT for?" He gave her the puppy dog look, fingering the crown of his head.
"For torturing ME." She patted his head and then grabbed his chin, giving him a searing kiss. His arms wrapped around her back, wishing he could hold her without any restrictions. But he promised himself she would STAY in that chair until doctor's orders said she could walk on her own, and it would REMAIN that way. He didn't want her overexerting herself as much as possible. Heaving lungs directly under her wound was bound to be painful. She almost punctured one. As her tongue danced around his, she tantalized his senses and blanked his mind. His hands moved slowly, comfortingly as she continued to kiss him. Her mind just realized how long they were doing this and WHY she dragged him from work in the FIRST place. She pulled back, trying to breathe. "Duo...supper. GO." She ordered breathy. She waved him away before she lost her resolve to not kiss him again. His lips were addictive! Her chin rested on a hand as she watched him walk away, mostly in one specific area. She sighed contentedly. Yep, Duo was SOME work of art. She wasn't sure of WHAT, but physically she considered him close to a god. Even if he was the god of DEATH, he was still a GOD. And all HERS.
Her lips pressed together to keep from stupidly giggling. Hands moving to the controls, she followed him in, knowing he'd need help with dinner. But ever since she taught him how to cook, he put the dishes down in the necessary spots and ran water in the pots she used. She was 'allowed' to do the dishes for exercise, but the utensils and glasses ONLY, nothing too heavy or concerning. She saw Duo do the dishes a few times, making sure they were scrubbed entirely, instead of haphazardly. He ACTUALLY did a good enough job and THAT surprised her. She teased him a few times that when she was well maybe he SHOULD do the books and housework while SHE did the grunt work. That ended with a protective lecture on keeping her from harm until she shut him up by kissing him. She smiled as she waited to dig in, feeling extremely normal as he set the table, despite the fact that she sat in an EXTREMELY original wheelchair.