Suffocation

Written By: Rage of BlackMist

Chapter Three: Unexpected Phone Calls

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing does not belong to me, but is the property of the Sotsu Agency, Sunrise and Fuji TV.

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"Duo.." Hilde whispered again into the phone; her eyes closed, breath uneven. She hadn't expected him to call so soon, but then again Duo always indulged in surprises. "How are you?" she managed to ask, still blown over by his sudden call.

"Well enough that I can manage eating the food I cook." There was a hint of laughter in his reply, and Hilde smiled at his words. Oh how she missed his words... The words that haunted her every dream until she was struggling for sleep at night.

This is what she wanted, to breathe her own air, live her own life.... Right? But how could she keep going, remembering his warm breath on her cool lips, his tongue licking his lips, playing tricks on her. 'Stop it, I wanted this, I needed this. The main point of moving here was to find myself. Right?'

'Or was it a test to see if you could really go on with out him? There by our side, watching your every move, recording your every breath?' A voice not fit to be heard caught Hilde's ears. It was the other side of her talking, the side that wanted, needed, that gorgeous man around her, consuming her very air.

"Hilde?" Duo called into the phone, worried that something had happened. Hilde, still silent, drank in her thoughts. The very thoughts that she yearned to forget about.

"Cook your own food?" Hilde asked half surprised and half confused. "I thought you hired someone to cook and clean and do stuff like that?" 'Some woman to look after you and take care of you... Someone who... Who isn't me..' A tear formed in her eye, she didn't realize the cool liquid as if fell down her cheek.

"I did, she came, she cooked. I didn't like it, so she left." His reply was weak, almost whisper-like, but Hilde heard the difference in his voice. It made her shiver from her head to her heels.

"Stomach didn't agree with her cooking?" Hilde asked, taking some papers into her hands organizing them so that she didn't have to do so later. She figured that this conversation was on the neutral side, so she might as well treat it like one.

"Nah... Her cooking was fine, she was fine period... But something was missing..." 'The cook wasn't you. That's what's missing... She just wasn't you.'

"Missing?" Hilde questioned, sighing in frustration while a stack of papers fell to the ground, the wind being at fault.

"Ah.. Negligible babe.. Anyhow, on to more interesting topics; how's Division 9 coming along. I just received notice this morning that AJ Squared has an interest in your division. Seems to most everyone that the representative from the corporation is boarding on your colony with Quatre." Duo hurried to change the topic.

The past couple of days had been hell on him. The lady that he hired was very attractive, not to mention available, and was a damn fine cook. She also washed his clothes, cleaned his house and did his shopping. But nonetheless, that maid of his didn't last very long. Sure she was good looking with long legs, red golden hair, and breasts to make any woman proud of, but like he told Hilde, something was missing. Maybe it was the way she cooked his meals, folded his clothes, cleaned his house. Or maybe it was the lust he saw in her eyes every time he dealt with money.

"Gold digger." He spoke out loud, not realizing he had done such a thing until Hilde stopped talking and asked what he had meant by that.

"Ah..." Duo stalled.

"Gold digger. You said gold digger." Hilde helped him out a bit trying to get him to remember what he had said. "Are you saying that AJ Squared is a 'Gold Digger'?"

Duo sighed in relief after hearing what Hilde concluded. Sure Brett Madison and his corporation, AJ Squared, were Gold Diggers... Corporations such as Madison's always were. But Duo didn't want to say anything for fear of Hilde backing down if anything was offered to them. AJ Squared may be looking for money, though if they did come looking for money it was for reason's worth investing it.

"Ah... No, talking about something else, babe." Duo added in, motioning for the young man, no older than he himself, to come into his office. The young man did as Duo asked, and took a seat in one of the uncomfortable chairs. His attire bore fine material at an expensive cost. Must be a business associate of some type.

"Duo is something wrong? You don't seem yourself today." Hilde asked, sensing the difference in his voice just a few minutes before. "Maybe I should let you go.." She trailed off, waiting for his reply.

"Nothing's wrong." He lied. "But I do have to go. Business associate from R-Stine just showed up. But before I let you, go call Quatre for me please."

"Sure thing, Duo. I'll call him after I hang up with you." Hilde got up and walked over to the door, sensing Jake needed to be fed.

"Good, knew I could count on ya babe."

"Haven't you always?" She said, grabbing the handle and opening the door, readying herself to say good-bye. Two words she didn't want to say; two words she had to say.

He smiled at her words. "One more thing." A smirk crossed his face.

"What is it?" Hilde froze in her tracks, her words coming out coolly, while Jake, who rested in Becca's arms, stared at his mother .

"Think about my offer.... minx." The final words came out huskily, almost seductively, hinting the need and want in his soul. Then...

The phone went dead, the connection lost.

Hilde stared at Jake, phone still held against her ear repeating over and over his words. Had she heard correctly or was she just imagining what was said? Screw the inkling... Let her just imagine what he had said... No harm will come to her if she did.

"Yous okay?" Becca asked while she gently dropped Jake into his mother's arms. "Yous look pale."

A fake smile played on her lips, hinting to Becca that all was now fine. "I was just a little shocked at what I heard, that's all."

"If yous say so." Came her reply as she started off towards the kitchen, meals running through her head. "Any idea's on what yous wanting for dinner?"

"Something fresh?" Hilde supplied as she headed off towards Jake's nursery. She laid him in his crib and positioned the bottle on a pillow so that he could swallow without choking. After she had him all fixed up, Hilde walked back into her make shift office and picked up the phone.

"Now, I wonder what Quatre wants?"

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Relena Peacecraft studied the statue in front of her, expression grim, lips forming a frown. She needed about ten statue's for the Celestial Dinner Banquet on Friday, and so far, none of the statue's that she'd looked at fit her criteria. Heero, who was watching her through the corner of his eye, noticed the annoyance and gave a silent sigh.

Of course she was given the most important job of putting together this dinner. She had to pick the place for it to be held, how the room was to look like and what was to be served. Heero did have his input on it though, only to be pushed aside by Zechs who thought it would be relaxing for Relena to handle it. He was wrong, and Heero smiled at that.

"This one isn't quite what I'm looking for. Something about the way it's positioned might upset the guests. Perhaps the La-Tin Dancer would do better?" Relena asked while shifting her gaze to the guide, then to Heero.

"The La-Tin Dancer is reserved for Madame Cancil. I'm sorry Miss Peacecraft." The young guide stuttered while his eyes fixed on Heero who pulled his brows together and moved towards Relena in a swift motion. So swift of a motion that it made the guide jump slightly.

Relena noticed his sudden fright and eased the poor handsome man from Heero's glare by asking about the next statue, which stood to the right of them. He quickly changed his expression while he, once again, explained to Relena about the statue's history and meaning, while Relena gave Heero one of her warning glares.

"Either be nice or ignore us." She mouthed out to him before the guide was finished with what he had to say. Despite the fact that she wasn't paying any attention to what the guide had just said about the statue, Relena already knew about it. Her mother was very fond of French statues and had told Relena all about them whenever she got the chance to visit her. Which wasn't as often as Relena would like. Another one of the many sacrifices she had to give up in order to focus on her job.

"Would you like to view the others that Lady Augusta mentioned?" The handsome young guide asked, step siding Heero's eyes by moving to the other side of Relena, though that did not satisfy Heero, the man was just a little too close to her for his comfort.

Before Relena could get a word in edge wise, Heero replied for her. "No." It was all he had to say to get the guide to back off and retreat down the corridor.

"No? And here I thought he asked me..." Relena spoke slyly walking off the other way, leaving Heero standing alone. He quickly caught up with her and stopped her in her tracks.

"Did you want to stay?" Was all he asked. Simply said, yet enough to reply back to.

She thought about it long and hard during the few moments she was left alone walking by her side and decided, "No, not really. This place is most boring, even for a statue gallery."

Heero weakened at the smile that played on her lips after she said as such. Even if he hadn't admitted it out loud, Relena Peacecraft was one beautiful young woman. He drank in every bit of her smile before grabbing her waist coat and pulling her close. Their bodies were just mere inches from each other, his dark blue eyes boring into her light blue ones.

Before his lips could claim hers a beeping sound alarmed their senses enough for him to release her, and for Relena to step back. Heero jammed his right hand into the pocket of his jacket to find his cell phone. He flipped it open stating, "Heero here, what do you want?"

Relena chuckled at his annoyance and closed the distance between them with one step. He pulled her to him with his left arm and she melted in his embrace. No words could be heard from the other side of the call, but that didn't bother her much. She figured it was someone back at Preventor HQ. Either that or one of his pilot friends.

After a few minutes of silence, Relena watched as Heero's expression changed from annoyed to relaxed, almost to an 'I-Told-You-So' look.

"I'll call you back." Heero said into the phone, looking down at Relena who smiled in return. Then he flipped the phone closed and slipped it into his right pocket.

"Who was that?" Relena asked while Heero pulled her into his right arm, equaling out his balance on her.

"Duo." Heero spoke back, shifting his gaze to her lips, licking his in the wake.

"What did he want?" Relena asked puzzled.

"Something he can't have." He spoke in a whisper, then pulled the gold string of her hair back behind her left ear.

Before Relena could asked what he meant by his words, Heero's lips captured hers. Giving as much passion as she did, never letting their love fest end until another guide and his followers walked by, awakening Heero enough to pull Relena behind him as he made his way to the car.

"Did they see me?" Relena asked behind Heero who held on to her wrist with all his strength but not hurting her in the process.

"No."

"Good." Relena sighed while relaxing under his grip.

"Good?" Heero asked, freezing in his tracks pulling Relena around so that she stood facing him.

Startled she replied, "Good as in they didn't see us."

"I know, but why?" Heero asked in a cold voice for a second time.

"So that we don't..." She started but trailed off. "Why do you care?" She spoke instead.

"Never mind, forget it." Heero shot back, letting go of her and opening the car door. "Get in." He said, pushing her towards the door.

"Heero.." She warned as she flung around and folded her arms around his neck, surprising him. "Do you want people to know that you were caught kissing me?" She whispered her words into his ear, warming his insides, awakening his desire.

"....." Was all that came before she lifted herself onto her tiptoes and kissed him senseless.

"You know, I could tell Noin and my brother about us, but then again I'm not quite sure there is even an 'us' yet."

"Trust me, there is." Heero's words came out uneven. 'That's a first.'

"Is there really?" Relena teased as she stepped out of his embrace and slid into the car seat closing the door after her. Heero walked around to the other side and got in, closed his door and started the engine. He backed out of the parking lot and headed for the opposite direction they had come in.

Silently he pulled his cell phone out and dialed a familiar number. "Noin, Heero here. We'll be back later on tonight." Relena could hear the 'okay' from Noin before he hung up and dialed another number.

"Where are we going?" Relena asked as she leaned back in her seat and looked over at him.

"Out to dinner."

"But I thought we're going to eat with Noin and my brother tonight? Why the sudden change?"

"We're gonna show the Cinq Kingdom something new."

"Something new?" Relena supplied.

"Yes something new. US." Was all he replied back with, leaving Relena with a smile on her face and in a light hearted state.

"You never cease to amaze me, Heero." Relena shot back laughing while she planted a kiss on his right cheek and rested her head on his shoulder. "I could get used to this."

"You should...." He offered. "And you're going to..."

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Dinner for Heero and Relena went by smoothly. He brought her to a little Italian cafe, ordering whatever she wanted with the best wine available. Despite the fact that everyone in the room glared at them and gasped and the such, dinner was still excellent.

Even when they were leaving the cafe things went smoothly. The owner of the cafe came out and greeted them, Relena being as lovely as ever and Heero being the same. Cold. Although, he did compliment the food, which was something new to him... Relena and her ways were growing on him, even if he didn't realize it.

When they arrived back at the main house, Heero treated her the same. Like a queen who deserved the best and nothing but the best. Sure it sometimes got on her nerves when he wouldn't let her open the door, even the car door for that matter, or when he didn't so much as kiss her goodnight...

She laughed at that one. Kiss her goodnight. And here Relena thought Heero was defining the meaning of us. Well, she'd give him 24 hours to see if he loosened up. But once that 24 hours passed, and he still acted every much the gentleman, to hell with being a lady, Relena wanted her ungentleman Heero back.

She sighed at the thought of taking the initiative. Who would have thought that sweet little Relena would be the one to make the move on Heero? She sure as hell didn't think she'd have the courage when the time come around to show Heero that she was very interested in him.

Then again, Hilde always thought that Heero was semi-shy when it involved guys and girls... A giggle escaped her pink lips. Hilde, boy was she right. She hit it right on the nose. Shy that Perfect Solider of hers most definitely was. Who would have ever known?

"I wonder what Hilde is doing right now?" Relena thought as she picked up her phone and placed it to her ear. Though she expected to hear the dial tone, she heard voice's instead.

"She left me man, boarded the plane and was gone." Duo's voice shouted out to Heero who was on the other end. "She didn't even say good-bye."

Heero sat in silence trying to digest the information that Duo spit out at him. From all of Duo's rambling, Heero managed to make out Hilde, gone, and good-bye. Sad was it not?

"So what you're saying is that you lost Hilde?" Heero asked while he walked out of his room and over to Relena's. He considered knocking but that would take the shock from the surprise.

As Relena listened to Heero and Duo's confused conversation, Heero creeped up on her from behind. She gasped as he folded his arms around her waist and carried her over to one of her chairs by the fireplace.

"Hold on Duo." Heero said while dropping the phone and staring at Relena with wide eyes. "Care to explain?"

"No, not really. There's nothing that needs to be explained." Relena shot him a sideways glance as he walked back to where the phone fell and spoke into it.

"Relena was on the phone."

"Thanks a lot Heero." Relena called out dodging behind her chair, making sure that Heero wouldn't attack her or anything... Also hoping that he would.

Instead, he gave her another one of his famous glares, than took seat on the other single chair. This phone-chatting business was still new to him and he might just need Relena when Duo finally brakes down.

"You want to talk to Relena instead?" Heero asked giving Relena a sidelong glance.

"Do you think she'd understand better?" Duo asked thinking that talking to Relena might be a good thing after all. Then again she could tell Hilde about everything, then life would be over before he even knew it started. Might as well take the risk, he needed a woman's opinion anyway.

Relena walked over to where Heero was sitting and took the phone from his grasp. "Duo, how are things going?"

"Not so well Relena, Hilde left me." Duo supplied. He was bold and blunt and Relena was speechless.

"What do you mean she left you, you were never with her!" Relena stated most confused, thinking that Hilde never bothered to explain to her that she and Duo finally got together. "Wait, are you guys finally together?"

"No... I meant, oh Hell, I don't even know what I meant. I'm more confused than a bee who just turned down honey." Relena laughed at his words.

"Duo, what you need is a little time off from work. In the past two years, you and Hilde single-handedly, built, organized and maintained HighTech Inc. That's a hell of a lot of work if you ask me."

"You're right but I'm booked for the next 4 weeks. When Hilde told me she was leaving, the first thing that came to mind was if I could hurry and go with her. But I couldn't... I have all those damn meetings that I have to go to."

Relena sighed then spoke up, "So hand them over to VP Gorden. He knows your business inside and out. Probably even better than you do." Relena stated while she picked up another phone and handed it to Heero for him to hear. Then she kicked him out of her room, closing the door on his way out.

"Hilde and I agreed that all meetings would be taken by ourselves, for fear of others screwing things up. We're very protective of HighTech, trusting others is another story."

Heero butted in, "Take time off Duo. Seems to me, you need it."

Relena joined in. "Come on Duo, it will be great. You can stay at the main house with Heero and I and..."

"Oh no, stop right there. There is no way in hell you're getting me to stay at the main house with the two of you. I'll take my chances at a hotel. In fact, I'll drop by L3 and hang with Barton. At least with him I don't have to worry about love fests, snide remarks about women, and dozen's of Arabian women screaming in my ear."

"That bad, eh?" Relena asked as she crawled up into her bed, sliding under the covers, barely managing to stay awake.

"You have no idea." Duo muttered, hearing Heero's end of the line disconnect. "Lover boy signed off."

"I know, I heard. And I think I'm going to go as well. I had a long day." Relena yawned, then said her final goodnights.

"Night Princess.." Duo trailed off, disconnecting at the same time she did. Relena fell asleep instantly, phone falling to the floor with a loud thud.

Before Relena was fully asleep, she agreed that tomorrow she'd call Hilde and ask her if it would be all right to stay with her for awhile.

'It's good that Duo's heading towards L3, but what I think he really needs is a week or two among friends.' She yawned again then resumed her thoughts. 'Tomorrow I'll get a hold of Wufei and the others. They all need to get together anyhow, and now was the perfect time'

While Relena drifted off to her dreams, Hilde crawled into to bed with Jake by her side. It became a habit that Jake sleep with her at night. She liked knowing that he was safe by her side; knowing nobody would take him away from her.

"I'll call Relena tomorrow. After what Quatre told me today, along with every thing else that is happening, I think I need to indulge her."

'Maybe then I can get some sleep. Maybe then Duo won't slip into my dreams, alarming my very soul...'

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TBC

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