Disclaimer: Last time I checked, Gundam Wing didn't belong to me, and I
had less than $5 to my name. I, on the other hand, am almost positive that
I belong to Gundam Wing (obsessions seem to control you), and this story
belongs to me, so no copying and have fun reading.
Chapter Two - Dilemma
Sure enough, it was around midnight she heard the front door open and close, and then heard Duo go into the bathroom to take a shower. She lay awake, wondering why she had had the urge to hug him earlier. It would have been fine if she just wanted a friendly hug, or maybe a hug if she was feeling down (which she wasn't), but she had looked at him and had practically felt herself in his embrace. Not just any hug - intimate. She never wanted a hug like that from Duo before. He was cute, sure, but she hadn't thought of him as more than a friend. Now that she thought about it, he wasn't just cute, he was hot. And that was bad - she had a boyfriend on the other side of town who was already apprehensive about her having a male roommate. She and Duo had never done anything except goof off (and occasionally, when the time was right, actually have serious conversations, believe it or not), so she thought there was nothing to worry about.
She heard Duo come out of the bathroom and close the door to his bedroom. He'd probably be asleep in a few minutes. She rolled over and faced the window. The sad thing about the colonies, she thought, was that there was no moon in the "sky" at night. From what Duo once told her about the view of the moon from earth (she hadn't been to earth since she moved to the colonies when she was little), it was beautiful. (A/N: I don't think he tells her this in the series; I'm making it up. ^_^)
She could remember him telling her about it: they were sitting on the front porch one night, watching the occasional headlight go by, and talking about whatever came to mind. He was kind of quiet that night, she never figured out why, but it was a listless night anyway. He sat in the shadows, where she couldn't see him, and just talked.
"You know one of the coolest things about earth?" he asked her. "No, I don't remember much about it," she replied, curious as to what cheesy thing he'd come up with just for amusement. What she got wasn't cheesy, nor just something he said to be funny; he was being completely and totally serious. His voice was lower than usual, sad almost.
"You can see the moon," he said thoughtfully. Hilde raised an eyebrow. "Depending where you are on the colony," she said, "you can see it here, too." She cocked her head, wondering what he was thinking about.
"No," he said. "From here, up close, it looks like a graveyard. Empty, dead." Hilde didn't say anything, waiting to see if he would keep talking. He did. "On earth, it shines. It's beautiful. Like magic, or something." She heard him stand up. "Kind of deceiving, isn't it?" he said, not really to her, not really to himself. He went inside, but she stayed on the porch, thinking about what he said - and how he said it.
Hilde shook her head to stop thinking about it. She had that same feeling that night, too, she realized. He was unusually serious that night, and it almost made her want to cry. She didn't know why exactly, but it had made her sad to know that he was an intellectual soldier as well as a fun-loving teenager with a braid and a talent for making people smile. Sighing, Hilde got out of bed and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. She'd call her boyfriend the next day to see if he wanted to do something. Maybe she just needed attention.
As she walked back to her room, taking her time, she stopped outside Duo's door. He was asleep - she knew because she could hear him thrash about, probably having a nightmare. It wasn't the first time, and wouldn't be the last. Once, she had to go in and wake him up so he would quit yelling. He'd been a little embarrassed about that. Hilde put her hand on the doorknob, wondering if she should turn it. She didn't want to wake him up, but she didn't want to just leave him to the demons in his dream.
Sighing in defeat, Hilde opened the door. It creaked a little, and she held her breath. Duo stopped moving. Crap, she thought. Catching herself, she closed her eyes. You and Duo are just friends, Hilde, she told herself. What are you trying to get yourself into? She stepped into the room, just to make sure he was still asleep. Unfortunately, her breath caught in her throat as she saw him lying there. Because of the darkness, she couldn't see details, but she knew his shirt was off. Funny, she thought. That had never bothered her before. Duo rolled over, and she knew he was awake.
"Duo?" she said. "Hnmm?" he mumbled sleepily. "You okay?" she backed towards the door, knowing his answer would be yes and she wouldn't be welcome in his room in the middle of the night. Or maybe she would. But she had a boyfriend. "Course," he mumbled, rolling away from her and pulling the blanket over his head. "Okay," she said quietly, leaving the room and closing the door. She shook her head and went to bed herself.
Chapter Two - Dilemma
Sure enough, it was around midnight she heard the front door open and close, and then heard Duo go into the bathroom to take a shower. She lay awake, wondering why she had had the urge to hug him earlier. It would have been fine if she just wanted a friendly hug, or maybe a hug if she was feeling down (which she wasn't), but she had looked at him and had practically felt herself in his embrace. Not just any hug - intimate. She never wanted a hug like that from Duo before. He was cute, sure, but she hadn't thought of him as more than a friend. Now that she thought about it, he wasn't just cute, he was hot. And that was bad - she had a boyfriend on the other side of town who was already apprehensive about her having a male roommate. She and Duo had never done anything except goof off (and occasionally, when the time was right, actually have serious conversations, believe it or not), so she thought there was nothing to worry about.
She heard Duo come out of the bathroom and close the door to his bedroom. He'd probably be asleep in a few minutes. She rolled over and faced the window. The sad thing about the colonies, she thought, was that there was no moon in the "sky" at night. From what Duo once told her about the view of the moon from earth (she hadn't been to earth since she moved to the colonies when she was little), it was beautiful. (A/N: I don't think he tells her this in the series; I'm making it up. ^_^)
She could remember him telling her about it: they were sitting on the front porch one night, watching the occasional headlight go by, and talking about whatever came to mind. He was kind of quiet that night, she never figured out why, but it was a listless night anyway. He sat in the shadows, where she couldn't see him, and just talked.
"You know one of the coolest things about earth?" he asked her. "No, I don't remember much about it," she replied, curious as to what cheesy thing he'd come up with just for amusement. What she got wasn't cheesy, nor just something he said to be funny; he was being completely and totally serious. His voice was lower than usual, sad almost.
"You can see the moon," he said thoughtfully. Hilde raised an eyebrow. "Depending where you are on the colony," she said, "you can see it here, too." She cocked her head, wondering what he was thinking about.
"No," he said. "From here, up close, it looks like a graveyard. Empty, dead." Hilde didn't say anything, waiting to see if he would keep talking. He did. "On earth, it shines. It's beautiful. Like magic, or something." She heard him stand up. "Kind of deceiving, isn't it?" he said, not really to her, not really to himself. He went inside, but she stayed on the porch, thinking about what he said - and how he said it.
Hilde shook her head to stop thinking about it. She had that same feeling that night, too, she realized. He was unusually serious that night, and it almost made her want to cry. She didn't know why exactly, but it had made her sad to know that he was an intellectual soldier as well as a fun-loving teenager with a braid and a talent for making people smile. Sighing, Hilde got out of bed and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. She'd call her boyfriend the next day to see if he wanted to do something. Maybe she just needed attention.
As she walked back to her room, taking her time, she stopped outside Duo's door. He was asleep - she knew because she could hear him thrash about, probably having a nightmare. It wasn't the first time, and wouldn't be the last. Once, she had to go in and wake him up so he would quit yelling. He'd been a little embarrassed about that. Hilde put her hand on the doorknob, wondering if she should turn it. She didn't want to wake him up, but she didn't want to just leave him to the demons in his dream.
Sighing in defeat, Hilde opened the door. It creaked a little, and she held her breath. Duo stopped moving. Crap, she thought. Catching herself, she closed her eyes. You and Duo are just friends, Hilde, she told herself. What are you trying to get yourself into? She stepped into the room, just to make sure he was still asleep. Unfortunately, her breath caught in her throat as she saw him lying there. Because of the darkness, she couldn't see details, but she knew his shirt was off. Funny, she thought. That had never bothered her before. Duo rolled over, and she knew he was awake.
"Duo?" she said. "Hnmm?" he mumbled sleepily. "You okay?" she backed towards the door, knowing his answer would be yes and she wouldn't be welcome in his room in the middle of the night. Or maybe she would. But she had a boyfriend. "Course," he mumbled, rolling away from her and pulling the blanket over his head. "Okay," she said quietly, leaving the room and closing the door. She shook her head and went to bed herself.
