Chapter 6
It took Duo two days before he decided to call Hilde and she reluctantly agreed to meet with him again. He was still furious with what Trowa had told him, but he needed to know it for himself. Duo decided they would meet at the same place as before.
Hilde seemed to be running rather late and by that time, Duo ordered two beers. She was practically heaving for air by the time she arrived. He waved to her and she made her way over to the table. She wore a pair of jean shorts and a nice fitting T-shirt. Not prostitutional at all, thought Duo. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Duo asked Hilde to dance. Once again, Hilde was hesitant. As they reached the dance floor, Duo made his way to the center of the mass of people followed by Hilde. They could barely fit, but Duo didn't seem to mind. The beat of the song quickly consumed them as their hips ground. Hilde's arms were tightly around Duo's neck as he held onto her hips. As the song continued to get louder and faster Duo wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, purposely pulling her harder onto his knee. Hilde gasped slightly and leaned her head on his shoulder as he dragged his fingers onto her sides. The bustle all around them and the dim lights made it difficult to see each other. When Hilde pulled her head away, she stared into dark violet eyes, filled with a dangerous intensity. She felt a shiver roll up her back. Duo leaned in and quickly seized her lips. Her world flipped upside down as she opened up to him. His arms unwound from her waist and he placed his hands on her hips, gripping tightly. Slowly, he rubbed his knee against her, Hilde's breath coming in short gasps now. She swayed her hips from side to side moving closer to him all the time. Her head was dizzy with the feelings she was receiving. She felt Duo's chest rising and falling quickly. His hands slid down her legs and did a hip move that caught Hilde completely off guard. He caught her cry just in time as he crushed her lips to his. Amidst this seductive storm no one seemed to notice.
It took Duo and Hilde a few moments to realize that the song had changed. It too was fast. Duo pulled away to stare at Hilde and he found her eyes filled with passion. He leaned forward like a predator and placed his lips next to her ear.
"Shall we continue this at your corner or here, Candy?" She froze not able to breath or speak. He knew! She tried to cover up her shock and lie her way out.
"What are you talking about?" Duo once again ground against her and she nearly fell with the feelings but Duo caught her.
"They do call you that right? Candy is the name the guys use?"
"N… no…" Duo's hands moved low and Hilde's eyes slid shut.
"Or do you only let a selected few call you by name?"
"I… I…" His hands were not still at all, torturing her.
"You're a prostitute, aren't you?" he growled angrily. This got Hilde's attention. Fury rose up in her. Her eyes seemed to be on fire. Her anger matched Duo's. So, this was all a game to him. He only was looking to seduce her? For once she thought she had met someone who saw her for who she was. She had only known him once and in that short amount of time she had made a terrible mistake. The anger and betrayal she felt did not compare to the pain. He would see what she could do and he would never see her again. She retaliated immediately. Her hand released Duo's neck and moved slowly down her side and then further in. She nearly laughed right out when Duo's eyes widened in shock.
"Yes, Duo. I am a prostitute," she whispered into his ear seductively. She flexed her hand and his grip on her hips tightened noticeably. "And I can do things that could send you to heaven and back again." Another movement made by her caused Duo to drop his head like a rock onto her shoulder. She continued to speak quietly to him.
"I can make you feel things you didn't know you could feel. But do you know what, Duo?" It took him a few moments to find his voice.
"What?" he croaked hoarsely.
"You're not going to get any of it." At that, she shoved herself away from him and disappeared quickly through the crowd. Duo tried to go after her when he recovered from the shock, but she was already to the door. She stopped and stared into his eyes and he could almost feel her sadness and betrayal. His heart felt like it was in a vice. Then she was gone. Duo stood staring for a few moments and felt as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped on him. He slowly made his way to the table, hands in pockets when his eyes landed on a small bag. Her purse! He stared for a moment and realized he was going to be seeing her again after all.
Quatre waited patiently outside the building, staring up at the window he knew Dorothy stayed. By now, most of the women living there had come to know him by name and almost considered him a pet. He was not to be touched, that was made quite clear by Dorothy. He returned several times, if only to talk with her about anything. Quatre found that she was fairly intelligent, as were many of the young women residing in the surrounding buildings and after she told her story of how she had dropped from college, he realized that some women didn't have a choice.
He slowly approached the door and waved to one of the women standing there in the doorway. She smiled brightly at him as her amber eyes twinkled. She liked Quatre; it was like having a brother around now.
"She's upstairs right now with someone. You might want to wait; I don't think you'll find it very pleasant up there at all." Quatre stiffened, despite the fact that he had visited more than a few times, he had never been around when someone was in 'visiting' Dorothy. He remembered back to their first small argument the day they had met.
"It's only natural Quatre. People by nature are violent creatures and sometimes they simply have to get that aggression out. I'm the perfect outlet." Quatre had been stunned by the naivety of those words.
"People have aggression, but it is not supposed to be taken out on loved ones or people they are being intimate with! It's not natural Dorothy." Dorothy had only shrugged, obviously used to such talk before.
Quatre felt as if his blood was boiling by the time he had made it up to the flat where Dorothy was staying. He didn't even know he was intending on going there until he was opening the closed door. Inside he heard the sound of skin hitting bone. He cringed and felt his teeth gritting nastily. He stormed into the room where the couple was resting. The man on top of her was huge. His fists were meaty, that was quite obvious and Dorothy laid there as if nothing was abnormal, she wore a mask of pleasure, even though it was obvious to Quatre that she was in a lot of pain. There was an animal roar ringing throughout the room and no one seemed to know where it was coming from until after Quatre had grabbed the man and sent him flying across the room. Quatre was seeing red in all different shades. The man was stunned as he took half the blanket with him. Dorothy had no idea what was happening, but she was not so shocked as in to not get angry with Quatre. She ignored the fact that she was completely without clothing. She stood up and ran to her 'customer' and check to see if he was all right. Quatre was livid when he saw the fresh bruises forming on Dorothy's arms, neck, and face. No one would ever touch her of his in such a way, not if he could do something about it and that was exactly what he was planning on doing. He stalked closer to the man lying still stunned on the floor. Dorothy glared up at him. Quatre gently grabbed her wrists and set her aside as if she were a child. Reaching down, he grabbed the man and sent him sprawling once again towards the door. He quickly located the man's clothing and chucked them at him as well.
"Get out," he said coldly. The man was clearly surprised by this. He had come here for only one thing and usually that was not a thing to be beaten for here. The man was big, but he was cowardly. He took one glance at Quatre and then at Dorothy before snatching up his clothes and bolting out the door, covering the important parts as he tried to dress himself as he ran down the hall.
"What has gotten into you?" cried Dorothy. By now a crowd had gathered outside the door, as several young women peered in. Natria stood back contentedly, as the bustle started in. It was about time someone went in there and set Dorothy straight. Despite the fact that they had lost a good customer.
"I've told you once and I'll tell you again Dorothy! It is not right!" Quatre looked around with frustration and saw the crowd that had gathered outside the room. He quickly took care of the intrusion by shutting the door. Though the couple was still inside and hidden from sight, everyone could hear clearly from the outside, though it was muffled.
"It's my job Quatre! You can't stop me from doing my job! Even if it is wrong!" Quatre glared down at her. He stood almost a head taller than her. His little boy face was now gone and he was a man carved firmly in stone. Dorothy felt intimidated, yet she refused to show it.
"I refuse to stand back and watch you being brutally beaten every time you need some money! If it means for me to pay for your room and board, I'll do it, but not at the expense of you being taken advantage of!"
"Wake up, Quatre, and smell the stench. This is the way life is. And you know what? You are right, you're all right. I know that it is all wrong; I know that love is not shown by the fists or by the backside of a hand, but it's all I have right now. It's better feeling pain than nothing at all for the rest of my life."
"Dorothy…" She stood tall, not even covering up. Quatre was mad, but he was still a man and what stood before him was a vision of perfection. He swallowed and blushed as he turned his gaze away, his small innocence coming back. His anger still boiled below. Dorothy looked at him with a small bit of concern and she turned to pick up the blanket, wrapping it around herself. "I don't want you to get hurt," he finally said, finding his voice in the back of his throat.
"Quatre," she said softly. "No matter what you do, you can't stop me from getting hurt, whether it may be physical or not even real. But you've been a great friend to me over the last few days. I don't know how I can ever repay you for that, but this is what I am, and this is what I do. Can't you please accept me for that?" She felt as if she had won this battle and that he would finally come to the understanding that this is what she had to do. But then his eyes connected with hers.
"Have you ever tasted what love should really be like?" he asked suddenly. Dorothy was about to answer, but he interrupted her. "Once you've tasted it, you can't ever allow yourself to have anything less, like you're doing." His voice was low, dangerous. It sent shivers up and down Dorothy's spine. The hint of innocence was completely washed away from his face. His body moved as if circling the prey. There was no malice, or any hint of violence, yet she still backed away, sensing something far more dangerous. He had suddenly backed her up against a wall, bringing his face perilously close to hers. She felt his eyes wandering over her face, as she tried to avoid the contact. She had a strange desire to throw herself at him and at the same time, run away as fast as she possibly could. He seemed to sense that so he played it safe by pinning her hands next to her sides as he gathered her into his arms.
His blue eyes were intense with a fire that could never be quenched. When he saw her fear and hesitance, his eyes softened, yet the fire still was there, simmering below the surface. He backed away slowly, gently releasing her. She seemed to almost turn into a puddle. He stared at her relentlessly.
"I will not do this unless you come to me. You need to know this on your own, but when you decide, I want you to learn it from me and no one else." Those words made her feel a fire building in her belly. "What you are doing now is not how anything should feel… ever. I will show that to you if or when you come to see that." With those last few words, he backed away fully and opened the door, ignoring the staring eyes as he made his way out of the building. After he left, the eyes turned to stare at Dorothy, who stood weakly staring at the empty doorway. Quickly, she shut the door and proceeded to slide to her knees, feeling as if all the bones had been taken out, leaving only jelly to stand on.
It took Duo two days before he decided to call Hilde and she reluctantly agreed to meet with him again. He was still furious with what Trowa had told him, but he needed to know it for himself. Duo decided they would meet at the same place as before.
Hilde seemed to be running rather late and by that time, Duo ordered two beers. She was practically heaving for air by the time she arrived. He waved to her and she made her way over to the table. She wore a pair of jean shorts and a nice fitting T-shirt. Not prostitutional at all, thought Duo. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Duo asked Hilde to dance. Once again, Hilde was hesitant. As they reached the dance floor, Duo made his way to the center of the mass of people followed by Hilde. They could barely fit, but Duo didn't seem to mind. The beat of the song quickly consumed them as their hips ground. Hilde's arms were tightly around Duo's neck as he held onto her hips. As the song continued to get louder and faster Duo wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, purposely pulling her harder onto his knee. Hilde gasped slightly and leaned her head on his shoulder as he dragged his fingers onto her sides. The bustle all around them and the dim lights made it difficult to see each other. When Hilde pulled her head away, she stared into dark violet eyes, filled with a dangerous intensity. She felt a shiver roll up her back. Duo leaned in and quickly seized her lips. Her world flipped upside down as she opened up to him. His arms unwound from her waist and he placed his hands on her hips, gripping tightly. Slowly, he rubbed his knee against her, Hilde's breath coming in short gasps now. She swayed her hips from side to side moving closer to him all the time. Her head was dizzy with the feelings she was receiving. She felt Duo's chest rising and falling quickly. His hands slid down her legs and did a hip move that caught Hilde completely off guard. He caught her cry just in time as he crushed her lips to his. Amidst this seductive storm no one seemed to notice.
It took Duo and Hilde a few moments to realize that the song had changed. It too was fast. Duo pulled away to stare at Hilde and he found her eyes filled with passion. He leaned forward like a predator and placed his lips next to her ear.
"Shall we continue this at your corner or here, Candy?" She froze not able to breath or speak. He knew! She tried to cover up her shock and lie her way out.
"What are you talking about?" Duo once again ground against her and she nearly fell with the feelings but Duo caught her.
"They do call you that right? Candy is the name the guys use?"
"N… no…" Duo's hands moved low and Hilde's eyes slid shut.
"Or do you only let a selected few call you by name?"
"I… I…" His hands were not still at all, torturing her.
"You're a prostitute, aren't you?" he growled angrily. This got Hilde's attention. Fury rose up in her. Her eyes seemed to be on fire. Her anger matched Duo's. So, this was all a game to him. He only was looking to seduce her? For once she thought she had met someone who saw her for who she was. She had only known him once and in that short amount of time she had made a terrible mistake. The anger and betrayal she felt did not compare to the pain. He would see what she could do and he would never see her again. She retaliated immediately. Her hand released Duo's neck and moved slowly down her side and then further in. She nearly laughed right out when Duo's eyes widened in shock.
"Yes, Duo. I am a prostitute," she whispered into his ear seductively. She flexed her hand and his grip on her hips tightened noticeably. "And I can do things that could send you to heaven and back again." Another movement made by her caused Duo to drop his head like a rock onto her shoulder. She continued to speak quietly to him.
"I can make you feel things you didn't know you could feel. But do you know what, Duo?" It took him a few moments to find his voice.
"What?" he croaked hoarsely.
"You're not going to get any of it." At that, she shoved herself away from him and disappeared quickly through the crowd. Duo tried to go after her when he recovered from the shock, but she was already to the door. She stopped and stared into his eyes and he could almost feel her sadness and betrayal. His heart felt like it was in a vice. Then she was gone. Duo stood staring for a few moments and felt as if a bucket of cold water had been dumped on him. He slowly made his way to the table, hands in pockets when his eyes landed on a small bag. Her purse! He stared for a moment and realized he was going to be seeing her again after all.
Quatre waited patiently outside the building, staring up at the window he knew Dorothy stayed. By now, most of the women living there had come to know him by name and almost considered him a pet. He was not to be touched, that was made quite clear by Dorothy. He returned several times, if only to talk with her about anything. Quatre found that she was fairly intelligent, as were many of the young women residing in the surrounding buildings and after she told her story of how she had dropped from college, he realized that some women didn't have a choice.
He slowly approached the door and waved to one of the women standing there in the doorway. She smiled brightly at him as her amber eyes twinkled. She liked Quatre; it was like having a brother around now.
"She's upstairs right now with someone. You might want to wait; I don't think you'll find it very pleasant up there at all." Quatre stiffened, despite the fact that he had visited more than a few times, he had never been around when someone was in 'visiting' Dorothy. He remembered back to their first small argument the day they had met.
"It's only natural Quatre. People by nature are violent creatures and sometimes they simply have to get that aggression out. I'm the perfect outlet." Quatre had been stunned by the naivety of those words.
"People have aggression, but it is not supposed to be taken out on loved ones or people they are being intimate with! It's not natural Dorothy." Dorothy had only shrugged, obviously used to such talk before.
Quatre felt as if his blood was boiling by the time he had made it up to the flat where Dorothy was staying. He didn't even know he was intending on going there until he was opening the closed door. Inside he heard the sound of skin hitting bone. He cringed and felt his teeth gritting nastily. He stormed into the room where the couple was resting. The man on top of her was huge. His fists were meaty, that was quite obvious and Dorothy laid there as if nothing was abnormal, she wore a mask of pleasure, even though it was obvious to Quatre that she was in a lot of pain. There was an animal roar ringing throughout the room and no one seemed to know where it was coming from until after Quatre had grabbed the man and sent him flying across the room. Quatre was seeing red in all different shades. The man was stunned as he took half the blanket with him. Dorothy had no idea what was happening, but she was not so shocked as in to not get angry with Quatre. She ignored the fact that she was completely without clothing. She stood up and ran to her 'customer' and check to see if he was all right. Quatre was livid when he saw the fresh bruises forming on Dorothy's arms, neck, and face. No one would ever touch her of his in such a way, not if he could do something about it and that was exactly what he was planning on doing. He stalked closer to the man lying still stunned on the floor. Dorothy glared up at him. Quatre gently grabbed her wrists and set her aside as if she were a child. Reaching down, he grabbed the man and sent him sprawling once again towards the door. He quickly located the man's clothing and chucked them at him as well.
"Get out," he said coldly. The man was clearly surprised by this. He had come here for only one thing and usually that was not a thing to be beaten for here. The man was big, but he was cowardly. He took one glance at Quatre and then at Dorothy before snatching up his clothes and bolting out the door, covering the important parts as he tried to dress himself as he ran down the hall.
"What has gotten into you?" cried Dorothy. By now a crowd had gathered outside the door, as several young women peered in. Natria stood back contentedly, as the bustle started in. It was about time someone went in there and set Dorothy straight. Despite the fact that they had lost a good customer.
"I've told you once and I'll tell you again Dorothy! It is not right!" Quatre looked around with frustration and saw the crowd that had gathered outside the room. He quickly took care of the intrusion by shutting the door. Though the couple was still inside and hidden from sight, everyone could hear clearly from the outside, though it was muffled.
"It's my job Quatre! You can't stop me from doing my job! Even if it is wrong!" Quatre glared down at her. He stood almost a head taller than her. His little boy face was now gone and he was a man carved firmly in stone. Dorothy felt intimidated, yet she refused to show it.
"I refuse to stand back and watch you being brutally beaten every time you need some money! If it means for me to pay for your room and board, I'll do it, but not at the expense of you being taken advantage of!"
"Wake up, Quatre, and smell the stench. This is the way life is. And you know what? You are right, you're all right. I know that it is all wrong; I know that love is not shown by the fists or by the backside of a hand, but it's all I have right now. It's better feeling pain than nothing at all for the rest of my life."
"Dorothy…" She stood tall, not even covering up. Quatre was mad, but he was still a man and what stood before him was a vision of perfection. He swallowed and blushed as he turned his gaze away, his small innocence coming back. His anger still boiled below. Dorothy looked at him with a small bit of concern and she turned to pick up the blanket, wrapping it around herself. "I don't want you to get hurt," he finally said, finding his voice in the back of his throat.
"Quatre," she said softly. "No matter what you do, you can't stop me from getting hurt, whether it may be physical or not even real. But you've been a great friend to me over the last few days. I don't know how I can ever repay you for that, but this is what I am, and this is what I do. Can't you please accept me for that?" She felt as if she had won this battle and that he would finally come to the understanding that this is what she had to do. But then his eyes connected with hers.
"Have you ever tasted what love should really be like?" he asked suddenly. Dorothy was about to answer, but he interrupted her. "Once you've tasted it, you can't ever allow yourself to have anything less, like you're doing." His voice was low, dangerous. It sent shivers up and down Dorothy's spine. The hint of innocence was completely washed away from his face. His body moved as if circling the prey. There was no malice, or any hint of violence, yet she still backed away, sensing something far more dangerous. He had suddenly backed her up against a wall, bringing his face perilously close to hers. She felt his eyes wandering over her face, as she tried to avoid the contact. She had a strange desire to throw herself at him and at the same time, run away as fast as she possibly could. He seemed to sense that so he played it safe by pinning her hands next to her sides as he gathered her into his arms.
His blue eyes were intense with a fire that could never be quenched. When he saw her fear and hesitance, his eyes softened, yet the fire still was there, simmering below the surface. He backed away slowly, gently releasing her. She seemed to almost turn into a puddle. He stared at her relentlessly.
"I will not do this unless you come to me. You need to know this on your own, but when you decide, I want you to learn it from me and no one else." Those words made her feel a fire building in her belly. "What you are doing now is not how anything should feel… ever. I will show that to you if or when you come to see that." With those last few words, he backed away fully and opened the door, ignoring the staring eyes as he made his way out of the building. After he left, the eyes turned to stare at Dorothy, who stood weakly staring at the empty doorway. Quickly, she shut the door and proceeded to slide to her knees, feeling as if all the bones had been taken out, leaving only jelly to stand on.