Chapter 8
"Why am I always being dragged into your harebrained ideas?" growled Trowa as he stood with annoyance to the beginnings of the slums. Duo stood beside him, clutching the small purse in his hand. He had to see her again, but the only way he could do that is by using the excuse of bringing what she had forgotten the other night. He barely even registered what Trowa was saying.
"You're helping me out, man. Besides, you already know the entire situation. You have a history with this whole thing." Duo didn't even look at his reluctant victim as he anxiously looked from one flat address to another. As they walked by, several women standing in the doorways smiled coyly at them, waiting to see if either one of them would take the bait.
"If this is what you call history then I think you ought to go retake that course." Duo made a distasteful face. He was done with college and that was that. He didn't want anymore to do with studying as far as he was concerned. Being a mechanic at a local auto shop was just fine with him. Finally, he arrived in front of a flat that was indicated on Hilde's identification card. Duo stared at the building as if he was about to climb Mount Everest. He made an audible gulp. Trowa rolled his eyes and began to enter the building, grabbing Duo's sleeve.
"I… I've changed my mind," Duo stated anxiously as he tried to make a mad dash for the street. Trowa yanked harder, nearly sending his friend on his back.
"You dragged me all the way down here and you're going to finish what you started, now move your ass before I have to shove my foot up it. I can promise you that it won't be attractive at all," growled Trowa in annoyance. Duo heeded his friend's word as he finally pulled himself together. Taking a deep breath, he made an effort to walk purposefully towards the stairs. She was on the third floor, hopefully not doing any 'social services' at the moment. Duo would cross that bridge when it came. Trowa was walking behind him, making sure his friend would not make anymore mad dashes for the nearest exit. That is, until he saw her standing in one of the doorways next to the staircase. She didn't seem to recognize him at first. Unlike the other girls down on the stoops, she didn't look predatorial. She merely glanced at him, only to do a double take. She was obviously shocked to see him once again. Trowa didn't realize that he had stopped moving directly in front of her. Cathy looked at him from head to foot. She was obviously not displeased with what she found, except for the permanent glare that seemed to be always on Trowa's face.
Trowa didn't know what was happening, all he knew was that he had suddenly lost complete track of his friend and he was standing in front of a very gorgeous woman. For only a brief moment, the briefest of brief moments, he allowed his mind to wander. It was her job right? Would she refuse a customer? Trowa immediately shook the thought from his head, knowing where that would lead him.
"Can I help you?" she asked. It wasn't seductive; it sounded more like a receptionist asking for an appointment. Trowa didn't know what to do; he simply allowed his body to do what it wanted. Slowly, he took a step towards the door she stood next to. She looked surprised and almost hurt when she saw what he intended. Sighing, as if a child had just been asked to do a chore, she moved into her room, Trowa in tow. Trowa stopped to take in her room. It was clean and tidy, not like he had expected. From what he had seen in the past, places like this were shabby, but not here. This place was very different. The woman was different. In the middle of the room was a nice love couch facing a small fireplace. There were small cabinets in one area and a kitchen right in front of that. Hand-carved wooden dressers were against the walls. In a small part of the flat was the bedroom. It was an open doorway from the living area to the bed. He swallowed as he saw that Cathy had taken off her shirt revealing smooth creamy skin. Her shoulder was only a gentle curve, revealing a slim beautiful neck. She still wore her brassiere. It was red and satiny. Trowa cleared his throat and concentrated on looking elsewhere. What was he doing here? He almost never gave into such temptations, but damn it, she looked so good. Cathy was waiting almost expectantly for him to move towards the bedroom and she saw that he was hardly moving at all. She bent her hip and placed an annoyed hand there, giving him a slight glower.
"What are you doing?" she said seductively, still trying to play the part of the loving bedmate. Her face said otherwise. Trowa was disgusted that she was even trying to make an effort to act as if she wanted him. Growling, he made a move towards the door. Her eyes widened.
"No, come back," she said, her voice coming back to its original pitch. It was nice and throaty. Trowa liked it. "Did you come here for this?" she said indicating her body. "Or for something else?" Her eyes were confused. She had never had a client turn her down in such a way. It felt… good, strangely enough. Trowa turned and stared at her for a long moment.
"Do you have any coffee?" Cathy seemed to grow even more confused. She nodded slowly and indicated for Trowa to take a seat at her table. She immediately went about pulling out the filter and coffee grounds. She glanced at Trowa every once in a while who was distractedly examining the flat.
"This is a nice place," he commented absently. Cathy turned with a pleasant look on her face.
"Really? I'm glad someone noticed. I try to keep this place clean, not for other people, mostly for myself." She set out two cups for herself and Trowa. She turned back towards the refrigerator and pulled out a plate of sliced banana bread.
"I know it's not traditionally eaten in Japan, but a friend of mine showed me a recipe and I pretty much fell for it. Ever had some of this before?" she asked innocently. Trowa shook his head and reached over to take a slice, examining it at first and then finally taking a bite. He must have liked it; he ate at least four more pieces before setting aside the plate. By then the coffee was hot and ready to be served. When all the movement had stopped and they were left sipping their coffee, Cathy could not stand it any longer.
"So why are you here?"
"Hilde seemed to have forgotten something at the club the other night, Duo wanted to return it and dragged me along with him." The corner of Cathy's mouth went up a little in amusement.
"It looks as if we're both on leashes by those two," she said dryly. Trowa smiled amusedly.
"I let Duo believe it, but what he doesn't know is that I can yank on that leash anytime I want." Cathy let out a small laugh. Trowa found that it was rather pleasant. He liked her voice and her laugh, and the way she would gracefully serve bread and coffee to him. Small things were being imprinted into his mind the more he sat there. He noticed how clumsy she could be when holding something and walking, yet act as if it was normal. It was amusing.
"What are you smiling about?" she asked suddenly. Trowa realized that as he was staring off into nowhere, thinking of these random pleasures, he had begun to smile rather goofily. He shook himself quickly out of his trance.
"Nothing, just thinking of what happened to Duo."
"Probably having a tumble with Candy," she said absently as she brought the cup to her mouth. Trowa raised an eyebrow at this.
"You know, a relationship isn't all about sex." Cathy let out a laugh just as she finished sipping her cup. Trowa didn't like that laugh. It was cynical and filled with secret meaning.
"You're telling me this? I of all people should know that better than anyone. It's the sex that changes people."
"Care to enlighten me?"
"Do you really want to know?" Trowa shrugged looking around.
"I have nothing better to do, so shoot." Cathy leaned back and contemplated it for a long moment. Finally she spoke out.
"Every girl has a sense of naivety. What they expect during their first time is a whole mixture of love, sensitivity, and trust. Everything for that one girl is already thought out in her mind. She knows most of the good feelings that she should have when it first happens. A girl will meet a nice gentleman and believe she's fallen for him. He's suave, courteous, handsome, and gentle, everything that a girl could want. He fawns over her, pets her, gives every single bit of attention to her, treating her like a beautiful princess made of glass." Cathy's eyes were glazed over slightly, as if going back into her memory. Suddenly, that glaze was gone, replaced with something much darker. "Then it happens. The man makes a move and the girl is so blinded by her love for this nice gentleman that she would do anything for him… anything. He takes her to bed and without any consideration, steals her naivety and replaces it with bitter remorse. There was no love, tenderness, or loving whispers in the night. In such a relationship, the man takes and takes, thinking that the girl is enjoying everything he is enjoying, blinded by his own needs and no one else's. The relationship changes. The nice gentleman changes. He's no longer a nice gentleman, but a man only playing with a toy he had found. He still gives her flowers and an occasional peck on the cheek like a pet, but only in the evenings to prove that girl's dreams wrong. Stealing every bit of love and joy from her. I know sex is not the only thing in a relationship, but one person in that relationship sure as hell thinks it is," she nearly hissed at the last. "Sex shouldn't be involved in any relationship. To have sex means to not have a relationship at all." Trowa's eyes were very serious.
"So by doing this," he said, spreading his arms, indicating the entire slums surrounding him. "You're only proving that you have no relationship." Cathy looked thoughtful for a moment, trying to ignore the stinging in her eyes. Finally, she cleared her throat.
"I suppose so. It's my independence from that kind of pain."
"You do realize that I said that sex isn't the main part of the relationship. Even a man and wife have to have some kind of physical connection, but it's more than that, you do realize this right?" Cathy looked somewhat skeptical and Trowa felt a wave of shock roll over him.
"You seriously think that sex is obsolete?" he asked slightly shocked.
"I have yet to meet a man that has shown me otherwise. Every man is selfish when it comes down to sex. All for him and nothing for the 'thing' that lies beneath him," she said in disgust.
Trowa had a strange smile on his face as he stood up. Cathy examined him as he stood before him, looking him up and down. She supposed that he was ready now, with all the talk of sex. Sighing, she stood up and turned towards the bedroom. Trowa reached out and spun her around to face him. His face was inches from hers. Slowly, he leaned forward. Cathy felt her heart racing at a deadly pace. She felt as if her insides had suddenly turned into a molten pit of lava. Almost expectantly, she felt her eyes slide half shut, waiting for his lips to connect with hers. Then… nothing. She opened her eyes with confusion. What was he doing? He was simply standing there, staring at her. She began to blush. Then he moved forward and pecked her lightly on the cheek. She had to blink several times to realize that he had already opened the door and was going to head down the hall. Running after him, she stopped in the door, staring after him.
"What was that all about?" she called after him. He stopped and turned to her. Her breath caught in her throat.
"You believe that a relationship is not a relationship unless there is no sex involved correct?" Cathy shifted uneasily and finally nodded. "Well, if I want that, I can't do anything with you, but I will prove your theory wrong, when the time is right." With that said, he turned and shoved his hands in his pockets and began to whistle a merry little tune as he slowly made his way down the hallway. Cathy could only stare with her jaw hanging open, a fish, out of water.
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So here he was, standing like an idiot in front of a door, holding a woman's purse. As far as he could tell, she was inside, but she was also alone. The endless possibilities were running through his mind. Of course, they were immediately dismissed. That's not what he came here for. What did he come here for? His friend had managed to somehow disappear, probably stumbling upon a very pretty woman and decided to stay for a chat. Duo's eyebrows knit together in annoyance. What kind of friend would ditch him like this in the slums?
His thoughts were rudely interrupted when the door suddenly swung open. Hilde looked dressed to kill and she was so busy getting ready to lock the door as she was closing it that she ran straight into Duo. At first, she paid him no attention, but as soon as she realized that he wasn't moving, she let out an exasperated sigh, stopping her attempt in locking her door.
"I wish you guys would find better times to come here for a roll in the hay," she mumbled as she turned to face him. She had started to reopen the door to allow her 'customer' into her flat. She stopped, frozen in complete shock.
"You…" She couldn't seem to finish what she was saying. It was stuck somewhere deep in her throat. Duo smiled sheepishly, looking down at his feet, his hands behind his back. He truly looked like a teenage boy standing in front of a girl he had a crush on.
"Yeah… Me…" Hilde didn't know what to do, but after she seemed to collect her mind from all over the place, she remembered their last meeting. Her face changed from one of shock to annoyance. She crossed her arms, leaning heavily on one hip.
"What are you doing here?" she nearly spat at him. Duo brought his hands around and silently showed her purse. She immediately snatched it away. With nothing left to occupy his hands, Duo resorted to simply wringing his hands nearly raw. Hilde still stood watching him.
"Is there anything else?" Duo stuttered for a moment, but finally gave up. Hilde saw that they were getting absolutely no where, so she returned to the chore of shutting and locking her door. Rolling her eyes, she made her way down the hall, trying very hard not to turn around and face him. Duo saw that he was losing his chance very quickly to talk to her.
"I'm sorry!" He finally blurted out. Her feet seemed to stop of their own accord. Despite the fact that she was trying desperately not to turn around, she found herself doing exactly what she didn't want to do. Her face was skeptical.
"What?" He shuffled his feet and looked away, stuffing his fidgety hands into his pockets.
"I'm sorry… I had no right to treat you like I did the other night. I wanted to apologize." It looked like the words were being wrenched from him.
"Why am I always being dragged into your harebrained ideas?" growled Trowa as he stood with annoyance to the beginnings of the slums. Duo stood beside him, clutching the small purse in his hand. He had to see her again, but the only way he could do that is by using the excuse of bringing what she had forgotten the other night. He barely even registered what Trowa was saying.
"You're helping me out, man. Besides, you already know the entire situation. You have a history with this whole thing." Duo didn't even look at his reluctant victim as he anxiously looked from one flat address to another. As they walked by, several women standing in the doorways smiled coyly at them, waiting to see if either one of them would take the bait.
"If this is what you call history then I think you ought to go retake that course." Duo made a distasteful face. He was done with college and that was that. He didn't want anymore to do with studying as far as he was concerned. Being a mechanic at a local auto shop was just fine with him. Finally, he arrived in front of a flat that was indicated on Hilde's identification card. Duo stared at the building as if he was about to climb Mount Everest. He made an audible gulp. Trowa rolled his eyes and began to enter the building, grabbing Duo's sleeve.
"I… I've changed my mind," Duo stated anxiously as he tried to make a mad dash for the street. Trowa yanked harder, nearly sending his friend on his back.
"You dragged me all the way down here and you're going to finish what you started, now move your ass before I have to shove my foot up it. I can promise you that it won't be attractive at all," growled Trowa in annoyance. Duo heeded his friend's word as he finally pulled himself together. Taking a deep breath, he made an effort to walk purposefully towards the stairs. She was on the third floor, hopefully not doing any 'social services' at the moment. Duo would cross that bridge when it came. Trowa was walking behind him, making sure his friend would not make anymore mad dashes for the nearest exit. That is, until he saw her standing in one of the doorways next to the staircase. She didn't seem to recognize him at first. Unlike the other girls down on the stoops, she didn't look predatorial. She merely glanced at him, only to do a double take. She was obviously shocked to see him once again. Trowa didn't realize that he had stopped moving directly in front of her. Cathy looked at him from head to foot. She was obviously not displeased with what she found, except for the permanent glare that seemed to be always on Trowa's face.
Trowa didn't know what was happening, all he knew was that he had suddenly lost complete track of his friend and he was standing in front of a very gorgeous woman. For only a brief moment, the briefest of brief moments, he allowed his mind to wander. It was her job right? Would she refuse a customer? Trowa immediately shook the thought from his head, knowing where that would lead him.
"Can I help you?" she asked. It wasn't seductive; it sounded more like a receptionist asking for an appointment. Trowa didn't know what to do; he simply allowed his body to do what it wanted. Slowly, he took a step towards the door she stood next to. She looked surprised and almost hurt when she saw what he intended. Sighing, as if a child had just been asked to do a chore, she moved into her room, Trowa in tow. Trowa stopped to take in her room. It was clean and tidy, not like he had expected. From what he had seen in the past, places like this were shabby, but not here. This place was very different. The woman was different. In the middle of the room was a nice love couch facing a small fireplace. There were small cabinets in one area and a kitchen right in front of that. Hand-carved wooden dressers were against the walls. In a small part of the flat was the bedroom. It was an open doorway from the living area to the bed. He swallowed as he saw that Cathy had taken off her shirt revealing smooth creamy skin. Her shoulder was only a gentle curve, revealing a slim beautiful neck. She still wore her brassiere. It was red and satiny. Trowa cleared his throat and concentrated on looking elsewhere. What was he doing here? He almost never gave into such temptations, but damn it, she looked so good. Cathy was waiting almost expectantly for him to move towards the bedroom and she saw that he was hardly moving at all. She bent her hip and placed an annoyed hand there, giving him a slight glower.
"What are you doing?" she said seductively, still trying to play the part of the loving bedmate. Her face said otherwise. Trowa was disgusted that she was even trying to make an effort to act as if she wanted him. Growling, he made a move towards the door. Her eyes widened.
"No, come back," she said, her voice coming back to its original pitch. It was nice and throaty. Trowa liked it. "Did you come here for this?" she said indicating her body. "Or for something else?" Her eyes were confused. She had never had a client turn her down in such a way. It felt… good, strangely enough. Trowa turned and stared at her for a long moment.
"Do you have any coffee?" Cathy seemed to grow even more confused. She nodded slowly and indicated for Trowa to take a seat at her table. She immediately went about pulling out the filter and coffee grounds. She glanced at Trowa every once in a while who was distractedly examining the flat.
"This is a nice place," he commented absently. Cathy turned with a pleasant look on her face.
"Really? I'm glad someone noticed. I try to keep this place clean, not for other people, mostly for myself." She set out two cups for herself and Trowa. She turned back towards the refrigerator and pulled out a plate of sliced banana bread.
"I know it's not traditionally eaten in Japan, but a friend of mine showed me a recipe and I pretty much fell for it. Ever had some of this before?" she asked innocently. Trowa shook his head and reached over to take a slice, examining it at first and then finally taking a bite. He must have liked it; he ate at least four more pieces before setting aside the plate. By then the coffee was hot and ready to be served. When all the movement had stopped and they were left sipping their coffee, Cathy could not stand it any longer.
"So why are you here?"
"Hilde seemed to have forgotten something at the club the other night, Duo wanted to return it and dragged me along with him." The corner of Cathy's mouth went up a little in amusement.
"It looks as if we're both on leashes by those two," she said dryly. Trowa smiled amusedly.
"I let Duo believe it, but what he doesn't know is that I can yank on that leash anytime I want." Cathy let out a small laugh. Trowa found that it was rather pleasant. He liked her voice and her laugh, and the way she would gracefully serve bread and coffee to him. Small things were being imprinted into his mind the more he sat there. He noticed how clumsy she could be when holding something and walking, yet act as if it was normal. It was amusing.
"What are you smiling about?" she asked suddenly. Trowa realized that as he was staring off into nowhere, thinking of these random pleasures, he had begun to smile rather goofily. He shook himself quickly out of his trance.
"Nothing, just thinking of what happened to Duo."
"Probably having a tumble with Candy," she said absently as she brought the cup to her mouth. Trowa raised an eyebrow at this.
"You know, a relationship isn't all about sex." Cathy let out a laugh just as she finished sipping her cup. Trowa didn't like that laugh. It was cynical and filled with secret meaning.
"You're telling me this? I of all people should know that better than anyone. It's the sex that changes people."
"Care to enlighten me?"
"Do you really want to know?" Trowa shrugged looking around.
"I have nothing better to do, so shoot." Cathy leaned back and contemplated it for a long moment. Finally she spoke out.
"Every girl has a sense of naivety. What they expect during their first time is a whole mixture of love, sensitivity, and trust. Everything for that one girl is already thought out in her mind. She knows most of the good feelings that she should have when it first happens. A girl will meet a nice gentleman and believe she's fallen for him. He's suave, courteous, handsome, and gentle, everything that a girl could want. He fawns over her, pets her, gives every single bit of attention to her, treating her like a beautiful princess made of glass." Cathy's eyes were glazed over slightly, as if going back into her memory. Suddenly, that glaze was gone, replaced with something much darker. "Then it happens. The man makes a move and the girl is so blinded by her love for this nice gentleman that she would do anything for him… anything. He takes her to bed and without any consideration, steals her naivety and replaces it with bitter remorse. There was no love, tenderness, or loving whispers in the night. In such a relationship, the man takes and takes, thinking that the girl is enjoying everything he is enjoying, blinded by his own needs and no one else's. The relationship changes. The nice gentleman changes. He's no longer a nice gentleman, but a man only playing with a toy he had found. He still gives her flowers and an occasional peck on the cheek like a pet, but only in the evenings to prove that girl's dreams wrong. Stealing every bit of love and joy from her. I know sex is not the only thing in a relationship, but one person in that relationship sure as hell thinks it is," she nearly hissed at the last. "Sex shouldn't be involved in any relationship. To have sex means to not have a relationship at all." Trowa's eyes were very serious.
"So by doing this," he said, spreading his arms, indicating the entire slums surrounding him. "You're only proving that you have no relationship." Cathy looked thoughtful for a moment, trying to ignore the stinging in her eyes. Finally, she cleared her throat.
"I suppose so. It's my independence from that kind of pain."
"You do realize that I said that sex isn't the main part of the relationship. Even a man and wife have to have some kind of physical connection, but it's more than that, you do realize this right?" Cathy looked somewhat skeptical and Trowa felt a wave of shock roll over him.
"You seriously think that sex is obsolete?" he asked slightly shocked.
"I have yet to meet a man that has shown me otherwise. Every man is selfish when it comes down to sex. All for him and nothing for the 'thing' that lies beneath him," she said in disgust.
Trowa had a strange smile on his face as he stood up. Cathy examined him as he stood before him, looking him up and down. She supposed that he was ready now, with all the talk of sex. Sighing, she stood up and turned towards the bedroom. Trowa reached out and spun her around to face him. His face was inches from hers. Slowly, he leaned forward. Cathy felt her heart racing at a deadly pace. She felt as if her insides had suddenly turned into a molten pit of lava. Almost expectantly, she felt her eyes slide half shut, waiting for his lips to connect with hers. Then… nothing. She opened her eyes with confusion. What was he doing? He was simply standing there, staring at her. She began to blush. Then he moved forward and pecked her lightly on the cheek. She had to blink several times to realize that he had already opened the door and was going to head down the hall. Running after him, she stopped in the door, staring after him.
"What was that all about?" she called after him. He stopped and turned to her. Her breath caught in her throat.
"You believe that a relationship is not a relationship unless there is no sex involved correct?" Cathy shifted uneasily and finally nodded. "Well, if I want that, I can't do anything with you, but I will prove your theory wrong, when the time is right." With that said, he turned and shoved his hands in his pockets and began to whistle a merry little tune as he slowly made his way down the hallway. Cathy could only stare with her jaw hanging open, a fish, out of water.
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So here he was, standing like an idiot in front of a door, holding a woman's purse. As far as he could tell, she was inside, but she was also alone. The endless possibilities were running through his mind. Of course, they were immediately dismissed. That's not what he came here for. What did he come here for? His friend had managed to somehow disappear, probably stumbling upon a very pretty woman and decided to stay for a chat. Duo's eyebrows knit together in annoyance. What kind of friend would ditch him like this in the slums?
His thoughts were rudely interrupted when the door suddenly swung open. Hilde looked dressed to kill and she was so busy getting ready to lock the door as she was closing it that she ran straight into Duo. At first, she paid him no attention, but as soon as she realized that he wasn't moving, she let out an exasperated sigh, stopping her attempt in locking her door.
"I wish you guys would find better times to come here for a roll in the hay," she mumbled as she turned to face him. She had started to reopen the door to allow her 'customer' into her flat. She stopped, frozen in complete shock.
"You…" She couldn't seem to finish what she was saying. It was stuck somewhere deep in her throat. Duo smiled sheepishly, looking down at his feet, his hands behind his back. He truly looked like a teenage boy standing in front of a girl he had a crush on.
"Yeah… Me…" Hilde didn't know what to do, but after she seemed to collect her mind from all over the place, she remembered their last meeting. Her face changed from one of shock to annoyance. She crossed her arms, leaning heavily on one hip.
"What are you doing here?" she nearly spat at him. Duo brought his hands around and silently showed her purse. She immediately snatched it away. With nothing left to occupy his hands, Duo resorted to simply wringing his hands nearly raw. Hilde still stood watching him.
"Is there anything else?" Duo stuttered for a moment, but finally gave up. Hilde saw that they were getting absolutely no where, so she returned to the chore of shutting and locking her door. Rolling her eyes, she made her way down the hall, trying very hard not to turn around and face him. Duo saw that he was losing his chance very quickly to talk to her.
"I'm sorry!" He finally blurted out. Her feet seemed to stop of their own accord. Despite the fact that she was trying desperately not to turn around, she found herself doing exactly what she didn't want to do. Her face was skeptical.
"What?" He shuffled his feet and looked away, stuffing his fidgety hands into his pockets.
"I'm sorry… I had no right to treat you like I did the other night. I wanted to apologize." It looked like the words were being wrenched from him.