Daddy Duo

Chapter 4

Bigger and Better

(AN: This story is dedicated to Misty Yuy, a most faithful reader who keeps cheering me on. I already dedicated a story to you, Jack, so don't pout. )

Duo awoke to find the bed next to him empty, again.

He heard flushing sounds from the bathroom, and then running water.

Hilde came in later, looking a little pale and disheveled. Her short dark hair was still wet from a quick shower.

"Sick again?" he asked rhetorically.

"It's getting better," Hilde said. "Now it's only a little nausea first thing in the morning, and not every day."

"Did I remember to say I wish it were me suffering instead of you?" asked Duo.

"Only 29 times this week," said Hilde, lying back down on the bed next to him.

"Counting, are we?" he asked lightly.

"I'm writing it down," Hilde said. "I want there to be evidence in case I shoot you. No jury would convict me."

"Ouch," said Duo. "I'm checking you for weapons right now!"

He rolled over and pinned her arms over her head lightly with one hand and proceeded to run his hands down her sides.

"ACK, that tickles, quit it!" she yelled. "Please, I promise not to shoot you!"

"Can I turn my back on you safely now?" he said, rising and going to the bathroom door.

"I forgive you for knocking me up," said Hilde.

"I seem to remember some active participation on your part," he said, ducking into the adjoining bathroom as Hilde pouted at him.

"It's still your fault," she said, "Can I help it if you're irresistible?"

He laughed. "Okay, my bad."

He went inside and turned on the shower. "I hope you left me some hot water," he said, running his hand under the spray, and stripping off his boxers, stepping in.

"We'll have to start taking more showers together," Hilde said loudly so he could hear, coming into the bathroom.

"You'll get no complaints from me," said Duo. "Come in and help me wash my hair."

"You could cut your hair," she said, teasingly. "Then you could take shorter showers."

He growled. "Even talking about cutting the hair is grounds for divorce. I have that written down somewhere."

She dropped her robe to the floor and stepped in behind him.

"You do the top and I'll do the bottom," she said, holding out her hand for the shampoo.

"Ooh, now that sounds like an invitation I can't refuse," he said turning around and leering at her.

"I meant your hair," she said.

"I know what you meant," he said, "But I have a dirty mind."

"You're going to be late for work again," she warned him.

"Okay, I'll be a good boy," he said reluctantly.

"Imagining Une bitching me out again has deflated me anyway," he said, turning around so Hilde could wash the ends of his hair while he shampooed the top.

"I'll have to remember that," said Hilde, giggling, "A girl needs her sleep sometimes!"

He turned around to rinse his hair and then handed Hilde a bottle of conditioner. "Hit me again, babe," he said, and she poured a generous amount into her palm and starting at the ends, worked her way up to his scalp.

"Ah, that feels nice," he said, bending down a little so she could rub his scalp some more.

"You know," he said, "I think you're getting bigger around the middle." He scrutinized her stomach.

"I'm only three months along," scoffed Hilde, "Although my clothes are getting a little tighter. I mean my loose clothes too. Forget the smaller ones. I guess I'm going to have to go shopping and get something larger to wear before long."

She sighed. "Pretty soon I'll be a huge stuffed sausage and you'll run screaming when you see me naked.

He was rinsing his hair, squeezing water out of the ends. "Never happen," he said, "I kind of like your Buddha belly."

"Great, so now I've got a Buddha belly." She sighed again.

"You're supposed to get bigger," he said, frowning slightly at her and reaching for a towel. He grabbed another one for his hair and wrapped the first one around his waist, then handed Hilde a towel.

"Don't get all depressed about it," he said. "After the kid, you'll snap right back in no time."

"I hope so," she said. "But I feel like my body doesn't belong to me anymore. I'm no longer in control, the baby is."

"Well, I guess that's true, in a way," said Duo thoughtfully. "After all, you're renting out part of it to someone else."

"Strange way to put it," said Hilde. "But true enough."

"And if you think I'm gonna kick you outta my bed just because you get a little rounder, then you sure don't know me very well," he said, reaching around her and rubbing her back dry with the towel.

"How about a lot rounder?" asked Hilde, smiling at him.

"Okay, a lot rounder," he said, grinning back at her. "Get as big as a damn elephant, I don't care, just as long as the kid's okay!"

"Uh, no thanks," she said, laughing, and reaching up to help him dry his hair.

"Quit worrying about nuthin," he said to her taking the towel out of her hands and hanging it up to dry.

"There's enough real stuff to worry about without makin things up."

"You're right," she said, "I promise not to worry about how I look anymore, okay?"

"You look great," he said, bending down and kissing her on the lips.

"Besides," he said, going into the bedroom, "it's not as though I mind nailing a fat chick."

"Duo!" Hilde squealed putting her bathrobe back on. She smacked him hard with the damp towel with which she had just dried herself.

"Hey, that's gonna leave a mark!" he yelled, seeing a slight red welt on his bare thigh.

"No one better be looking there anyway," she said, "except me!"

"Now, get dressed, and I'll go make us some breakfast."

"I'll be down in a minute," he said, opening the closet doors.

Sitting down to breakfast later, Hilde watched Duo eat.

For the millionth time, she wondered where he put it all.

"Duo, I think we can start telling everyone about the baby," she said, drinking a sip of juice.

"I mean, it's going to be hard to hide soon anyway," she said, absently touching her stomach.

"Heero hasn't said a word," said Duo. "But I was never worried. I bet he hasn't even told Relena."

"I can hardly wait to tell Quatre and Trowa," said Duo. "Bring on the waterworks!"

"Don't make fun of Quatre because he's sentimental," said Hilde.

"Besides, I seem to remember a certain fellow with a braid almost fainting when he was told."

"I'm going to see Wufei, too," said Duo. "Sally sort of let me know he needs cheering up. He's staying at Quatre's so maybe we can go visit them all this weekend." "That sounds nice," said Hilde, "I'm only working in the afternoon now, so I'm a little bored. "

Hilde was working at Preventor's Headquarters too, but in a different section than Duo, so they rarely saw each other during the day.

"You need to get out of this apartment once in a while. I know it's not the same for you since we came back here and sold the scrap yard."

"Well, I do need to go shopping," said Hilde. "Maternity clothes, yuck," she said, wincing. "And my uniform won't fit much longer either," she shrugged.

"None of that, now," Duo said to her, "Remember, you promised, no pouting."

"I'll ask Sally if she can go with you," said Duo. "Gotta run, babe," he said, bending down and kissing her on the cheek.

Hilde sighed as he ran out of the door.

"Well, it's just you and me, kid," said Hilde, patting her stomach. "Let's go shopping."

"