Gone

Disclaimer: Not mine whaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! Warnings: language again: swearing.

 
 
 
Gone
Chapter 4

 
Hilde followed Heero as he half dragged, half carried Duo toward the infirmary.
“Hilde.” He said in his monotone. “You could help.”
“Oh! I’m sorry, Heero.” She hurried to his side and grabbed one of Duo’s arms. She slipped it over her shoulder.
Duo stirred a bit and asked, “Hilde, You’re here?”
“Yeah.” Her reply came out harsher than even she expected. Heero glanced over at her.
“You’re pissed.” Came Duo’s reply.
“Shouldn’t I be?”
“Yeah.”
Heero eyes squinted and he said, slowly, “Save it for later.”
Hilde looked at the floor, taking the scolding. Duo said nothing.
After they got to the infirmary, the doctors were waiting and they chased the two of them away, so they could look the boy over.
Hilde stood in the hall with Heero.
“He’s not hurt badly. Beat up and bruised. But he was a damn fool for taking off on his own.” He turned away from her. “You should talk sense into his head.”
“Yeah, and pigs will fly out of my butt. Face it, Yuy, he does what he wants. And you and I can’t stop him at all.”
He started to walk away.
“Damn you, Yuy! I won’t be blamed for this! He left me without even goodbye.”
Heero stopped in his tracks and turned back to the distraught girl. He frowned. He had told Relena goodbye.
“What?”
“What do you mean ‘what?’ Jesus, didn’t you hear me?”
“I heard. What do you want me to do about it?”
She shook her head, “What was I thinking trying to talk to a cold fish like you. Nothing! I don’t want you do anything. Just go away.” Hilde turned away from him and looked at the door to the room Duo had been taken.
Heero shrugged his shoulders and turned away. As he walked down the hallway, he heard her apologize to him. He nodded and kept on walking, knowing she didn‘t need to. He frowned as he walked. This was not the normal Hilde. Perhaps he should cold cock Duo when he came out of the hospital. Perhaps not. Hilde could handle Duo.

Hilde sighed as she watched Heero walk away. She apologized to him for her outburst and saw him nod. She rubbed her hand to her forehead. It was not like her to act like this.
“Damn you, Duo!”
As she stood waiting to hear anything, she closed her eyes. *calm yourself, Hilde, Don’t go in there half cocked. He deserves your ire but you can do this with dignity.* She nodded to herself, she’d hear his explanation first, then kill him!
She paced slowly back and forth across the floor. Just as she was about to go to the door and pound on it, it open and the doctors came out.
“You can go see him. Seems he will be alright. Some bruises and bumps but nothing too serious. He’ll be up and around in a day or two.”
He held the door open and Hilde slipped in. She waited till it closed behind her. She stood with her back to the door, looking across the room at the boy lying on the bed.
“I suppose you want an explanation.”
She took two steps forward and hissed, “Yes.”
He looked over at her. “Ok.”
He motioned for her to sit on the chair beside him. He waited till she was sitting then looked over at her. He reached for her hand but when she made no effort to reach to him, he dropped it on the bed.
“Hilde, I know you’re pissed.”
“You got that right, buddy.”
He sighed, “I’m really sorry. It wasn’t what I had in mind when I left. But when I heard it might be a suicide mission, I couldn’t leave you to pick up after me if I was killed. I didn’t want to put you through that.”
“So you lefth oth out a word? Didn’t you think that would hurt, too?”
“Well, yeah, but wouldn’t have giving my things away be worse?”
She closed her eyes . He was making sense in a twisted way.
“ I don’t know. Who says I would have given your things away? You didn’t give me a chance to find out one way or the other. Would you have come back?”
“You know I would have, Hilde.”
“Why?”
“Because….. Well, just because.”
“Duo, you have to tell me why you would have come back.”
“Why are you here?”
“Sally asked me to come. Don’t change the subject, damn it, answer my question!”
“I .. .what if I get killed?”
“Are you planning to get killed, Duo?”
“No. No one plans to get killed, Hilde.” He replied, irritably. “If I told you would it make a difference?”
“Maybe. But I personally need to know.”
“Would unspoken words make it better or worse?”
“Unspoken words are the worst kind. If you are killed, how would I go on not knowing?”
He blinked at her. He rubbed his hand over his face. “How come you always make sense when not making sense?”
“Duo Maxwell! Fine! I’ll tell you why I need to know.” She took a deep breath, “I love you. I have for a long, long time. There I said it.” She sighed in relief. “Wow! That felt good.”
“OH.”
He looked away.
Hilde’s shoulders sunk and she closed her eyes. “Ok, I guess my confession was for nothing. I’m really sorry to put you on the spot. I understand now.” She stood and turned away. “I see you don’t feel the same way, so I’ll go now. I …. I am sorry.”
She bit back tears and looked at him one last time before she turned away.
Suddenly she was stopped, by his hand grasping hers.
“Wait.”
“Why? Do you want to torture me more?” She asked in a choked voice, her free hand going to her face to wipe the errant tears from her cheeks.
“NO, babe. Come here.” He pulled her to the bed, forcing her to sit beside him. She turned her face away, not wanting him to see the tears she couldn‘t stop.
She felt him reach up and gently grasp her chin. She closed her eyes. She felt his thumb brush the tears away.
“Hilde, open your eyes and look at me.”
She swallowed and opened her eyes. She looked directly into the violet eyes she adored .
“What?”
“I love you , too. I just couldn’t tell you before I left. It would have been too hard for me to tell you goodbye. I couldn’t bring myself to come in and say it. So I left like a thief in the night. I am sorry that I did that. I was wrong.”
“Oh.”
“Hilde?”
“Huh?”
“Still angry with me?”
“No, I don’t know if I was ever angry.” She paused, “I don’t know what I was feeling.”
He pulled on her arm, bringing her closer to him. When their faces were inches apart, and she could feel his breath on her cheek, he kissed her. It was just a little, soft peck, but a kiss none the less.
“I promise more of them, but here is neither the time or place.” He said as he gazed at her face. “Oh, to hell with it.”
He pulled her close and kissed her again, this time deeper and with more passion.
Hilde closed her eyes and joined him in the kiss, no longer surprised at his actions.
After a few moments they released and sat wrapped in each others arms.
“So, Hilde, why are you here?”
“Well, that takes care of that romantic moment.” She said, dryly. She sat up, loosening herself from his embrace. “Sally called me. She said she need someone who was a good code breaker and hacker. And since Heero was on the mission with you, I guess it was me.”
She waited for his reaction.
“Cool. Sally has always know how to use her people in the best possible way.” He looked at her,” What have you find out?”
She shook her head. “Nothing and everything. It’s so confusing. It’s like the talk of a mad man. It’s pointless and then makes sense all at the same time. It’s totally frustrating. I have a copy of the manifesto if you want to read it, Duo. I gave it to Relena because she needs to know what’s happening here, too. Sally will probably brief all you guys on it.”
He nodded, as he grasped her hand. As they sat holding hands in the bright room, the door open.
“knock, knock! Can I come in?”
“Yeah, Sally.”
She stepped in and looked at the couple on the bed, holding hands.
“Kiss and make up, did you?”
Hilde smiled, “Something like that.”
“Good. How are you feeling, Duo?”
“I’m ok, just a little beat up.”
“Good. If you ever pull another stunt like that, I will personally kick your ass, Duo Maxwell. You are a member of a team, not a free spirit. This isn’t like before where you did your own thing. We have to work together or we will not win this one.” She pointed her finger at him. “No more hot shotting it, kid! You got it?”
He nodded as he looked Sally, a lightly amused look on his face.
“Are you laughing at me, Maxwell?”
He shook his head no.
Sally threw her hands in the air. “I give up! There will be a briefing at 09hundred, tomorrow. Be there!” She looked at Hilde. “You, too!”
Then she was gone.
Hilde looked at him. “Well, I guess she told you, huh?”
“Yeah. I guess so.” He chuckled.
“I know you won’t listen, so just be careful.”
“Ok.”
“Good, cuz I don’t want to have to help Sally kick your ass.”
Duo chuckled and looked at the girl next to him, “I promise.”


To be continued………..