Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ After Colony 198 ❯ No Longer a Child ( Chapter 3 )

After Colony 198

By Iris Anthe

Chapter 3

It had been two weeks of hell. Two days after Relena's disappearance, Heero had taken off without warning and hadn't come back. Duo wasn't sure what to do with Heero's stuff. He had no idea if he was off chasing Relena, had blown himself out of an airlock, or was just taking a very long walk around the block. "That guy. What a pain in the ass." But a missing, possibly suicidal Heero, wasn't even the worst of it. Hilde was still, inexplicably mad at him. She wouldn't answer the vidphone, wouldn't return his messages, and he'd even heard from a parts supplier, that she'd been going to a junkyard on the other side of the colony for scrap metal.

"It's all Heero's fault." Duo sat hunched over a beer at the table, staring at the mess of dishes and food remains scattered across every surface of the kitchen. There was even more in his room. "What a mess. Everything's a mess. I'm a mess." It was true. His work coverall was filthy with grease, beer and condiments, and his hands and face were smeared with purplish grease marks. Even his chestnut braid had lost some of its pride to four days of sleeping and working, without a shower or a brushing. "Man, I'd sure like to kick somebody's head in. I wish Heero were here. I'd pick a fight with him, even though he'd probably kill me. There's never an enemy around when you need one." With that he sighed and tried to drain his already empty beer can. "Figures."

Duo stood wearily, chucking the crushed can onto the floor and walked to the refrigerator. Normally well stocked with fresh vegetables, and sandwich fixings, the refrigerator was bare of everything but very old leftovers and condiments. "No more beer. Well that figures too. I guess it's time for a stop at the grocery store. Yeuchh...what IS that?" Duo closed the container he'd been investigating and shoved it back into the fridge, closing the door quickly to block it from view. A moment of self-awareness made it through as he looked around the disgusting mess his home had become. "I gotta get out of here."

He nearly fell over the disassembled engine sitting in front of the door as he exited the apartment, but kicking it only seemed to damage him more than it did the complex hunk of metal. "Why me?"

With a sigh he walked out of the shop.

A little over two hours later he found himself looking up in puzzlement at the numbers over Hilde's studio entrance. "Five twenty-six." Duo was still trying to make sense of these numbers his body had taken him to, when an alarmingly loud crash on the other side of the door jolted him back into himself. "Oh my god, Hilde?"

He rushed into the converted warehouse that was Hilde's studio, to find a chaotic mess that completely blew away the mere clutter of food that he'd thought was destroying his home. What he had created out of dishes, food and dirty clothes, Hilde had managed to blow up in scale in heaps and layers of torn and twisted metal.

"Wow! Now this is a mess!" Duo was immediately confronted by Hilde wielding a very large mallet and a lit hand torch.

"So, you finally showed up. What do you want, Duo."

Duo's mouth hung open. Hilde was burning his flesh away just by looking at him. What did she plan to do with the welding torch? "Uh, how've you been Hilde? Long time no see." Duo attempted a rakish smile that had always seemed to amuse Hilde in the past. Somehow this time it only made her look more violent, with her blue-black hair crackling around her face like dark lightning, and her bare arms bulging as she turned off the torch and swung the mallet to her other shoulder.

"You look disgusting Duo."

"And you're scaring me, but you still look good enough to eat."

Was that a smile? "Well, that's not much of a compliment coming from a guy who wears his lunch on his shirt."

Duo looked down, and blushed as he realized just how shabby he must look. "What am I doing here?"

"Well if you don't know, then neither do I." Duo hadn't realized he'd spoken aloud, but now Hilde was walking away.

"Wait, Hilde…" But his voice was lost as Hilde began pummeling a large vertical sculpture that was lying wounded on the floor. He watched in horror edged with a weird, jittery excitement as Hilde's body arched and released, over and over, her back and arms working as she pounded what must have been an unsuccessful sculpture into oblivion. He noticed details as he watched, such as the sheen of sweat on her forearms, and the blood that was mingling with sweat dripping from her neck and shoulders. There were pieces of metal flying everywhere, and her arms were covered in minor lacerations. At least she was wearing safety goggles. But other than that she was only wearing overalls. That was why her arms were bare. With a warm jolt in his gut, Duo wondered if she was wearing anything at all under there. This was definitely a part of Hilde he'd never seen before. Suddenly he realized that rather than kicking in someone's head, Hilde was taking it out on her sculpture. "Not a bad idea." Duo located another mallet and began hammering at the far end of the doomed work of art.

"What the hell are you doing?" Hilde immediately turned and screamed at him, and swung her mallet into his gut.

With a sickening grunt, Duo landed a meter away, clutching his middle, and gritting his teeth against the pain.

"Oh my god! Duo!" Hilde ran over to Duo and unzipped his coverall, feeling for broken ribs. "I'm so sorry, Duo. Oh, god. I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me. Duo, say something. Please!" Hilde was frantically clearing a space for Duo to lie down on while still feeling his ribs for damage.

"It's all right, Hilde. I don't think anything's broken. Just knocked the wind out of me. Good thing that mallet's made of rubber though. You pack quite a wallop." Duo gave her a half grin around his gritted teeth to try and calm her down. But she insisted on having him lie down in the space she'd cleared on the floor, while she peeled the top of his coverall off his arms.

"Where does it hurt Duo? Stop grinning and help!" Hilde was gently probing his sides while watching his face for signs of pain.

"You know, babe, if you wanted to get my shirt off, you could've just asked. You didn't have to go through all of this just to feel me up." Duo grabbed Hilde's arms as she suddenly tried to stand up, and like a stunned animal waiting for an opening in the circle of predators, she grew quiet in his hands, looking at the floor, with her body still tensed for an escape as soon as his grip might relax.

I think maybe she did bust something, but I can't let her know. Why is she so mad at me?

"Why are you mad at me, Hilde?" Duo tried to make eye contact but Hilde wouldn't look at his face. It seemed like her eyes wouldn't make it any higher than his right shoulder. "Please Hilde, tell me. What did I do? Is there something else going on that's upset you? Maybe I can help? Please Hilde, I thought we were friends?"

At his last words, she surged out of his grip. He tried grabbing her again, but the pain in his side brought him up short. "Damn it!"

Hilde gave a sigh and after a moment's contemplation, hefted him up onto his feet. "Come on, Duo. Let's tie up those ribs, just in case my rubber mallet hurt you worse than you're letting on." And slinging one of his arms over her shoulder, she guided him to the living area of her studio.

*****

Her space was rudimentary--a large work area for her studio, divided by a doorway from a smaller room with a kitchen at one end and her bed at the other. The bathroom was accessible from the kitchen. Duo sat on the lid of her toilet while Hilde sorted through her first aid supplies for a bandage big enough to go around his chest a few times.

"You know Hilde, it really doesn't hurt that much anymore. You ought to take care of the cuts on your arms before they get infected."

Hilde looked down at her arms, and noticed for the first time that her sculpture had fought back in its own way when she decided to destroy it. "I liked that sculpture," she said with confusion crinkling her forehead.

"Funny way of showing it. Is this the way you treat everything you like?" Duo dramatically held his side and peeked at her through his bangs. She snorted a small laugh in spite of herself, and watched Duo relax a little more. "You're such a jerk, Duo."

"I know. I know. But you like me anyway, right?" He sounded a little uncertain, and that really annoyed her. How could he be so stupid? How was he able to stay alive as a Gundam pilot in the war when he was obviously this dumb? He was looking up at her, trying to figure out what maneuver would put her back in a better mood. Why couldn't he just let her be angry? Why did she have to be cheery, just to make him feel better? She assessed him critically. His face and hands were filthy. The rest was pale and smooth, but marked with the trace lines of old scars all over his torso. His right side was beginning to darken slightly where she had hit him. It was strange that she'd been able to hurt him. But then his guard had been down. Not that he'd ever felt threatened by her, even when she was an OZ pilot firing at him in battle. She let out a sigh, and ran a finger down the side of his face...watched his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed at her touch.

She turned to the sink and began scrubbing the cuts on her arms.

"I'll tie up your ribs after you clean up. I'm going to make some food. You can use my towel."

"Does this mean you're not mad at me anymore?"

"No. It just means that you stink, and I'm hungry." With that, she walked into the kitchen half of her living space and shut the bathroom door behind her.

She busied herself boiling water for pasta, and chopping up vegetables. She had to concentrate not to cut herself in the process. She could hear Duo singing stupid pop songs, and bits of opera melodies over the water of the shower. A small giggle erupted from her as he missed a high note and tried again. They'd lived together before, when she was a puppy-eyed devotee, ready to die for the colony and its undercover savior, Shinigami, the crazy, braided Duo Maxwell. She had lived in awe of the Gundam pilot, even if he was irreverently funny in his black baseball cap and modified priest's outfit. He was always flirting with her, which at the time she had taken as an unwelcome and annoyingly patronizing put down of her abilities as a soldier.

But now he was Duo Maxwell, the mechanic, the friend, and the man. She had developed a lot since the end of the war, and its minor after-skirmishes. She was more aware of herself, and had found self-confidence through her art. She no longer felt insulted by Duo's flirting. Now, with every whip-tongued retort and insinuation, she was driven mad with pent-up frustration. Her body was different, and it wanted to be touched. She didn't even understand what it would feel like, or how it would make her feel better, but her palms itched with increased sensation whenever his body was too close to hers. And now he was in her shower. Her calf and thigh muscles went a little limp at the thought.

She heard the water turn off, and some muttering from behind the closed door.

"Hey Hilde?" Duo's top half and a puff of steam popped out of the bathroom door. "Do you have any clothes that might fit me? My coverall is so disgusting, it would be a sin to put it back on now."

She stood staring at him, forgetting the large chopping knife still in her right hand. His hair was loose and clung dripping to his bare shoulders and chest. His face became more focused and he stepped out from behind the door, wrapped from the waist down in her towel. He stood there dripping on the other side of the room, and she couldn't take her eyes off of him. He walked towards her, and she found herself having the irrational urge to run.

You moron, this is what you've been dreaming about! There will be no running.

He was right in front of her now. With a wolfish smile, he gently plucked the knife from her hand and placed it on the counter. She must have been holding her breath, because it suddenly burst out of her and came back in heavy and fast, as he leaned his hands into the counter behind her, trapping her inches from his barely covered body. She looked up at him, and an idiotic grin spread across her face. "Hi," she let out with a low giggle.

His eyebrows twitched up. "Hi yourself."

Before she could say anything witty to dispel the situation they were in, he leaned in closer and gently kissed her inert lips. She let out a small gasp and kissed him back. Her hands moved up inside the circle of his arms, tracing a line from his navel across his side. She brought her hands up behind him, and moaned softly as she ran her hands down the expanse of his back; his skin grew goosebumps wherever she traced her fingers over it. He responded by letting go of the counter, and holding her neck with one hand, while working at the clasp of her overalls with the other, all the while kissing her with more and more urgency.

Oh my god.

He gave a little shiver as she moved a hand down his chest, lingering on his left nipple, and then pressing into the smooth skin of his abdomen, eventually brushing against the border of his towel. He pulled away from her slightly, leaving her gasping for his mouth more than for air. His eyes were closed, and he swallowed with a gasp, as she realized that her hand was resting on the bulge of his sex beneath the towel. She was shocked, and quickly pulled her hand away. His head snapped down and he locked his eyes on hers.

"Hilde…" he paused with a wrinkle between his eyes. "I want to touch you. Please. Let me touch you." It came out in a whisper, pleading with his eyes closed.

She stood for a moment, in flux, not knowing which way to go. The look of vulnerability on his face as he begged her for permission to do what she'd been waiting for, for so long, somehow gave her enough distance to think.

"Yes, Duo. Yes." She placed her hand over his and guided it gently from her lips, down her neck, pressing it to her right breast, and then guiding it lower, down the denim of her overalls, to her stomach, and tentatively, both their hands shaking, down into the inseam of her thigh. He squeezed so hard on her inner thigh that she gave a little gasp of pain. He immediately let go, apologizing.

"It's ok, shhh…it's ok, Duo." She smiled at him, their foreheads touching. She pulled back with a mischievous look, placing one finger on his chest to push him away. With a nervous attempt at seductive flair, she sauntered away from the kitchen area, stopping to turn and face him again when she was about three meters away. He stood there a little confused, giving fuel to her feeling of seductive power.

With only a twinge of self-consciousness she slowly began to undo the buttons at her sides and hips, looking up and turning slightly to give him a peek at the flesh underneath. His mouth was hanging open, but it moved slowly into a somewhat intimidating smile as she traced her hands back up her sides to the clasps at the edges of her collarbone. He started moving towards her, but she put out a finger to halt him from moving any closer. His whole body seemed to be straining just to stand still in front of her, as she undid the clasp on her right side, letting the thick strap fall over her shoulder. She turned slowly, giving him a teasing view of her breast before turning her back on him completely. She peeked at him over her shoulder, and closed her eyes, as she undid the other clasp, letting the entire outfit fall to her feet.

Damn! I forgot the shoes!

In that moment of distraction, Duo moved up behind her and pressed his body against hers, bringing his hands around to clasp her breasts, as he began sucking on her neck.

She let out a shocked gasp, and almost fell over, tripping on the clothing now tangled around her boots. Luckily Duo had her by the waist, and pulled her back up to face him. She immediately flushed, embarrassed that her seductive strip tease had ended in clumsiness.

He gave a little chuckle, and picked her up in his arms, carrying her to the edge of her bed. Silently and patiently, he kneeled at her feet, untying her shoes, and one at a time removing them. She felt strangely like a child being put to bed by the baby-sitter.

Only that's no baby-sitter, and you are apparently no longer a child.

These thoughts made her a little nervous, looking down at her own body, wondering if Duo really found her attractive, now that she was completely bare. He looked up at her with an oddly contemplative grin on his face. "I didn't think you were wearing anything under there."

Oh god.

He stretched her out on the bed, and ran his hands down the length of her body, pausing to explore areas he apparently found interesting. She was feeling a little too exposed. Everything was happening too fast. Suddenly he was on top of her, and the weight of him pressing her into the bed brought her out of her fears, and back into her body…his body.

They suckled on each other's skin, kissing, biting, grabbing, unable to get as close as they desperately needed to be. At some point in the tussle, the towel disappeared, and Hilde could feel the hot press of his sex against her thigh. She let out a moan at the realization, and he gave an answering moan as she moved her hand to explore this new part of his body. He was gasping for air as she clenched it between her fingers, wanting somehow to press it closer to her, and arching her body into his. He moved a knee between her thighs, spreading her legs slowly apart. She started to have a thought enter into the demands of her body.

What are you doing, Hilde? I don't care. I don't care.

She had her eyes squeezed shut as he wriggled his other knee between hers. Time was suspended, and so was their breathing, as his fingers explored her most private physical self, placing his sex against hers. She opened her eyes as his body trembled with the need to thrust into her. She let out a gasp that was more like a small cry as she felt him begin to enter her.

No. Not yet. NO.

"No. Stop, Duo. Stop."

"Wha…?" He immediately pulled out of her, searching her face with alarm. "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. Oh, god Hilde. Did I hurt you? I'm sorry."

She rolled out from under him, and sat on the edge of the bed, trying to make sense of all this.

"Hilde?" He sounded desperate for reassurance.

"It's ok, Duo. I wanted to feel you, but then it just happened so fast. I guess I'm not ready. I'm sorry."

"You're sorry! I feel like I just forced you to...to..."

She turned around at the alarm in his voice. He looked younger now, like he'd been when she first met him. Just a boy...and very upset. "Shhh...shhhh...it's ok Duo. Don't worry. You didn't do anything wrong. It's ok. I promise. We stopped as soon as it felt wrong. It's ok. ok?"

He looked like he almost believed her. She needed to be alone for a little, but didn't want him to go. She also felt very awkward sitting naked with him now that the sex frenzy was over. She smiled at his beautiful naked body, and kissed him gently. "I'll be right back, ok? I just need to use the bathroom. Don't go anywhere!"

"Yes ma'am."

She slid off the edge of the bed, picking her overalls up from the floor where Duo had left them, and headed for the bathroom, sighing in relief as she closed the door between them.

"Wow."

She looked at her face in the mirror, thinking that she was a fool, but obviously not an ugly one. I guess he's gotten over the Shinigami thing, at least enough to join me in the land of the living. "Wow." She had the stupidest smile smacked on her face. But then her brow furrowed slightly. She examined herself and found that she was bleeding, but not very much. "Hmmm, that's always exaggerated in stories, I guess." Well, I guess next time it'll be easier. She heard noises from the next room, so she put on her overalls, splashed water on her face, and gave herself another look in the mirror before opening the door. Duo had found a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt that both almost fit, and he was finishing the meal she had started while he was in the shower.

"Hi." He smiled a little shyly at her over his shoulder, as he crushed a clove of garlic into a skillet for the sauce.

*****

"I wish I knew where he was." Hilde made a nondescript noise to show she was listening. They'd spent the entire day cleaning his apartment, and were now finishing the dishes, Hilde washing, him drying. It was hard to believe what a pig sty his space had turned into over a two week period.

"See what happens when you're mad at me?" He nudged Hilde in the side. "My whole life falls apart!" He was rewarded with a perfect Hilde smile, sweet, open, and a little goofy. "Wow, you are one hot babe." She splashed water on his shirt, and gave him a teasing kiss on the mouth, causing him to grin like an idiot, and nearly drop the dish he was drying. He discovered that he once again was getting a little too excited for the situation. He'd been walking around with an almost constant erection for the past two days, remembering what she felt like under him every time she touched him...and she'd been touching and teasing him all day. He decided she had to know how a red miniskirt affected him.

Hilde let out a little sigh, causing him to come back to where he was. "At least you don't punch your fist through windows, or run off to do who knows what..."

That brought him back to Heero. "That guy."

Hilde drained the sink as she slipped the last soapy dish into the rinsing basin of clear, hot water.

"You know, Hilde, I really thought he'd started to come around a little, right before she disappeared. He came out to the kitchen," there was a pause as he remembered, "and tried once again to beat the shit out of me." Hilde's brows arched up at this, and she grew a little angry. "He didn't. He only slugged me once in the jaw and stopped. It's ok! I deserved it. I was being a jerk."

"Hmph. You both were, you mean."

It pleased him in an unexpected way to see her so angry over his safety. "Weeeell, I was a little drunk and made a few too many jokes. Anyway, we actually talked a little. In fact, I think it helped me a lot. I mean, we talked about, you know, stuff." Hilde was looking at him like he was a moron as she wiped down the counter. Duo let out a frustrated puff of air.

"Never mind."

She moved over to put her arms around his waist, looking up at him apologetically. "Hey, Duo, I'm sorry. Come on. I'm listening." He slowly let go of his petulance, and continued.

"So then I thought it was all going to be ok. You know. Heero and Relena, together at last. The universe might implode, but what the hell. But then I heard him shout and glass breaking. I thought he was fighting with someone. Old reaction. But when I got there she was gone. Apparently she tried to leave by his window, but it was too long a drop, so she tip-toed to my room, and went down the fire escape."

"Is that why she left her shoes?"

"Yeah, I guess. She's clever, I'll give her that."

"Poor Heero." Hilde held him in a warm hug, her head resting on his shoulder. He could smell a mix of her sweat and shampoo, mixed with a faint odor of all the cleaning supplies they'd used all day as he kissed her forehead.

"And now I don't know where he is. I mean, the guy can take care of himself. Lord knows, he isn't quite human, and totally indestructible, but he's also got a tendency towards injuring himself, you know?" Duo looked down at the woman who made everything worthwhile, smiling at him in his arms. Wow. I can't believe I'm this lucky. "I wish Heero could be this happy."

"I love you Duo Maxwell. You're a good friend."

He nearly jumped out of his skin. "You love me?"

Her eyes went instantly from adoration to menace. "If I didn't love you, I would not have put up with your shit for three years, I wouldn't be sleeping with you, and I sure as hell wouldn't have spent an entire day cleaning up this stinking hole of an apartment!"

"Hey, hey! Don't get mad. Remember, that's what got us into this mess in the first place," he laughed, gesturing at his now tidy home. She didn't take the bait.

Hilde turned away from him and began putting the last dishes away in a violent enough manner, that he was worried she'd break them.

What did I say? It's what you didn't say, idiot. Right.

"Hilde, baby, come here." Duo sat down in one of the kitchen chairs, and put out a hand to pull her over. She gave him a wary look, but sat down on his lap. He shivered a little and closed his eyes as he ran his hand down her back. He took a deep breath before continuing. "Hilde, I love you. I've loved you so long, and said it so many times, I forget I've never said out loud. I love you." He opened his eyes to find her looking at him with an intense vulnerability. He brought his hand up and gently traced the line of her cheek. Her mouth parted slightly, and she began unbuttoning his shirt. She shifted her weight as she kissed him, pulling the ends of his shirt out of his pants, and straddling his hips. The mini skirt seemed even smaller this close up.

Oh Lord in heaven.

They hadn't gotten physically intense since the evening at Hilde's studio. She'd teased him continuously for two days, but froze up as soon as clothing started to come off. But this was definitely no tease.

"Hilde, we're in the kitchen."

She had unbuckled his belt and was now undoing his pants. Oh Lord.

"Hilde..."

"Mmmm...Duo..." She breathed his name into his neck, while her hand dipped into his boxers. He instantly became erect. Somehow she'd gotten her underwear off without his noticing, and began to gently rub her sex against his.

His breathing stopped as she began to push herself down onto him. He ran his hands up the backs of her thighs to the soft curve of her ass, squeezing her flesh, and trying to push her closer to him.

No wait. "Hilde...Oh Lord." She pulled back slightly only to push back farther around him. He knew there was something he was trying to tell her, but he couldn't think. "Hilde, we're in the kitchen." She bit his chest, and thrust harder onto him. "Someone could come in, Hilde..."

"I don't care." Her voice was a growl resonating in his mouth as she kissed him. I don't care. I don't care. He stopped thinking completely as she pulled off of him exposing his sex to the cooler air of the room and then finally brought him all the way inside of her.

With one arm behind her for support, and his hand cradling her head, he slipped them off the chair and onto the tiles of the kitchen floor. Kissing her neck, her mouth, anything he could find, he began to move rhythmically inside of her, mindless with the sensation of her body responding in sync under his. They shared breath in gasps, their eyes closing, their bodies given wholly over to touch, seeing with their skin. He pinned her left arm with his right, fingers entwined above their heads. She dragged her other hand down his back, and tried pushing him farther into her. Sounds were coming from her throat that kept increasing in pitch getting higher and higher as he pushed her slowly across the floor with each thrust.

They were slick with sweat, his stomach sliding wetly against hers. She had coiled her legs around his, gaining leverage to push herself closer to him. He was surrounded, encased in her body. Suddenly she gave a voiceless scream, arching her back into him, and clenching her toes into the fabric of his pants. He felt her constrict around him, driving him over the edge. Her scent invaded him as he came into her and collapsed. He tried to move off of her so as not to crush her with his weight, but all he could do was lift his head slightly and move it to the side. Duo opened his eyes, ready to try again and saw two tightly laced boots standing in the doorway to the hall. Before he could look up, they had turned and walked away, down the stairs and out of the house.

"Shit."