Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Anything at All ❯ From the Ranks of the Freaks ( Chapter 1 )

Disclaimer: Gundam Wing isn’t mine. If it was, there would be much more fanservice. Don’t sue me, you won’t get much. Except my cat. You can have my cat. Warning: I began this story seven years ago when I was fifteen and as I have matured, so has this story. There will be some mature content including language and adult themes. Oh and the song I quote is "Save Me" by Aimee Mann.   Chapter one   You look like a perfect fit For a girl in need of a tourniquet But can you save me From the ranks Of the freaks Who suspect They could never love anyone Autumn leaves fell from the trees that lined the sidewalk and brought beauty to the metropolitan atmosphere from their small squares of earth in an ocean of concrete. Hilde watched said leaves dance in a small breeze that blew outside of the coffee shop and took a sip of her coffee. The plaintive melancholy of a song on the radio reached her ears. 'He'll be here soon.' Tearing her gaze from the sidewalk outside, she stared into the murky depths of her coffee cup. Hazel butternut something. She had grown up watching men around her drink stuff that more closely resembled rocket fuel than anything she’d seen in a café and so had just recently warmed up to the idea of drinking it recreationally. Duo had called her cell phone and asked what she was up to. After she told him her location he had quipped that he'd meet her there and unceremoniously hung up. So here she was, waiting. She had to admit that after them having so much business lately and Duo spending more time with his girlfriend, the thought of spending some time soaking up his presence warmed her more thoroughly than any hazel butternut something could. She sighed, the first sound she had made since she set her cell phone down on the wooden tabletop. 'Don't be like that. You're his best friend. That’s more than enough.’ Hilde bit her lip and looked back out the window. "Hey babe."His familiar voice so close to her ear made her eyes widen in surprise and her heart to skip a beat. "Holy crap Duo! You scared me." She said, placing a hand over her chest for effect. He chuckled and sat down across from her, setting a cup of what looked like his usual double chocolate mocha and a small bag of gummy bears in front of him. He took a swig of his drink and looked up at her with eyes that made her realize she was smiling a little too honestly. "So, how has your day been?" She asked, watching as he opened the bag of gummy bears. "Swell! Lil' and I saw that movie I've been wanting to see after lunch. There wasn’t really enough action to keep me interested, though." "Cool." She continued to watch as he took out two gummy bears, one green and one red. "So Matt told me you guys are going to dinner tomorrow night?" "He wishes." She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "I know he does." He looked up at her with meaning shining in his cobalt eyes. "Oh don't give me that look Duo…It's not like I'm leading him on or anything! I've told him over and over again that I'm not interested." He frowned. "But you guys would be so cute together!" He took the green gummy bear and made it walk towards the red one. "Oh Matt! If only I had given you a chance I could have seen how much I love you!" He squeaked in a voice that was comically feminine. "It's not too late! Just go to dinner with me tomorrow night!" He replied in a supposed to be dashingly deep voice and squished the two bears together, making kissing sounds. Hilde was torn between annoyance and amusement, but after a few moments of this and a few stares from other customers she cracked. "ALRIGHT!FINE! I'll go out with him! But just once! And you'd better tell him that it doesn't mean we're dating." She ran a hand through her short hair and sighed. Duo grinned and brought the little green bear to his face. "We did it Mr. Bear!" Hilde sighed again, watching as the young man in front of her set up a gummy war. She smiled and stole one from the ranks. "Hey!" Duo protested. Hilde just stuck her tongue out at him and looked out the window. A silence settled over the two like one of the many leaves falling outside. "Besides, I…like someone else right now." She said softly. She immediately regretted it. "Really? Who?" Cause I can tell You know what it's like The long farewell Of a hunger strike For a long awkward moment she was silently at a loss. Alarms rang in her head as she silently scrambled to find a graceful way to end the conversation. "I uh….that is…I don't…want to say." She kept her gaze fixed on the street. She cursed herself over and over again in her head for her carelessness. "Why not?"She knew she had caught his curiosity now and he was not going to easily drop it. He was the type of guy to blatantly ignore social cues despite the obvious discomfort of those around him. Hilde held a sneaking suspicion that he did this for the most part in order to break the ice in groups such as his fellow gundam pilots, who had such an eclectic mix of personalities that all knew more about the weapon specs of every armored group on and off the grid and how to survive a free-fall into the middle of the ocean than how to carry on a real conversation. A little girl walked by with a balloon that said "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" on it. "When's your birthday Duo?" "November thirteenth, and don't change the subject!" Hilde almost choked on her coffee. "That's next week!" He looked down and popped a gummy bear into his mouth. "Yeah."