Hilde’s Fashion

by Oyuki

Chapter 5

Duo walked to where he knew Hilde would be: waiting for Relena, who got off an hour after she did.

“Hilde,” he called when he saw her sitting in a chair reading a book.

She looked up and offered a smile, which was marred by the braces(1), and waved at him.

Duo walked to where she was and sat in the seat beside her. “What are you doing here? You’re off.”

“I’m waiting for Relena. We take turns driving our cars. It’s her turn this week.”

“You don’t have to wait here, Hilde. I’ll give you a ride home,” he offered again with that ever-present smile that seemed to light up his whole face.

“You don’t have to--”

Duo took her hand and whispered, “I want to.”

Five minutes later they were on their way to her house. After a ten minute drive spent talking about irrelevant things Duo pulled up to her apartment complex.

“Thank you for the ride, Duo.” Hilde was about to open the passenger door when Duo stopped her.

“Wait. Let’s sit in here a moment and talk. Relena is not due for another hour anyway.”

“Well, okay. What do you want to talk about?” asked Hilde.

“About you, about me, about us,” Duo said smoothly. He was great at sweet talking the girls. Why should Hilde be any different?

“Us? Duo, there’s no us, we’re just friends...”

“Maybe we should give us a chance, don’t you think? I mean, it’s not like we don’t know each other. We’ve been working together for a year, and I like you, Hilde. I think you’re a sweet girl, and I think you like me too.”

Hilde’s mind flashed to Trowa Barton. He’d been a sweet man, until she’d found out why he was dating her. He just wanted to boost his ego, to prove to himself that every woman wanted him. It didn’t matter if they were fat or thin, ugly or pretty, they all wanted him. Hilde had been no different.

“And I know you won’t be with me for anything my family has. Believe me, I want to give us a chance,” said Duo. He was playing this for all it was worth. This is what Duo did that got him girls. He liked the game; he liked to have control over them. Duo had never been hurt, anybody could tell. If he had he wouldn’t play with girls like that. He wouldn’t spew out lies if he knew what it did to someone when they found out he’d been lying.

“I had a boyfriend Duo...” said Hilde out of nowhere.

Duo was snapped out of his ‘play’. Hilde’s comment had come out of nowhere, it really interested him to hear this.

“Before I started working for your father and you. I worked with him and since I started working he was very sweet to me. He used to buy me lunch and-- and we were friends. Then one day he said he loved me, and I believed him. Well, to make a long story short it turned out he’d been using me to boost his ego. He only used me to prove that he could get any girl he wanted, and it didn’t matter what they looked like.”

The next words from Duo were ones anybody would have expected of a great actor. “I’m not like him, Hilde. I would never hurt you like that because above all, you’re a great person.”

Hilde smiled. Duo was so sweet. When he’d said those words he had been looking directly into her eyes. Her mind screamed at her to not believe, to call his bluff and yell out that he was lying, just like Trowa had lied. But her heart told her otherwise. This time Hilde had fallen in love. With Trowa, her heart didn’t flutter as much as it did with Duo. Her stomach didn’t do flip-flops from the minute he walked in to the minute he left. So Hilde let her heart win.

She desperately wanted to have someone to hold her. She’d been alone for a long time, and she didn’t want to be alone anymore. She wanted to believe that there were men out there that weren’t like Trowa.

Duo looked at Hilde. She looked like she was deep in thought. She just sat there looking at him. So Duo put his plan to work. He reached out his hand and touched her cheek, which immediately brought her back to reality. The hand went to the back of her head, and, as his leaned closer, pulled her closer to him. They met half way. Duo touched his lips lightly to hers, finding them surprisingly warm and soft. With a shudder on his part he blocked out his mind and, much to his gagging reflexes, pushed himself to deepen the kiss.

When they finally parted he saw Hilde’s eyes were closed. He quickly wiped his mouth, and when she did open her eyes he smiled at her.

“I wasn’t expecting that,” said Hilde smiling slightly.

“I’ve wanted to do that for a long time,” lied Duo.

Chapter 6

AN: Remember, Duo has only about a month to sleep with Hilde and that I’m trying to get to the good stuff!

Relena stepped through the door of her and Hilde’s apartment and slammed the door. She was fuming.

“What’s wrong?” asked Hilde from her place on the couch in front of the television.

“Oh nothing, it’s just that Heero Yuy will not take no for an answer! He keeps pestering me!”

“Why? I mean, I thought he took care of your ‘crush’ on him after he slept with you. That’s what you told me when I asked you why you were ignoring him that time we all went out.”

“He did! I don’t know what’s going on, but he wants to ‘date’ me again. As if I’d believe anything his stupid ass would say! The nerve of him to ask me to have dinner with me tonight! Ugh!”

“Calm down. Just keep saying no. Wait a second! Didn’t you tell him that you had a boyfriend? It was to keep him off your back, but still,” she said.

“Yes, but do you think that will stop him? That jerk would probably took it as a challenge.” Relena didn’t feel like talking about Heero anymore so she changed the subject and asked, “So, why did you tell me you didn’t need a ride tonight?”

Hilde smiled at the young woman who had become her best friend. “Duo gave me a ride,” she confessed.

Relena just stared. ‘Uh oh,’ was what her mind said to her.

“And then we stayed in his car and talked about things...” she hesitated a little before saying, “and then he kissed me.”

“Oh Hilde no! No, no, no, no, no, no, no! Hilde, please don’t tell me--” Relena didn’t finish her sentence. She knew what was going on with her best friend. “Hilde, listen to me, Duo-- Well you know how he is! He’s a--”

“Please don’t say bad things about him. I can stand it from anybody but you. Please, can’t you be happy for me?” Hilde said quietly. She knew what Duo was like. And deep, deep in her mind, something told her subconscious to beware. That Duo wasn’t trustworthy.

Relena sighed. She knew she couldn’t make Hilde do anything. She knew that she would not listen. “Just do me a favor?”

“Yes?”

“Don’t-- don’t,” Relena gave up. She closed her eyes and said, “Just don’t become suicidal?” she said with a small smile.

Hilde laughed and hugged her friend who had come to sit beside her. “Thank you!”

Relena hugged her back. ‘Oh Hilde, you’ve gone through this once, can you do it again with someone you do love?’ Relena knew Duo, and possible with Heero, was up to something.

*two weeks later*

Duo had told Hilde that it was too soon for people to know that they had been seeing each other for almost three weeks, so they only went out after work and on weekends.

In his office, Duo was making plans, big plans. He had decided that tonight, this Friday night, would be the night. He was going to take Hilde to his a nice restaurant tonight for a candle lit dinner, go to his apartment, or hers, and make his move. As much as he didn’t want to sleep with her, he was really enjoying this game. And he was winning. As of now, he and Heero didn’t have a bet going. They were just trying to out do each other, and get it on tape. They both enjoyed messing with people’s lives. They enjoyed manipulating them, women.

Of course all of those women had been like Hilde. Hilde was naive, almost innocent. Duo didn’t know how she would take it. The other women in his life had been exactly like him. They were sophisticated and enjoyed sex. When they found out he was only in it for manipulation, they left, moved on to their next prey. But Hilde, she was a nice girl... ‘All’s fair in love and war,’ thought Duo. ‘And this is war.’

His friend Heero stomped into the office. “That bitch! She is not falling for it!” he yelled.

Duo laughed. “Yuy, what’s wrong? Not enjoying the game?”

“No, not at all! It seems Relena is cautious of me!”

“You did mess with her pretty badly. I mean right after she thought you loved her you make it so that she finds you with Sally. I’d be careful too about trusting you again. And didn’t she say she had a boyfriend?”

“And I think it’s true! This blond guy came to take her out for lunch today!”

“A blond guy?” he asked puzzled.

“Yes, a blond guy. His name is Quatre,” he said with a sneer, “and they’re going to London... tonight! Can you believe her?” Heero asked fuming. He was pissed off! Why? He didn’t know. The only thing he knew is that he wasn’t enjoying having Relena ignore him, turn him down, and then fly off to London with blondie!

“Man, Heero. Why are you getting all angry about this? I mean it’s not like--”

“No,” he interrupted, “it’s not like I like her! It’s just that--” he was cut off by Duo’s laugh.

“Heero, go talk to her before she leaves, then. Spit out some romantic shit and then, maybe, you’ll get her to stay.”

“No! I can’t. I don’t want to talk to her! Argh! This sucks!”

“Well, on to better news, tonight is my night with Hilde. I’m planning a romantic dinner, then it’s off to her apartment. Only because now I know that Relena won’t be there.”

Heero tried to ignore his friend. “Do whatever your little heart desires Duo.”

Chapter 7

Duo took Hilde’s hand and led her to his car. Relena was on her way to the airport with Quatre, so Duo would give her a ride tonight.

“Duo, where are we going?” she asked.

“You’ll see,” he said and flashed her a smile. “It’s a surprise.”

“Come on! Tell me, please?”

“You are just going to have to wait and see. After he got her into his car he strapped her in and they drove in silence. Duo finally stopped the car in front of the Grand Madrigal Hotel(1) and opened her door.

Hilde looked at her tan shirt and black skirt. “I don’t think I’m dressed for this,” she said quietly.

“Doesn’t matter.” Duo just grabbed her hand and pulled her along.

“Duo! Wait up! Are you going to tell me what we are doing here?” she cried.

“Oh, can’t you just follow me? I promise it’ll be very pleasant,” he said to her with a warm look in his cobalt eyes.

She smiled at his antics to get her to be quiet and go along with him. “Fine, I’ll just follow you.”

When they entered the hotel, they were not led to the main lobby. Instead they were led to a private elevator that took them to the 18th floor. When the elevator stopped and the doors opened they were met with a young man, a waiter, Hilde supposed. He then asked them to follow him down a long corridor and through a set of double oak doors.

“Oh, it’s beautiful!” she cried as she walked inside the ballroom. The only thing in the large room was a table set for two. It only had a bottle of wine and a candle.

Duo smiled a secret smile and hugged her. He said, “Anything for you, Hilde.” Inside he was laughing, but there was also something that he didn’t quite register. Something he didn’t quite understand. He shrugged it off and snapped back to reality. He pulled her chair out for her and said, “I thought that we should have a special night, tonight.”

“Thank you, Duo. You’re so sweet! I can’t believe you went to all this trouble just for me. I can’t thank you enough,” Hilde said and hugged him.

“Don’t worry, babe. Thank me later,” he said with a malicious smile that Hilde didn’t see.

After the ‘wonderful’ dinner consisting of pheasant in rose petals(2) there was dancing. Duo had an orchestra small orchestra playing in the background. They danced to waltzes and he spun her and twirled her over and over. He found it odd that she was so light and graceful on her feet while dancing when she was so clumsy and awkward in everything else. She didn’t step in his toes at all.

When their dance as over she said, “Thank you, DU. You’ve been wonderful tonight.”

“It was nothing. You’re a wonderful person, HIlde. Getting to know you has been a pleasure.” Duo was enjoying this little charade. He hadn’t played this little game with a woman in a while. And yet a little voice inside him whispered, ‘But what about her? What did she do?’ He didn’t want to answer that. So instead he thought, ‘Oh well, shit happens.’

“Duo,” he heard her say.

“Yes?” he answered with a smile.

She turned her head sideways and hesitated a little. She took a deep breath and asked, “Did you know about Relena and Heero? What happened between them?”

“No,” he lied. “I didn’t even know they were involved.”

“Well... he treated her pretty badly and... and he hurt her. She was far from being okay for a long time. Even by the time I met her she was still refusing to date, afraid another man would do the same.”

Duo looked down at her with a frown on his beautiful features. “Heero and I are different,” he said indignantly.

“I didn’t mean--”

“Hilde, I would never play with someone’s emotions that way. I know my reputation leaves a lot of be desired, but I would never mess with anyone who didn’t know what she was doing. How can you--” Guilt trip, it always worked. But he knew that deep inside that was true, and that this time he was doing that total opposite.

“I didn’t mean to insinuate that you were doing he same thing, or that you’ve ever done it. It’ just that I know what it feels like, and I don’t want it to happen again. I know, from personal experience, what it can do a person. I don’t’ want to feel like that again.” Somewhere in the back of her mind something told her to be aware. That something wasn’t right. She ignored it. She was so happy. Happy to have found someone. Someone who could be with her. Who would not leave her, like her parents had done; like her sister had done when Hilde was 11. When she had become a weight on her shoulders much too heavy to carry.

“I see a frown. Why?” asked Duo.

“I was just thinking, about... things in the past.”

“What things?” he asked and kissed her soft lips. If he closed his eyes, and ignore her hair, her clothes, and her glasses, he could almost get to like kissing her. She wasn’t too bad, aside from all the stuff he wanted to ignore and all the things she could afford to fix about herself. Oh well, it would only be for a little while.

“Oh, about my parents, my sister... and Trowa,” she said.

“What about them?”

“ I was just thinking about how lonely I felt after they left...”

Duo wasn’t paying attention. He looked at her and pretended to listen while he went over what he was going to do to her into her apartment. And get her to agree to spending the night with him.

“... and that I’m glad you’ve been so great. You eased some of my loneliness.”

He deliberately ignored her comment and said, “We should be leaving.”

She smiled. There was something strange about him, but he was nice to her. Not everybody was nice...

*~*~*~*

Heero stepped off the plane and hurried to catch up to Relena and her blonde companions. He was determined to find out if she was really involved with ‘Blondie’. he spotted said ‘Blondie’ and made sure he could keep them in sight without being seen by them.

He followed outside and saw them step into a waiting limo. ‘So, little Relena has found herself a rich one.’ He hailed a cab and told the driver to follow the limmo. So off they went through the streets of London(3).

He followed them to a large mansion. ‘Great, big house and lots of gardens. Can it get any worse?’ He was assured they would stay in the house when the driver pulled all their luggage out of the trunk. He watched the for a little while longer and then asked the waiting driver to take him to a very nearby, very fine, hotel.

Relena would fall again even if it was the last thing he did.

*~*~*~*

Duo kissed Hilde’s hand. “Goodnight,” she said, adjusting her glasses.

“Wait,” he said. He fought the urge to giggle. He closed his eyes briefly and asked, “Can I come up? Just for a little while.”

Unsure of what to say, Hilde only smiled. “Okay,” she heard herself saying as if from very far away.

‘This is better than I thought. Hmm... now I really have to put my acting skills to the test. See if I can fake it in bed!’

Hilde let him in the front door of the complex and he followed her to the elevator. They waited in silence for the elevator to take them to her floor. When they reached it she took his hand and lead him the hall way.

She opened the door and said shyly, “Come in.” He was surprised at the neatness of the place. It was immaculate. ‘Probably because of Relena,’ he thought.

“I’m gonna go change, do you want something to drink?” asked Hilde from the hall.

“Umm, no. Where’s the bathroom?’

“You can use the one in Relena’s room. It’s this door,” she said pointing to the one next to the one she was standing in front of.

“Thanks,” he said and headed to the bathroom. When he walked in he was surprised to find it a mess. Clothes and trinkets all over the floor. ‘Okay, maybe Hilde is the neat one.’ He saw she had many pictures. One particularly intrigued him. Relena, with her honey blonde hair, standing with a man with platinum, almost white, blonde hair. “Brother and sister look nothing alike,” he muttered. He picked up another picture. It was Relena and a blond man with aqua eyes. It took him a second to recognize him as Heero’s ‘Blondie’. He read the dedication on the corner of the picture.

“To Relena, my best friend and almost sister,

You know we all love you.

Love, Quatre R. W.”

Duo laughed as he headed to the bathroom. “Oh Heero! You’re in for a surprise!”

tbc...

(1) Is there such place?

(2) From ‘Like Water For Chocolate’

(3) I know nothing about London.

Chapter8

Standard disclaimers apply! The song Be Careful with My heart belongs to Ricky Martin

AN: really, really short chapters, BUT you have to excuse me because I have finals and I want to do well in them!

Hilde emerged out of her room in gray sweat pants and a tee-shirt. Her hair was down from being half way up all day. She hadn’t had it in its usual French braid. Her glasses were gone, it was late and she was tired. She walked to the living room and wondered if Duo had come out of the bathroom yet. She went to the kitchen and poured out some juice to drink.

Inside the bathroom, Duo was psyching himself up for what was to come. ‘Okay, you gotta make her feel comfortable. Comfortable enough to let you... yeah. Okay, first though, YOU gotta feel comfortable and confident and all that crap...’

“Oookay, Hilde’s gotta be wondering what you’ve been doing in the bathroom for ten minutes,” he muttered to himself. He took a deep breath and walked into Relena’s room. ‘Yuck!’ he thought. ‘She’s a slob.’

He walked into the living room to see Hilde sitting on the couch with her elbows on her knees watching TV and drinking something. “Hey,” he said kissing her cheek and sitting next to her. “What’re you watching?’

“Oh nothing. I was just waiting for you to come out of the bathroom. What were you doing in there?” she asked looking at his face.

As much as he had been expecting the question he still couldn’t hide the blush that crept to his cheeks. “I... uh... was-- the pheasant didn’t sit with my stomach! I threw up,” he said making a face. Not his best excuse but he was-- nervous? ‘NO! I’m not nervous! I’ve done this tons of times... it must be her. Yeah, it’s her! She’s doing something...’

“Are you okay?” she asked in a concerned voice.

For the first time he noticed that she was wearing her hair down and her glasses were gone. He reached out and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. “I’m fine.” Duo, for the first time, noticed how intensely blue her eyes were. A pretty cornflower blue. How thick and long her eye lashes were, how her black eyebrows arched up naturally.

He leaned away from her a little so he could study her from another angle. Her long hair was black with bluish high lights if she turned her head just right. It wasn’t curly, but it wasn’t too straight either. It curled at the end. For the first time, Duo noticed so many things that he’d missed before. Her soft, milky, skin.

“Duo?” she said for the third time. He wasn’t paying attention. “Duo, do you need to use the bathroom again?”

He felt hot. He was staring at her, and completely aware that she was calling his name. But he didn’t answer, and he didn’t know why! He didn’t know how or why, but he started to doubt his plan would work. At the same time this thought entered his mind, he heard his father’s voice telling him he would hand the company over to Hilde... HIS company. He closed his eyes and absently stroked her long hair.

She was still wondering of there was something wrong with him. He was sitting with her with his eyes closed and not saying a word. He had been staring at her for the last five minutes and it was a little unnerving.

He leaned and kissed her gently on the lips; shutting her up. He raised his hand and placed it at the back of her neck, bringing her closer. She was a little surprised but kissed him back wondering why he was acting so strange. She had seen Duo be a little weird before, but this was... just weird.

Duo deepened their kiss, this time encircling her waist with this other arm. Hilde, reluctantly, put her hands on his shoulders to finally bring her arms around his neck. Their kiss was slow and soft, yet passionate. He hugged her closer to him, wanting to have her close for a reason he didn’t want to know. The only coherent thought was that she needed to be closer to him. After a long time, his mouth left hers to trail tiny kisses along her jaw and chin. He placed a soft kiss on her neck, making her shiver, before raising his head to look at her.

Her blue eyes opened and she smiled at him-- with nothing but her braces marring her features. For a crazy minute, the only word he could think of to describe her was pretty. In her own way, of course. With a determined shake of his head he took her hand. She stood up and with nothing but a mutual understanding, he lead her to the bedroom

(no lemon. i don’t write lemons! you all know what they did anyway!)

*~*~*~*

Duo lay in the bed. The room wasn’t completely dark. The street lamps outside cast an eerie brownish orange glow around the room. He could hear Hilde’s soft, even breathing from the other side of the bed. He’d been shocked to discover that she wasn’t a virgin. She’d obviously slept with that Trowa person. He felt the strange urge to retch. His head ached. Over all, he felt like he was hung over. He got out of the bed slowly, carefully so as not to wake Hilde. He looked around for his clothes and found everything but his boxers. “Shit!” he muttered. He needed to find his boxers. He didn’t want to go commando. They were under the bed, near one of the legs right under Hilde’s white panties with the little ties at the sides instead of elastic. He dressed hurriedly and without a backward glance fled from her house.

He took the stairs instead of the elevator. He walked across the underground parking lot towards his car. He started the engine and at once the radio turned on to the station Hilde had left it on.

Be careful with my heart

You could break it

Don’t take my love for granted

Things could change...

As soon as he heard the lyrics he angrily turned the radio off and drove out of the parking

lot.

tbc...