Sunday, Simplicity.

By: thejasonresno

A/N: Thanks for taking the time to open this story. I hope you are ready for some fluff, some love, and most of all just a satisfying love story :) Read and review.

He rolled lazily onto his side and stretched quietly in the early morning hour. His back ached, his side ached, his arms ached, well...everything ached. But that didn't matter. The feel of the crisp and slightly cool sheets around his waist made him almost moan in base pleasure. With a lopsided grin he flopped back down deep into the plethora of multi colored pillows.

Glancing at the bedside clock he grunted in slight surprise. It was only 7AM and that was pretty early to be up on his only day off in the week but it also meant he could partake in his greatest passion--watching Hilde sleep.

Ok, ok, ok. That may sound a little creepy but he had to do it. Living with her was the most bittersweet torture known to mankind. She was stunning, she was loving, and she was kind...so to hell with anyone who'd think this act was wrong. He knew she'd never like him like him like that so he'd indulge himself in this one tiny act.

Well, if he only knew...

'It's seven already?' a sleepy hand snaked its way out from the two feathery comforters and stopped her quiet alarm clock. 'Duo will be getting up soon...'

The thought made her smile a tiny smile buried under blanket upon blanket and stuffed animal upon stuffed animal--most of which came from Duo. It was a year back and he had forgotten her birthday.Apparently he felt so terrible that when she got home late from work one day he had filled her room with every sort of stuffed animal imaginable and vases of roses had even found their way into the mix. Needless to say it was her best belated gift ever. Well, he was her best belated gift ever.

'Duo Maxwell.' The words rolled around in her mind and made the bottom of her stomach tingle. 'I never thought...' She let the sentence unravel in her head; it was too difficult to think about.

How could she live with the man she was madly in love with and not even see reciprocation on his part? Sure, there were times where he was falling asleep and not thinking clearly, or just waking up, that his eyes would twinkle a certain way or he would hug her just a little bit tighter than a friend should...but no...True love isn't made up of fractions of instances sprinkled across a four year friendship.

The young woman burrowed deeper into her blankets and half covered her head with the comforters. She grabbed at her favorite stuffed animal, a purple panther, and held it close.

No...Duo Maxwell didn't love her. He couldn't love her. How could any man live with someone they loved for so long and not confess?

She sighed and held back the only thing that ever threatened to make her cry in earnest. She refused to ruin a perfect Sunday morning like this, no, and in any event he'd come stand in her doorway soon and watch her 'sleep'. He did it like clockwork once or twice a week. She knew it was wrong to let the act continue, and she didn't understand why he did it, but Damnit if he didn't feel anything more for her than she'd at least pretend for those moments that he did love her that way.

If she only knew...

He closed his door quietly behind himself and crept slowly down the plush carpeted hall of the tiny house they shared together. The cold air from the air conditioner Hilde refused to turn off made his skin erupt into gooseflesh and he already regretted not throwing a shirt on.

He reached the door to her room and, holding his braid in his hands to fidget with; he leaned in the open door and gazed contentedly in.

There she was. There it was. In front of him and within his very capable and caring hands was a shot at real happiness and true love. Why didn't he take the opportunity? Why? Why could he, someone who fought bravely for his ideals, not summon up the balls to tell the only person who ever really gave a crap about him that he loved her? Why was it so difficult?

He twisted his braid in his fingers and remembered the last, and only, time he had tried...

It was four months ago, Christmas Eve, and the two had found that neither of them really had anywhere to go for the holidays. So they decided to stay home and make the best of it they could...and they did!

Hilde had made delicious cookies while he did his best at putting together the artificial Christmas tree he had bought. She would walk back and forth between the kitchen humming carols and sporadically giving him treats to taste test--he had enjoyed this very much. And when he had finally gotten the tree up she had helped him decorate it.

The house was dimly lit and the glow from the Christmas lights was all they could see by. Hanging ornament after ornament up Duo soon realized that he never took his eyes off of hers. Her beautiful orbs never stopped sparkling in the glow and for the first time in his life the young man felt a faith...a faith in something beyond war and death.

'And what exactly has my Duo Maxwell thinking so hard for once?'

He snapped his head up quickly and almost dropped the ornament he was holding. She giggled girlishly and his heart melted a little bit. He gave her a lopsided grin and then said something he wished he had the power to take back...

'I'm just thinkin' 'bout the only girl I could ever--'

Bring! Bring!

Her eyes snapped away from his and she hastily hung the ornament and retreated from the room, 'I forgot the cookies!'

Sighing he hung up the last ornament in his calloused hands and cursed himself for his luck. He didn't have the heart to try again that night.

But here he was, four months later, leaning in her doorframe feeling exactly the same way. His eyes traveled hungrily over her body, concealed almost entirely by blankets, and up to the back of her head that just peaked out.

He sighed again. Why did he do this to himself? Why did he volunteer to repeatedly have his heart and hopes crushed? Why? Mostly, he figured, because that unknowing heartbreaker was Hilde Schbeiker and he loved her more than he could ever fathom.

Shaking his head he turned to go, 'If our business didn't require us both to live together to get work done I'd almost think about moving out...this is killing me.'

From behind him he heard a sleepy murmur, "Duo?"

Shit.

'Why is he leaving already? He usually stays for at least half an hour...Act fast girl!'

She rolled in her massive bed of blankets and played out her best groggy impression--as if she hadn't been awake waiting for him--"Duo?"

She felt more than saw as he visibly faltered in his movements and swore under his breath. She had 'caught him' red handed.

"Hilde-babe, what's up?" He gave her his natural, albeit nervous, grin and folded his arms across his bare chest.

"Just...sleeping...you?" Came her pointed and playfully accusing reply.

Running her eyes quickly over his face, she allowed herself a quick peak at his chest and almost groaned. Being the goofball that he was and wearing the clothes that he did...she never realized how gorgeous he was. He wasn't a lot taller than her and he definitely wasn't built like a football player...but he was toned and well built.

He acted out a cough and then winked, "See somethin' ya like?"

She blushed furiously and pulled the covers up to her chin, "What're you doing in here, you look freezing!"

Before reply he glanced down at his arms that, in fact, did stand out rigid with goose bumps and nodded. "You keep the whole house freezin' and I...I just wanted to see you is all, is that so bad?" He answered almost defiantly.

She giggled quietly and threw the blankets up a little bit and smacked the bed next to her before realizing entirely what she had offered. 'Too late now...oh...good excuse.'

She watched him hesitate and she almost frowned, "You don't mind...your not naked or anything?"

She flung a pillow at him and laughed, "Yeah, you'd like that too much. Hop in I've got plenty of warmth to share!"

I mean the blankets...please know I meant the blankets!

She inwardly groaned again.

'Why is she doing this to me? It's flat out criminal torture!'

He took a few shaky steps forward before sliding into her comfortable bed. His eyes closed in an involuntary display of delight and he heard her laugh quietly. The spot was still warm from her body.

"So this is your bed eh? Not too bad...and trust me, I'd know!" He shot her a playful wink, anything to alleviate the tension that seemed to fill the air.

She laughed, appreciating the humor, and slapped his chest lightly, "Yeah right! I never see you date, Mr. Rico Suave."

Her hand lingered on his bare chest a moment too long and she pulled it away with a mental squeak.

An awkward silence filled the room which Duo valiantly tried to fight off with a nervous laugh. It didn't work.

Screw this...The young man rolled onto his side and looked into the face of the girl he was hopelessly in love with. His words were playful but the tone came out soft and almost broken, "I don't exactly see you lighting up the dating trails either..."

Her breath hitched in her throat at the almost sensual tone behind his words and she did everything she could to stop herself from pulling him to her.

Another awkward silence reigned as Duo found her purple panther and began walking it in the space between their two semi-dressed bodies. He made the gift mock roar and she laughed quietly.

He walked the tiny cat towards her body, both of their hearts beating fast, until it reached her. Using his long fingers he made the toy cat pretend to take a bite out of her stomach.

"Good! Eat some more Max; it'll be bikini season soon."

Duo glanced at her and rolled his eyes, she was already too thin.

He then turned back to the cat and his game.

I never knew his eyes were so fierce a violet. It's incredible.

She watched quietly, her heart racing and her breath coming short, at the simple act of him grazing her stomach with his hand and a toy he had gotten her. It was intense the way him being near made her feel.

It was agonizing but it was beautiful. She wanted...needed...more.

"He should get some from the other side!" She didn't realize she said it 'til she did. Stupid!

"Yeah? Even it out? I agree!" He threw her a charming lopsided grin and gently, his breath caught in his throat, walked the toy across her flat stomach...his arm grazing the thin shirt that covered her soft flesh.

When he spoke again his voice cracked, "Right here?"

Not trusting herself to speak she nodded and giggled quietly and nervously as the cat continued to "munch" on her. Duo helped with the sound effects: Nom nom nom nom!

He could hardly believe the situation. Here he was in bed with the girl of his dreams and his arm effectively around her waist pinning her down.

It was just them playing a game. A game with Max the plushy-panther.

'Yeah right. If there's any more sexual tension, I'll explode!'

Duo propped himself up on one elbow, his other arm still around her happily helping Max 'chew away'. Pausing in the nom nom noms Duo glanced into Hilde's face and choked on his words.

Her hair was by no means tidy that morning but the curls fell in her face and partly covered the perfect soft skin underneath. Her eyes shone twice as bright as he had ever seen and her lips, oh her lips, were curved and just asking for a kiss.

He was so close to her his body was just barely grazing her own...he could even smell the wonderful smell that was simply her. He had to act...had to.

But he wouldn't. He couldn't. Best friends didn't do that.

But people in love did.

"You know what Duo? I give up! There are no good guys out there anymore?"

"Yeah, what makes you say that?"

He shoved her playfully over and stole the bowl of popcorn from her hands. They were having one of their movie nights and choice of movie had been his. So: Dawn of the Dead it was.

She laughed and shoved him back lightly, "Well I have this theory."

"Uh huh..."

"The only guys that are ever out there acting and showing themselves to women are the kind of guys I don't want to be with. Their only thinking about one thing..."

"Your pretty face?"

"Sex, but thanks for sucking up. So you understand?"

He shook his head.

"The good guys never make the first move..."

"Duo? Duuoo?"

Snapping back to himself he realized eh had leaned substantially closer and was staring deeply into her eyes. She wasn't pushing him away.

"Oh sorry...I..."

Whatever.

He leaned forward suddenly but not abruptly and eased his face into hers; pausing when he felt his lips strike gold.

Feeling her move as if to get away he immediately began to pull himself up when he felt a hand on the small of his back pull him entirely on top of her.

Max was dropped to the ground by the bed as Duo put both hands behind her head and pulled her deeply, ever deeply, into the kiss.

His soft lips met her distinctly feminine ones repeatedly until he finally his tongue snaked its way across her threshold and parted her lips to drink the sweet taste within.

She moaned quietly and pulled him even tighter against her petite frame, him groaning in the final release of all the frustration and depression he had harbored. But most importantly he released the love that he had for her and put it in his touch, in his kiss, and the words that he would surely utter.

Minutes later the two parted for air, slightly flushed in the face, but otherwise beaming in euphoria.

Her breaths came out as if she had just run a mile, "Wow...that was..."

The young man lowered his face to hers and rested it gently against her forehead.

"That was..." he mimicked her quietly, "a long time coming."

She grinned hugely, taking her face in his hands, and repeated the process all over again...and again...and again.

At one point in that cycle Duo paused to say the words...those special words...but stopped when a finger light touched his lips.

"I know."

And that was all she said. For it's true that words can create and describe but nothing tangible by man can truly and fully elaborate on the feeling of love.

A/N: And that is all folks! What did you think? I know it ran a bit long but. Well, that can't be helped. Reviews please!