Disclaimer: Yup. You guessed it; I don't own Gundam Wing.
Back to You
Chapter 6
The cab hadn't come to a complete stop as the passenger threw some credits at the driver and jumped out of the vehicle. Grabbing her purse, Hilde ran up to the main entrance of the hospital. The sliding glass seemed to open in slow motion. When there was enough room, Hilde to squeeze between them and made her way to the front desk.
A young blond listening to her personal CD player was bouncing to the music blaring in her eyes. Hilde stood there for a couple of seconds, when she realized that the girl hadn't noticed her, she reached over the desk and pulled the earphones from the young girls ears. "I'm looking for Duo Maxwell's room." She told the candy striper at the nurse's station. The young blond pulled out the patient rooster and ran her finger down the entire length of the page, before realizing that the names were in alphabetical order. Hilde was beginning to grow impatient with the intern, almost to the point where she nearly yanked to book out of the young girls hands to find out the information for herself. Giggling, the girl retraced her steps. "Mr. Maxwell's is in ICU, Room 5."
Pushing away from the desk, Hilde made a mad dash for the elevator. She hit the 'UP' button about five times before she gave up and headed for the stairs. Pulling off her heels, she head up the stairs, taking the steps two at a time. When she hit the landing for the fourth floor, she didn't even bother to put her shoes back on; she just threw the door open and sprinted down the hallway.
Hilde came sliding around the corner of the hospital corridor. It was surprising that she was knew which way to go. But for some reason, she didn't need to look at the room numbers; it was almost as if she was drawn toward his room. Rounding the finally corner, Hilde slowed as she saw Howard sitting out in the hallway.
"Howard?" Hilde's whispered voice bounced of the walls in the silent wing of the hospital.
Howard opened his eyes and turned his head toward the sound of Hilde's voice. He frowned over her current state. Dark smudges marred the pale white skin under her eyes. Her clothes were wrinkled and her hair was falling out of the clip at the back of her head. He pushed himself from the chair and walked over to her, laying a supportive hand on her shoulder as he lead her towards Duo's room.
"The doctors say that they were able to re-inflate his lungs and stop the internal bleeding, but they wanted to keep him in ICU for observation. They gave him something while he was down in the ER. He's been out cold."
Hilde placed one of her hands on Howard's. "Can I go in and see him?"
"Yeah. Doctor said you could stay with him as long as you want."
"Thanks, Howard."
Howard gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze before he let go. "I'm heading down to the cafeteria for something to eat. You need anything?" He watched Hilde slowly shake her head from side to side. "Okay, then. It's really good to have you home." Turning Howard headed toward the elevators.
Hilde stood in the doorway, listening to the constant noises of the machines around him. Her eyes drifted towards the heart monitor. She watched the steady beat of his heart reflected on the screen. She twisted the strap of her purse with both hands as she made her way farther into the room. The shades had been drawn, so the only light came from the bathroom.
In the dim light, Hilde could see the heavy white bandage wrapped around his head and the butterfly stitches placed on a long gash on his right cheek. His face looked like it had ran directly into Heero's fist. Both of his arms were lying on top of the blankets, the right one was completely wrapped in gauze from his shoulder to his wrist. An ACE bandage was wound around his left elbow. From the top of the blanket, she could see the bandages that were tightly wrapped around his broken ribs. A small tube wrapped around ears, coming down in front of his nose, helping him get the oxygen that he needed.
Pulling a chair up beside the bed, Hilde grabbed his hand in hers, careful not to upset the IV placed in the top of his hand. With her other hand, she pushed his bangs away from his face, trying to be as gentle as possible. 'Howard was right. Whatever they gave him, knocked him out cold.' The minutes seemed to tick by like hours, as she sat there still holding his hand.
A small knock at the door startled her. Hilde spun around in her chair and found Howard standing just inside the room, holding a small duffle bag. "I thought you could use a change of clothes."
She smiled at his thoughtfulness. Quietly, she got up from the chair and walked over to Howard. She took the bag from his grasp. "Thanks, Howard."
"I know that trying to get you to go home for the night would be like trying to pull a rabbit from its hole, so I thought some fresh clothing would at least make you comfortable." He took a quick glance towards Duo and then looked back down at Hilde. "Try and get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning."
She watched Howard leave the room. He had been like a father to the both of them for about the past six years and he still continued to look out for them. After making sure Duo was still asleep, Hilde retrieved the duffle bag and headed for the bathroom.
Shedding all her clothing but her underwear, Hilde placed the tiny washcloth Howard had packed along with the clothes under some hot water. She ran the warm damp cloth over her skin, trying to wipe away some aches and dirt she had gathered over the course of the day. Rewetting the washcloth, she ran it over her face, removing all traces of make-up. The silver cross hanging around her neck reflected the bathroom light back into the mirror. Closing her hand around the cross, she squeezed it gently before turning to the duffle bag and removing a long sleeve shirt, pair of flannel pajama pants and a pair of socks. All which belonged to Duo. The clothing felt warm against her chilled skin. Bringing the long sleeves up to her face, she could still smell the faint scent of Duo's cologne. Hilde smiled as she imagined herself wrapped up in Duo's embrace.
Grabbing her hairbrush, she left the tiny bathroom and pulled her hair free from the clip. After a couple of strokes, Hilde laid the brush down on the bedside table and grabbed Duo's hand again. Laying her head on the bed beside him, she let her eyes drift closed. "I love you, Duo."
****************
"You know... you're drooling... on my favorite... shirt?"
The hoarse, breathless words punched through the darkness. Her eyes popped open and she found his cobalt ones staring right back. His hand was absently running through her hair as a smile danced across his lips. He slipped his hand down from the top of her head and cupped her cheek. His thumb ran across the dark circle under her eye. Chuckling, he touched her nose with his index finger. "You should really... take better care... of yourself, babe."
Hilde smiled. Even laid up in a hospital bed with broken bones, bruises and lacerations, he still managed to keep his sense of humor. "I could say the same for you, braid boy."
"Hey, if I had known that a tiny accident would have brought you running to my side, I would have done this a long time ago." The words came slowly but it seemed he was no longer trying to catch his breath.
"Don't even joke about that. Since I can't smack you for that remark, I'll have to wait and do it when you're better." Concern found its way back onto Hilde's face. "How are you feeling? Are you in a lot of pain? Do you need me to get the doctor?"
Duo placed a finger across her lips, silence the barrage of questions. "Calm down there. This ranks up there with Trowa blowing up Deathscythe, but I feel just fine." A loving smile appeared on his face. Taking her hand in his, Duo gave it a comforting squeeze. "Especially now that you're here."
A quick blush crept across her face. Duo was always smooth with words and this had been the first time he had used them on her. Duo started to laugh, but quickly grabbed his side and grimaced in pain. Hilde bit her bottom lip as she watched him fight back the pain, not knowing what she should do to help. Thankfully, one of the nurses walked into the room.
"How are you feeling to day, Mr. Maxwell?"
"I'd feel a helluva a lot better if I wasn't stuck in this bed."
The nurse placed her hands on her hips and 'glared' at her patient. "I think I liked you better when you were knocked out."
Hilde tried to hide her giggles behind her hand. Duo tilted his head in her direction. "You thought that was funny, didn't you?" She just simply nodded her head, causing Duo to pout.
"I'm sorry, miss, but it's time to change his bandages and I have to ask you to leave." The nurse stated.
Duo started to protest, but Hilde's stomach took that moment to make its presence known. She grabbed hold of her stomach, hoping to stifle the loud grumbling noises, her eyes wide with embarrassment. "No, Duo, it's okay. I'll just head down to the cafeteria and grab myself something to eat." Hilde stood up from her chair and started to leave the room, when she paused at the doorway. "Don't cause her any trouble, Duo."
Duo flashed her his bright smile and gave her a small salute. "I promise to be on my best behavior." At that remark, both Hilde and the nurse rolled their eyes.
As Hilde walked down the hallway, she could hear Duo's voice coming from the room.
"What do I have to do to get something to eat around this place? I'm starving!"
****************
Sitting down at a window-side table in the hospital cafeteria, Hilde stared down into her cup of coffee. Too much had happened in the past 24 hours and she hadn't had time to let it all sink in, until now. The artificial sunlight streamed across her half eaten bagel and the powdered sugar doughnut she had wrapped up for Duo.
Sighing, she took a sip of the hot coffee. In the past 24 hours not only had she quit her job and put Minister Richview in the middle of a scandal; but also she learned the final lesson about herself. No matter how much she thought she changed, everything still remained the same.
A shadow fell across the table forcing Hilde's attention way from her thoughts. Tilting her head, she found Quatre standing beside her. She launched herself out of the chair and into his out stretched arms.
"Quatre! You don't know how happy I am to see you!"
Quatre wrapped his arms around her and returned her hug. "I'm happy to see you too. Though I wish it could have been under better circumstances."
Hilde dropped her arms and motioned to the seat across the table. She noticed the worry on his face as he sat across from her. "He's fine, Quatre. Lucky he has that extremely hard head." She looked out the window. "It could have been a lot worse."
She felt a warm hand cover hers, but she never took her eyes off the window. "The important thing is that he's alive, Hilde."
"Every time I think about it, I think about how close I came to losing him." As the tears began to burn her eyes, she turned back to Quatre. "I can't imagine going on without him." Placing her hand over her heart, she continued. "He's a part of me, and has been for the longest time."
"When Howard called me...in that instant, my life completely turned around. Nothing else mattered but Duo." Hilde wiped the tears rolling down her cheeks away with the back of her hand. "Every thing I've done over the past three years, all of the accomplishments I've made, feel empty because he wasn't a part of them."
She smiled. "I've been a fool, haven't I, Quatre?"
"A fool?"
"I chose Venus over him. He told me he loved me and asked me not to go, but I still boarded the shuttle anyway. And the only thing I learned over the past two months is I can't live without him now that I know he truly loves me." She smirked. "In my book, that makes me a fool."
Quatre reached across the table and cupped her face in his hands. "You're not a fool, Hilde. Slightly stubborn, but never a fool." He released the hold on her face. "Life presents us all with choices; too many sometimes. You chose the path you felt was necessary, Hilde. Call it fate, destiny or God's will; no matter which choice we make, we always end up where we need to be. And it looks like right here is where you need to be, Hilde."
Hilde's eyes sparkled as she looked at her friend. "Thank you, Quatre."
"Come on. Let's go save Trowa from Duo." Quatre stated as he got up from his chair.
A giggle escaped Hilde's lips before she could stop it. Quarter turned and smiled at her. She slipped out of the chair and was about halfway to the door, when she remembered something. She quickly ran back to the table and picked up the napkin wrapped treat for Duo.
****************
Trowa leaned against the wall closest to the window and regard the young man laying the hospital bed with curious eyes. The room was completely silent, except for the sounds of the medical equipment.
"You're too quiet, Duo."
Duo turned and looked at his friend. A sad smile appeared on his face. "Yeah, I've just been thinking." He held his hands up before Trowa could speak. "I know, you could smell the smoke, right?" Sighing, he slumped back against the bed.
"Care to share?" Trowa asked as he pushed away from the wall and made his way over to the bedside chair.
Duo closed as he collected his thoughts. "I can't do it."
"Can't do what?"
"I can't let her leave." Duo whispered as he hung his head. "I don't want to be without her. It was awful being alone while she was at college. It's been down right miserable over the past two months; knowing that she loves me, but she isn't a part of my everyday life." He sighed. "When I opened my eyes this morning and found her here, all I wanted to do was scoop her up in my arms and never let go. I know that she won't stay, but deep down in my heart, I'm praying that she does. I won't pressure her to choose between her life and me." Duo turned his eyes up toward the ceiling. "I won't ask her again."
"Ask me."
Both Duo and Trowa turned to see Hilde standing in the doorway. From the loving look on her face, she had been standing there a while. She walked further into the room. Trowa, feeling out of place being stuck in the middle of the whole scene, slid off the chair and moved to stand next to Quatre by the door.
"Come on, Duo. Ask me."
He stared back at her, his violet eyes wide with so many different emotions; but his mouth remained closed. Duo shook his head from side to side, refusing to ask her the question. The fear of rejection refused to let him ask her that simple question.
Duo closed his eyes and hung his head. "There are too many things that you would be giving up. I can't ask you to come home to me. I know that you'll come back to me when you have found what you're looking for Hilde. I could never live with myself if I asked you to give up your life for me."
Hilde walked over to his bed and grabbed his face, bringing it within inches of hers. Duo opened his eyes and directly looked into hers. One tear slipped down her cheek as she stared into his handsome face and saw all of the love for her hidden behind the fear.
"It took me long enough, Duo, but I finally found what I was looking for. All this time I was looking for that part of me that seemed to be missing. It was you; you've been the thing that was missing from my life. Life without you, Duo, isn't much of a life." Leaning forward, Hilde gently placed her forehead against his, their noses slightly brushing. Closing her eyes, she pleaded. "Ask me, Duo. Please."
"Stay with me?"
The smile on her face reached her eyes causing them to sparkle with happiness. "Yes, Duo. I'll come back to you."
Her whispered reply was nearly cut off as his lips crushed up against hers. He wrapped his sore arms, as far around her as the IV tubes would allow.
"I've missed you Hilde." He whispered into her ear as he squeezed her tightly.
"I've missed you too, braid boy." Hilde's voice became clouded with tears as she spoke. She was fearful of touching him, afraid to cause him any further discomfort by hugging his bruised and battered body. But she found herself holding him in a matter of seconds, his head resting against her chest. They stayed that way until the sound of Trowa clearing his throat caused them to jump slightly apart.
Hilde could feel the blush as it crept up her neck and onto her face.
"I forgot we had an audience." Duo muttered under his breath, annoyed that they had caused him to move his head from Hilde's comforting chest. He sighed and turned his attention toward the two pilots lounging by the doorway. A huge grin was plastered across Quatre's face, while Trowa nodded his approval.
Duo clasped Hilde's hand in his own. "Guess what? She said I could keep her!" He announced with a child like enthusiasm.
Hilde pulled her hand out of his, placed both of them on her hips and glared down at Duo. "I said nothing of the sort! I said I'd come home to you. I didn't say anything about keeping me."
"Same difference."
"It is not!"
"Is too!"
"Is not!"
Exasperated, Duo blew a stray piece of hair out of his face. "Fine. Marry Me."
His statement caught her completely off guard. Hilde looked down with wide eyes at the man sitting in the hospital bed and became lost for a moment in his eyes. She smiled. How could she deny them this? "Fine. I will." A cocky looked came over her face as she goaded him into another disagreement. "But that was the most unromantic way to propose marriage."
From the doorway, Trowa and Quatre watched as their friends continued their playful argument. Trowa gently placed his arm on Quatre's shoulders, pulling his lover closer to him. Quatre sighed as he pressed up against Trowa's body.
"Looks like things are back to normal."
****************
Hilde stood in the kitchen, working over the warm stove. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she stirred the homemade spaghetti sauce. She looked to her side and watched Duo as he cut the vegetables for the salads. He placed the diced tomatoes on top of the bed of lettuce, followed by a handful of shredded cheese. Hilde chuckled. Duo raised his shoulders in defense. "What? I like cheese!" Grabbing the salad bowls, Duo walked into the living room, placing them on the TV trays.
She watched his braid sway across his back as he walked from the kitchen. It had been nearly two weeks since Duo had been released from the hospital. He still had the bandages wrapped around his chest, helping the broken ribs heal. Every once and a while, he would wince in pain when he took a deep breath. The doctor told them that the ribs would take longest to heal since they couldn't be isolated like normal broken bones. When he would flinch, she would quickly run to his side. Hilde now realized that he was faking the pain more and more, but she was willing to play along, for the moment.
Since being back on L2, things had fallen back into a normal routine. With the exception that she now carried a simple half-carat diamond on her left ring finger and she crawled into bed every night with the man she loved. Though he wasn't too fond of her cold feet ending up on his warm body in the middle of the night, but he seemed to be getting used to it. Duo had asked numerous times about her job back on Venus, and Hilde just shrugged her shoulders and told him that she didn't miss it, which was the truth. She had applied for a few government positions on L2, but if nothing panned out, she was content to work at the scrap yard.
Looking up at the clock, he yelled into the kitchen "Are the noodles ready, yet?"
Using the spoon to pull a couple of noodles, Hilde blew on the pasta before placing it in her mouth. "Yes, the noodles are done. Come in here and help me serve dinner."
She reached over and cut the heat to both the noodles and the sauce. Hilde picked up the pot with the noodles, and dumped them into the colander in the sink, draining the water away from the noodles. She threw a quick look over her shoulder and found Duo's back to her. A mischievous grin appeared on her face as she scooped up a hand full of noodles.
"Oh, Duo." She called in a singsong voice.
Duo turned around and was greeted with a pile of spaghetti noodles thrown into his face. Hilde tried to stifle her giggles, but it was no use as she stared at his comical expression. Pulling the noodles of his face and out of his hair, he turned a playful glare in her direction. "So, it's a food fight you want?"
Hilde's eyes grew as big as saucers as he grabbed the garlic bread from off the kitchen table and began pelting her with slice after slice.
The sounds of laughter from the kitchen drowned out the sound of one of the news anchor's story for the evening. "Foreign Minister Douglas Richview from the Stellar sector of Venus has stepped down from his position after it was discovered he was having an affair..."
Back to You
Chapter 6
The cab hadn't come to a complete stop as the passenger threw some credits at the driver and jumped out of the vehicle. Grabbing her purse, Hilde ran up to the main entrance of the hospital. The sliding glass seemed to open in slow motion. When there was enough room, Hilde to squeeze between them and made her way to the front desk.
A young blond listening to her personal CD player was bouncing to the music blaring in her eyes. Hilde stood there for a couple of seconds, when she realized that the girl hadn't noticed her, she reached over the desk and pulled the earphones from the young girls ears. "I'm looking for Duo Maxwell's room." She told the candy striper at the nurse's station. The young blond pulled out the patient rooster and ran her finger down the entire length of the page, before realizing that the names were in alphabetical order. Hilde was beginning to grow impatient with the intern, almost to the point where she nearly yanked to book out of the young girls hands to find out the information for herself. Giggling, the girl retraced her steps. "Mr. Maxwell's is in ICU, Room 5."
Pushing away from the desk, Hilde made a mad dash for the elevator. She hit the 'UP' button about five times before she gave up and headed for the stairs. Pulling off her heels, she head up the stairs, taking the steps two at a time. When she hit the landing for the fourth floor, she didn't even bother to put her shoes back on; she just threw the door open and sprinted down the hallway.
Hilde came sliding around the corner of the hospital corridor. It was surprising that she was knew which way to go. But for some reason, she didn't need to look at the room numbers; it was almost as if she was drawn toward his room. Rounding the finally corner, Hilde slowed as she saw Howard sitting out in the hallway.
"Howard?" Hilde's whispered voice bounced of the walls in the silent wing of the hospital.
Howard opened his eyes and turned his head toward the sound of Hilde's voice. He frowned over her current state. Dark smudges marred the pale white skin under her eyes. Her clothes were wrinkled and her hair was falling out of the clip at the back of her head. He pushed himself from the chair and walked over to her, laying a supportive hand on her shoulder as he lead her towards Duo's room.
"The doctors say that they were able to re-inflate his lungs and stop the internal bleeding, but they wanted to keep him in ICU for observation. They gave him something while he was down in the ER. He's been out cold."
Hilde placed one of her hands on Howard's. "Can I go in and see him?"
"Yeah. Doctor said you could stay with him as long as you want."
"Thanks, Howard."
Howard gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze before he let go. "I'm heading down to the cafeteria for something to eat. You need anything?" He watched Hilde slowly shake her head from side to side. "Okay, then. It's really good to have you home." Turning Howard headed toward the elevators.
Hilde stood in the doorway, listening to the constant noises of the machines around him. Her eyes drifted towards the heart monitor. She watched the steady beat of his heart reflected on the screen. She twisted the strap of her purse with both hands as she made her way farther into the room. The shades had been drawn, so the only light came from the bathroom.
In the dim light, Hilde could see the heavy white bandage wrapped around his head and the butterfly stitches placed on a long gash on his right cheek. His face looked like it had ran directly into Heero's fist. Both of his arms were lying on top of the blankets, the right one was completely wrapped in gauze from his shoulder to his wrist. An ACE bandage was wound around his left elbow. From the top of the blanket, she could see the bandages that were tightly wrapped around his broken ribs. A small tube wrapped around ears, coming down in front of his nose, helping him get the oxygen that he needed.
Pulling a chair up beside the bed, Hilde grabbed his hand in hers, careful not to upset the IV placed in the top of his hand. With her other hand, she pushed his bangs away from his face, trying to be as gentle as possible. 'Howard was right. Whatever they gave him, knocked him out cold.' The minutes seemed to tick by like hours, as she sat there still holding his hand.
A small knock at the door startled her. Hilde spun around in her chair and found Howard standing just inside the room, holding a small duffle bag. "I thought you could use a change of clothes."
She smiled at his thoughtfulness. Quietly, she got up from the chair and walked over to Howard. She took the bag from his grasp. "Thanks, Howard."
"I know that trying to get you to go home for the night would be like trying to pull a rabbit from its hole, so I thought some fresh clothing would at least make you comfortable." He took a quick glance towards Duo and then looked back down at Hilde. "Try and get some sleep. I'll see you in the morning."
She watched Howard leave the room. He had been like a father to the both of them for about the past six years and he still continued to look out for them. After making sure Duo was still asleep, Hilde retrieved the duffle bag and headed for the bathroom.
Shedding all her clothing but her underwear, Hilde placed the tiny washcloth Howard had packed along with the clothes under some hot water. She ran the warm damp cloth over her skin, trying to wipe away some aches and dirt she had gathered over the course of the day. Rewetting the washcloth, she ran it over her face, removing all traces of make-up. The silver cross hanging around her neck reflected the bathroom light back into the mirror. Closing her hand around the cross, she squeezed it gently before turning to the duffle bag and removing a long sleeve shirt, pair of flannel pajama pants and a pair of socks. All which belonged to Duo. The clothing felt warm against her chilled skin. Bringing the long sleeves up to her face, she could still smell the faint scent of Duo's cologne. Hilde smiled as she imagined herself wrapped up in Duo's embrace.
Grabbing her hairbrush, she left the tiny bathroom and pulled her hair free from the clip. After a couple of strokes, Hilde laid the brush down on the bedside table and grabbed Duo's hand again. Laying her head on the bed beside him, she let her eyes drift closed. "I love you, Duo."
****************
"You know... you're drooling... on my favorite... shirt?"
The hoarse, breathless words punched through the darkness. Her eyes popped open and she found his cobalt ones staring right back. His hand was absently running through her hair as a smile danced across his lips. He slipped his hand down from the top of her head and cupped her cheek. His thumb ran across the dark circle under her eye. Chuckling, he touched her nose with his index finger. "You should really... take better care... of yourself, babe."
Hilde smiled. Even laid up in a hospital bed with broken bones, bruises and lacerations, he still managed to keep his sense of humor. "I could say the same for you, braid boy."
"Hey, if I had known that a tiny accident would have brought you running to my side, I would have done this a long time ago." The words came slowly but it seemed he was no longer trying to catch his breath.
"Don't even joke about that. Since I can't smack you for that remark, I'll have to wait and do it when you're better." Concern found its way back onto Hilde's face. "How are you feeling? Are you in a lot of pain? Do you need me to get the doctor?"
Duo placed a finger across her lips, silence the barrage of questions. "Calm down there. This ranks up there with Trowa blowing up Deathscythe, but I feel just fine." A loving smile appeared on his face. Taking her hand in his, Duo gave it a comforting squeeze. "Especially now that you're here."
A quick blush crept across her face. Duo was always smooth with words and this had been the first time he had used them on her. Duo started to laugh, but quickly grabbed his side and grimaced in pain. Hilde bit her bottom lip as she watched him fight back the pain, not knowing what she should do to help. Thankfully, one of the nurses walked into the room.
"How are you feeling to day, Mr. Maxwell?"
"I'd feel a helluva a lot better if I wasn't stuck in this bed."
The nurse placed her hands on her hips and 'glared' at her patient. "I think I liked you better when you were knocked out."
Hilde tried to hide her giggles behind her hand. Duo tilted his head in her direction. "You thought that was funny, didn't you?" She just simply nodded her head, causing Duo to pout.
"I'm sorry, miss, but it's time to change his bandages and I have to ask you to leave." The nurse stated.
Duo started to protest, but Hilde's stomach took that moment to make its presence known. She grabbed hold of her stomach, hoping to stifle the loud grumbling noises, her eyes wide with embarrassment. "No, Duo, it's okay. I'll just head down to the cafeteria and grab myself something to eat." Hilde stood up from her chair and started to leave the room, when she paused at the doorway. "Don't cause her any trouble, Duo."
Duo flashed her his bright smile and gave her a small salute. "I promise to be on my best behavior." At that remark, both Hilde and the nurse rolled their eyes.
As Hilde walked down the hallway, she could hear Duo's voice coming from the room.
"What do I have to do to get something to eat around this place? I'm starving!"
****************
Sitting down at a window-side table in the hospital cafeteria, Hilde stared down into her cup of coffee. Too much had happened in the past 24 hours and she hadn't had time to let it all sink in, until now. The artificial sunlight streamed across her half eaten bagel and the powdered sugar doughnut she had wrapped up for Duo.
Sighing, she took a sip of the hot coffee. In the past 24 hours not only had she quit her job and put Minister Richview in the middle of a scandal; but also she learned the final lesson about herself. No matter how much she thought she changed, everything still remained the same.
A shadow fell across the table forcing Hilde's attention way from her thoughts. Tilting her head, she found Quatre standing beside her. She launched herself out of the chair and into his out stretched arms.
"Quatre! You don't know how happy I am to see you!"
Quatre wrapped his arms around her and returned her hug. "I'm happy to see you too. Though I wish it could have been under better circumstances."
Hilde dropped her arms and motioned to the seat across the table. She noticed the worry on his face as he sat across from her. "He's fine, Quatre. Lucky he has that extremely hard head." She looked out the window. "It could have been a lot worse."
She felt a warm hand cover hers, but she never took her eyes off the window. "The important thing is that he's alive, Hilde."
"Every time I think about it, I think about how close I came to losing him." As the tears began to burn her eyes, she turned back to Quatre. "I can't imagine going on without him." Placing her hand over her heart, she continued. "He's a part of me, and has been for the longest time."
"When Howard called me...in that instant, my life completely turned around. Nothing else mattered but Duo." Hilde wiped the tears rolling down her cheeks away with the back of her hand. "Every thing I've done over the past three years, all of the accomplishments I've made, feel empty because he wasn't a part of them."
She smiled. "I've been a fool, haven't I, Quatre?"
"A fool?"
"I chose Venus over him. He told me he loved me and asked me not to go, but I still boarded the shuttle anyway. And the only thing I learned over the past two months is I can't live without him now that I know he truly loves me." She smirked. "In my book, that makes me a fool."
Quatre reached across the table and cupped her face in his hands. "You're not a fool, Hilde. Slightly stubborn, but never a fool." He released the hold on her face. "Life presents us all with choices; too many sometimes. You chose the path you felt was necessary, Hilde. Call it fate, destiny or God's will; no matter which choice we make, we always end up where we need to be. And it looks like right here is where you need to be, Hilde."
Hilde's eyes sparkled as she looked at her friend. "Thank you, Quatre."
"Come on. Let's go save Trowa from Duo." Quatre stated as he got up from his chair.
A giggle escaped Hilde's lips before she could stop it. Quarter turned and smiled at her. She slipped out of the chair and was about halfway to the door, when she remembered something. She quickly ran back to the table and picked up the napkin wrapped treat for Duo.
****************
Trowa leaned against the wall closest to the window and regard the young man laying the hospital bed with curious eyes. The room was completely silent, except for the sounds of the medical equipment.
"You're too quiet, Duo."
Duo turned and looked at his friend. A sad smile appeared on his face. "Yeah, I've just been thinking." He held his hands up before Trowa could speak. "I know, you could smell the smoke, right?" Sighing, he slumped back against the bed.
"Care to share?" Trowa asked as he pushed away from the wall and made his way over to the bedside chair.
Duo closed as he collected his thoughts. "I can't do it."
"Can't do what?"
"I can't let her leave." Duo whispered as he hung his head. "I don't want to be without her. It was awful being alone while she was at college. It's been down right miserable over the past two months; knowing that she loves me, but she isn't a part of my everyday life." He sighed. "When I opened my eyes this morning and found her here, all I wanted to do was scoop her up in my arms and never let go. I know that she won't stay, but deep down in my heart, I'm praying that she does. I won't pressure her to choose between her life and me." Duo turned his eyes up toward the ceiling. "I won't ask her again."
"Ask me."
Both Duo and Trowa turned to see Hilde standing in the doorway. From the loving look on her face, she had been standing there a while. She walked further into the room. Trowa, feeling out of place being stuck in the middle of the whole scene, slid off the chair and moved to stand next to Quatre by the door.
"Come on, Duo. Ask me."
He stared back at her, his violet eyes wide with so many different emotions; but his mouth remained closed. Duo shook his head from side to side, refusing to ask her the question. The fear of rejection refused to let him ask her that simple question.
Duo closed his eyes and hung his head. "There are too many things that you would be giving up. I can't ask you to come home to me. I know that you'll come back to me when you have found what you're looking for Hilde. I could never live with myself if I asked you to give up your life for me."
Hilde walked over to his bed and grabbed his face, bringing it within inches of hers. Duo opened his eyes and directly looked into hers. One tear slipped down her cheek as she stared into his handsome face and saw all of the love for her hidden behind the fear.
"It took me long enough, Duo, but I finally found what I was looking for. All this time I was looking for that part of me that seemed to be missing. It was you; you've been the thing that was missing from my life. Life without you, Duo, isn't much of a life." Leaning forward, Hilde gently placed her forehead against his, their noses slightly brushing. Closing her eyes, she pleaded. "Ask me, Duo. Please."
"Stay with me?"
The smile on her face reached her eyes causing them to sparkle with happiness. "Yes, Duo. I'll come back to you."
Her whispered reply was nearly cut off as his lips crushed up against hers. He wrapped his sore arms, as far around her as the IV tubes would allow.
"I've missed you Hilde." He whispered into her ear as he squeezed her tightly.
"I've missed you too, braid boy." Hilde's voice became clouded with tears as she spoke. She was fearful of touching him, afraid to cause him any further discomfort by hugging his bruised and battered body. But she found herself holding him in a matter of seconds, his head resting against her chest. They stayed that way until the sound of Trowa clearing his throat caused them to jump slightly apart.
Hilde could feel the blush as it crept up her neck and onto her face.
"I forgot we had an audience." Duo muttered under his breath, annoyed that they had caused him to move his head from Hilde's comforting chest. He sighed and turned his attention toward the two pilots lounging by the doorway. A huge grin was plastered across Quatre's face, while Trowa nodded his approval.
Duo clasped Hilde's hand in his own. "Guess what? She said I could keep her!" He announced with a child like enthusiasm.
Hilde pulled her hand out of his, placed both of them on her hips and glared down at Duo. "I said nothing of the sort! I said I'd come home to you. I didn't say anything about keeping me."
"Same difference."
"It is not!"
"Is too!"
"Is not!"
Exasperated, Duo blew a stray piece of hair out of his face. "Fine. Marry Me."
His statement caught her completely off guard. Hilde looked down with wide eyes at the man sitting in the hospital bed and became lost for a moment in his eyes. She smiled. How could she deny them this? "Fine. I will." A cocky looked came over her face as she goaded him into another disagreement. "But that was the most unromantic way to propose marriage."
From the doorway, Trowa and Quatre watched as their friends continued their playful argument. Trowa gently placed his arm on Quatre's shoulders, pulling his lover closer to him. Quatre sighed as he pressed up against Trowa's body.
"Looks like things are back to normal."
****************
Hilde stood in the kitchen, working over the warm stove. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she stirred the homemade spaghetti sauce. She looked to her side and watched Duo as he cut the vegetables for the salads. He placed the diced tomatoes on top of the bed of lettuce, followed by a handful of shredded cheese. Hilde chuckled. Duo raised his shoulders in defense. "What? I like cheese!" Grabbing the salad bowls, Duo walked into the living room, placing them on the TV trays.
She watched his braid sway across his back as he walked from the kitchen. It had been nearly two weeks since Duo had been released from the hospital. He still had the bandages wrapped around his chest, helping the broken ribs heal. Every once and a while, he would wince in pain when he took a deep breath. The doctor told them that the ribs would take longest to heal since they couldn't be isolated like normal broken bones. When he would flinch, she would quickly run to his side. Hilde now realized that he was faking the pain more and more, but she was willing to play along, for the moment.
Since being back on L2, things had fallen back into a normal routine. With the exception that she now carried a simple half-carat diamond on her left ring finger and she crawled into bed every night with the man she loved. Though he wasn't too fond of her cold feet ending up on his warm body in the middle of the night, but he seemed to be getting used to it. Duo had asked numerous times about her job back on Venus, and Hilde just shrugged her shoulders and told him that she didn't miss it, which was the truth. She had applied for a few government positions on L2, but if nothing panned out, she was content to work at the scrap yard.
Looking up at the clock, he yelled into the kitchen "Are the noodles ready, yet?"
Using the spoon to pull a couple of noodles, Hilde blew on the pasta before placing it in her mouth. "Yes, the noodles are done. Come in here and help me serve dinner."
She reached over and cut the heat to both the noodles and the sauce. Hilde picked up the pot with the noodles, and dumped them into the colander in the sink, draining the water away from the noodles. She threw a quick look over her shoulder and found Duo's back to her. A mischievous grin appeared on her face as she scooped up a hand full of noodles.
"Oh, Duo." She called in a singsong voice.
Duo turned around and was greeted with a pile of spaghetti noodles thrown into his face. Hilde tried to stifle her giggles, but it was no use as she stared at his comical expression. Pulling the noodles of his face and out of his hair, he turned a playful glare in her direction. "So, it's a food fight you want?"
Hilde's eyes grew as big as saucers as he grabbed the garlic bread from off the kitchen table and began pelting her with slice after slice.
The sounds of laughter from the kitchen drowned out the sound of one of the news anchor's story for the evening. "Foreign Minister Douglas Richview from the Stellar sector of Venus has stepped down from his position after it was discovered he was having an affair..."