~*~

He watched as Hilde and Relena walked around the garden from the balcony. Truth be told, he couldn’t get enough of her- by sight, or by touch…

"Can’t get enough of her, huh?"

His thoughts, suddenly voiced out, nearly made him jump. Instead, he just turned and saw Duo with two bottles of beer.

"Heads up, Heero."

A bottle soared in the air and Heero reached up and caught it with a firm grip.

Duo nodded with a smile. "Nice catch."

Heero shrugged nonchalantly as he stared at the beer.

"Hey, it’s not gonna bite you, yah know." Duo opened his bottle and took a sip from it.

Heero continued to stare at the bottle… When was the last time he drank beer? Nearly five years ago… A depressed person and booze… definitely a deadly combination. Ah well. He’s got a hold on himself now… accepted that he wasn’t the perfect soldier that he had once thought he was. Self-realization of weaknesses was hard to overcome… especially when one was confused and too drunk to think reasonably. He couldn’t even remember why he turned to alcohol except that, whenever he passes out, he was given momentary peace… With a shrug, he pushed the metal cap off then instantly took a gulp. That was five years ago… a long time ago. He’s got his life back. At least, he thinks he does.

"You know… I don’t think I would ever get tired looking at my Hilde either."

Heero turned to the sound and found Duo, leaning over the banister with one hand cupped under his chin while another held on to the beer.

"She’s one in a zil… I bet that’s what you think of Relena, too."

Heero didn’t answer, too confused as to what Duo was really talking about.

Duo turned when Heero didn’t answer and saw a nearly hidden mark of confusion on his face. "Heh… you still don’t get it, do you, pardner?"

"I don’t know what you’re talking about." Heero propped his elbows on the banister and took another gulp of beer.

"Course you don’t… not yet anywayz…" Duo shrugged.

Heero’s eyes slanted. He hated being in the dark, and right now, Duo was acting as if he knew something… important. "What do you mean?"

"Nuthin’ much ‘cept the truth… You still have to learn that one… Heh… it’s gonna be one helluva bump to your head… I know it was to me."

"You better stop talking in riddles, Duo."

Duo glanced at Heero, his face serious. "Heero, I’m not talking in riddles… I never do… I say what I want to say and mean it."

Not for the first time did Heero saw a dangerous glint in Duo’s eyes… but this time, it seemed more ruthless.

"You better not hurt Relena, Heero."

Heero’s eyes turned to dangerous slits. "I think you’re confused. Isn’t your ‘gurl’, Hilde." It wasn’t a question, and why was he suddenly defensive?

The glitter in Duo’s eyes intensified. When he made it his duty to get to know Relena after Heero left her bereft in the hospital… She was just so… God! He was just proud of the way she kept herself together even when he could see that it pained her so much… He never wants to see that look in her eyes again. Hilde, Quatre, and him did their best to influence the smile back on her face. The genuine smile, not the kind that didn’t reach her eyes. But if Heero wipes that away again… "Hilde’s my gurl. Relena is my friend… you are, too… But I’m warning you, Heero… You hurt her again and I’m going to pounce on your neck so fast, you wouldn’t even know what hit you… That’s going to be one fight you’re gonna wish you never asked for."

Before Heero could answer, Duo turned away from him and left him on the balcony. He couldn’t decide whether to go after him and demand an explanation or to just ignore what he said… He did neither. He turned back to Hilde and Relena, aware of how Duo’s words still hung in the air… ‘Hurt her again? What did he mean?’ He saw Relena laugh with Hilde and his mood lightened.

Well, one thing was for certain… Duo’s loyalty to Relena was pure…

She looked up and her eyes met his. She waved. He only nodded. The mere fact that she waved to him made his mood lighter, just as the mere fact that he acknowledged her was enough to double the shine in her eyes…

Hilde grinned as she saw the look that passed between the two. Purposely turning away from Heero and pushing Relena around so he wouldn’t be able to read their lips, she excitedly asked her friend for bits and pieces. "So, what’s been happening? Something changed between you two… I can see it."

Relena shook her head while a smile played on her lips. "Honestly Hilde… you’re being as curious as Duo." What would she do without her friends? Lord! She felt like giggling!

Hilde shrugged. "That’s okay with me. I want to know what’s up."

Her cheerful smile slowly disappeared as Relena looked into the darkness of her garden. "He thinks he doesn’t have emotions…"

"And what do you think?" Hilde asked as she placed a hand on her friend’s shoulder.

Relena looked up at Heero then at Hilde. "I think he just need to accept that he does. He doesn’t know it but he shows so much… even when I first met him, so long ago… You could see it… The way he tried to be strong- and he is strong- but what I mean is… Oh I don’t know… I can’t explain it…"

Hilde grinned. "I know what you mean…" Hilde paused to let a few minutes pass by while she thought of her husband. Should she tell Relena that her marriage was real? No… This talk should be about them, not her "So, anything else happening between the two of you?"

The way Hilde stated the question… She knew exactly what her friend was asking and couldn’t help the dreamy look that came upon her face. "Nothing much…"

Hilde’s eyebrow shot up. "Nothing much, she says… It’s been over a month of smiles and looks between you two, and she says ‘nothing much’!"

Relena didn’t answer. So, Hilde noticed. She was pretty sure that Duo noticed, too… But how could she stop a smile from appearing whenever she lays eyes on him? How could she stop a ‘look’ especially when… there’s a stolen kiss under the moonlit sky… inside the shed… below a tree…? A meaningful look… Mind numbing kisses…

"Relena, I don’t want you to get hurt."

Hilde’s concerned voice reached into her giddy mind, and she instantly landed upon solid ground. Relena faced Hilde and placed a hand on her friend’s shoulder. "Part of life is being hurt, Hilde… You can’t have happiness without pain…" A sigh left her lips before she could continue. "I know I’m only getting my hopes up… I know that I’m going to get hurt in the end… When Wufei relieves Heero of this assignment…" She couldn’t even finish that sentence. She will not think of it until the time comes. Already, she could feel that biting loneliness and imagine that bleak future ahead. "I can’t help it…"

"Relena-"

"Hilde," Relena shook her head, stopping her friend's words. "I can’t change who he is… I don’t want to change him… I love him just the way he is… Knowing who he is..." She smiled understandingly while her eyes looked up at the sky. "I can only hope. I can only dream… Can you understand that?"

Hilde’s eyes shimmered as she saw the courage in Relena’s eyes. Set determination…

"I am not going to be selfish and want everything, Hilde… I’ll just want today and live one a step at a time until it’s over… then at least I’ll have some memories to keep…" It wasn’t enough, but it was better than nothing.

"You’re stupid, Relena." Hilde whispered as she hugged her friend tightly. Even she didn’t do this courageous act. She chose to play it along, to ignore… Relena, on the other hand, was… was trying to be a part of it, delving into it even with knowledge of future consequences.

"I know…" A single tear escaped Relena’s eyes and she instantly wiped it dry. "But… that’s me… I’ll live through it… I did it before… I can do it again." She closed her eyes as she placed her chin on Hilde’s shoulder while a single phrase echoed in her mind- ‘I hope…’