Platonic Love - Ch. 3 - The Tension Increases

[Kilmeny]

Platonic Love ? Chapter Three ? The Tension Increases
By Kilmeny

Disclaimers: Gundam Wing belongs to Sunrise. Any songs or quotes belong to their authors listed with them. This story is not being used to make a profit.

Author?s Notes: I am so sorry everyone for the long wait. I could list a bunch of excuses right here, but it?s still my fault. Please accept my humble apologies. Thanks for the feedback I got about the kiss and characterization. Okay, enjoy the new chapter!

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Chapter Three ? The Tension Increases

A month after ?that ball thingie,? Hilde was finishing her housecleaning. She had the music on full blast and was wailing along with it while she washed off the top cabinets from her precarious perch on the kitchen counter. Duo was due home that day, so every time she heard a car drive by, her ears perked up to listen for him. It was during a particularly loud belt-it-out type song that she felt a pair of well-muscled arms slide around her waist. She shrieked and fell backwards, causing the person to lose his balance and land on the floor. ?Oof,? she had landed right on his chest. Grinning broadly, she looked up at his face. ?Hi . . . Blake! I thought you were- I mean- you scared me half to death.? She?d thought he was Duo back from his Preventers mission. Oh, well.

He grinned sheepishly and laughed his deep, booming laugh. ?I thought I?d surprise you.?

At that moment the kitchen door flung open and Duo burst through the doorway. ?Hilde-babe, I?m home! Whoa!? When he encountered Blake and Hilde?s compromising position on the floor, he pivoted on the spot and covered his eyes with his hand. ?Sorry, looks like I caught you guys at a bad time. Heh-heh.?

Blake laughed again. Hilde hopped up, asserting angrily, ?As if, Duo, would you turn around? It was an accident. It?s not what it looks like.?

Duo turned around, smirking, but with an odd look in his eyes. ?If I?m not mistaken, it appears that the whole ?jumping you in the kitchen? thing finally did happen. Good thing we pract-?

?Duo!? screeched Hilde, turning a most unnatural shade of red, ?You are very much mistaken! Ignore him, Blake, he?s delusional.? Blake stood up and brushed off his pants, looking a little confused. Suddenly, Hilde realized there was a woman standing behind Duo. Jeez, could this get any more embarrassing? ?Who?s your friend?? she asked coolly, attempting to collect herself.

Duo brought her forward, a hand at the small of her back. She was a golden blonde, much taller than Hilde, with warm and merry honey-brown eyes. Her skin was a smooth ivory, which Hilde was sure never turned a mottled red like hers did when she cried or lost her temper, if Lorelei ever did do those things. ?This is Lorelei Vala, my Preventers partner for this last mission. We hit it off really well, so I thought I?d introduce you two.?

Hilde and Blake introduced themselves and they all shook hands before migrating to the living room where they sat down to talk. Hilde could still feel her cheeks burning. What an awful first impression, and this girl was flawless, like a Greek goddess in the flesh. She, on the other hand, had been cleaning. There was a handkerchief in her hair, and, she thought, discreetly rubbing the side of her nose, there was probably dirt smudged somewhere on her face.

?It?s strange that none of us have ever met. I go to the university, and I live only a few blocks away,? said Lorelei, turning to Hilde. ?Duo tells me that you?re German, too, so I guess we can wish each other a guten morgen.?*

Hilde smiled back, and pointed to the clock. ?Nein, guten tag.?**

Lorelei glanced at the clock. ?You?re right. It?s already two o?clock, how time flies. I really should be going, Duo,? said Lorelei, uncrossing her long legs and standing. Duo proclaimed that he would give her a ride home, and the two stepped out after bidding Blake and Hilde goodbye, or in Lorelei?s case auf wiedersehen.*** Hilde slumped back against the couch and let out a sigh of relief.

Blake gave her a quizzical look, ?What?s with you today??

?Nothing!? she groaned, changing the subject and pulling him to his feet, ?Let?s make something to eat. I haven?t had any lunch yet, and I?m starved.?

?Okay,? he obliged.

**********

When Duo arrived home a couple of hours later, Blake had already left, and Hilde was waiting for Duo at the kitchen table. As he closed the door behind him, she rose and crossed her arms, a hard look on her face. ?Why did you embarrass me like that in front of Blake?? she bit out.

Duo, unsure of why he had done it, but knowing that he had been disturbed by the sight of Hilde on top of Blake, merely shrugged and said, ?It?s not like he knew what I was talking about.?

?What you said sounded pretty suggestive, and it wasn?t like that!? she yelled.

Duo frowned, starting to get angry as well. ?Yeah right, you expect me to believe that? You guys were probably all cozy here while I was gone, but I just intruded on your playtime. That?s the real reason you?re so angry.?

Hilde?s jaw dropped open in shock, hurt washing over her face. ?How can you even think that, Duo? You know I?m not like that. And even if we were screwing around, which we weren?t, I would never make you feel like you were intruding in your own home!?

Duo sighed and slumped into a chair, his head lowered. ?You?re right. I?m sorry. I don?t even know why I would say something like that.? Hilde silently sat down across from him. He looked up at her through his bangs and gave her a lopsided smile. ?I guess this is why we agreed early on that one of us would move out once we?d fallen in love. It?s kind of hard for each of us to keep our opinions to ourselves.?

?Well, I?m not in love with Blake, for your information. And if I ever do fall in love, I promise that you?ll be the first to know.?

?Thanks . . . you know, I worry about you. It?s like I?ve got these big brother urges to make sure no guy ever hurts you.? Or touches you, or kisses you, or talks to you, or grrr, stop it!

?Yeah, well, I guess that?s alright then. Just don?t stick your nose too far into my business, and certainly don?t humiliate me like that again,? said Hilde, her anger finally dissipating. ?So, are you and Lorelei a couple now, or still just partners??

Grinning wildly, Duo told about their adventures together and how it had become apparent that there was definitely some chemistry between them.

?She seems really nice,? said Hilde, ?perfect in fact.?

?Yeah, you should see some of her karate moves!? Duo gushed.

Hilde faked a smile and tried to listen, but she felt a little detached, like she wasn?t giving an honest reaction. Fortunately or unfortunately, Duo was too busy praising Lorelei to notice anyway.

**********

On the April evening of Hilde?s 18th birthday, she lay on the couch, dejectedly fingering the lovely gold bracelet that Blake had bought for her. But her eyes weren?t on the shining gold, nor were her thoughts about Blake. Her gaze instead was on the ceiling, and her thoughts and anger were bent toward Duo. He had been out all day with Lorelei, and he hadn?t presented her with a gift, not even a ?happy birthday? that morning! He had completely forgotten her. Unsuccessfully, she tried to maintain her anger, but she felt a lump form in her throat. No, she was not going to cry. She never cried, never.

Thankfully, her anger returned at that moment as she saw Duo walk jauntily into the room, so smug, so ignorant of her emotional state of being, so uncaring! What a jerk, forgetting his best friend?s birthday.

?Hiya, Hilde.?

?Humph.?

Duo was standing in front of the couch now, giving her a timid half-smile. ?Did you have a good time with Blake??

Pursing her lips, Hilde answered with a shrug and rolled over a bit in order to turn away from him. She held up her wrist, however, showing him the bracelet. Maybe that would jog his memory a little. ?He bought me this.? She laid her hand back down, only to feel something wet slurp across her wrist. She turned over in surprise, nearly falling off the couch. It was an adorable, albeit slobbery, bloodhound puppy. He sat staring up at her with seemingly doleful eyes. His body was black, but his ears, face, feet, and the tip of his tail were a tawny brown. Hilde looked up at Duo quickly. ?He?s so precious!?

?And he?s all yours. Happy birthday, Hilde.? Duo?s hands were in his pockets, a slight blush across his cheeks. ?I had to go get him today so that I could keep him a surprise. I figured you?d be with Blake all day anyway, so please don?t be mad.?

?No, it?s alright,? she answered, scooping the puppy up in her arms, ?He?s perfect.? Then she reached over and pulled Duo into a hug with the puppy between them. The puppy, overcome by the joy of group hugging, proceeded to gleefully lick both of their faces. They quickly pulled apart, laughing and wiping away the drool.

**********

It turned out that the puppy was an exact doggie replica of Duo, from his black and brown coloring (he even had a red collar) to his irresistible charm. He ?rescued? Hilde from spiders, ?helped? with the cleaning, and was boundlessly enthusiastic and fun loving, not to mention incorrigible. Hilde tried to teach him to behave and not eat her socks, but like Duo, he just wouldn?t learn. [Not that Duo ate her socks or anything.] But the bloodhound puppy was sweet, and that was the most important part. Hilde loved him and quickly decided to name him Maxwell, Max for short. Duo was secretly happy that the puppy was his namesake, and Max, well, he was just generally happy.

By the time the month of June had arrived, Duo and Hilde were out of school, and the salvage business was deep into its busy season. Max spent his time running back and forth between the office and the garage to offer them sloppy kisses, but Hilde and Duo only saw each other at breakfast. Lunch was grabbed when time allowed, and dinners were usually spent on dates, separate dates?Duo with Lorelei and Hilde with Blake. They never considered double dating. Duo had retained his revulsion (fear!) toward any news or details about Hilde?s love life. And Hilde felt queasy around Lorelei. Every time she heard her say ?guten tag? she was tempted to say ?gag me.? In German would have been ideal, she mused.

From the very moment she met Lorelei, Hilde declared to herself that she didn?t like her. Yet she had to admit that she couldn?t pinpoint the reason. If they had met under different circumstances, she suspected that she would have gladly befriended Lorelei. But the circumstances were that Duo had met her first, and Lorelei and Duo definitely did have the chemistry he had so avidly described. Hilde could easily see that his relationship with Lorelei was different from his relationships with the other women he had dated. It was based not on a shallow attraction but on the camaraderie they had gained during their mission together. Because Duo and Lorelei were friends before they dated, Hilde had an irrational feeling that Lorelei was taking her place.

Maybe it isn?t so irrational, she thought one day as she fiddled and clanged away under the hood of a car. I mean, he?s with her all of the time now. He hardly ever shares his problems or joys with me anymore. It?s always, ?Lorelei this? and ?Lorelei that.? He?s infatuated with her; it?s pathetic.

It was a typical day at the shop. Duo and Hilde performed specialized work on cars and other machinery while their hired workers transported various parts across the garage and the yard using cranes and trucks. It was busy and loud, but the familiarity of it all was somewhat comforting to Hilde. Bang! Clang! She willingly added her own amount of noise to the cacophony, releasing some of her anger as her internal shouting continued. And he ignores his guy buddies now, too. He hasn?t said more than three words to Blake for weeks, and they used to be such good friends! Hilde slammed the car hood with relish and stood with one hand on her hip, staring unseeingly at the shining hood. Max bounded over and jumped against her leg in order to shove his head under her dangling hand, begging her to scratch his ears. She scratched absently, still lost in thought. I guess he just gave me Max to try and replace him. Even though I love the little guy, it?s not good enough for me . . . I miss Duo . . .

?Hey, what?s wrong?? asked Blake, coming over to place an arm around her shoulders.

She turned toward him and slipped her arms around his waist, laying her cheek against his chest. ?I miss Duo. We never talk anymore because he?s always with Lorelei.?

She didn?t see Blake?s frown at Duo, who was working on a car on the other side of the large garage. ?Is this why you haven?t been yourself lately?? It was true. Hilde had seemed distracted much of the time she was with Blake, and an idea had been developing in Blake?s mind for some time now. He was beginning to comprehend something of which even Hilde wasn?t aware yet.

?What are you talking about?? she asked, looking up at him.

?Come on, Hilde,? he said gruffly, ?You never smile anymore. You don?t eat much, no offense to your normally large appetite. And that spunk I love about you has been lately . . . well, nonexistent.?

She pulled away slightly, looking hurt. ?Am I boring you now? Are you getting tired of me??

He sighed and shook his head. ?Look, all I?m saying is that maybe you have some thinking to do. You know you?ve been acting differently, and I think you need to figure out for yourself why. I?ll be here to help you; I?m not going anywhere. It?s just that?I don?t know . . . I think I have an idea why you?re acting so funny . . .?

?What?s your idea then??

?I?m a little reluctant to say,? he paused, ?It?s not exactly something a guy enjoys bringing up with his girlfriend??

?Just spit it out!? she interrupted, wrenching away from him, ?What do you think is wrong with me?? She was nearly yelling now.

?Lower your voice,? he said quietly, leaning slightly to pull her into her office, ?I- I?ve been getting the impression lately that you?re jealous of Lorelei.?

?Of course I am! She?s practically stealing my best friend!? announced Hilde, angrily gesturing in the general direction of Duo.

Blake?s frown deepened. ?Jealous that she?s stealing your best friend or jealous that she?s stealing Duo?s affections for you??

?What exactly are you implying?? she demanded, her heart beginning to race.

?To put it bluntly, I think you may have feelings for Duo.? At her shocked expression, he continued, ?Is that so hard to believe? You two have taken care of each other for the past three years. And- and unless you get your feelings figured out, our relationship isn?t going to go anywhere.? Blake appeared relieved to have voiced his thoughts, although there was still a pained expression in his eyes.

Hilde was speechless and embarrassed. She was having trouble grasping the thought, but she knew from the icy feeling in the pit of her stomach that Blake was onto something. She looked away from his knowing gaze and crossed her arms.

?Hilde,? he said tenderly, touching a hand to her elbow, ?I care about you a lot, but if this- us- is not what you want, then you need to let me know.?

?I know,? she said slowly, almost inaudibly, ?I really need time to think about this, though. Can you give me some time??

?Of course,? he said, hugging her tightly. The room was quiet, and she stood motionless, letting him hold her. At length the silence and stillness were broken by a crash and a scream.

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Author?s Notes: Well, that?s it for now. I really hope to finish this soon, key word is ?hope.? Thanks for reading and God bless!

*Guten morgen (GOOT-en MORG-en) = good morning
**Nein, guten tag (neyen, GOOT-en taak) = no, good afternoon
***Auf wiedersehen (owf VEED-uh-zayen) = goodbye
~taken from Barron?s The Traveler?s Phrase Book. I just had to put in a little foreign language after my trip to Europe last summer, so there?s your lesson for the day. And if anyone knows the German for ?gag me,? then let me know because I?m curious. And I know that just because Hilde?s ethnicity is German, it doesn?t mean that she knows German, but the show never says whether any characters can or cannot be multilingual.

To Be Continued

[pilot03]

Please, please, please update this fic. I can't wait to see what happens next. You have written a good story so far and I think you may be on to a very interesting story. Thanks for what you have posted so far. Bye