To Belong [DxH] G

[ChrisJS]

To Belong

I own nothing but the arrangement of these words and the ideas they betray. And they probably
aren't worth much (Except maybe reviews...I hope!)



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Duo reached an arm out, wrapped his fingers around a long pipe protruding from the
depths of the massive heap of scrap metal, and pulled himself up. Once he had regained his balance
atop the mound, he brushed his now-greasy hands on his pant-legs and proceeded to stoop, looking
through assorted nuts, screws and metal fragments. His eye caught a bundle of wire and he picked
it up gingerly, examining the ends. They were slightly damaged and the wire was bent in various places,
but with a little bit of tweaking?

He was inspecting the wire with great concentration, pinching along its length, searching for any kinks
or breaks within the slick, black coating, when something struck the back of his head. His hand
reached to feel the offended spot and he looked up, wincing slightly as his eyes refocused on his
surroundings. Having had his attention stolen, he glanced down at a round, metal bolt that had come
to rest amongst the shrapnel. He picked it up and allowed it to roll around on his palm, eying it with
a questioning, almost intrigued look on his face.

?Duo!? A sharp voice echoed once again from the bottom of the mountainous heap. His eyes narrowed
and shifted towards what he recognized as the source of the flying projectile.

After a moment, Duo?s head poked out over the wall of scraps, his long brown braid dangling down
beside it.

?Geez, Hilde!? What was that for?? He asked, furrowing his brows innocently. ?That kinda hurt??
He looked at her with his big violet eyes, trying to add as pitiful a tone as he could muster while rubbing
his head for extra emphasis.

?Oh, Duo, get over yourself! I?ve been calling you for the past five minutes. The truck is all loaded.
You just need to overlook the materials and sign the receipt before the customer comes to pick it up.?

Duo gave a small pout, seeing that the young woman wasn?t about to fall for his childish antics.

?How do you like that?? He rolled his eyes towards the sky pitifully while pulling his shoulders into a
shrug.

?Come on, like that bolt could be of any match to that thick skull of yours.? Hilde turned slightly, eyes
narrowing as her lips curved up in a knowing smirk. ?Besides, you?re just jealous because you know that
was an impressive shot.? She kept her gaze on him just long enough to see his face adorn a sheepish
expression and then turned away, feeling quite satisfied and doing her best to suppress a giggle.

Duo rose to his feet, resting his hands on his hips and allowing his mouth to form into a crooked grin, as
he watched her walk away. ?She knows me a little too well,? he mused before proceeding to make his
way down the cascading metal remnants.


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?Uh-huh. Uh-huh.? Duo nodded as he circled the bed of the trailer, inspecting the contents
and then skimming the receipt. ?Alright, everything looks good. Here you go, sir!? Duo said as he signed
the receipt and handed it to the stocky man before him.

?Thank you, Mr. Maxwell. I?ll be back later this week if this batch isn?t enough, if that?s alright.?

?Hey. No problem. Besides, you?re one of our best customers, Hal. It?s people like you who are keepin?
people like us in business.?

Duo patted the side of the trailer affectionately after giving a reassuring tug on one of the chords that
secured the heavy load. His eyes suddenly left the truck and became focused on the large junk yard
sprawling beyond it.

?Yeah, now that the war is over, the demand for scrap metal and spare parts has declined dramatically.?

His voice was slightly yet unusually quieter?almost distant. After a moment, his eyes shifted back to
meet the gazes of Hal and Hilde and, seeing the quizzical looks on their faces, he suddenly felt flustered.

?Er?Don?t get me wrong,? he waved his hands in a defensive gesture, ?I mean it?s totally worth it
with the peace and all, ha-ha?? Duo?s voice trailed off with a sigh.

A shadow flickered across Hilde?s face for a moment before she reclaimed her usual beaming smile while
the older man chuckled lightly. Hal then moved forward, climbed up into the truck, and turned the
engine over, sticking his hand out the window to give a small wave before pulling away.

Hilde stood waving back until the large truck had made the wide turn out of the yard and onto the presently
vacant street. She allowed her arm to drop to her side, sighing slightly as a smile warmed her face,
and her eyes moved to take in her surroundings.

The junkyard, including the small house within it, stared back at her just as it had for the past four years.
She had come to live on L2 in AC 193, shortly before applying for a position as an Oz recruit, and this
yard had served as her home throughout the war. Yet the place had always held a certain air for Hilde,
something she couldn?t quite put her finger on.

The house had been simple and uninteresting, its furnishings being no more exquisite than the exterior, and
the sharp, mangled debris scattered around, glinting harshly in its strangled masses, had created a cold,
unwelcoming atmosphere. She thought back to the restlessness she had felt in returning to these detached
grounds after her often late shifts; although the house had belonged to her, it hadn?t seemed to be
where she belonged.

Hilde?s eyes took in the yard before her now, however, and her smile widened.

Everything remained the same as it had been since she had arrived here four years prior, yet the disposition
of the entire place had changed somehow. The cubical-like house still stood blankly with its flat,
unadorned walls. The stacks of scraps still towered around the area and were held in by the same scruffy,
worn down fence. Yet, the metal that had once appeared menacing now seemed to shine which, in
turn, made the small building look brighter and more homely, in a way.

There was no denying it. Hilde had come to love this place.

She turned around to gaze at the young man standing beside her with his hands on his hips and his mouth in
an easy grin. His black attire gave his countenance a dismal appearance but stood in stark contrast
against his brighter, more jovial face. She watched his violet eyes for a moment, as they peered down the
dirt drive to where the truck had last been seen.

Yep, she decided, this place was certainly different than what she had first known it to be.

Hilde remained standing, locked in her wandering thoughts until she realized that Duo had shifted his gaze
towards her. She faltered for a second before taking a deep, satisfying breath and smiling at him.

Duo narrowed his eyes and leaned towards her, as if to speculate what she had been thinking about, then
straightened again, peering at her out of the corner of his eye.

?Better watch it, Hilde. Don?t want to admire this face too much. You?re going to wear out my beauty.?

Hilde stood looking at him, waiting for his features to betray the amusement he certainly must have intended
that remark to convey. But his face remained impassive as he looked her straight in the eye.
Hilde faltered for a second time within minutes. Was he actually serious?

Duo beamed inwardly in seeing Hilde?s expression of bewilderment and offered the laugh she had been
expecting before. Hilde?s face relaxed; though slightly annoyed at him, she could only resort to a small
chuckle herself.

Duo turned towards the house and placed a hand on her shoulder.

?Come on. You look like you could use a cold beer.? She smiled at him and nodded, knowing that he knew
she didn?t drink beer but appreciating the gesture all the same.

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Duo dropped himself into a chair at the kitchen table and leaned back, resting his elbows on the
chair?s arms and letting out a heavy sigh. There was no doubt he was tired and, casting an
inconspicuous glance towards her drooping shoulders and uneven posture, he noted that the same could be
said for Hilde.

In fact, he knew Hilde had been losing sleep for the past month. More than once this week, he had heard her
light footsteps in the hall well after he had gone to bed (which was by no means early). The last
time he had heard her, he had emerged from his room only to find her curled up on the couch with a mug of
coffee, staring sleepily out the window. He had watched her for quite a while, debating whether or
not to direct her back to bed but, on seeing her pick up one of her novels, decided that she probably wouldn?t
sleep anyways. He had almost joined her then, but figured she wouldn?t need any company to
finish her book and had retreated back to his own room to gain what few hours of sleep he could before daybreak.

Returning to the present, he settled back to watch her fix some food for them both and pulled the corners of
his mouth into a sad smile. She was working the same long, hard days he was yet she never
hesitated to take upon herself the duties of caring for them both once they had finished tackling the ever-aggressive
demands of the business, and always with a smile at that. Her endurance and consideration
simply kept him in awe.

The drinks!

He tossed his head from side to side, mentally reprimanding himself for being so thoughtless, and jumped up to
retrieve them. Once at the refrigerator, he opened the door and scanned its contents. His lips
twitched as his eyes found the beer bottles tucked away on a lower shelf but his hand stopped short to grasp
the handle of a large pitcher of iced tea instead.

He was pouring for two when Hilde?s head jerked up, her eyes glancing out the small window above the sink.
Duo followed her gaze with a frown, doubting that the view was guilty of stealing her attention,
and waited for her to disclose her thoughts.

?I haven?t recorded that last transaction yet and I don?t remember seeing the copy of the receipt in with the
paperwork?? she flipped her thumb towards a pile of papers on the table. ?Did you??

?Don?t worry,? Duo raised a hand to stop her, ?I put it on the desk along with the bills. I need to write those
checks tonight so I figured I would file the receipt at the same time.?

Duo threw her a wide, toothy grin and patted her shoulder, as if to dissolve her every concern.

Hilde smiled, his bubbly mood helping her relax, and returned to chopping tomatoes for her spaghetti sauce.

Duo looked her over again. Her eyes were devoid of their usual luster, small dark shadows were forming under
her eyes and her normally glowing face was drawn and pallid. He thought of the bright,
energetic expression she had adorned mere hours ago and winced inwardly at the drastic transformation. There
was no doubt that all the work was getting to her. He tossed the idea of breeching the subject
around in his head but the smile she continued to display convinced him to save it for later.

Instead, he reached over and grasped her wrist, catching her by surprise, and plucked the knife from her fingers.
Looking at her with prodding eyes and a soft grin, he replaced the knife with one of the glasses
of iced tea and pulled loose the strings of her apron before giving her a small nudge.

?Go lie down for a while. I?ll take care of this. How about I bring you a plate when it?s done??

Duo turned towards the tomatoes, nimbly tied the apron around his waist and began chopping away before she
could offer any protests.

Hilde just stared with a blank expression, baffled, not sure whether to object or to concede.

?Duo, you don?t need to?I?m fine, really?? she started, but let her voice trail away.

Recalling their many previous battles-of-the-wills, she quickly decided that he would never let her have the last
word. Instead, she observed his newly added apparel and couldn?t help but grin maliciously.

?Thanks. Oh, and I think the housewife gig looks good on you,? she added, poking a finger at him, and swung
around to make her way down the hall to her room.

Duo glanced over his shoulder, his mouth gaping with obvious astonishment, but he was relieved to see that she
had, indeed, gone. That fact alone only heightened his concern, however; Hilde wouldn?t usually
allow him to make such decisions for her with only a meager rebuttal.

?Well,? he thought enthusiastically, ?I don?t have too much to worry about so long as she keeps up that sense
of humor.?

He shifted his gaze towards the window and pondered, not unlike Hilde had done moments before, and gave
his braid a light tug before returning his attention to the task at hand; spaghetti.

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After a half hour or so, the pasta was cooked and ready for consumption so Duo dished up a plate
and set off for Hilde?s room. He knocked softly and, receiving no answer, pushed the door
open.

Hilde lay across the bed with closed eyes, seemingly asleep. Duo stood still, listening to her quiet, even breaths,
and, after determining that she was, indeed, asleep, he smiled.

The spaghetti could wait.

He grabbed a quilt that had been folded across the foot of the bed, draped it over Hilde?s curved form and turned
to leave, grabbing her now empty tea glass as he went.

Once he was back in the kitchen, Duo wrapped her plate in cellophane and put it in the refrigerator before settling
down to consume his own dinner.

Upon finishing, he cleaned up the dishes and made his way to their less than quaint living room. He paused, taking
in his surroundings. The walls were a plain off-white and the carpet was brown and sporting
obvious years of foot traffic. There wasn?t much in the way of furniture, a small couch, an armchair, a stout coffee
table, and a few frames hung here or there. Some would definitely say it looked dull.

To Duo, it looked perfect.

His eyes then ventured to his desk, losing a bit of their vigor.

?Now, about those bills??

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A soft ticking emanated from the small clock on the nightstand and filled the otherwise silent room. But
Duo was certain that wasn?t the sound that had aroused him from his slumber.

He lay flat on his back, staring uninterestedly at the shadows streaking across the ceiling. After tiring of this, he closed
his eyes again and resorted to rubbing the tip of his braid between his thumb and middle
finger. A swish brushed past his door.

There it was!

He leaned forward, pulling himself into a sitting position, a scowl replacing his formerly vacant expression, and took a
decisive breath.

This had gone on long enough.

Throwing his legs over the bedside, he pushed himself up and across the room, slowing only to slide the door open.
He peered down the hall and, seeing it vacant, stepped out to venture towards the living
room.

Duo looked about, his face bunching in slight confusion when he found no Hilde. He wandered around the room, glancing
into the kitchen, then towards the front door, before his eyes fell across the glass doors
leading to the back patio. They had been left ajar and beyond the panes of glass Duo could see a faint, curvy silhouette.

He inched closer, not wanting to betray his presence in fear of stirring her seemingly intense reverie. His eyes followed the
outline of her body, growing wider by the moment. The pajamas she wore held close to her body in a beautifully tasteful
manner as she leaned against the veranda.

He crept closer, all but forgetting his discreet intentions, when a soft whisper came through the doorway.

?You can join me. Of course, if you?d rather stay in there, I can keep pretending I don?t see you.? A smile flittered
across her face, only lightly visible beneath the pale lights of the colony.

Duo gave a short laugh before pulling the doors open and taking a place beside her.

?I should have known I couldn?t get by you and your keen, womanly observational skills.? He smirked, adding,
?Oh, but I suppose I should be entitled to such, too, being the good housewife that I am.?

Hilde laughed at that, making Duo?s heart jump a little in his chest.

She stood still for a moment, then sighed and pulled her arms tightly around herself, lost in thought, when a gentle
hand on her shoulder shook her.

?Look, Hilde, I know you?ve been worried, especially with the business lagging as much as it has lately.?

He paused, but, seeing no response forthcoming, he continued.

?I also know you haven?t been sleeping well for a while now.?

Hilde looked up, seemingly surprised at his level of perception, and then turned her face away from him. Thinking
back on it, she?d had the feeling of being watched the other night as she finished up one of her
novels. Should it have even surprised her? ?So much for my keen observational skills,? she chuckled lightly to herself
before looking back at him through the darkness.

?I know I shouldn?t be worrying so much??

?No. You shouldn?t.? The usually boisterous quality in Duo?s voice had been replaced with a flat tone of severity,
causing Hilde to flinch mid-word. She stared at him almost stupidly as his shadowed eyes
addressed her. But within seconds, his face softened into a smile and he turned, looking out across the junkyard.

?I know things look bad now, but?it?ll get better. Mobile suits may not be needed anymore, but the colony will
start refocusing their energy on new construction sooner or later and we?ll be back in business.?

He turned towards her and grinned teasingly before imparting more.

?And perhaps sooner than later.?

Sensing his tone of amusement, Hilde looked up at him with cocked eyebrow, indicating that he should continue.

?I just happen to have made an appointment to meet with a man working with a mobile suit recycling firm. I?m to
see him in three days.?

Hilde started; a look of pure excitement adorned her otherwise leery face.

?Duo?you?really?? She practically bounced up and down beside him before twisting her face in anger and fervently
socking him in the arm. ?Why didn?t you tell me??

?Well, I wasn?t one-hundred percent sure this guy was going to come through. I didn?t want to get ahead of myself and
get your hopes up with something that could have gone nowhere.? He offered defensively,
rubbing his surely bruising arm.

He bent forward, seemingly deep in thought.

?Of course, if it does prove unprofitable, we could always keep Hal comin? back.? He cast his gaze skyward, one eye
closed as if in deep concentration. ?It wouldn?t be too hard to water down some of his
loads. A few missing pounds here, a few pounds short there?? Duo pointed to one finger after another emphatically,
looking like a small child having to use his extremities to count.

?Oh Duo, we couldn?t!? Hilde yelped and then crossed her arms, eyes narrowing humorously. ?You would never do
such a thing.?

Duo returned her smile with a hearty laugh, reassuring her of his lack of immoral intensions. Just then, his shoulders
lifted in seeming confidence and he stretched his arm out towards the debris.

?But we solidified the meeting earlier this evening.? His voice suddenly lowered, becoming soft, almost wistful. ?And
just think. If all goes well, all of this material that was once part of the very same machines
intent on destroying peace in space will be going towards building its future.? He lifted his head; his hopeful gaze drifted
off in the distance as if he were able to see it all taking place before him now.

Hilde?s breath caught in her throat at his words. She watched Duo?s illuminated profile, his eyes sparkling with hope; those
eyes that always looked at her so full of?truth. It was those eyes...his eyes...him,
she realized, that kept her going, kept her believing. She thought back to her days within Oz. She had really believed, then,
that anything was possible...people could change the future. But so many times, through the war and the seemingly
hopeless battles waged by the insecurities and hatred of mankind, she had almost given up
hope, almost submitted into thinking that nothing was possible for human beings but destruction and pain.

Then she had met Duo. One would think his battle, the seemingly most difficult and hopeless of all battles, would have
distressed her more. But Duo had astounded her with his never-ending optimism and
abounding spirits. Many times had she gazed at him while he ranted on about nothing in particular and wondered how,
after all he had witnessed and all that still relentlessly opposed his dreams, he kept up
hope. There had been a few times he had faltered in his faith in peace...she remembered...but even then, she knew he
had never fully given up.

She turned, looking at the scraps, faith recaliming her heart. It was because of him that she was here now.

She took a deep, decisive breath. Suddenly, she turned and all but ran through the doors, immerging once again a few
moments later, her fist clenched tightly.

Duo, somewhat taken by surprise at her hasty movement, and watched in silence as she slowed her approach, eyes
bright with brimming tears. Without a word, she reached for his hand and, turning it up,
pressed something into his warm palm, closing his fingers around it. He watched this and turned his eyes towards her
questioningly.

?You?re right, Duo. Now that there?s peace, everything will work out. Even if this seems disheartening now, it only
means that better things are yet to come, the things we only dreamed about during the war,
the only things that can be found in times of peace. I had almost forgotten that. But you?ve reminded me. You always
seem to be reminding me, breaking through all the things that make me lose sight of what?s
really important. You show me the truth.?

Hilde paused as if looking for more words, but, finding her thoughts depleted, she resigned to lifting her hand to Duo?s
cheek.

?It isn?t a lot, but I want you to have this. I?ve had it since I was little and it?s always brought me reassurance. The
same reassurance you give me now.?

With one swift motion, she brushed his exposed cheek with her lips and whispered softly,

?Thank you.?

Before Duo could summon some kind of a response, she had slipped away through the glass doors again, leaving him
in silence. He stood, eyes wide with astonishment, and released the breath he had held
since feeling her fingers on his skin.

Still yet to regain his composure, he managed to bring his thoughts back to the item safely embedded between his fingers.
Casting one last glance through the darkened doors, Duo released his grip and peered
at the object, eyes growing wide. The metal was firm and smooth with beautifully simple edges and a brilliant gold finish.
As he explored its cool surface with his index finger, his stomach clenched against a
wave of mixed emotions.

Seconds stretched into minutes with Duo simply staring at the small cross resting in his palm, unable to move, to breathe,
save for the sad smile playing in his eyes and the silent tear that suddenly trickled down
his cheek.

It was then that Duo recognized the sensation swelling in his chest, a feeling foreign to him for some ten years?a feeling
conjured by the haunting yet comforting symbol that he had fought so hard to forget...
and by the woman who had just bestowed it upon him...

He was home...and he belonged.


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I had no idea what this story was going to be when I started...if anything, certainly not this. Part of me feels it's sketchy
and incomplete while another part of me really likes it the way it is. I have some ideas to
keep it going if anyone is interested...(maybe some action...POW! SMACK! KICK! hehe) Let me know if you want to...