The Longest Kiss: Chapter 4
By: Archica
Gundam Wing doesn't belong to me

Quatre sipped his tea and sat it back down on it’s coaster. He had been staring at his computer screen all day. A servant walked in with the telephone. “Master Quatre, you have a telephone call.”
“Oh, thank you.” he said, picking up the phone and motioning that the servant was excused to leave. “Quatre speaking.”
“Hi, this is Hilde, remember me?”
“Yes, of course! Hello, Hilde! How have you been?”
“Ok, I guess. Listen, could you come for a visit soon? I mean, really soon?”
“I don’t really know, Hilde. Why do you ask?”
“Uh... it’s kind of hard to explain over the phone. Duo’s been acting strange. I’ve found a dead body hidden in his closet. I think he may have gone crazy. I tried to call Heero, but he said he couldn’t make it till the end of the week, and Duo’s getting worse by the minute. I didn’t know who else to call.”
Quatre was silent for a moment. “I’ll leave immediately.” he finally said.
“Thank you, Quatre. I’ll be watching for you. Just show up at the door and act like it’s a surprize visit. Please don’t tell him I called you.”
“I understand. I’ll be there soon. Good bye.”
“Good bye.” Hilde replied, hanging up the phone. She sighed in relief. It finally seemed like there was a light at the end of the tunnel. With Quatre there, she was sure Duo wouldn’t be able to hurt anyone else, and she would feel safe enough to make Duo tell them what was going on. Maybe Quatre would even be able to convince Trowa to come out here.
Now, all Hilde had to do was keep careful and cautious without seeming suspicious until Quatre arrived. She walked out of her bedroom and there stood Duo, glaring at her with eyes that looked nothing like the frivilous pools of violet beauty she had been so acustomed to. She even noted a hint of red in them. She flenched.
“Who were you talking to?” he asked, his voice unusually deep and serious.
“Qu-Quatre just called. He said he’s coming in for a visit. Isn’t that cool? We haven’t seen him for a long time, ne?”
“I didn’t hear the phone ring.” he stated coldly.
“He beeped in while I was talking to one of my friends.”
“You don’t have any friends.”
Hilde’s eyes widened reflexively, then narrowed. “How would you know? The only friends you have are the other Gundam pilots, and I wouldn’t really consider them friends. You guys were just thrown together because you had a common mission! I THOUGHT you and I were friends, but I guess it was just wishful thinking!” that said, she slammed the door in his face and slumped down against it on the floor. Tears formed in her eyes, but she wouldn’t allow herself to sob.
On the other side, Duo’s eyes reverted back to their original color and he stared at the door. “Hilde... Hilde, I’m sorry. We are friends. I just meant... Well I don’t know what I meant. Honestly, I don’t even know why I said that. I don’t know anything anymore.”
Hilde’s eyes opened and she stood up. She stared at her side of the door, listening intently to Duo’s words.
“Everything’s gettin’ so confusing. Sometimes I think everything’s normal, but then I realize just how wrong I was. Ever since last night, the whole world’s been spinning out of control. I don’t know what to do.” He stopped talking and turned around to walk away, but stopped when he heard Hilde’s door open.
“Duo, what happened to you last night? I know... I know I shouldn’t ask you because you didn’t talk about it. You obviously didn’t want to tell me about it, but I want to know.” Her voice tapered off. “I...need to know.”
Duo looked at her. He’d never seen her like this before. She was always head-strong and bold, never so...fragile. He felt like killing himself right then. He’d been comptemplating it all day, but now, the urge to do so was weighing more and more heavy upon him. “Hilde... I’m sorry, but I can’t tell you right now. I don’t even know the answers to your questions myself. I’m still trying to figure it out.”
Hilde lowered her eyes. She couldn’t help but feel hurt. She understood what he was trying to say, but it still caused pain to know that he couldn’t tell her what he did know, and she knew he knew something. Why didn’t he tell her about the girl in the closet? Why couldn’t he just say something like: “I’ve killed someone and I don’t know why.” or “I’ve been coughing up blood.” or “I left last night without saying anything.” She knew confessions like that were unlikely and a bit unreasonable, but she just wished he’d mention those things. She didn’t like the fact that she stumbled onto them the way she did. Why didn’t he trust her enough to tell her about them? “Duo... you know something. I know you do. Why can’t you tell me?”
“Sorry, babe. I just can’t.” he answered, and walked away.
Hilde collapsed onto her knees on the floor and wrapped her arms around herself. She’d always known that Duo and her would never have the kind of relationship she wished they could have, but she never suspected that he thought so little of her as to not talk to her about possibly the biggest crisis in his life. It burned at her heart like an inferno that could never be deminished. She loved him more than her own life itself, but she couldn’t help him. Not if he wouldn’t tell her what’s going on. That was probably what stung the most, the fact that he was suffering in his own way, and she could do nothing about it.
Duo turned back and watched as Hilde did the one thing she swore to herself she’d never do over a guy, sobbed. She sobbed as if she were a baby that had just lost it’s bottle. Duo’s stomache turned, his body physically punishing him for hurting her like that. He wanted to tell her everything, but he was so scared. He was so afraid she would be angry if she found out about what he had done. Afraid she would leave him, move out and leave him all alone. Or worse, she could fear him. He didn’t know if he would be able to stand seeing fear in her eyes, caused by himself. He walked into his room and shut his door. He slid down against the door into a sitting position on the floor. He clasped his hands tightly over his ears and shut his eyes, trying his best to shut out the sound of his beloved’s sobs.