Title: Hilde's Lament
Author: Darkwood
Pairings: 1x2, some 


    I never thought this would happen. Rather crazy that its today of all days. I went to visit his grave tonight; it's the anniversary of... It's New Year's Eve, 12:34, the instant that Wing Zero exploded and fell to the earth. You thought for sure he was dead, that night, when you stumbled back into the HQ with dusty snow on your jacket and blood on your shirt. I ran to you.
    She's here too, weeping over his gravestone, but it isn't her I'm paying attention to, but her companion. It still sends shivers down my spine, remembering your words to me that day I told you my deepest secret.
    "I'd leave that one alone if I were you, Hilde, I smell trouble."
    Who knew back then that you'd be so right, Duo? You knew that she couldn't be killed, but you didn't let yourself dislike her for that simple fact. No, you dug deeper. And you knew, once you found out, that it wouldn't matter what happened and she'd still be the same. You were wrong about so many things, like the fact that Heero had to be dead. I never quite understood what was up with that, that morning, someone wheeled another patient into the infirmary and you just turned away to stare out the window.
    I was the first to look up, and when I did, I saw nothing but a plaster cast body, short enough only to be Wufei or Quatre, since Heero died. "I think it's one of the pilots, Duo." You still didn't look up. I understood, instinctively, but you still hadn't spoken much, and so I kept trying, like you told me to, "Duo, aren't you even going to check who it is?"
    You grunted.
    "Fine, be like Heero for all I care!" I shouted, angry with you for not responding to me. It wasn't until you winced that I understood how deeply that hurt you. I didn't know, just then, what had passed between you two.
    You didn't do anything but turn to look at the other bed, though, and then you stiffened. "This isn't a joke!" you snapped with a tear-closed voice. "Who is that!" you demanded.
    Silently, I rose from my chair and went over to the other bed, unable to see the face through the bandages. When I think back on it now, perhaps I should have gone with my instincts and told you to forget it, at least that would have gotten something more out of you. But no, you told me about what Catherine did, tried to do... I decided as soon as I saw you and took you up to Sally that I would do nothing of the sort. So I checked the chart, and dropped it.
    "Hilde?" your voice asked weakly after several minutes.
    I couldn't speak, so I held the chart up for you to read.
    After a week, you had stopped crying, almost all together. But that moment, as you read the name printed in capital letters across the manila paper, you threw my hand aside and turned away, bringing pale hands to your face, and I heard muffled sobs emitting from the bundled up form of your body.
    There was a noise from the bed, and a gravelly voice called out, "Duo?"
    Suddenly you stopped crying, rather quickly, and said back, "Yeah, Hee-chan?"
    Then a long silence fell over the room, and I, unwilling to leave, still forced myself too. As I closed the door, I heard low voices, but all I ever made out was a question a few sentences.
    "Omae wa aishiteru no desu ka?"
    "Hai, aishiteru, zutto, Hee-koi."
    I never did bother to get that translated because, frankly, it wasn't my business. Too personal even for one best friend. But from the seriousness of your voice, I can guess what it meant. I bet you told him that you still loved him, because I found out later that it had been why you were crying. He cried too, when Une told him about what happened, or at least what she thought had happened.
    How wrong we all were about the two of you. I don't mind your not telling me, I'm glad, actually, since you accepted me for who I was... still am. I came back here to... thank you, Duo.
    I lift my face, the tears streaming down my cheeks and I am unashamed. I lift my hand out to put my fingers across your name Duo Maxwell Yuy: AC 180 - 205. "Thank you, Duo, for.. for everything."
    Behind me I hear an annoyed gasp. "Why'd they put that on the end of the name!" an annoying voice insists. "It isn't right."
    A low voice, lower than I've heard any females use, responds with, "Get over it."
I hear a noise of a sob, something like: "Even you desert me!" and then I feel a presence standing behind me. I turn to look up, and there she is, long blond hair and sympathetic pale blue eyes.
    "I'm sorry for what's happened."
    "I don't understand what you mean," I say in a haughty voice, pushing myself up only to fall back down, putting hands to stop me in the dirt. She hands me a handkerchief and then offers her hand. "Doesn't Miss Relena need you?" I snap evilly.
    "Frankly, Miss Relena is a bitch, you were right to break it off. I didn't come here because of her, no, not at all." She is wearing white. I've never seen her in anything but black and that hideous maroon jacket on her uniform.
    "Then why did you come?"
    "To honor the memories of these valiant souls."
    "Bullshit!"
    She gives me a hard stare, but I hold up under the force of it.