Duo yawned then turned over on the bed. He slowly opened his eyes and groaned. He felt like shit. He sat up too quickly then plopped back down when a wave nausea hit him. Then the thoughts of him going out and binge drinking that night flashed to mind. "Oh God." He groaned. "What in the hell did I do?"

He laid staring at the ceiling for a few minutes until the feeling of nausea left. "Ok Maxwell, what else did you do last night besides go against everything that you promised yourself that you would never become?"

He managed to get up and make it to the bathroom. It was still warm and the mirror slightly fogged so he knew that Hilde must have just left a short time ago. 

The sweet smell of flowers in the bathroom made the stink of cigarette smoke and alcohol in his hair and clothing stand out easier. He quickly stripped off his clothes and took a quick shower hoping that the memories of what he did last night would wash away. He dried off and wrapped a towel around his waist, brushed his teeth, then proceeded in the long task of drying his hair. Once he was done he braided it and tied it off then went back to the bedroom to get dressed. 

Duo stared at the bed as he made his way in the room. He shook his head and went to the dresser and grabbed a pair of boxers and a pair of jeans and got dressed. He turned around and looked at the bed again. 

"So this is where is all started."

There was a sound of glass breaking downstairs that knocked him out of his thoughts. He made it down the stairs as fast as he could and turned to walk into the kitchen and froze when he saw Hilde sitting on the floor near a shattered glass crying.

"Hilde."

She looked up at him and quickly dried her eyes and hid the blush that came to her cheeks when she seen him standing in the doorway with no shirt on. She quickly started to pick up the glass. "I'm sorry if I bothered you."

Her face reminded him of the way that she looked at him last night. And the thought of him with that woman made his stomach turn. He walked over to her and bent down to help pick up the glass.

"That's ok Duo, I can do it myself."

"No I want to help."

"Really there's no need to." They both reached for the same piece and Hilde snatched it up quickly cutting Duo on the finger. Duo quickly pulled his hand back and looked at the blood that was feely flowing then placed his finger in his mouth. Hilde stared at the few blood droplets that landed on the floor then quickly threw the glass in the trashcan that was near by. She took a hold of his hand and pulled gently so he would let her see it, then immediately started spilling apologies.  It was barely bleeding now, but she could hear the voices in her head telling her that she is a screw up and should leave now before she winds up killing him. "I've screwed up everything between us. I should just leave."

Duo used his other hand and placed it under her chin and raised her face to look at him. "No Hilde, you only made one mistake. And it's something that can be forgiven with time." He leaned forward and kissed her gently.

Hilde could feel her her heart stutter. She was shocked that he would do such a thing after only four days since she cheated on him. 'It's the alcohol Hilde! Now your taking advantage of him. And once he's sober and remembers what happened he'll kick you out for sure' She quickly pulled back from him. "Duo we can't. I think that it's too soon for you to forgive me for what I did when I haven't even forgiven myself."

"Hilde listen to me. I'm not angry with you, it still hurts but I miss what we had and I want us to get back to that. I'm willing to put in the long hours that it will take to come to that point. I just hope that you do too."

"Duo I just don't think..."

"You think it's that alcohol that has me saying this stuff don't you?" He cut her off and she quickly looked away from him. "Do I look drunk to you Hilde? I admit my head is still pounding, but other than that I fell sober. Especially when it comes to the words that just came out of my mouth." He watched as Hilde stood back up and moved to the sink and continued to do the dishes from last night. Duo got up and moved beside her. "You slept with my best friend, and all I can say about that is I forgive you. I know that you're sorry. I know that you feel that you don't deserve my forgiveness. But I'm giving it to you because I love you Hilde."

Hilde looked at him with tears in her eyes. "You really mean that? You still love me?"

Duo pulled her into a hug and held her tightly. "I really mean it. And there is no way in hell that I'm going to let you leave Hilde. You're stuck with me for good, even when we move to Earth." He took her face in his hands and made her look him in the face when he said 'we' to make her understand that he was serious. "I wanted to take job at Preventer Headquarters so I would have more time with you, and so we could work on that family that you talk about so much" He ran his fingers through her hair. "I still want that with you."

Hilde threw her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm willing to work those long hours as well."

"Look Hilde, about last night." He felt Hilde shake her head. 

"I told you last night that you didn't have to explain your actions." She mumbled against his neck. God if felt good to have Duo hold her again. She didn't want to let go in fear that all of this really was a dream.

"I just wanted to let you know that it wasn't you that made me do something stupid like that. It was a combination between the past few days. I wanted to forget for one night, it was a stupid idea. I was worried about our future, Relena and the baby, and what Heero my wind up doing to himself, or to others."

"Relena's pregnant?" She pulled back so she could look at Duo.

"Yeah, and since Mr. Revenge Boy took off somewhere I want to be there to help her. She could use our help. I have a feeling that Heero won't be back to see her anytime soon." Hilde just stared at him. "She'll forgive you Hilde. She can't stay mad at people. Hell she couldn't stay mad at her brother even when tried to destroy the earth and kill the man that she loved."

"So you're moving to the Sanc Kingdom then?"

"No." Duo took her face in his hands. "We are moving there."

Hilde smiled for the first time in days. She would go with Duo because she wanted their relationship to work, even if the former Queen on the World decided to give up her pacifist ways and shoot her on sight.