Part One

Shifting her gym bag on her shoulder Hilde leaned against the wall watching the rare sight before her. This was the first time she arrived early enough to catch Wufei doing his warm up exercises. With avid interest she watched his tone body move in slow controlled movements as he arched his back, stretching his arms before him. His slim build betrayed his strength as she watched his muscles ripple with cat like grace as he continued to flex and stretch in rhythm with his measured breathing.

Unable to tear her eyes away she distractedly let her bag fall to the ground with a faint thud. She couldn’t help but admire the strength agility he portrayed with just the slightest movement. As of now she was his student and her goal was to capture that same zenshin between mind and body. But at moments like this when he was unaware of another’s presence he captured an essence about him that was damn near breathtaking.

Forcing herself out of her musings she still hesitated to interrupt him. She knew the moment he noticed her his hackles would rise and he would be his usual arrogant self. She was slowly getting used to dealing with him but Sally did it much better. Sally’s patience was a gift she herself didn’t exactly posses. But she would have to learn the value of that virtue if she was going to make it as his knew partner.

Continuing to watch him she let her thoughts wander over how this unexpected arrangement came to be. It had been only a matter of time before Heero and Duo tied the knot. Since their relationship was moving along slower than a turtle she had to take matters in her own hands. After talking some sense into Heero they finally set a date and did the deed. Knowing Duo would no longer be alone she then took the initiative to leave the newlyweds to them selves and make a future for herself. Despite Duo and Heero’s insistence that she continue to live with them she remained firm in her decision. Going all the way she decided to move to earth. She never planned on working for the Preventers but she needed a job and they needed a computer systems programmer, the offer was too good to pass up. For the last two years she’d enjoyed her job and her little apartment and her simple life, then Sally just had to get pregnant.

With all her heart she wished Sally and Thomas the best but why in the world she let that woman talk her into this she still didn’t know. In the course of two weeks she was transferred from her nice quiet office job to active duty and was assigned a partner. She had to admit, working with Wufei wasn’t on her favorite things to do list, but they were going to be partners indefinitely so she decided to make the best of it. It wasn’t like he was that bad, if only she could get past the sexist remarks maybe she wouldn’t kill him before this was all over.

Pushing herself from the wall she dragged her bag behind her as she made her way toward him. She noticed the almost imperceptible tensing of his body as her soft footsteps tapped against the hard shiny floor. Without looking up he continued to move fluently as he snapped in greeting, "You’re early."

"Amazing, isn’t it." She laughed brushing off his words.

"No." He answered sarcastically.

Rolling her eyes she headed for the locker room to change. Slipping out of her uniform she put on her tank top, shorts and sneakers. Pulling her shoulder length hair into a ponytail she returned to the front wincing as the rubber sloes of her shoes squeaked on the hard wood floor. She began doing her stretches pointedly ignoring the man just ten feet away.

*

"If you don’t spread your feet you won’t have balance when you block my kick." Wufei instructed impatiently. When Hilde moved her feet only a fraction of an inch he sighed in frustration. Moving up behind her nudged her ankle till she repositioned her foot to the correct spot. Ignoring the feel of her soft skin he grasped her arms forcing them into the proper blocking stance. "Put all your strength into holding your body steady. The slightest relaxation of your muscles will throw you off when the blow hits you."

Before she could move with lightning speed he twisted his body into a kick sending his foot crashing against her forearm. She hissed in pain ever so faintly but her body remained still. "Focus Hilde! I will not except half-ass effort! If you had paid attention you would know the closer you keep your arms together the more it minimizes the pain." He scolded sternly.

"You didn’t have to kick that hard." She snapped.

"Your enemy will not spare you and neither will I. The only way to learn is to train as if you were fighting for your life." He said, gritting the words between clenched teeth. Unable to resist he smirked as he added, "Only the weak complain. I suggest you learn to adapt a tolerance for pain onna or you won’t last two seconds in true combat."

"Screw you Wifei." She hissed.

"I don’t have time for foolishness woman. You either want to learn or you don’t. Why didn’t you do us both a favor and keep your desk job?" He asked angrily, feeling the last of his patience begin to snap.

"Because I’m the only idiot willing to work your conceited ass." She responded heatedly.

"Don’t do me any favors, I work best alone." He snarled, immediately feeling ashamed that he let her words infuriate him. Leveling her with an angry glare she met his gaze fearlessly. After a moment her features softened as the angry look left her eyes.

"Let’s just get on with this. I really don’t want to get into an argument with you." She sighed.

"I think we’ve had enough for today." He said tersely. Not waiting for her reply he turned on his heels heading for the showers.

Slamming the door behind him he grimaced as he realized he was sulking like a child. He really shouldn’t have kicked her that hard but the onna was not going to learn anything if he coddled her. Of course if he wanted to be truly honest with himself he wasn’t pushing her so hard because of genuine concern, he was doing it to prove a point. He had never met a person he couldn’t intimidate on some level. Even Sally had known when to stop and draw the line. But not Hilde. The infuriating onna seemed to enjoy pushing him over the edge.

Freeing his hair he turned on the faucet letting the hot water run. Stripping off his clothes he found himself unable to stop his thoughts. There was something about her that intrigued him. He had to admit she was a genuine person. She wasn’t like most females he’d come across. She didn’t seem to be materialistic or phony. She was intelligent and there was a determination about her that he had to respect. But it still didn’t change the fact that she pushed him beyond all reason.

Letting the hot water pound over his tried muscles he closed his eyes in pleasure. She reminded him of Meiran. At the thought he frowned slightly. It hadn’t occurred to him till this moment but it was true. They both shared a strong will and that same do or die attitude. However it was that frame of mind that was their downfall. Just like Meiran, Hilde could not take criticism. It was as if everything he tried to tell her was either ignored or was followed by a sarcastic remark. He was getting fed up. He didn’t have the patience or the desire to put up with a shrew for the rest of his military career.

Quickly washing the sweat and dirt from his body and hair he stepped from the shower a dried off. If he were given the choice he would choose to work alone. He preferred his solitary existence. He wasn’t people person like Maxwell or Winner. They had the gift of being at ease in the presence of others. He on the other hand hated letting people close. He depended on no one but himself and he wished to keep it that way but the call of duty was more important than his personal choices. It was mandatory that he have a partner and to be honest he had become quite comfortable working with Sally. She didn’t demand that he make himself agreeable or critique him for petty things like his lack of diplomatic skills. Not that Hilde did either but he found himself becoming that witch he despised just to get a reaction from her.

He cursed as the full meaning of his thoughts hit him. He was being ornery on purpose, just to make her defensive. He couldn’t help it though. As intriguing as he found her to be he didn’t want to get to now her, he didn’t want her to know him. Yet she almost seemed to find him predictable. It was hard to explain but he got the distinct feeling that she found his actions humorous. It only took him moments to infuriate her and she would lash out in return and yet she never remained angry. In turn he found it damn near impossible himself. She was just too nice, too happy, the perfect antonym of himself. That was why he found her so damn interesting.

Shaking his head he cleared the unwelcome thoughts from his mind. This was ridiculous, there was nothing remotely interesting about her. He didn’t like her, he didn’t want to work with her, and he certainly didn’t want to have anything more to do with her than necessary. Sill feeling slightly uncomfortable he decided not to dwell on his misfortune. Schbeiker was just a burden he would have to bear. For now there was nothing else to do about it.

*

Months later Hilde found herself unable to concentrate on the report in front of her. Looking up she silently contemplated the man sitting at the desk across the room from her. He was engrossed in his writing, his fingers flying over the keys to his laptop as he worked diligently on the research material for their next assignment. He was completely oblivious to her stare just as she hoped. The last thing she needed was for him to catch her staring. She could almost imagine the string of biting remarks bordering on insults he would direct her way. But unable to help herself she couldn’t tear her eyes away.

It wasn’t the first time she’d caught herself just looking at him and admiring him. Stifling her startled laugh, she contemplated the root of this newfound fascination with Wufei Chang. There was an undeniable attraction she felt the first time she’d laid eyes on him. That was six years ago and now, after all this time, it seemed the attraction was growing. To her relief the attraction seemed to be purely physical. Wufei personality wasn’t exactly a desirable trait that she was looking for. This silly little awareness wasn’t even remotely as strong as a crush. It was just desire, and it was beyond disrupting. It just felt so weird to have the urge to run her fingers over his tone muscles or to feel herself get flushed and hot because he’d taken his shirt off. And rarely when he left his hair unbound…… Oh Lord! Still, no matter how much she was aware of him she refused to show it.

Turning her eyes back down to the paper in front of her she sighed in frustration. There was no way in hell she would ever subject herself to the humiliation that would come if he ever knew her secret. She was a grown woman and a soldier. She was his partner. Under no circumstances would she ever breathe word of this to another soul. If she thought he was unbearable to work with now then she dreaded to see how he would act when what little respect he had for her, if he had any, completely faded.

Of course, keeping it to herself wasn’t a problem at all. It wasn’t like she was in love with him. It wasn’t like she looked forward to seeing him everyday or wanted him to feel the same way about her. It wasn’t like she took his contempt to heart and let it hurt her. No, it wasn’t like that at all. Despite the uneasy feeling and the vague truth in her denials she smiled ironically. It felt good to know something he that didn’t. She realized the childishness of her thought and laughed out loud softly.

Through the corner of her eyes she saw Wufei glance at her quickly. Before she could even turn her head to meet his gaze challengingly his eyes dropped to his laptop again. Shaking her head she let the small smile play on her lips. Watching him again she contented herself not to think and not to analyze her feelings. She was in control. She had nothing to worry about. Then almost as if to mock her mental words he looked up and their gazes locked.

She flushed, her cheeks turning a pale pink. She refused to flinch from the intense glare he sent her way. Even from across the room she felt exposed under the analytical expression in his black eyes. Refusing to look away she felt her heart begin to pound recklessly. She couldn’t determine his thoughts but it was quite clear their battle of wills wasn’t going to end. Her lips quirked in a teasing smile. If he was being antagonistic she would just wait him out. But she had the feeling this moment wasn’t about wills. Beyond the pounding of her heart she was barely breathing almost holding her breath. Excitement mixed with anticipation and a touch of logic seemed to consume her as she found herself unable to tear herself away from his dark, mysterious eyes……

BEEP!

She cursed silently as the moment was broken. Her eyes jerking to vid-phone on her desk just as the visual link popped on her screen. To her ultimate surprise and pleasure she was assailed with merrily twinkling violet eyes and a wide silly grin.

"Hey babe! What’s up?" Duo chirped happily, leaving her unable to resist his smile.

"Work, work, and more work." She muttered her voice slightly distracted as she glanced back at Wufei only to find his chair empty and their office door wide open. Frowning slightly she turned her gaze back to the vid-screen.

"Is this a bad time? I can call back later, ya know." He sighed dramatically as he took in her none-too-happy expression.

"You know I’d never turn down the chance to talk to you." She grinned, forcing her concentration on the conversation at hand.

"Well I’m glad you feel that way babe, cuz come tomorrow morning you’re gonna have a whole month to talk to me face to face. We’re taking a long vacation." He grinned.

"Your coming here?" She asked excitedly. At his enthusiastic nod she laughed, the news making her feel giddy. As an afterthought she just had to ask, "Not that I’m complaining or anything cuz I’m dying to see you but you’re coming here, to hellhole central for a vacation?"

Laughing at her description of the Preventers headquarters he accused, "Well I have to since you’re not coming home to L2 any time soon."

Smiling at his exaggerated pout she said teasingly, "Awww, you’re doing this for me."

"Yep, with one little exception. See, we need a vacation now. Either that or I’m taking a bat to Heero’s fucking laptop." He sighed.

"That bad?" She giggled with sympathy at Duo’s pained expression.

"You have no idea. Sometimes I think I married a computer. I mean I literally have to drag him away from the damn thing if I want him to remember I even exist. But I got him to agree to leave it home so that should be interesting. We’re closing the yard too. It’s been way to long since we’ve had any fee time. God, I can’t wait" He replied, his excitement showing in his expression.

"So where you two gonna stay." She asked curiously. "I know Heero has a thing about hotels. Besides that would be expensive as hell." Her excitement rose even more as she realized just how long it had been since she’d seen them in person and especially since she’d spent any time with Duo.

"We’re staying with you." He informed her grinning innocently.

It took a second for his words to register and she laughed startled. "You are joking right?"

"No."

Looking at his straight face she shrieked, "And just when were you going to tell me!?!"

"Right now." He answered, his lips twitching with the suppressed urge to laugh.

"Well gee thanks. You could have given me some kind of warning when you talked to me last week." She snapped slightly annoyed.

Unable to hold it back Duo began to laugh just as Heero’s face joined his on the bright screen. In his usual way Heero replied calmly, "Ignore the idiot. Relena’s letting us use her townhouse since she’ll be in Venice for the next two weeks."

Her annoyance immediately forgotten she raised a delicate brow in question. "I thought you two were banned from there after that little incident with the Pagan and the chandelier."

"That was Duo’s fault." He answered stoically.

"Still she’s leaving you guys there alone?" Hilde asked in amazement.

"When I put on the charm nobody can resist me babe, not even Lena." Duo chuckled. He raised his hands defensively as two death glares of equal intensity were directed his way. "Okay, I promised her I‘d pay for anything I break and she’s taking Pagan with her. Look that was an accident. I swear I didn’t know he was behind me and that place is creepy at night. You don’t go sneaking up on Shinigami."

Laughing helplessly Hilde shook her head at Duo’s pitiful expression. "I know, I believe you."

"Good, at least somebody does." He muttered casting a woeful glance at Heero’s profile.

"Do you need a lift from the shuttle port?" She asked.

"Yeah, we should be arriving about…." Duo paused looking at his watch with a frown.

"7:30." Heero cut in ignoring Duo’s glare.

"Alright. I’ll be there to pick ya up."

Heero nodded his head mumbling, "Thank you Hilde." then disappearing as quickly as he popped up.

"Yeah thanks babe, really appreciate it." Echoed Duo.

"No problem."

"Well I’m gonna go finish packing so I’ll see you tomorrow. Luv ya babe." He laughed terminating the connection. She continued staring at the blank screen her mind whirling with excitement, completely unaware of the scowling figure watching her from the doorway.

*

Why in the world did he let Hilde drag him into this?

Standing stiffly beside her Wufei resisted the urge to pace impatiently. The onna really didn’t need him to come along to shuttle port with her. If she couldn’t handle the simple job of retrieving Maxwell and Yuy on her own then she was truly a hopeless case. Although he hated to admit it did beat sitting in his apartment on his day off alone.

Conceding the point to himself he let his thoughts wander as they waited for the shuttle to arrive in mutual silence. Things had turned out better than he had expected in the last three months. At first he had wondered if he had made a mistake in accepting her as his partner but things a subtly changed the more time he spent with her. It was as if somehow they called a truce. The subject had never been verbally stated but even he noticed how their animosity had mellowed and how strangely enough they were becoming friends. Friends was still a strong word but at least they weren’t biting each other’s heads off anymore.

Sighing, he watched her silently through the corner of his eye. He really couldn’t say he disliked her. She was a honest and kind person. Those were a traits he admired in anyone, man or woman. But there was a difference between compassion and weakness, a thin line so to say that didn’t belong in the mentality of a soldier. No matter how he viewed the situation it never failed, women had a more compassionate nature than men and women didn’t have the emotional barrier that allowed them honest judgement free from their emotions. That was his only problem with her. She was too kind and gentle for her own good. And as for her career as a soldier that was a fatal flaw, one that could possibly forfeit her life.

But it was her choice. If she wished to make a fool of herself and stand to prove him right he would let her. He had no right to pass his opinion when it wasn’t asked for and he was well aware of that. Once he had taken that factor into consideration he seemed to find her easier to deal with. However he was who he was and by nature he couldn’t help but make his little comments when the opportunity arose. Especially at moments like this when he found himself being the ‘proverbial bump on a log’ killing valuable time that he didn’t have to waste giving into to HER spontaneous ideas.

Looking down at his watch he sighed again, his expression one of long suffering. He saw her glance at him almost apprehensively and he couldn’t help the smug smile that crossed his face. She was expecting some kind of argument to erupt from him at any moment. He could almost see the wheels in her head turning as she tried to think up a good defense. Laughing silently he had to give her credit. She wasn’t afraid of him and she never backed down from a stance even though she obviously dreaded their little spats. Well at the moment he wasn’t in the mood to argue. He enjoyed peace and quiet when he could find it and right now her silence was golden.

No sooner had the thought crossed his mind when Duo’s loud and insanely cheerful voice jerked them both to the present. "Hey guys! Over here!"

Before he could even blink Hilde was gone and in a bur of movement launching herself into Duo’s arms. He watched with slight awkwardness as Duo spun her around sending her enchanting laughter floating through the air. With obvious affection he squeezed her in a crushing hug as he laughed, "You almost knocked me down Shorty."

"Don’t call me shorty, bradyboy." She teased as she pulled away and smacked his arm playfully. She turned to Heero and gave him a slightly more reserved hug. A hint of a smile quirked his lips as he said tonelessly, "Hi Hilde."

Wufei couldn’t help but watch the entire scene with slight discomfort. Displays of affection was definitely something he wasn’t used to. To be around that kind of activity made him uncomfortable to say the least. That was something else about Hilde that he didn’t understand. Sometimes she would pass by and pat him on the shoulder for no given reason and once during a training session she had actually grabbed his hand said thank you because he was willing to work with her. Little things like that were foreign to him. He was used to rigid composure at all times. This whole laid back persona that she and Maxwell shared was something all together strange.

"Heeellllllooo! Earth to Wufei!"

He nearly flinched as Duo’s hand waved itself in front of his face just inches from his nose. Glaring offensively at the grinning baka he realized he had completely zoned out for a moment. Forcing all thoughts of Hilde and the confused fascination she never failed to arouse within him aside he shook hands with his former comrades. It was good to see them again.

The four of them began to make their way through the crowd of people. Remaining silent he let the sound of Hilde and Duo’s voices drown out the bustle of the people around them even though he wasn’t paying one bit of attention to their words. Almost of their own accord his eyes strayed to Hilde’s form where she walked with Duo just a step ahead. He observed her, watching the way her face lit up with expressive emotions as she talked animatedly to her companion. Vaguely her musical laughter reached his ears and he felt a tiny tremor run down his spine. His eyes roamed even lower taking in the way her body moved gracefully as she walked, her hips swaying almost seductively. His eyes narrowed ever so slightly as Duo slipped his arm over her shoulders pulling her against his side in a thoughtless gesture. His hand clenched as a pang of feeling, something he couldn’t quite describe, surged through him.

Jerking his eyes away he paled as he realized just what he was doing. Ashamed of the lack of control he had over himself he lowered his eyes to the ground hanging his head. This wasn’t the first time he’d caught himself looking at her, to his chagrin it was happening more and more. It always had the same effect. His heart would start pounding, he would find it difficult to breathe and he would feel all hot and flushed. He didn’t even bother to feign ignorance over what he was feeling. He was a normal man and Hilde was an extremely attractive woman. It was only natural that he would be aware of her on some level but this was ridiculous. He couldn’t help but feel disgusted with himself. He was acting like an inexperienced child. Hell, he had been married for goodness sakes and he never panted after Meiran that way.

Gritting his teeth he kept his gaze down. He was being too lenient with himself. At some point in last few years he had begun to let go of the strict training he ingrained in himself and now he was beginning to find childish immaturity showing through. That was not acceptable. This attraction was nothing more than a nuisance he must overcome. The last thing he needed was for something that trivial to compromise their work. He certainly didn’t need her to have something else to flaunt over his head.

Composing his features into a mask of sheer indifference he glanced at his friends relieved to find them oblivious to his darkening mood. Damn her to hell this was the last time he let that onna have any effect him. With a cold determined smile crossing his lips he ignored the little voice in his head telling him it might not be that easy……

*

Part Two

*

Raking her hands through her dark hair Hilde sighed. Looking at the clock on the far wall she stifled a groan. It was going on twelve and she and Wufei were no where near finished with the reports Une wanted first thing in the morning. It was going to be a long night. And it wasn’t helping that she couldn’t seem to concentrate. The fact she had no sleep the night before was all Duo’s fault. She had tried to tell him that it wasn’t a good idea to go out when she had to be at the headquarters for six but he had ignored her warnings and now she was so tired she couldn’t see straight.

She knew Wufei was pissed about all this and she couldn’t blame him. Looking up at him she smiled as a sudden idea crossed her mind. They were both tired as hell already putting in a full day. She needed coffee or else she was going to end up falling asleep right on top of the pile of papers sitting on her desk. Judging from the way Wufei kept rubbing his eyes and stretching his cramping fingers he could use the coffee break too.

"I don’t know about you but I need some coffee." She sighed as she rose from her seat and slipped on her uniform jacket.

"If you keep waisting time we won’t ever get this finished." He replied coldly as he glared up from his laptop.

"I’ll have my report finished and on her desk mark my words. Look Wufei we could use a break, come on. Come with me." She grinned ignoring his decidedly unfriendly tone.

"You know where the break room is. Now if you’ll excuse me I have work to do." He snapped.

"I was thinking of that little café down the street. You really call that shit here coffee?" She chuckled. Her determination rose as she saw the faint smile tug at the corner of his lips.

"I don’t drink coffee onna so personally I don’t care." He replied.

"Okay, you get tea I get coffee. Problem solved." She insisted. Noticing the way his eyes narrowed she decided to give him one extra push. One she knew he couldn’t refuse. "It’s not like I’m asking you on a date. It’s just something to do so we don’t pass out from sheer exhaustion. Besides, I don’t bite Wufei."

She bit her lip to keep from laughing at the murderous expression crossing his face. Fairly snarling he asked, "You’re not going to shut up till you get your way, are you?"

"No." she grinned.

Without a word he rose to his feet and shoved on his jacket, his anger showing in every movement. He stalked past her and out into the hall leaving her standing there with a smug grin on her cute face. This was getting too easy. She was finally beginning to figure him out. At least she thought she was, with Wufei one was never too sure. Just when you thought you had him pegged he’d do something to completely throw you off again.

Almost running she tried to catch up to his long strides. In tense silence she walked beside him every now and then risking a quick peek up at his face. She noted the annoyance registered on his features and the way he was purposely ignoring her very presence. Determined not the take his actions personally she wasn’t sure just how she should respond. Was it really fair of her to have to make all the overtures at friendship when he acted like an ass the entire time?

She still didn’t have an answer by the time they reached the coffee shop at the corner. Deciding to make the best of the situation just as she always did, she went to the counter and ordered her coffee. She reached in her pocket to pull out change and was shocked to find Wufei handing money to the cashier. She looked up at him questioningly and he nodded his head curtly. Without a word of explanation to ease her now confused curiosity at his unexpected action he turned away heading for one of the many tables lining the window that faced the street.

Sitting across form him she sipped her coffee in quiet contemplation. He did it on purpose. One minute he could be a cold as a glacier and the next he was polite as a gentlemen. Right now was prime example. It was her idea to come here and he obviously considered her idea an intrusion on his work but here he was giving in to her whim. He still looked decidedly irritated but he met her curious gaze unflinchingly as he sipped his teaming hot tea.

"Thanks. You didn’t have to do that." She said softly, a small uncertain smile curving her lips.

"No I didn’t." He answered, then grudgingly said, "You were right, we needed a break."

Looking down at the black coffee swirling in the cup before her she tried to hide her amazement. He was agreeing with something she said. He was definitely tired, maybe even delirious…..

"Why did you leave the colonies and come to earth?" He asked abruptly.

Caught off guard her head jerked up at the quiet question and she floundered for an answer. Her eyes narrowed at his almost conversational tone and the look of indifferent curiosity that showed on his face. Taking a deep breath she replied, "I’ve always wanted to come back to earth. See, I was born in Austria. I had just turned two when father moved us to Germany. I lived there till I was four then I had to go to L2. I love the colonies because that’s where I grew up but it was in my blood to come back here to earth. Now I’m just working up the guts to go home one day."

"Why?" He asked. She didn’t look away but answered honestly.

"I don’t have anything to go back to. And if I do go back it would be for closure and I don’t know if I’m ready to face that." She whispered sadly. Stiffening she waited for some sarcastic remark but instead his gaze turned mildly sympathetic.

"I take it you have no family left." He stated tonelessly.

"No. They all died before the war." She said quickly looking away as she felt the pressure of tears rise behind her eyes. "I’m sorry, I don’t usually talk about it."

"I understand." He responded quietly.

Those two little words made her look up startled. He was being genuine, she could tell by the righteous glimmer in his opaque eyes. What was even more amazing was the fact that he showed interest in what she said. Shaking her head she decided to take advantage to the decent conversation they were having. "Why are you here on earth? I mean after the Eve Wars I would have thought you might have wanted a chance at a normal life."

"I am the last of my clan. I owe it to their memory and my honor to put an end the ignorance of mankind that allows the devastation that we bring upon ourselves to continue." He answered.

"Translation, the only life you know is that of a soldier, right?" She grinned.

"Something like that." He smiled.

"If you had the choice to do it all again would you?" She asked noting the way he tensed slightly.

"Yes, but I would be wiser and more focused on my goals." He said simply.

"I hope we learned something from all this shit." She sighed.

"The lessons are ours to learn but first we must find them and humble ourselves to be the student."

The impact of his softly spoken words hit her with blinding force. He had a point, a very, very good point. Mistakes were the perfect teacher but first you have to admit them before the full meaning can be comprehended. "That’s beautiful."

He nodded, "Master Long, my mentor and teacher told me that when I was child. I have never forgotten that bit of advice. If only the people could see what the war is willing to teach them."

"Duo opened my eyes to its meaning. I was just a kid with nothing to loose. I didn’t know why I fought and I really didn’t care. It gave me something to focus on. Then he and I had a little talk and he made me open my eyes to everything that was going on around us." She said, leaning her chin on her laced fingers as she looked Wufei in the eye. Her eyes flickered to the faint smile that tugged at his lips and she felt her heart thump painfully in her chest. God she had it bad……..

"A serious conversation with him is a rare moment. The baka takes things too lightly." Wufei huffed, his voice lacking true anger.

"Actually, he’s more serious than you and me combined." She said softly, unable to help the pang of sadness as she remembered all the heart to heart discussions she’d had with Duo through the years.

"Hmp!"

At Wufei’s disbelieving grunt she nodded her head earnestly. "He laughs because he can’t cry. He told me that once and I can see why. I guess I feel the same way. Tears don’t correct mistakes so what’s the point in being depressed about things you can’t change. Just because we laugh on the outside doesn’t mean we’re laughing on the inside."

"Everyone cries onna. Even I’ve shed tears over things that caused me great pain. We are only human, are we not?" he asked gruffly.

She could tell by his expression he hadn’t meant to voice the thought out loud. But it was still heartening to know he wasn’t completely detached from the things that surrounded him, completely detached form her. Unable to help it she reached out grasping his hand where it a lay on the table. Squeezing gently she smiled, "Maybe if more of humanity could shed tears then the world wouldn’t be in the precarious situation it’s in. Without emotions we lose our humanity and if we lose that then we have nothing."

"Well said." He replied, smiling with admiration at her point of view.

"It’s the truth. At least, from the way I see it." She admitted grinning sheepishly at his momentary approval.

*

Days later Wufei was still contemplating the conversation they’d had at the coffee shop. He didn’t know what had given him the initiative to start the conversation but he was glad he had. He’d seen another side of Hilde that night. She was much more in tune to the feelings and thoughts of others then he had originally thought her to be. And as reluctant as he was to admit it there was something mesmerizing about her smile. Just to watch her face light up did something to him, something he really didn’t want to think about.

Forcing his mind to concentrate on the present he watched the object of his thoughts appear as if on cue. She breezed into the gym her whole attitude open and sunny and as her eyes landed on him she sent him a blinding smile. He couldn’t tear his eyes away from her as she walked forward so he did the only thing he could think of, he kept his face impassive as she made her way to the locker room.

All through the training session he knew he wasn’t giving it his full concentration. He could feel his annoyance rise at how effortlessly she was able to turn his thoughts to chaos. Every time she looked at him he could feel it as if she were staring directly through him. Every time she laughed his skin tingled. Every time he touched her he could feel his heart begin to pound thunderously.

As the feelings increased his anger grew. She had to know how she affected him. The damn onna wasn’t stupid. She was tempting him on purpose. She knew he was losing the battle to keep himself in check. He wanted to touch her so bad. Just for a moment he wanted to lower his mask of indifference completely and let her in, give her a glimpse into his real thoughts. Yet that was not an option and he was fed up with reminding himself of that.

He almost couldn’t believe he stooped so low. Since when did he allow his emotions to cloud out his better judgement? Maybe that was the problem, he was so out of touch with his emotions he didn’t know how to relate them. He didn’t miss the irony in his thought. That was one of the very things she’d said during their conversation and she was right. He was loosing his humanity and if he lost that then he really would have nothing.

Fairly snarling with fury at having to concede the point to her even in his own personal thoughts he forced himself not to think. Maneuvering his body with only his fighting instinct he blocked the advances she was making. Her skills had improved and he was clearly seeing that in the way her body flowed almost without thought. Feeling threatened by his emotions and his lack of control over the situation he gave into the need to lash out.

Not holding back he began to counter attack with precision, putting all his focus into the blows he leveled against her. He saw her eyes narrow in determination and everything faded out of his mind. Everything but the need to prove his ultimate control.

In a blur of movement he blocked her kick and before she could steady herself he knocked her feet from under her sending her crashing to the hard floor. Pinning her beneath him, he smirked as she looked up at him wide eyed.

"What the hell did you do that for?" She asked breathlessly as she winced.

"Your too confident." He muttered softly as her lips quirked in exasperation.

As quickly as his anger flared it was gone and he found himself staring down at her intently. Her blue eyes were feverishly bright and her features were flushed as she tried to catch her breath. Unable to tear his gaze away he fell into the depths of her intense stare. The rest of the world became non-existent as her expression softened and her lips curved into a shy smile. Some distant part of his mind observed the scene with disgust but he couldn’t focus on the feeling. He could barely think beyond the pounding of his heart and the feel of her soft skin beneath his hands. Her breath rushed through her parted lips, the sound awakening something primal inside him. His eyes flicked to her moist pink lips even as they instinctively moved toward each other.

A spark of electricity shot through his entire body as their lips brushed together in the lightest touch. His eyes slid closed as he gave himself up to the feeling. He felt her hands clutch his top pulling him closer as she began to move her lips against his softly. Just the feel of her that close sent his mind reeling. Powerless to resist her he followed her lead, crushing her lips beneath his. She moaned, her encouragement fueling the desire that was creeping through the fragments of his thoughts.

They were so lost in each other Wufei almost didn’t hear the sound of approaching footsteps. It took a second to register though the dazed feeling swirling around his head. As realization hit Wufei pulled away abruptly. Reacting without thinking he jumped to his feet pulling Hilde along with him. No sooner had they puled apart when the double doors swung open and Duo’s obscenely cheerful echoed through the gym. Wufei couldn’t help but smile as Hilde cursed under her breath.

"Hey guys! What’s up?" Duo asked innocently.

Shifting on his feet at the sudden tightness of his pants Wufei pointedly ignored Duo’s question nodding a curt hello. Through the corner of his eye he could see Hilde smile despite the scarlet blush that stained her cheeks. Taking advantage of the interruption he turned and headed toward the shower room ignoring Duo’s curious glance and Hilde’s pointed glare. Clenching his trembling hands he winced as he realized the enormity of the situation and the meaning behind everything that had just happened.

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