Ok people, this part has a little bit of rated R-ness to it, so watch out! Remember to review! I need new ideas!



Chocolate Covered Autumn



Chapter 3: Stranger in the Mist



"Please? Please? Please!" To say that I was proud of what I was doing would be a flat out lie, but there are just some things that are of such importance, mere pride needs to be ignored. One of those life and death issues that requires personal sacrifice and unparalleled bravery, and I'm just the kind of daring guy to perform such a task. Nothing matters to me except for the goal within my view, so close within my reach.

"Duo! No! If you want to check out that new bakery from across the street, fine! But you're not dragging us with you!"

"But, but I can't go alone! They'll know that I'm testing the competitors!"



Well, so close except for the five stubborn, pig-headed, dense cowards who I'm facing, blissfully unaware that I'm doing this for all of us, risking my life by entering into enemy waters. Well, looking up actually because currently, my knees were on the ground and I was begging like a fool, but a very valiant fool. Hell, I just want a companion to stare death in the face with me!

"Come on, I had a terrible nightmare about that bakery where my worse fears came true!" At that, I shivered with the memories of evil radioactive pastries trying to swallow me in their jelly filled centers. I'm not going to tell these people those exact details of my dream of course. Seriously though, that bakery just looks wrong painted all in neon and cheerful colors. While oblivious innocents focus their attention on the monstrosity of the exterior, the real problems from within goes unnoticed. I need to act fast.

"You mean like my usual nightmares about working with you all my life?"

Needless to say, Wufei definitely earned my not so nice glare for that.

"And how would all of us going along with you make a difference?" Trowa, always the most attentive of all of us decided that this was the perfect time to put his two cents in. I was practically on the ground kissing his damn shoes and he's watching me with a smart ass smirk. I never said my logic was flawless, alright?

"Um...morale support?" Uh oh, I don't like that gaze.

"Duo, you don't need us to give you any more support. You have the biggest head next to Wufei, and that's saying something."

"Woman! Don't get me involved in this!"

Well, I can see where this is going to go now and I don't have the time for this! That bakery is going to close in half an hour! And I'm determined to go considering that I've put my vital mission off for the past like.month!

"Oh shut up, both of you! We all know that you want his "big head" and enough with the aggressiveness! Go do all the sadistic and kinky stuff that we all know you both want to do because I'm sick and tired of the sexual tension! Just find a room, rip off each others clothes, and be done with it already! It's really NOT that hard!!! I should know! I was in the freaking closet when Quatre and Trowa were releasing themselves!

Ok, that was a bit crude, but I feel much better now.

Four pairs of eyes stared at me. Various degrees of shock were apparent on their blushing faces.

Oops, did I say that out loud? Damn, I do have a big mouth.

"Hilde, so you want to go with me? And like...can we can leave now?"

I didn't wait for an answer before I dragged her arm out of the store, but I could have sworn that someone screamed my name and some references having to do with bending my body in various ways that I really didn't think are humanly possible. Nah, must have just been me. The voices in my head, you know. Yeah, I agree, Wufei is an ass.

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"Are you sure we should be doing this?" Hilde, always timid, asks me nervously while clenching my hand in hers. I patted her on the back of her hand reassuringly and pushed the door to Baker's Corner. Here goes nothing. Like, literally, here goes nothing; I forgot to grab my wallet with me as I came in.

"Hilde, can I borrow some money? I left my wallet on the counter."

"Sure, but will you have money to pay me back though?" With a smirk that implied she knew something I didn't. That smirk usually drove me crazy.

"Uh oh. What are you thinking?"

"In fact, the question is, will you ever find your wallet when you get back?"

"Why..oh."

"They're not exactly known for their forgiveness." She chuckled softly at my pitiful expression and shook her head at me.

But soon I perked up again and looked to her with a big smile that caused her to look at me funnily. It's the exact smile that she and everyone else have learnt to be aware of. It means...I wants something.

"Well, then, it's so nice that you're treating me! You're the greatest!" With that said, I engulfed her in my tight embrace and before she was able to shake off her surprise, I have already skipped to the counter and made my order. Once again, I vaguely heard a large groan behind me. The voices in my head are apparently on overtime today.

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"Well, this isn't bad, but it also isn't the greatest piece of cake I've ever eaten. This place has got nothing on us, so don't worry about it Duo."



Hilde looked at me happily after sampling one little bite from the dish placed in front of her where a large piece of Strawberry pie sat invitingly. An incredulous expression appeared on her face as she finally noticed my ritual of practically gorging the cheesecake that has just arrived on the table a mere few seconds before; making sounds that a human really shouldn't make in public, well, a sane human that is. I can debate that in my defense. Besides, I need to finish this off before it comes after me with a kitchen knife.

"Sorry, what did you say? Didn't hear you." Well, I really didn't! And why is she staring at me?

"It's nothing." She sighed hopelessly.

"Ok, and are you going to eat that?"

There's another sigh. Geez, what's wrong with her today?

"Something tells me that you just dragged me here because you wanted to eat, not because you actually want to check out the new enemy. You know that they can't possibly cook as well as you do!"

"Well, it's always better to make sure!"

At the unconvinced look thrown my way, I stared back at her pouting and looking hurt at her doubts of my righteous purpose. Ok, so I admit that I felt like I deserved something for my bravery after I realized the harmlessness of this bakery, but it's not all for my selfish needs! And no way in hell am I going to tell her about my theory on the psychopathic tarts. The glaring contest declared me as the winner, as she finally backed away from my pathetic expression.

"Fine, I believe you." Collapsing back into her seat, she looked at me wearily but not without a trace of humor and affection. I cheered at my victory with a big whoop and she giggled at my childish behavior.

"Great, because you really should believe me. Anyway, are you going to eat that pie or not?"

Another whoop was heard in the small but cozy room as the plate was pushed in front of me. The sound also conveniently covered up the loud groan coming from the seat opposite me. I think the voices in my head are getting better at this stuff now that they can actually throw their voices. Maybe I should really get this checked?

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"Duo, you done?" At my nod, she started to walk towards the cash register, at least until my abrupt hands snatched hers and she was boorishly hauled back into her seat again. The look on her face would have been priceless, if I was watching her.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I rarely see Hilde annoyed but this might just be an exception to that rule because if I was in her place, and someone dragged me down rudely without any warnings, I would be fuming too. But still, that thought did not register in my mind because it was completely stunned and focused on the doorway, where I've just seen my future, or at least, a damn hot guy.

He had that "just rolled out of bed" look going for him, with his untamed hair flying in all directions. Usually, I like neat guys, proven by how delicately I treat my own hair, but I might just abandon my braid and let it run free if the messy look can look half as sexy on me as it does on him. Words fail me as I gaze at him. Those cobalt eyes are so somber and yet, so stormy within their depths; two conflicting elements that compliment each other so well. On anyone else, it would have been too intense and out of place, but somehow, it just works for him. He's definitely Asian, maybe Japanese or Chinese, but hell, I have no preferences! And that body....ok, I need to stop drooling. It's a crime to cover that body up with so many layers of clothes, because I for one would think that he would do the world a great help by improving the scenery.

"Wow" That was all my clouded mind squeezed out because for once, I'm completely knocked out of the proverbial waters and my usual speech patterns fails me.

"What? Oh...." Hilde looked puzzled and turns around to face the same gorgeous view that I was enjoying, an expression of realization appearing on her face. I paid no heed to her as my thoughts were completely concentrated on one thing, ok, so maybe not. I was having a hard time deciding whether to continue and stare at his face longer or change to somewhere lower that is much more interesting to the imagination though wrongfully hidden right now.

The stranger pushed the door open and walked out into the cold, damp air without once looking my way. He must have been in the other side of the bakery that was divided by the cash register for me not to see him before. Darn it, they should really tear that thing apart!

"Hilde, pay NOW!" I promptly grabbed her again and this time, I was up faster than Relena on a sugar high. She barely had time to fling a ten dollar bill at the waiter before she was pulled out of the room by a lunatic, meaning me of course.

"Keep the change!" I shouted to the bewildered waiter behind the register after I raced out with the doors swinging behind me. Poor college students, they need all the tips that they can get. As for me, I need all of that guy that I can get, and I'm willing to settle for a little bit of everything right now. Somewhere in the back of my head, I finally become conscious of the pesky little voice behind me that belonged to the one and only Hilde.

"Slow down Duo! He's not going anywhere!" Yeah, because I'm determined to take him home with me and locking him up. Ok, so maybe not to that extent, but I would like to find out his name first and then, maybe his address, his parents, his grandparents, his dog, his last name so I can see how well it sounds with my own. Whoa, getting a little bit ahead of myself here. Slow down that train of thought because it's not doing anything good. I'll just stick with trying to find his name for the time being.

And maybe where he wants to go for coffee, where he wants to go for dinner, which house he wants to go after dinner, and whose bed to go to...

This is really not a good train of thought.

"Damn, where did he go?" As soon as I stepped out of Baker's Corner, all that greeted my eyes was a seemingly endless sea of pedestrians, none of them with messy dark brown hair or the body I want to take home to mommy with. Looking around me frantically, I could not find the figure that I was looking for but I'm sure as hell not going to give up. No one has shocked me on first glance like that boy did, and I'm determined to find him, and keep him, and cuddle next to him on Christmas while playing with that hair, drowning in his eyes and...

Ok, I really need to find this guy before I die from an overly active libido.

"Ok, we're going that way!" And a poor Hilde is dragged behind me as I impolitely pushed away the obstacles in my path which thankfully, are only people and not anything that are of real importance to me.

"Did you see him?"

"Nope!" I answered in an all too cheerful tone.

"Then why are we going this way?"

"Because....um....because...that's not important right now Hilde!"

"You have no clue right?" I can distinctly hear the sound of someone groaning loudly this time and personally, I think they should stop.

And true to my words, Hilde seized my hands in hers and pulled me to a halt. I didn't mean stop like that!

"Duo, face it, you lost him."

She said in a tender tone that she only uses when she's trying to let me down easily, such as last week when she told me that the last piece of French silk pie was taken by Wufei. I really don't like that tone.

"Blah!"

Great comeback, I know. I'm proud of myself too. Paying no heed to my sulking appearance, she continues in that tone of hers to lecture me some more.

"Duo, it's time to go back. I'm sure that you'll bump into him another day. It's a small city, you'll see him if you remember what he looks like."

Ha! If I can remember! I think of all the certainties in life, that one would be put aside without a doubt! But still, the little bit of sanity left in me even in this situation reminded me of my responsibilities elsewhere, and the nagging little voice of reason stressed the fact that this cobalt eyed boy had nothing to do with those responsibilities, however much I wished otherwise.

"Yeah, let's go." And with that, I took Hilde's hand again, albeit gently this time and walked back with her, looking around me all the while trying to find a familiar face, but was only sadly disappointed.

"I'm sorry." Hilde looked at me comfortingly with the motherly tone that only she can master at such a young age. I avoided her eyes and looked down at my foot, feeling completely miserable.



"Yeah, so am I."

next chapter!