“Nope. Don’t got one. I just sorta drift around.”

“You don’t have a place to stay? Well, you could stay with me for awhile if you want to. The futon in the living room is comfortable enough.”

“That would be great,” Duo started to cough.

“That doesn’t sound good.”

“Aw, it’s nothing,” Duo tried to wave away her concern but it didn’t reassure her when his cough ended with wheezing.

* * * *

“I really don’t like the sound of that cough,” Hilde said in a mother hen tone, when they arrived at her trailer. “It sounds worse now. You should get a hot shower to try to loosen up your chest and I’ll go get some cough syrup.”

“No, really, you don’t hafta fuss,” Duo protested. “There’s no need for you to make a special trip to the store just for cough syrup and—“ his hacking ended that statement.

“I’m not going to make a special trip—if I don’t buy groceries, what do you think we’ll eat for supper?” Hilde unlocked the door to her trailer and pushed it open.

“Yeah, you got a point there,” Duo had to admit.

“So go get in the shower and make it as hot as you can stand it and breathe that steam,” Hilde instructed as she turned to leave.

Duo cupped his hands around his mouth and called after her, “Yes, MOTHER!”

“What a brat,” she thought to herself, but she had to smile secretly at the teasing tone in his voice.

When Hilde returned she was surprised to hear the squeaky sound of the shower being shut off. “He actually did it,” she marveled. “I thought he’d be sitting out here, just to be stubborn.” She set the grocery bag on the counter. “I’m back!” she called to him. “I got the strongest kind I could find!”

“Just bring it in here,” he managed to respond before the hacking started again.

“Sounds like the steam is doing him some good,” Hilde thought with satisfaction as she grabbed a teaspoon from the silverware drawer. “Are you decent?”

“Of course I’m decent,” he coughed.

The steam from the hot shower didn’t hide the fact that Duo was standing in front of the sink wearing only a towel knotted at his side as he was towel-drying his hair. That wouldn’t have been a problem for Hilde except that the towel was not large and so all of the skin right up to his hip where the towel was tied showed all too plainly.

Hilde threw her left arm up to cover her eyes, turned away and forcefully held the bottle and the spoon out to him. “DUO! You said you were decent!” As soon as the astonished young man took the bottle from her hand she fled from the room, blushing furiously.

When Duo emerged from the bathroom fully decent he saw that Hilde was still mortified and was chopping vegetables almost violently.

“You’d better watch your fingers if you don’t wanna lose a few of ‘em,” he said as he leaned over to see if she was blushing, and she was.

“You said you were decent.” Hilde used the large kitchen knife for emphasis, so he stepped back quickly.

“Hey, no need to start wavin’ that thing around like that,” he said defensively, motioning with his hands to ward her off, but then he could see that she wasn’t intending to do him any potential harm, just gesturing, so he thought he should say something in his own defense. “And I was decent.”

“You call that decent?” the knife was still in motion, “I mean, your whole leg was showing all the way up—“

Duo chuckled and his blue-violet eyes sparkled wickedly. “So you got a real good look then, for someone who thought I was indecent.”

“I…I…couldn’t help but see that,” Hilde stammered, and started in on the carrots. “I mean, you were right there…and…well…I couldn’t help but see it.”

Her flustered actions amused him greatly, so he leaned in closer with his elbow resting on the counter so he could see her face. “Well, all the important stuff was covered, you know.” She turned just in time to see him wink.

“Out!” she shouted, turning crimson, and pointed the way to the door with her culinary weapon. He decided he’d better stop pestering her and make himself scarce while she gathered her wits about her. Besides, he was hungry.

When the aroma of the pot roast was becoming almost unbearable, Hilde emerged from the trailer and sat down on the steps. Duo was several feet away with his back to her, looking at the nearby junkyard, thinking about trying to get a job. Without turning around he said, “That smells really great,” he started off with a hopefully-ice-breaking compliment, “You must be a really good cook.”

“I am,” she answered simply.

“Am I still banished or can I come over and talk to you?”

Hilde laughed, so he took that as a positive answer and sat down on the grass near her. His stomach growled, which made her smile. “Not hungry, are you?”

“Starving.”

“Well, it won’t be long before we can eat.”

“Great!” Duo began coughing but it was noticeably better than before.

“That cough syrup must be working.” Hilde looked thoughtful, and then her brows puckered so he knew she was thinking about how annoying he had been.

“I’d really rather you didn’t flirt with me,” she told him. “I’ve got a brain, you know.”

“I know that,” he answered sincerely. “I noticed that right away. But what’s wrong with flirting?”

“I--I’m not used to it, is all.”

“O-kay, I’ll do my best but don’t be too mad if I slip up once in awhile.”

“Agreed.”

“If I can get a job do you think I can stay here awhile longer?” Duo asked carefully. “I’d like to see if I can work at the junk yard. That’s my specialty.”

“Junk is your specialty?” Hilde giggled.

“Machine parts and stuff. You know,” Duo answered a bit defensively.

Hilde could see that the tables had turned. “Kind of a funny specialty,” she said with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. “I think I can put in a good word for you, though business has been slow lately.”

Duo perked up. “You know the guy who owns it?”

“Yes, I know him really well.” Hilde pointed at a tall, good-looking young man. “He’s the one over there in the red sweatshirt.”

“Your…boyfriend…I guess?”

Hilde laughed heartily. “No, he’s my cousin, Mark. I’m going to go see how the roast is doing.”

After dinner Duo leaned back in his chair with the look of a very happy full stomach on his face. “Can I stay awhile longer if I can get a job?” Duo reintroduced the subject. He’d avoided talking about it while they were eating because she hadn’t answered him the first time he asked. Hilde shot him a dubious glance. “And if I make myself useful?” he added.

“Do you wear more to bed than you were wearing after your shower? If you’re sleeping in the living room that matters, you know.”

Duo looked rather sheepish. “And if I do?”

“Sure,” she agreed and then tossed him a dish towel. “And you can start making yourself useful right now.”