Author's Note: So after many…many years of abandoning this story, I've decided to try and finish it. Mostly because it's always haunted me, and I've regretted not completing it. It was the one and only story I was ever brave enough to post anywhere. I've gone ahead and rewritten a large part of it. Mainly to clean it up and improve the consistency of the story/plot. Hope you enjoy :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or any of the characters. I just borrow them for my nefarious and fictional purposes.
Living The Lie
Chapter One: When In L2…
The different coloured, flashing lights. The loud, pulsing music. The throngs of people moving hypnotically in time with the rhythm. The aroma of heady perfume mixed with sweat. What was it about these places that attracted her so much? She asked herself that question each time she stepped into a club. She knew it would be the same no matter what colony she was at. So why bother? She shook out her chin-length black hair and scanned the crowd from the bar through narrowed eyes. Because it was a place where she could be anonymous and leave her life at the door. Always the same question; always the same answer.
"Bartender, another screwdriver please."
The man grunted in acknowledgement and prepared her drink. She took the glass with a nod and turned her back to the counter. She sipped the drink slowly, prolonging the inevitable. How many had she drunk? She'd lost track but it certainly wasn't enough, she still felt far too weary.
"Hey there, doll face. Is that a mirror in your pocket? 'Cuz I can see myself in your pants."
She looked over at the guy and rolled her eyes. Jerk. They were all alike: alcohol breath, groping fingers, toothy grin. She turned back to the bar and put her glass on the counter. "Drop dead." Big boy didn't like that, but she really didn't care. Honestly, what kind of loser uses a line like that anyway? She fixed her gaze on some distant corner of the room and completely ignored any further attempts to get her attention. After a few minutes he gave up and moved down the bar, glaring at her occasionally.
The woman picked up her drink and drained it, looking out over the writhing bodies once more. It was what she liked to do. Just watch the people dance. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy dancing; she just didn't like the unwanted attention it had gotten her on several occasions.
As she sifted through the crowd, she found her eyes lingering on a particular guy. A particularly good-looking guy. He was wearing the kind of jeans she could picture him having to peel off before he went to bed. Even from where she was sitting, she could tell he was well muscled beneath his black T-shirt. Though there was something else about him, about the way he moved that caught her attention. He danced with his eyes closed, just concentrating on the wordless music. So sensual and intoxicating.
She sat captivated by his motions, unable to look away and not really wanting to. A few seconds later his blue eyes opened and locked onto hers. She felt her breath catch in her throat as he held her gaze. The young woman expected him to snicker at her or maybe ignore her for being so rude as to stare, but instead he smiled and walked towards the bar. When he sat down beside her, she turned back to the counter and tried to pretend that nothing had happened. But he wouldn't allow for that.
"Can I get you a drink?"
She glanced over at him nonchalantly. "Whiskey sour."
He handed her the glass and she toyed with it, trying to hide her sudden nervousness. Though, why she was nervous was something she couldn't understand. She was rarely ever nervous; why now? Sure, he was good-looking but since when is that a valid excuse? She had the oddest notion of déjà vu, but couldn't recollect ever meeting him before. Of course, she couldn't remember much of anything from her past; not after what they did to her memory.
The young woman refused to start a conversation. After all, he was the one who had decided to walk over and sit beside her. She looked down at her glass and avoided his cobalt blue eyes. This, however, didn't throw him off the chase.
"So, what can I call you?"
She hesitated before answering. "Yumi." A lie, always a lie. Technically it was her name, in this colony anyway. She never used her real name anymore. She couldn't afford to be recognized, not when the consequences could prove to be fatal. Even after three years she couldn't let her guard down; couldn't truly relax. Still running from the relentless hunter. She cleared her throat. "And your name?"
"Duo. Nice to meet ya." He winked at her and grinned boyishly.
She took a sip of her drink, glancing at him over the top of her glass. He was definitely handsome, even more so up close. She noted that he kept his long chestnut coloured hair in a braid. A little unusual, she thought to herself, but then again, Duo didn't strike her as a typical guy. There was more to that devil-may-care grin than he was letting on. His face and body were relaxed, but his eyes were alert and wary. She suspected he had military training of some kind. Who is this guy? She found herself intrigued. "What do you do?"
"I run a scrapyard not too far from here. You?"
She paused, gauging whether or not she should tell him the truth. Shrugging she decided to be honest, partly anyway. "I work in IT. Fix computers mostly, among other things." She took another swig of her drink before continuing. "I work odd jobs, so I'm always traveling. I do most of my work on the colonies. Actually, I really can't remember the last time I've been to Earth."
The young man nodded. "I grew up on the colonies. They'll always be home to me."
She watched him out of the corner of her eye. At first glance he seemed about her age; she'd guess about twenty-four. She was pretty accurate with her guesses, but the somber expression he wore at the moment made him look older.
She finished her drink and surprised herself by grabbing Duo's arm. She smiled up at him demurely. "Wanna dance?" Although she usually didn't encourage the guys that approached her, Duo had her completely off balance. She felt reckless.
Duo nodded and let the black haired woman lead him to the dance floor. It was another fast-paced and wordless song. She looked up at him with hooded smoky blue eyes as she swayed her hips in time with the music. She knew she looked good. Her fitted blouse and short black skirt hugged every curve.
She ran her hands over his white shirt, admiring the hard muscles beneath it. She moved her body closer and closer to his teasingly. Her arms wound around his neck and flicked his long braid. She couldn't remember the last time she'd flirted like this. She'd forgotten how much fun it could be. She smiled up at Duo and found herself staring into darkening violet eyes. He gave her a devilish grin of his own and pulled her closer. So that's how he wants to play, she thought to herself. She moved slowly, brushing her body against his. She closed her eyes and tossed her head back, giving in to the sensations.
She didn't know how long they stayed that way, but when she opened her eyes again stars dazzled her vision. She felt dizzy and nauseated all at once. She wobbled on her feet and Duo put his arms around her waist to steady her.
"Are you okay?"
She shook her head. "I don't know. I need some air." She started for the door but lost her balance and almost toppled again. He caught her and helped her to her feet.
"I'll go with you. I could use the fresh air as well."
The woman almost smiled. So he was cunning as well as a gentleman. She leaned on his shoulder as he led her to the exit. Once in the cool air, she slumped against the wall and tried to regain control. She felt light-headed and dizzy. She didn't feel drunk; she was far too coherent for that. She shook her head in agitation. This doesn't make any sense.
"Yumi, are you alright?" His expression was one of concern.
"Probably, but I think I should be going." She stood up and her vision was covered in gray dots. "Shit." This is not good.
"Did you drive here?"
"No. I walked. Figured it was a nice night."
"I walked too. My place isn't far from here." He paused. "I could walk you home. Where are you staying?"
"At the motel on Second Street. Know the place?"
"Yeah." He looked at her in surprise. "That's a bit of a walk and this isn't the best neighborhood. You must be pretty brave."
"Or pretty stupid," she muttered under her breath. She straightened herself and grit her teeth, putting all her concentration into clearing her vision. She closed her eyes and willed her muscles to stop trembling. I can do this. She felt a warm hand on her arm.
"Shall we go?" Duo's lips were quirked in a wry-smile as he put an arm around her waist.
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They made slow progress as her condition eventually worsened. "Wait. Just for a second," she grated out between staggered breaths. She crouched down and tried to clear her head. "What the hell is wrong with me?"
But Duo wasn't paying attention. His face was alert and his muscles tensed. "Shh…I think there's someone following us. Come on, into the alley." He half lifted, half dragged her into the alley where they waited anxiously. Several seconds went by before they saw a figure slink through the shadows. "I think it's a guy from the club."
The short-haired woman narrowed her eyes as the guy slowly came into focus. It was the same creep she had ignored at the bar. But that doesn't explain why he is following us, she thought. As Duo watched him she examined her symptoms a little more carefully. Dizziness, weakness, fatigue, nausea…A drug! "Dammit," she swore quietly. "But how?" She looked up at the skulking figure making its way down the road and scowled. He could have put it in her drink when she was ignoring him and turned away. Though, even if that was the case, that was no excuse for him to keep following her. Unless… "He's one of them."
"One of who?"
She looked up in surprise, having forgotten that Duo was there. "These symptoms, I think they're drug induced. He must have slipped the drug into my drink at the bar and now he's after me." She waved her hand dismissively at the look on his face. "Trust me. This guy is bad news." She glanced at Duo thoughtfully. "In my state I can't deal with him on my own, but if you helped me…" she trailed off. "All I need you to do is hold him, and I'll take care of the rest. Oh, and don't let him see your face."
Duo gave her a curious sidelong glance but nodded. "Ok, that sounds good, but how do you plan on getting him to come over here?"
"I think I can manage that." She winked at him and stood up slowly. Her anger cleared her head and gave her temporary strength. She walked out of the alley and spotted the guy looking around a corner. She whistled sharply, piercing the still air. "Hey, big boy. Looking for me?"
The guy turned around and smiled at her wickedly, walking swiftly toward her. As he got closer, she edged backwards towards the alley. "Hey, I just wanted to apologize about before. I'm sure you're a really great guy." She gave him a sweet smile as he stopped in front of her. "Unfortunately, I couldn't care less." Before he could reply she punched him in the gut, causing him to double over. "Now!" Duo emerged from his hiding spot and caught the guy's arms behind his back, hauling him into the alley.
She glared at the jerk as he caught his breath. "Let's get to the point, shall we? I know who you are and you obviously know who I am. Since you've managed to find me, I guess I've been getting sloppy. But I want to know one thing, why the hell are they still after me?"
He shook his fat head and laughed. "You think I'm going to tell you?"
She clenched her teeth and narrowed her eyes. "I guess you can't if I break your jaw."
Big boy stopped laughing and scowled at her. "I don't know."
She chuckled mirthlessly. "I hate liars." She snapped her leg up and lashed out with her right foot, catching the guy in the face. Duo released the man and stared at the blue-eyed woman incredulously. But she wasn't finished yet. She grabbed the creep by the collar and shoved him into the wall, causing his head to snap back and hit the brick wall. She let him go and he slumped to the ground unconscious, blood trickling from his mouth. She turned around and brushed off her hands. She caught Duo staring at her and frowned. "He wasn't going to talk anyway; they never do." She took a step forward but stumbled. He caught her and tried to help her stand, but by now she was too weak. She didn't have any energy left and the drug was now taking full effect. She slumped against Duo's body. "I don't think I can go any further."
"What do you want to do?"
"I can't go back to the motel. They probably know that's where I'm staying." She looked up at him but the stars had come back and she knew she was going to black out soon.
Duo picked her up and looked around for potential witnesses, but the streets were empty. "So what would you suggest?"
She shook her head weakly. "I don't have a lot of options at the moment," she admitted grimly. "I won't be conscious for much longer."
He nodded in understanding. "You can stay at my place." When she looked at him questioningly he laughed. "Don't worry, I live alone."
"Thanks, I'll return the favor somehow."
"Don't worry about it. It's my duty to take care of a damsel in distress." He gave her a quick grin.
"Who are you calling a damsel?" she said defiantly, poking him in the chest. For the first time in years, the young woman relaxed, trusting the handsome stranger would take care of her. She allowed herself a small smile as her eyes finally closed and she sank into the inky blackness of sleep.
