I don't own Gundam Wing. I'm just borrowing the characters for a while. Some are my own invention.
Sitting in a bar, Wufei was practically invisible in the crowds of Beijing. Returning to the country of his ancestors had been something he felt he had to do- to see his roots. The bright lights on every corner and the sheer number of people in the streets had exceeded his expectations, and he longed for some peace and quiet. But he wouldn't get it here.
Picking up his coat and walking outside, he watched for a moment as a small boy ran past and into the road. Seconds later, he was sprawled on the concrete, having been hit by the side of a truck. The driver didn't wait to see if he was okay, but instead drove off and left him lying there. A girl around Wufei's age ran over to him and began to cry.
"Do you need me to call an ambulance?"
Suki looked up. A tall guy was looking at her questioningly.
"Yes, please," she said calmly, looking straight back, then turned to look at her little brother again, and tried not to sob.
Wufei jogged over to a telephone box and dialled the emergency services. When he'd finished, he went back and they were still there. Someone was diverting the traffic around the accident, and the girl was holding the boy's hand, still weeping.
How weak she is, Wufei thought. Crying like a baby in public. But he stayed there until the ambulance arrived, and watched her leave.
^^^
"Suki?"
Looking up, Suki saw her brother open his eyes to look at her.
"What happened, Suki?"
"You ran into the road, you baka, and got hit by a truck," she told him, not really meaning the insult but angry all the same. "You could have been killed! Then what would I have done?"
Suki had raised Mika since she was 15 when their mother had died. They'd never really remembered their father, and she was glad of it. Her mother had always told her that her father was a no good chauvinistic pig.
"I'm sorry, Suki," Mika told her with a wobble in his voice. "I didn't mean to, I swear." He was only 10, and she was 18 this year. Suki didn't know how she was going to get the money to pay for his treatment. They lived on government support, with most of it going towards her university fund. She hoped she could get the Chinese Health Service on this one, or she'd never go to University, and they'd be living on the streets when she became 20 and the benefits stopped. But she didn't dare tell Mika her worries- he was distraught enough as it was.
"It's alright, Mika. It'll be fine. I'm not mad."
The little boy smiled and went back to sleep. Suki left for the library, to go back to studying.
^^^
"Oh! I'm sorry!" Suki cried as she bumped into someone, they and her both dropping their textbooks. She helped them pick their books up, and then saw who it was.
"You? Oh, I didn't get a chance to thank you for last night- so thanks. My name's Suki."
Wufei groaned internally. He had to bump into that onna again. He found himself being stared at, and remembered to reply.
"My name is Wufei."
Suki smiled. "That was my grandfather's name."
Wufei stumbled slightly over someone's book bag, and Suki grabbed his arm to steady him.
"You alright?"
"I'm fine, Woman," he growled, adding under his breath, "stupid onna."
Suki heard that and drew in her breath. "You chauvinistic pig! I was only trying to help! I have a name!"
Wufei glared back and snatched his arm from her grasp. "Leave me alone. All I did was ring an ambulance."
He stalked off, not needing to look back to know about the angry expression on Suki's face.
^^^
"That Wufei…and I thought he was a decent guy. What a pig-headed, macho baka!"
Pacing around Mika's hospital room, she scowled fiercely, remembering which side of the family that grandfather of hers had been on. Her father's. Maybe the name carried along some kind of curse that turned the bearer into someone like that.
"Wasn't Wufei the name of one of those pilots?" Mika asked her, his dark eyes curious. "The Gundam Pilots."
"So what?" Suki turned again, and remembered. Pilot 05- Wufei Chang- was Chinese. She slapped her forehead, and leant against the wall.
"What is it, Suki?"
"I think that was him, Mika."
The little boy's eyes widened and filled with excitement. "You met a Gundam pilot? That's so cool!"
Suki stood slowly, and brushed down her jeans with one hand. "He's a waste of time, Mika. Just like father."
Mika had never quite believed their mother about how useless their father was. He'd thought of hundreds of 'good' reasons for him to have left, and fantasised about meeting him, and going on adventures together.
"Maybe he and father are related," he suggested eagerly. "Maybe he's our half-brother!"
"Don't make me sick." Suki made a face and sat on the edge of the bed. "Mika, we're better off forgetting about that loser. Come on. We'll sign out and go home."
With his leg in plaster, Mika hobbled along behind his sister where they signed out, to the nurses' discomfort. They couldn't afford for Mika to stay there too long. It would cost far too much.
She 'borrowed' a wheelchair on the way out, and promised herself to take it back after they got home. Wheeling it along the crowded streets was easier than she had thought- people got out of the way for invalids. It was along one of the many small back ways that trouble came- again. From the shadows came a gang of thugs. She knew them too well. She'd gone out with the leader for a month or two, and had been the one to break it off. He hadn't been too happy about that.
"Hey there, Suki," Zedd drawled. "Going home?"
"Get out of my way, Zedd." He'd invented that nickname to try and make himself sound hard. It sounded stupid.
"You that eager to leave, Babe?" he asked, leering at her.
"Leave me alone."
The circle of guys started to close in. They'd been waiting for a chance to beat her up since she'd broken up with Zedd, and now they had it. They made a formidable pack, and some had iron fist spikes. Pushing Mika behind her, she went into a fighting stance. She hadn't been trained, but she saw it on television sometimes. It was better than nothing, and it made them slightly more wary of her. It gave the impression she knew what she was doing. "Well, they certainly do," she thought to herself, a sweat breaking out on her forehead.
There, on the left. A punk launched himself in her direction, punching with his left and his right simultaneously. The neon light glinted from his iron-shod knuckles. Suki tried to dodge but was caught hard in the stomach and fell backwards, winded, gasping for breath. Grinning maliciously, they walked closer, surrounding her as she tried to stand. Mika stayed where he was, frozen, then suddenly began to yell shrilly for help. The gang ignored him. No one came far enough back here into the network of sprawling alleyways to hear him. Even if they did, no one wanted to get into unnecessary trouble. Especially with a 'hard' gang like theirs.
They were wrong. From the darkness, a lithe body launched itself out, lashing out quicker than Suki's eyes could follow in the motions of a trained fighter. He took them all on at once, kicking and punching in a volley of smooth attacks and knocking them swiftly into submission. When he had neatly finished off the last thug, and began to dust off his clothes, she saw who it was. Wufei.
"Oh, man…" she thought to herself. "How badly will he gloat over this?" But she was still glad to see him. After all, he had just saved her from a serious beating.
Zedd and his remaining thugs ran off, hurling obscenities about what he would do to her 'next time'. Suki stood up, slowly, wincing as she shifted her bruises.
Wufei turned around, but his concerned expression melted as he saw who he had just saved, then ran off into the night. He didn't want thanking. It was just justice, and he had meted it out swiftly and with little effort. So it was that girl again. So he'd been walking near the hospital. So what?
^^^
When they finally got home, Suki tucked a drained Mika in, then collapsed on her own bed, exhausted. She'd run most of the way home, and had tired herself out completely. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow, still fully clothed.
^^^
Morning came, and Suki winced as she saw the grotesque bruises on her stomach in the mirror. An ugly blossom of black, blue and yellow, with a centre of reddish brown where a scab was forming. It made a horrible mark from left to right. Pulling on a loose shirt, so as not to pressure her wounding, she pulled her hair into a tight ponytail and fastened it, gasping slightly in pain as the skin was pulled upwards by her arms, stretching her injury.
Walking down the small corridor, she saw Mika eating his breakfast and playing with the cheap plastic dinosaur he'd found in the cereal box.
"Will you be okay here on your own today?" his cast made it too hard for her to get him to school. She'd take him in tomorrow, though. He needed his education.
"Sure, 'sis. I can take care of myself."
"Yeah, like you took care of yourself with that truck."
"I'm sorry!" He squeaked guiltily once more.
Suki grimaced, and picked up her bag. Another long day at school. What joy. Another day of bad school lunches and boring lessons. With the painful bruise to cope with too.
Locking the door behind her, she went down the stairs and walked the streets again, on the way to what she liked to call 'Hell's own High School'. And to top it off, her wounded stomach had begun to ache.
^^^
Mika sat looking out of the window at the traffic most of the day. Last night had been the first time he'd really seen that amazing pilot guy. He'd liked him. There was something oddly comforting about him, the way he'd beaten up those guys for Suki. He wondered if Wufei liked her, and giggled. Suki fancied him. Mika could tell. She'd never admit it, of course…but something about the way she kept complaining about him made Mika want to laugh.
Gazing down at the street, he watched the people come and go. So many people passed by everyday, and none of them knew he was watching them. The idea delighted him. He had a sudden thought. He opened the window, and got a pot of white yoghurt from the fridge, then spent the next half-hour happily flicking it onto people from above, then ducking inside so they thought it was an incontinent bird.
A splat landed on Wufei's perfect hair. He looked up quickly and saw someone disappearing into the building. Hmm. He wiped it off with slight annoyance and walked on.
^^^
Mika suddenly realised who it was he'd just flicked yoghurt onto, and fell about laughing, even though he felt a little guilty. But it had been worth it for the look on those unsuspecting people's faces.
^^^
When Suki came home, she found Mika rolling around on the floor with an empty pot of yoghurt and a carefully licked spoon. Frowning, she listened to his account but her stony countenance soon cracked and she laughed like crazy herself.
But then she swiftly got up, and went to get ready. Her friends and her were going to a club, and she wanted to look dazzling. Pulling on her favourite dress, she looked into the mirror and licked her finger, carefully straightening one eyebrow. Mika came and watched from the doorway, occasionally helping her choose colours. Her dark blue dress went well with her black hair, and the light eyeshadow opened her eyes, making them seem bigger and darker than they had before. She just hoped that her injuries wouldn't make dancing difficult.
A loud honking came from outside, and she peered from the window to see her friend Mieke waiting in her car. Waving, she pulled on her black strappy shoes and ran down the stairs, piling into the car with the others, laughing. Mika followed her with his eyes until she vanished around a corner, and went to watch TV.
^^^
He'd been looking at that girl for over an hour, sitting at the bar with his drink. Her silky midnight hair swayed seductively by her slender waist as she danced with catlike grace. She seemed so pretty in her smooth twilight-blue dress. Maybe pretty was the wrong word. She was beautiful. Yes, beautiful, maybe even glamorous with her black shoes and silk smooth legs. There was a sense of mystery about her as well. Something he couldn't quite place. Wufei's eyes had been magnetically drawn to her since she'd walked in, laughing prettily, but he hadn't yet seen her made-up face up close. He made up his mind to ask her to dance. After all, there was no reason that he couldn't enjoy himself on holiday.
He moved powerfully onto the dance floor, turning heads as he strode up to her. He was every inch the mysterious, handsome, stranger. He stopped behind her and cautiously tapped her on the shoulder as she turned around. Then he realised with a start who it was. That girl…Suki, wasn't it?
Suki turned to see Wufei standing behind her, obviously surprised to see her. A flicker of a smile began it's way over her shining lips, when someone flung out their arm in laughter and knocked him from behind in his moment of surprise. He fell over clumsily, knocking her down, and landing on top of her.
Wufei hurriedly pushed himself up with his arms, and looked at her again, embarrassed. But before he could stop himself, he began to fall dreamily into those wonderful obsidian eyes. The music seemed to fade around him. He felt that he could see whole shimmering galaxies, suns and moons and stars, glimmering enchantingly in their depths. He shook his head to rid himself of this strange trance he had fallen into and the rhythmic dance beat turned up the volume once more. He hurriedly stood up, shyly offering her a strong hand.
Suki was mesmerised. How had she ever thought he was chauvinistic? His beautiful eyes…realising that he was holding out his hand to help her up, she took it and found herself held securely in a tight grip, and hauled to her feet gently. In the crowded room she found herself standing right up against him, then blushed at the intimacy and stepped away a little. His eyes, though…they had been so deep and amazing. She looked up again and was caught once more, by the mysterious comforting darkness of Wufei's eyes. She barely noticed as he took a small step closer, bringing them back together. She couldn't tear her eyes away from his, any more than he was able to from hers. The air might have sizzled between them.
Girl, get a hold of yourself! Her mind screamed. It's that stupid guy who wouldn't even say your name! But she ignored it. She was in love.
Looking down at her, Wufei forgot about her weakness. He couldn't guess why, but he couldn't turn and leave. Not now. He bent down slightly, almost as if it were an unconscious reaction, and kissed her softly without a word.
Bright fireworks exploded before Suki's startled eyes. He was kissing her! She found herself kissing him back, before she'd even thought about it. Hot seductive sweetness ran from his lips to hers, and she couldn't ignore it if she's wanted to. She relaxed into the kiss with a slight sigh. She blissfully closed her eyes.
Wufei suddenly found control of himself again, and realised what he was doing. Pulling away with a jolt, he saw the confusion on her face and spun around, leaving rapidly, one hand pressed to his forehead.
Suki tried to go after him, but too many people, who had moved out of the gundam pilot's path, got in her way. She'd seen the widened look in his eyes. He was afraid of her. Of her. She smiled bitterly at the irony, before soft tears filled her dark eyes and slid silently down her delicately flushed cheeks.
^^^
Mika was still awake when Suki came home, watching a late night horror movie. Hearing the door slam, he climbed furtively into bed, pulling the covers over and closing his eyes. He watched through cautious slits as Suki came in, undressing as she went. She paused at the full-length mirror looking at the ugly mark across her belly before she started to shake with grief. She glanced once at Mika and then collapsed onto her bed, sobbing quietly, trying to be silent so as not to disturb him. She didn't want him to know she'd been crying, so he left her alone, and closed his eyes until he heard her grow still, and he let himself sleep.
^^^
Suki wandered shakily into the kitchen the next day, bleary eyed and tearstained. Mika said nothing, avoiding the questions she so obviously didn't want to be asked. She sat down and began to eat mechanically, swallowing her least favourite cereal without paying any attention to the over-sweet taste. Last night she had had a brief taste of heaven. But heaven was afraid of her. Why was Wufei afraid? He was so strong; he was a gundam pilot for goodness sake! But he was scared of her. Had she done something wrong? His eyes had kept coming back to her. They were so deep, and dark…like jet. But far more beautiful than any stone.
She knew with a sinking heart that when she went to school she'd be pestered all about the strange guy she'd been seen with. Sighing, she picked up her bag and went out, Mika at her heels, on the way to his school.
"Hey, is it ok if I sleep over at my best friend's house for the weekend?" said Mika.
"Whatever," was the uncaring reply.
He couldn't embarrass his sister further, just by being there. He knew his friend would oblige.
^^^
Suki managed to avoid questions until she got to her English class. Mieke was there, and smirked when she came in, patting the chair next to her. Rolling her eyes, Suki sat down next to her best friend and looked at her pointedly.
"So? Who was that guy?" Mieke asked excitedly. "He left pretty quick, so I didn't get a good look. Is he cute?"
"Mieke…" Suki complained, giving her friend her best puppy dog eyes.
"Come on, you can tell me y'know."
"His name's Wufei."
"And?"
"And I've bumped into him a couple of times."
There was an expectant silence
"That's it? That's all you're going to tell me?!"
"Yes."
"Oh, come on. Please? At least tell me why he left so quick."
"I don't know." There was such a look of abject depression on her face that Mieke almost told her not to carry on. "I wish I knew."
"So? Do you like him?"
"Mieke, he's…amazing."
"Woah, stop there love struck girl! You gotta find him, that's for sure!"
Looking at her friend, Suki smiled, a weak, watery smile that made her classmate more determined. "Thanks, Mieke."
^^^
Wufei sat alone in his room. Why had he even bothered to go over to her? He didn't need anyone, especially not a weak onna like that. She had been so amazingly beautiful in his arms…and that kiss. He kept dwelling on it, unable to boot it from his mind. It invaded his meditation. Unable to concentrate, he had fallen over in his practice, something he hadn't done in a long time. He had to leave Earth. He couldn't risk seeing her again. It would be too damaging for his concentration and his mind. But he'd go on a walk now. Just in the local area. So what if school was just ending? He just wanted some fresh air. Yes.
^^^
He hadn't seen her on his walk. Damn! And he had walked twice up and down outside the school gates. Trying to persuade himself that this was a good thing, he sat down to make an attempt at meditation again. But soft seductive images of Suki kept creeping into his mind, pictures that obstinately refused to budge from his consciousness, making him completely loose his concentration. He got up with a sigh and went for a cold shower.
^^^
Suki had been so downcast all day that Mieke was beginning to think she really was in love with this mysterious guy.
"Look, Suki, if he'll just leave you on the dance floor like that then he's not worth bothering about."
Her concerned friend watched Suki closely, and saw in her eyes an 'are you sure?' look. Her friend's moping around was getting Mieke down as well.
"Look." she said matter-of-factly "Why don't you come out with us again tonight. Dance. Pull some blokes. Forget loser man."
Smiling weakly, Suki agreed slowly. Anything to try and remove his haunting image from her mind. She realised that she'd been looking around unconsciously for his handsome face in the crowd. And what's more she had thought it was him more than once. Tearing herself from the thronged streets, she concentrated on walking fast to pick up Mika.
^^^
Wufei didn't know what he was doing in this club again. It had been here that his problems had started. He was well on his way to getting drunk, trying to blot Suki from his mind. Her eyes, her body, her… NO! he was NOT going to think about that. Anyway, he couldn't possibly want someone so weak so much. It wasn't like she was beautiful, anyway…
~ Liar. She's gorgeous and you know it. ~ His mind kept taunting him. He drowned out the incessant voice with the last of his fifth pint of beer. Muzzily he gazed at the bottom of the glass, remarking to himself the way it distorted everything. He shakily ordered another beer. "Funny" he thought to himself. "With every pint, the voices get louder."
At that moment Suki walked in, concentrating on Mieke's back. She had a red strappy top on. Her brownish hair lay in shiny curls over it. She wouldn't let herself look around to see if he was here. No way. "I'll just see which barman is here tonight". Her eyes wandered, and she saw someone at the bar who made her breath come ragged. It was him, and he was... drinking himself stupid, by the look of things. She frowned.
Mieke looked back and grabbed her arms, following her gaze. "That's him?"
Suki nodded dumbly, not able to reply without the worry of babbling like an idiot.
"Go for it, girl! Go give him a good kicking!"
Propelled by a push from her friend, Suki walked cautiously forward, her long skirt swishing over her legs uncomfortably. It had never worried her before, now it clung to her. She realised she was sweating. There was no confidence in her as she made her slow way over to the bar.
Wufei looked up groggily at the bluish figures coming towards him. Totally drunk now, he couldn't make out which one was real, never mind who it was.
"Are you an angel?" he asked, in a stupid slurred way. It sounded more like a corny chat up line than the bemused compliment he meant it to be
"Yeah, the angel of bloody mercy." Came a familiar voice, and Wufei found himself standing. Just.
"Suki?"
"Yeah, you bum. Why'd you leave me like that last night?" she found herself breaking down, for all her angry bravado. Sitting heavily on one of the barstools, the tears began to spill down her face again, reddening her cheeks slightly as they passed.
Wufei felt ashamed somewhere under the six pints of alcohol that were sloshing about inside him, and tried to hug her. But, maybe luckily for him, his co-ordination was messed up, and he fell on his butt with a groan.
"You're bloody drunk!" Suki cried, angrier even than before. "You're bloody f***king drunk!" she stood up, so full of disappointment and bitterness, she thought she would break down completely. "I bet you were drunk last night, too. I bet you were so pissed up you didn't know what the hell you were doing!"
She flung the insult at him. "After all that, it was just me who felt the Earth move. How could I have been so blind!"
Eyes widening, Wufei looked up at her again. Her anger and sorrow were sobering, and the pain in her eyes was easy to see. He stood up and tried to take her hands. She pulled them back, trembling. He looked into her beautiful red rimmed eyes instead and spoke earnestly.
"I wasn't drunk," he told her quietly, suddenly sober. Even more softly, he added, "And you weren't the only one who felt something special." She could tell he meant it.
She looked at him carefully, trying to understand this complicated person. She saw something she'd never expected in his eyes. His eyes… tearing herself away, she shook her head bitterly, and retorted,
"There's no excuse for leaving me, then. Goodbye, Wufei." She said softly, her voice breaking slightly.
She stormed off towards Mieke, struggling to keep her tears in, the flared sleeves of her dress being used to wipe her eyes clear. She had managed to change all of her sorrow into anger- something that was dangerous when it happened. She had done that before, when their father had left home. He had been having an affair, and Suki had gone to the detestable woman's house and beaten her black and blue... at the age of 8. She still remembered the horrible delight she had felt. This woman has taken my father away from us and now she'll pay. Something inside her had snapped then, and was in the process of doing it now. The resulting anger was more dangerous to her and the people around her than holding a metal rod in your bare fist on a rooftop during a lightning storm. An almost electric tension surrounded her.
She smiled sweetly, almost over sweetly at some of Mieke's friends that she'd brought along, and began to dance with one of them. She didn't know his name, but he was a nice enough guy, and he had the sense to know that this was only a one-time thing. A slow song began, and she rested her head on his shoulder, moving slowly, her arms around his blue-shirted body. Almost too tight in her anger. She would show him!
The song ended, and she pulled Mieke's friend into a vicious, spiteful kiss.
The world stood still for Wufei. He stared at them in astonishment, then a deep green jealousy. She was kissing with someone else! She was actually kissing someone else! How could she hurt him so much? Now he knew the meaning of the word injustice. He tried desperately to reach her, with no plan in his head, except maybe to apologise or to scream at her. But he was stopped by the glares directed at him from her friends, and left once again, his heart dragging on the floor behind him, slightly drunk emotions in turmoil at the scene he'd just walked out of, where he'd made such a vile and hurtful mess of his life. What could he do?
Sitting in a bar, Wufei was practically invisible in the crowds of Beijing. Returning to the country of his ancestors had been something he felt he had to do- to see his roots. The bright lights on every corner and the sheer number of people in the streets had exceeded his expectations, and he longed for some peace and quiet. But he wouldn't get it here.
Picking up his coat and walking outside, he watched for a moment as a small boy ran past and into the road. Seconds later, he was sprawled on the concrete, having been hit by the side of a truck. The driver didn't wait to see if he was okay, but instead drove off and left him lying there. A girl around Wufei's age ran over to him and began to cry.
"Do you need me to call an ambulance?"
Suki looked up. A tall guy was looking at her questioningly.
"Yes, please," she said calmly, looking straight back, then turned to look at her little brother again, and tried not to sob.
Wufei jogged over to a telephone box and dialled the emergency services. When he'd finished, he went back and they were still there. Someone was diverting the traffic around the accident, and the girl was holding the boy's hand, still weeping.
How weak she is, Wufei thought. Crying like a baby in public. But he stayed there until the ambulance arrived, and watched her leave.
^^^
"Suki?"
Looking up, Suki saw her brother open his eyes to look at her.
"What happened, Suki?"
"You ran into the road, you baka, and got hit by a truck," she told him, not really meaning the insult but angry all the same. "You could have been killed! Then what would I have done?"
Suki had raised Mika since she was 15 when their mother had died. They'd never really remembered their father, and she was glad of it. Her mother had always told her that her father was a no good chauvinistic pig.
"I'm sorry, Suki," Mika told her with a wobble in his voice. "I didn't mean to, I swear." He was only 10, and she was 18 this year. Suki didn't know how she was going to get the money to pay for his treatment. They lived on government support, with most of it going towards her university fund. She hoped she could get the Chinese Health Service on this one, or she'd never go to University, and they'd be living on the streets when she became 20 and the benefits stopped. But she didn't dare tell Mika her worries- he was distraught enough as it was.
"It's alright, Mika. It'll be fine. I'm not mad."
The little boy smiled and went back to sleep. Suki left for the library, to go back to studying.
^^^
"Oh! I'm sorry!" Suki cried as she bumped into someone, they and her both dropping their textbooks. She helped them pick their books up, and then saw who it was.
"You? Oh, I didn't get a chance to thank you for last night- so thanks. My name's Suki."
Wufei groaned internally. He had to bump into that onna again. He found himself being stared at, and remembered to reply.
"My name is Wufei."
Suki smiled. "That was my grandfather's name."
Wufei stumbled slightly over someone's book bag, and Suki grabbed his arm to steady him.
"You alright?"
"I'm fine, Woman," he growled, adding under his breath, "stupid onna."
Suki heard that and drew in her breath. "You chauvinistic pig! I was only trying to help! I have a name!"
Wufei glared back and snatched his arm from her grasp. "Leave me alone. All I did was ring an ambulance."
He stalked off, not needing to look back to know about the angry expression on Suki's face.
^^^
"That Wufei…and I thought he was a decent guy. What a pig-headed, macho baka!"
Pacing around Mika's hospital room, she scowled fiercely, remembering which side of the family that grandfather of hers had been on. Her father's. Maybe the name carried along some kind of curse that turned the bearer into someone like that.
"Wasn't Wufei the name of one of those pilots?" Mika asked her, his dark eyes curious. "The Gundam Pilots."
"So what?" Suki turned again, and remembered. Pilot 05- Wufei Chang- was Chinese. She slapped her forehead, and leant against the wall.
"What is it, Suki?"
"I think that was him, Mika."
The little boy's eyes widened and filled with excitement. "You met a Gundam pilot? That's so cool!"
Suki stood slowly, and brushed down her jeans with one hand. "He's a waste of time, Mika. Just like father."
Mika had never quite believed their mother about how useless their father was. He'd thought of hundreds of 'good' reasons for him to have left, and fantasised about meeting him, and going on adventures together.
"Maybe he and father are related," he suggested eagerly. "Maybe he's our half-brother!"
"Don't make me sick." Suki made a face and sat on the edge of the bed. "Mika, we're better off forgetting about that loser. Come on. We'll sign out and go home."
With his leg in plaster, Mika hobbled along behind his sister where they signed out, to the nurses' discomfort. They couldn't afford for Mika to stay there too long. It would cost far too much.
She 'borrowed' a wheelchair on the way out, and promised herself to take it back after they got home. Wheeling it along the crowded streets was easier than she had thought- people got out of the way for invalids. It was along one of the many small back ways that trouble came- again. From the shadows came a gang of thugs. She knew them too well. She'd gone out with the leader for a month or two, and had been the one to break it off. He hadn't been too happy about that.
"Hey there, Suki," Zedd drawled. "Going home?"
"Get out of my way, Zedd." He'd invented that nickname to try and make himself sound hard. It sounded stupid.
"You that eager to leave, Babe?" he asked, leering at her.
"Leave me alone."
The circle of guys started to close in. They'd been waiting for a chance to beat her up since she'd broken up with Zedd, and now they had it. They made a formidable pack, and some had iron fist spikes. Pushing Mika behind her, she went into a fighting stance. She hadn't been trained, but she saw it on television sometimes. It was better than nothing, and it made them slightly more wary of her. It gave the impression she knew what she was doing. "Well, they certainly do," she thought to herself, a sweat breaking out on her forehead.
There, on the left. A punk launched himself in her direction, punching with his left and his right simultaneously. The neon light glinted from his iron-shod knuckles. Suki tried to dodge but was caught hard in the stomach and fell backwards, winded, gasping for breath. Grinning maliciously, they walked closer, surrounding her as she tried to stand. Mika stayed where he was, frozen, then suddenly began to yell shrilly for help. The gang ignored him. No one came far enough back here into the network of sprawling alleyways to hear him. Even if they did, no one wanted to get into unnecessary trouble. Especially with a 'hard' gang like theirs.
They were wrong. From the darkness, a lithe body launched itself out, lashing out quicker than Suki's eyes could follow in the motions of a trained fighter. He took them all on at once, kicking and punching in a volley of smooth attacks and knocking them swiftly into submission. When he had neatly finished off the last thug, and began to dust off his clothes, she saw who it was. Wufei.
"Oh, man…" she thought to herself. "How badly will he gloat over this?" But she was still glad to see him. After all, he had just saved her from a serious beating.
Zedd and his remaining thugs ran off, hurling obscenities about what he would do to her 'next time'. Suki stood up, slowly, wincing as she shifted her bruises.
Wufei turned around, but his concerned expression melted as he saw who he had just saved, then ran off into the night. He didn't want thanking. It was just justice, and he had meted it out swiftly and with little effort. So it was that girl again. So he'd been walking near the hospital. So what?
^^^
When they finally got home, Suki tucked a drained Mika in, then collapsed on her own bed, exhausted. She'd run most of the way home, and had tired herself out completely. She was asleep before her head hit the pillow, still fully clothed.
^^^
Morning came, and Suki winced as she saw the grotesque bruises on her stomach in the mirror. An ugly blossom of black, blue and yellow, with a centre of reddish brown where a scab was forming. It made a horrible mark from left to right. Pulling on a loose shirt, so as not to pressure her wounding, she pulled her hair into a tight ponytail and fastened it, gasping slightly in pain as the skin was pulled upwards by her arms, stretching her injury.
Walking down the small corridor, she saw Mika eating his breakfast and playing with the cheap plastic dinosaur he'd found in the cereal box.
"Will you be okay here on your own today?" his cast made it too hard for her to get him to school. She'd take him in tomorrow, though. He needed his education.
"Sure, 'sis. I can take care of myself."
"Yeah, like you took care of yourself with that truck."
"I'm sorry!" He squeaked guiltily once more.
Suki grimaced, and picked up her bag. Another long day at school. What joy. Another day of bad school lunches and boring lessons. With the painful bruise to cope with too.
Locking the door behind her, she went down the stairs and walked the streets again, on the way to what she liked to call 'Hell's own High School'. And to top it off, her wounded stomach had begun to ache.
^^^
Mika sat looking out of the window at the traffic most of the day. Last night had been the first time he'd really seen that amazing pilot guy. He'd liked him. There was something oddly comforting about him, the way he'd beaten up those guys for Suki. He wondered if Wufei liked her, and giggled. Suki fancied him. Mika could tell. She'd never admit it, of course…but something about the way she kept complaining about him made Mika want to laugh.
Gazing down at the street, he watched the people come and go. So many people passed by everyday, and none of them knew he was watching them. The idea delighted him. He had a sudden thought. He opened the window, and got a pot of white yoghurt from the fridge, then spent the next half-hour happily flicking it onto people from above, then ducking inside so they thought it was an incontinent bird.
A splat landed on Wufei's perfect hair. He looked up quickly and saw someone disappearing into the building. Hmm. He wiped it off with slight annoyance and walked on.
^^^
Mika suddenly realised who it was he'd just flicked yoghurt onto, and fell about laughing, even though he felt a little guilty. But it had been worth it for the look on those unsuspecting people's faces.
^^^
When Suki came home, she found Mika rolling around on the floor with an empty pot of yoghurt and a carefully licked spoon. Frowning, she listened to his account but her stony countenance soon cracked and she laughed like crazy herself.
But then she swiftly got up, and went to get ready. Her friends and her were going to a club, and she wanted to look dazzling. Pulling on her favourite dress, she looked into the mirror and licked her finger, carefully straightening one eyebrow. Mika came and watched from the doorway, occasionally helping her choose colours. Her dark blue dress went well with her black hair, and the light eyeshadow opened her eyes, making them seem bigger and darker than they had before. She just hoped that her injuries wouldn't make dancing difficult.
A loud honking came from outside, and she peered from the window to see her friend Mieke waiting in her car. Waving, she pulled on her black strappy shoes and ran down the stairs, piling into the car with the others, laughing. Mika followed her with his eyes until she vanished around a corner, and went to watch TV.
^^^
He'd been looking at that girl for over an hour, sitting at the bar with his drink. Her silky midnight hair swayed seductively by her slender waist as she danced with catlike grace. She seemed so pretty in her smooth twilight-blue dress. Maybe pretty was the wrong word. She was beautiful. Yes, beautiful, maybe even glamorous with her black shoes and silk smooth legs. There was a sense of mystery about her as well. Something he couldn't quite place. Wufei's eyes had been magnetically drawn to her since she'd walked in, laughing prettily, but he hadn't yet seen her made-up face up close. He made up his mind to ask her to dance. After all, there was no reason that he couldn't enjoy himself on holiday.
He moved powerfully onto the dance floor, turning heads as he strode up to her. He was every inch the mysterious, handsome, stranger. He stopped behind her and cautiously tapped her on the shoulder as she turned around. Then he realised with a start who it was. That girl…Suki, wasn't it?
Suki turned to see Wufei standing behind her, obviously surprised to see her. A flicker of a smile began it's way over her shining lips, when someone flung out their arm in laughter and knocked him from behind in his moment of surprise. He fell over clumsily, knocking her down, and landing on top of her.
Wufei hurriedly pushed himself up with his arms, and looked at her again, embarrassed. But before he could stop himself, he began to fall dreamily into those wonderful obsidian eyes. The music seemed to fade around him. He felt that he could see whole shimmering galaxies, suns and moons and stars, glimmering enchantingly in their depths. He shook his head to rid himself of this strange trance he had fallen into and the rhythmic dance beat turned up the volume once more. He hurriedly stood up, shyly offering her a strong hand.
Suki was mesmerised. How had she ever thought he was chauvinistic? His beautiful eyes…realising that he was holding out his hand to help her up, she took it and found herself held securely in a tight grip, and hauled to her feet gently. In the crowded room she found herself standing right up against him, then blushed at the intimacy and stepped away a little. His eyes, though…they had been so deep and amazing. She looked up again and was caught once more, by the mysterious comforting darkness of Wufei's eyes. She barely noticed as he took a small step closer, bringing them back together. She couldn't tear her eyes away from his, any more than he was able to from hers. The air might have sizzled between them.
Girl, get a hold of yourself! Her mind screamed. It's that stupid guy who wouldn't even say your name! But she ignored it. She was in love.
Looking down at her, Wufei forgot about her weakness. He couldn't guess why, but he couldn't turn and leave. Not now. He bent down slightly, almost as if it were an unconscious reaction, and kissed her softly without a word.
Bright fireworks exploded before Suki's startled eyes. He was kissing her! She found herself kissing him back, before she'd even thought about it. Hot seductive sweetness ran from his lips to hers, and she couldn't ignore it if she's wanted to. She relaxed into the kiss with a slight sigh. She blissfully closed her eyes.
Wufei suddenly found control of himself again, and realised what he was doing. Pulling away with a jolt, he saw the confusion on her face and spun around, leaving rapidly, one hand pressed to his forehead.
Suki tried to go after him, but too many people, who had moved out of the gundam pilot's path, got in her way. She'd seen the widened look in his eyes. He was afraid of her. Of her. She smiled bitterly at the irony, before soft tears filled her dark eyes and slid silently down her delicately flushed cheeks.
^^^
Mika was still awake when Suki came home, watching a late night horror movie. Hearing the door slam, he climbed furtively into bed, pulling the covers over and closing his eyes. He watched through cautious slits as Suki came in, undressing as she went. She paused at the full-length mirror looking at the ugly mark across her belly before she started to shake with grief. She glanced once at Mika and then collapsed onto her bed, sobbing quietly, trying to be silent so as not to disturb him. She didn't want him to know she'd been crying, so he left her alone, and closed his eyes until he heard her grow still, and he let himself sleep.
^^^
Suki wandered shakily into the kitchen the next day, bleary eyed and tearstained. Mika said nothing, avoiding the questions she so obviously didn't want to be asked. She sat down and began to eat mechanically, swallowing her least favourite cereal without paying any attention to the over-sweet taste. Last night she had had a brief taste of heaven. But heaven was afraid of her. Why was Wufei afraid? He was so strong; he was a gundam pilot for goodness sake! But he was scared of her. Had she done something wrong? His eyes had kept coming back to her. They were so deep, and dark…like jet. But far more beautiful than any stone.
She knew with a sinking heart that when she went to school she'd be pestered all about the strange guy she'd been seen with. Sighing, she picked up her bag and went out, Mika at her heels, on the way to his school.
"Hey, is it ok if I sleep over at my best friend's house for the weekend?" said Mika.
"Whatever," was the uncaring reply.
He couldn't embarrass his sister further, just by being there. He knew his friend would oblige.
^^^
Suki managed to avoid questions until she got to her English class. Mieke was there, and smirked when she came in, patting the chair next to her. Rolling her eyes, Suki sat down next to her best friend and looked at her pointedly.
"So? Who was that guy?" Mieke asked excitedly. "He left pretty quick, so I didn't get a good look. Is he cute?"
"Mieke…" Suki complained, giving her friend her best puppy dog eyes.
"Come on, you can tell me y'know."
"His name's Wufei."
"And?"
"And I've bumped into him a couple of times."
There was an expectant silence
"That's it? That's all you're going to tell me?!"
"Yes."
"Oh, come on. Please? At least tell me why he left so quick."
"I don't know." There was such a look of abject depression on her face that Mieke almost told her not to carry on. "I wish I knew."
"So? Do you like him?"
"Mieke, he's…amazing."
"Woah, stop there love struck girl! You gotta find him, that's for sure!"
Looking at her friend, Suki smiled, a weak, watery smile that made her classmate more determined. "Thanks, Mieke."
^^^
Wufei sat alone in his room. Why had he even bothered to go over to her? He didn't need anyone, especially not a weak onna like that. She had been so amazingly beautiful in his arms…and that kiss. He kept dwelling on it, unable to boot it from his mind. It invaded his meditation. Unable to concentrate, he had fallen over in his practice, something he hadn't done in a long time. He had to leave Earth. He couldn't risk seeing her again. It would be too damaging for his concentration and his mind. But he'd go on a walk now. Just in the local area. So what if school was just ending? He just wanted some fresh air. Yes.
^^^
He hadn't seen her on his walk. Damn! And he had walked twice up and down outside the school gates. Trying to persuade himself that this was a good thing, he sat down to make an attempt at meditation again. But soft seductive images of Suki kept creeping into his mind, pictures that obstinately refused to budge from his consciousness, making him completely loose his concentration. He got up with a sigh and went for a cold shower.
^^^
Suki had been so downcast all day that Mieke was beginning to think she really was in love with this mysterious guy.
"Look, Suki, if he'll just leave you on the dance floor like that then he's not worth bothering about."
Her concerned friend watched Suki closely, and saw in her eyes an 'are you sure?' look. Her friend's moping around was getting Mieke down as well.
"Look." she said matter-of-factly "Why don't you come out with us again tonight. Dance. Pull some blokes. Forget loser man."
Smiling weakly, Suki agreed slowly. Anything to try and remove his haunting image from her mind. She realised that she'd been looking around unconsciously for his handsome face in the crowd. And what's more she had thought it was him more than once. Tearing herself from the thronged streets, she concentrated on walking fast to pick up Mika.
^^^
Wufei didn't know what he was doing in this club again. It had been here that his problems had started. He was well on his way to getting drunk, trying to blot Suki from his mind. Her eyes, her body, her… NO! he was NOT going to think about that. Anyway, he couldn't possibly want someone so weak so much. It wasn't like she was beautiful, anyway…
~ Liar. She's gorgeous and you know it. ~ His mind kept taunting him. He drowned out the incessant voice with the last of his fifth pint of beer. Muzzily he gazed at the bottom of the glass, remarking to himself the way it distorted everything. He shakily ordered another beer. "Funny" he thought to himself. "With every pint, the voices get louder."
At that moment Suki walked in, concentrating on Mieke's back. She had a red strappy top on. Her brownish hair lay in shiny curls over it. She wouldn't let herself look around to see if he was here. No way. "I'll just see which barman is here tonight". Her eyes wandered, and she saw someone at the bar who made her breath come ragged. It was him, and he was... drinking himself stupid, by the look of things. She frowned.
Mieke looked back and grabbed her arms, following her gaze. "That's him?"
Suki nodded dumbly, not able to reply without the worry of babbling like an idiot.
"Go for it, girl! Go give him a good kicking!"
Propelled by a push from her friend, Suki walked cautiously forward, her long skirt swishing over her legs uncomfortably. It had never worried her before, now it clung to her. She realised she was sweating. There was no confidence in her as she made her slow way over to the bar.
Wufei looked up groggily at the bluish figures coming towards him. Totally drunk now, he couldn't make out which one was real, never mind who it was.
"Are you an angel?" he asked, in a stupid slurred way. It sounded more like a corny chat up line than the bemused compliment he meant it to be
"Yeah, the angel of bloody mercy." Came a familiar voice, and Wufei found himself standing. Just.
"Suki?"
"Yeah, you bum. Why'd you leave me like that last night?" she found herself breaking down, for all her angry bravado. Sitting heavily on one of the barstools, the tears began to spill down her face again, reddening her cheeks slightly as they passed.
Wufei felt ashamed somewhere under the six pints of alcohol that were sloshing about inside him, and tried to hug her. But, maybe luckily for him, his co-ordination was messed up, and he fell on his butt with a groan.
"You're bloody drunk!" Suki cried, angrier even than before. "You're bloody f***king drunk!" she stood up, so full of disappointment and bitterness, she thought she would break down completely. "I bet you were drunk last night, too. I bet you were so pissed up you didn't know what the hell you were doing!"
She flung the insult at him. "After all that, it was just me who felt the Earth move. How could I have been so blind!"
Eyes widening, Wufei looked up at her again. Her anger and sorrow were sobering, and the pain in her eyes was easy to see. He stood up and tried to take her hands. She pulled them back, trembling. He looked into her beautiful red rimmed eyes instead and spoke earnestly.
"I wasn't drunk," he told her quietly, suddenly sober. Even more softly, he added, "And you weren't the only one who felt something special." She could tell he meant it.
She looked at him carefully, trying to understand this complicated person. She saw something she'd never expected in his eyes. His eyes… tearing herself away, she shook her head bitterly, and retorted,
"There's no excuse for leaving me, then. Goodbye, Wufei." She said softly, her voice breaking slightly.
She stormed off towards Mieke, struggling to keep her tears in, the flared sleeves of her dress being used to wipe her eyes clear. She had managed to change all of her sorrow into anger- something that was dangerous when it happened. She had done that before, when their father had left home. He had been having an affair, and Suki had gone to the detestable woman's house and beaten her black and blue... at the age of 8. She still remembered the horrible delight she had felt. This woman has taken my father away from us and now she'll pay. Something inside her had snapped then, and was in the process of doing it now. The resulting anger was more dangerous to her and the people around her than holding a metal rod in your bare fist on a rooftop during a lightning storm. An almost electric tension surrounded her.
She smiled sweetly, almost over sweetly at some of Mieke's friends that she'd brought along, and began to dance with one of them. She didn't know his name, but he was a nice enough guy, and he had the sense to know that this was only a one-time thing. A slow song began, and she rested her head on his shoulder, moving slowly, her arms around his blue-shirted body. Almost too tight in her anger. She would show him!
The song ended, and she pulled Mieke's friend into a vicious, spiteful kiss.
The world stood still for Wufei. He stared at them in astonishment, then a deep green jealousy. She was kissing with someone else! She was actually kissing someone else! How could she hurt him so much? Now he knew the meaning of the word injustice. He tried desperately to reach her, with no plan in his head, except maybe to apologise or to scream at her. But he was stopped by the glares directed at him from her friends, and left once again, his heart dragging on the floor behind him, slightly drunk emotions in turmoil at the scene he'd just walked out of, where he'd made such a vile and hurtful mess of his life. What could he do?