Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Deadly Beautiful ❯ Blue-Eyed Wildcat ( Chapter 9 )

Disclaimer: I do not claim possession of Gundam Wing or any part of it. I'm not making any money from this work. I own nothing. Except for you. Dance for me, slave!

Deadly Beautiful - Chapter 9

by danse

Duo huddled inside his black leather overcoat, staring at his feet as he walked down the street. The sidewalk was dark, but artificially lit every ten feet by the golden splash of light from an overhead street lamp. The pavement was far from clean: round, black patches of discarded gum and grubby cigarette butts littered it from curb to storefront. If he looked up, he saw bums crouched in alleyways on his right and hookers peddling their wares on his left. It was rather discouraging scenery, especially if you were already in a less-than-happy mood.

He reached up compulsively to scratch the back of his neck under his tall coat collar. His braid was tucked down the back of his coat to avoid attention, and his hair itched and tickled him as his braid rubbed against his skin. Just behind him, a woman in a pink micro-dress and thigh-high black boots called out a rather obscene suggestion. He ignored it, because activities like that were the last thing he felt like engaging in tonight.

It had been a week since Duo was dismissed from G's office, and he hadn't heard a single word from his employer since then. He had spent the unanticipated vacation lying around his apartment, sleeping, eating, and watching TV. Finally, this afternoon, he had decided that the place was getting unbearably dirty, but instead of cleaning it, he just got dressed and left. It's cabin fever, he thought. I just need to get out and do something.

Doing something had consisted of going to a tiny café for dinner, and wandering the streets until the early hours, waiting for action to present itself. It was currently 1:25 AM, the wee hours of April 21st. With a sigh, he kicked a cigarette butt in his path. It flew through the air for a few feet, and then rolled across the sidewalk. Why am I here? he thought.

"Hey baby! You look lonely." The voice came from among the line of enterprising young women on his left, and he almost ignored her like the rest, but something about her voice caught at his brain. He stopped and looked up, searching along the line for her. His gaze settled on a girl who looked younger than him, clad in low-riding black leather pants, high-heeled boots, and a clingy pink tank top. Her hair was short and almost black, and her eyes were the colour of the summer sky. A fierce, unnamable spark burned in their depths.

Duo's jaw dropped. "You!" he yelled, pointing at her in disbelief. 'Watch where you're going buddy!' The same voice that he'd just heard calling him echoed older words in his mind. This was the girl who'd stolen his wallet!

Possibly she'd been in situations like this before, and possibly she hadn't, but the girl's eyes went as wide as the full moon above her, and she paled to the same colour. The prostitutes nearby had started to watch the scene with interest, wondering what was going on and how it would play out. The girl looked around frantically for an escape, then suddenly bolted into the street, narrowly missing cars passing by. Duo was after her immediately, but was brought up short by a blue Pontiac that screeched to a stop almost underneath him.

He vaulted the car's hood and kept running while the driver leaned out of the window and yelled at him. Duo ignored him and ran after the girl, who he saw running half a block ahead of him. She was moving quite fast, considering the size of the heels on her boots. He saw her cut into an alley and put on extra speed, careening around the corner and barreling headfirst into the dark, greasy brick tunnel. He followed her past garbage cans and sleeping bums, breathing a little heavily, and saw her cut left on the other side of the alley, turning and running into another one.

He kept close behind her as they ran like that for four blocks. Finally, he saw her screech to a clumsy halt, brought up short by a ten-foot high wooden fence dividing the narrow alley in half. She whipped around, gasping for breath, and watched helplessly and angrily as Duo caught up and skidded to a stop in front of her, lungs still mostly intact.

The girl backed into the corner slowly, knowing that she couldn't run anymore. "What the hell is your problem?" she growled. Her eyes glowed like embers in the glint from a bonfire near the front of the alley.

Duo approached her slowly. "You stole my wallet."

"No, I didn't. I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you did."

"Prove it." Her chin was set defiantly.

"You ran right into me!" He sighed. "I don't think you're in any position to deny anything right now."

"What're you gonna do?" she asked quickly, tauntingly. "Tell on me?"

"I'll call the cops."

"You've got no evidence." He didn't fail to notice that she was edging very slowly sideways, working her way along the dark wall, waiting for her chance to escape.

He decided to pretend he didn't see it. "I'll take you in to the station because you're a prostitute. The last time I checked, selling your body on the street was illegal."

"I'll be out in the morning." Just then, a cat knocked over a garbage can nearby with a loud clang. Duo jumped at the noise, and she used the chance to bolt.

"Just a minute," he snapped, reaching out to grab her wrist faster than she could blink. She squeaked, yanking on her arm and almost falling.

"Let go!" she yelled, tugging on her arm. He hung on persistently, his grip like iron. She wasn't going to get away that easily.

"I said…fucking…let…GO!" She swung around and kicked him in the shin with the point of her boot. He flinched and swore but wouldn't release her. When she saw that her tactic had failed, she fell to attacking him with her free arm, punching and scratching, hissing and spitting like a wildcat. Several of her blows hurt, but he wouldn't admit it. He just stood there stolidly, grabbing at her other arm with his free hand. After three attempts, he caught it.

With both of her arms securely held, there wasn't much more she could do to damage him. Also, she was tired. After struggling a little more, she gave up, sagging outwardly as she sighed. Still, she glared at him.

Duo was unperturbed. "Now, where were we?" he said calmly.

But this girl was smart, or she wouldn't have survived very long on the street. She evaluated the situation quickly and made a last attempt at saving herself. She put on her best doe eyes, and said in a husky, sensual voice, "Okay, okay. I took your wallet. I'm sorry. Is there any way that I can possibly make it up to you…?" She let the question hang in the air, tantalizingly, as she leaned just a little bit closer, shifting her hips ever so slightly.

She smelled like flowery perfume. Her body radiated heat, and something else that made Duo's brain dance around dizzily. She's so…No. He gave himself a mental shake. He was playing right into her hands. That was not good. He pushed her away, without letting go of her, until she was at a comfortable distance again. "I don't think so," he said.

She glared again. "Then what are you doing?" she demanded, her voice wavering just a little.

Her anger and underlying fear burned away all illusions, and he saw her clearly for the first time: her small, undernourished frame; her worn and slightly dirty clothes; the faint trace of a bruise on her cheek, obscured by lots of cheap makeup. He could see the outline of her ribs underneath her shirt when she moved. Her wrists felt frail and weak. "Let me get you something to eat." He was sure he looked a little surprised as he said it; the words had just come out, all by themselves.

If he was surprised, she was shocked. "What?" she said.

"I said, are you hungry?"

She squinted at him, like he was playing a trick on her. "Yes…" she said tentatively.

"Then let's go." Duo turned and, without waiting for an answer, dragged her by the wrist out of the alley. He was pretty sure that there was a diner nearby that he knew, and he needed coffee himself.

Duo watched with amazement as the girl on the other side of the red vinyl booth ripped into her ham sandwich, looking like she hadn't eaten for several days. He sipped his coffee and waited until she stopped for breath. When she did, he spoke.

"What's your name?"

She glanced at him, then at her food. "People call me Cat," she said.

And she was; he had the scratches to prove it. "What's your real name?"

She gave him a don't-go-there look. He glared right back. He was already sick of her evasiveness. Finally, she broke the glare and sighed. "Hilde," she muttered.

He raised an eyebrow as a shrug. "Pleased to make your acquaintance. I'm Duo. But you probably know my name, since you were the last person who saw my driver's license."

She threw down her sandwich in disgust. "I didn't steal your damn wallet!" she said loudly, attracting a stare from the waitress.

"Yeah, you did. You ran into me on the street a week ago and lifted it." Duo pulled his braid out of the back of his coat and shook it. "Do you recognize this?" he asked.

When she heard his reply and saw his hair, her eyes widened a fraction, but then she ducked her head. "Do you know how many of those performances I do every day?" she mumbled.

"So you do remember. Where's my wallet?"

She fidgeted. He glared; he wanted to know if she still had it, or if she'd sold it. As a man with a shady profession himself, the last thing he felt he needed was someone else masquerading as him. Then she exhaled, long and slowly, and spoke. "I took it and a bunch of others that I'd picked up, and went through them in an alley. All I took was the cash, I swear. Then I threw them all in a dumpster."

He flopped back in his chair, tiredly. At least no one had his ID. He'd have to get a new driver's license, or get one from G's office. He'd already cancelled his bankcard. There hadn't been much else in his wallet, really. Right now, he was spending the emergency cash he'd had hidden in his sock drawer. He could start again; it was just annoying. Anything bearing his real identity that disappeared was a security breach, but his life was probably still safe, for now. If only he knew for sure that he still had a job…

"Do you want anything else?" he asked. She was on her second sandwich and her third orange juice. She swallowed her mouthful and shook her head. "No, thanks."

He called to the waitress for the bill and watched Hilde polish off her food. When she was done, she sat with her fingers laced together on the table in front of her and studied him, as if trying to engrave his face into her memory, or searching for something to say before she left.

"Do you have a place to sleep?" he asked.

"I was staying with a friend...." She trailed off.

"Is it warm?"

She blushed, a surprising thing to see. "Not anymore. We couldn't pay the bills this month. We couldn't afford to pay the rent, either, so we both might be out again soon." She picked at a nail anxiously.

"I have a couch for you to sleep on, if you want. My place has heat, too, and there's nothing else there worth stealing."

She stared at him in surprise again, not angry this time, just curious. "What's your deal?" she asked.

"I'm sorry?"

"Why are you being so nice to me? I stole your wallet, I've never done anything good for you…"

Duo held up a hand to cut her off. "I just felt like doing a good deed," he said honestly. "I don't know why I did it…it just seemed like the right thing to do." He looked at her, grinning a bit. "Well…?"

She bit her lip. "I just feel so guilty, taking advantage of you."

"I'll tell you how you can pay me back. Get on your feet, get a job, and quit stealing from people." The waitress brought the bill, and he paid it, and then stood up. He looked back at Hilde and offered her a hand. After another moment of deliberation, she took it and got up, smiling hesitantly. "All right," he said, leading her out the door. "Let's go."

As the two teens walked side-by-side down the street to Duo's apartment, he noticed that she seemed to feel a little uncomfortable in her clothes. She had her arms crossed over the somewhat revealing neckline of her shirt, and she didn't seem to like the stares she was getting from the men they passed. He'd never noticed that earlier; she'd acted like those clothes were a second skin before.

Eventually, he stopped and took off his coat, draping it over her shoulders. He was wearing a black, long-sleeved shirt underneath it, as well as faded jeans. She gave him a grateful look as she wrapped it around herself. "It's a little cold," she said, blushing.

He had to restrain the urge to give her a comforting hug. "Yeah, the breeze is kinda chilly," he agreed.

She stared up at the brown brick wall of his building as he stopped to unlock the door and let them in the lobby. The building was quiet as they marched up the stairs to his floor. He stopped again in front of the brown door marked '5B,' and turned the key in the lock with practiced quiet. "Home sweet home," he said softly as he opened the door and turned on the light.

He watched as Hilde walked inside, still clutching his coat closed. She stopped and stood in the middle of the front entrance, staring at the open living room before her. There was an empty pizza box and half of a six-pack of coke on the coffee table, and a rumpled blanket lay in a heap on the couch where he'd left it. Duo glared at a dirty sock a few feet away from him, and swooped down to pick it up. "It's a little messy," he said with embarrassment.

"It's warm and dry," she countered. Slowly, she shrugged off the jacket and hung it on the coat rack by the door, and then sat right down on the floor to unzip and yank off her boots. "Ouch," she said as she held the last one in her hands and wiggled her toes painfully. Her socks were pink. "They're a little small, and not built for running." She smiled crookedly, as she placed the boots side-by-side on the floor. "Urrgh." She groaned and stood up slowly. "I'm so tired." Right after saying that, she had to stifle a yawn.

Duo glanced at the clock on the VCR. "It's 2:30," he said. "I'll go get some blankets. You can take a shower if you want. The bathroom's over here…" He pointed at it on his way to the closet.

He heard the shower turn on as he walked back into the living room with sheets and a pillow. After cleaning up the room a bit, he made up a bed on the couch, hoping she wouldn't mind too much that there was a poky spring under the middle cushion.

The shower turned off, and less than two minutes later he heard a muffled "Duo…" coming from the bathroom.

He walked over to the closed bathroom door. "What is it?" he called.

"All I have is these clothes," she said through the door.

"What…oh." Her clothes were dirty, and not really the kind of thing that was comfortable to wear to bed. "Just a minute," he said, and went into his bedroom. He found a clean white t-shirt, and knocked on the bathroom door. Opening it a crack, he put the shirt on the counter and shut the door again.

"Thank you," she said.

Shortly, she emerged, carrying her clothes and wearing Duo's t-shirt over her underwear. It came down almost to her knees. She smiled at him.

"Your bed's ready on the couch," he said. "There's food in the fridge, if you're up before I am in the morning. Help yourself."

She nodded. "I really appreciate…everything."

"It's no problem," he insisted. He watched her silently as she walked down the short hallway to the living room, and decided that she wasn't any older than he was, despite her maturity. He could only imagine what she'd been through.

A yawn crept its way out of his mouth, and he decided that it might be his bedtime, too.