Run Part V

Title: Run Part V
Author: hannah_chapter
Pairing: Belldom
Rating: PG
Summary: AU. LA, 1951. Dominic Howard is an average guy living an average life. Until a blue-eyed stranger jumps into his car and holds him at gunpoint...
Feedback: Yes please.
Disclaimer: I don't own Muse, I just like to have fantasy orgies with them. And David Tennant. And Matt Smith. And Russell Howard. And Nathan Fillion. And Chris Evans. And Brandon Routh.  And almost the entire male cast of True Blood. It's getting crowded in there.


"No."

"Don't be so childish."

"I don't trust you."

"I'm hurt."

"Tough."

"I saved your life."

"You're the reason it was in danger."

"I said I was sorry."

"That was big of you."

We're in a motel room, a cheap motel room. A cheap motel room with only one bed, and that's the problem. I don't want to sleep on the floor and I definitely do not want to share a bed with another man, especially this man. I don't even want to think about the things he might do to me if I let my guard down and climb into bed with him. Matthew takes a deep breath and blows it out.

"It's like this, Dominic. I'm a lot of things, but I'm no rapist. I'm not about to violate you in your sleep, if that's what you're worried about. Even if that was my thing, I'm too damn tired. You've had some bad days and, for what it's worth, I am sorry. But I've had some bad months, hell, I'm having a bad year. I'm exhausted, I need to sleep and I'm going to sleep, in this bed. You can sleep in this bed with me, or on the floor, or swinging from the chandelier. I don't really care."

I think about that for a couple of seconds. "This room doesn't have a chandelier."

He blinks. "I have a gun, you know."

"How could I forget?"

Matthew shakes his head and mutters to himself, something about why didn't he just shoot me and take my car. Then he starts to undress. I stare at him, unable to believe what I'm seeing. He takes a switchblade out of his jacket pocket and puts it on the bedside table, then takes the jacket off. His gun is in a shoulder holster, he didn't have that the other day - or, if he did, I didn't notice. Well, he was shoving a gun in my side and flirting with me. The holster comes off and I see something metallic tucked into the waistband of his pants. I think they might be knuckledusters, I've heard of such things but never seen them up close. They go on the table next to his knife and he pauses in the act of unknotting his tie.

"What? Never seen someone undress before?"

"I can't believe you carry all that stuff around. Do you have something shoved up your ass as well?"

He waggles his eyebrows suggestively. "Was that an offer?"

I ignore the innuendo. "Just what is it you do for a living, Matthew?"

He unbuttons his shirt. "I guess you could say I'm a mechanic."

"A mechanic?"

"Yes. I fix things that need fixing."

Matthew pulls off his shirt and I suck in a breath. His chest is covered in scars, lots of little ones and one big one, just over his heart. He sits on the bed, facing away from me, to take off his shoes and pants and his back is almost as bad, with another big scar to match the one on his chest. He wasn't kidding when he said his life was exciting. Stripped to his underwear, he slips into bed. I stay where I am, weighing up the options. Oh, to hell with it. I undress quickly and get into bed, staying as far away from Matthew as I can. He doesn't try anything, I think he might be asleep already. All the excitement of the last few days catches up with me and I soon join him.

The sound of running water wakes me. Matthew walks out of the bathroom.

"Sleep well?"

I sit up. "Yeah, better than I thought I would."

"Get dressed and we'll get breakfast."

We find a diner just around the corner from the motel. Matthew tells me to order whatever I want, he'll pay. I haven't eaten properly in days, so I get everything they've got and go right to it. I finish my coffee and raise my head to find Matthew staring at me, his own coffee cup forgotten in his hand.

"What?"

"A life of danger seems to agree with you, Dominic. It hasn't affected your appetite, at any rate."

I wipe my mouth with a napkin. "This is the first real meal I've had since my lunch that day."

He drops his eyes and I feel bad for bringing it up again. He's apologised, more than once as a matter of fact, he did try to warn me and he came back for me. He could have let me die and he didn't, so maybe I should stop whining about how he ruined my life. Matthew pays and we get in the car.

"Where are we going?"

"To see an associate of mine, he might be able to help us."

We stop outside a building in an unfamiliar street. Matthew takes the briefcase out of the car and we take the elevator up to the fourth floor. Halfway down the hall he stops. I start to ask what's wrong, but he puts a finger to his lips and points at the door across the hall. The door is open. Matthew takes out his gun and goes inside. I follow him into an office, or what was an office. It's been turned upside down, books and papers are everywhere and all the furniture has been smashed. Wait - not all of it. The desk and chair by the window are intact, which is more than can be said for the man on the desk. Face down, he's got a knife sticking out of his neck. I reach for it, Matthew's voice stops me.

"Don't touch it! Don't touch anything in this room!"

"We can't leave him like this, we have to something."

"Use your eyes, Dominic. We can't do anything for him, not unless you know how to raise the dead, and I have my doubts. What we need to do is get out of here. This could be a trap. Let's get moving."

We're almost at the elevator when the doors open. Matthew smacks me in the chest with the case, stopping me in my tracks.

"Stairs at the other end of the hall. Go!"

We run and I hear someone chasing us but don't dare turn around. Matthew was right, this is a trap. We take the stairs two and three at a time until we reach the ground floor. Out of the building but we're not safe yet. Two men are leaning against our car. Matthew curses, but they haven't seen us yet. We walk away and I follow Matthew as he makes random right and left turns. My head is spinning when we finally stop on a deserted street. Matthew stops at a parked car and hands me the case.

"Hold this and keep an eye out for trouble."

He takes the lockpicks out of his jacket again and slides one into the car's lock.

"What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

"It looks like you're stealing this car."

"Ten out of ten for observation, Dominic. Zero out of ten for stating the obvious."

He gets the door open and opens the passenger door for me. I get in and watch him fiddle with the ignition until the car starts.

"Where to now?"

"Train station. We're going to take a train."

"Now, when you say 'take a train' do you mean we're-"

"I mean we're buying tickets and going on a trip. Smartass."

"A trip to where?"

"It's a surprise. Don't you like surprises?"

"No, I don't. Not your surprises. The way our luck's going, there'll probably be a dead body in our compartment."

"If there is, I'll deal with it."

"Of course you will. How do you get to be so calm about these things?"

"All part of the job."

"The job. And just how did you get into this job? Who are you, Matthew? What's your story?"

"That's a long and involved tale and we really don't have time now. But I might tell you about it. In bed, after a night of love."

"Don't you ever stop?"

"I can't help myself. I told you, I've got a thing for blonds."

"Well, find another blond. You'll never get your hands on me."

"Never say never, Dominic. Something tells me that before all this is over, you'll be begging me to make love to you."

"You overestimate your attractiveness."

"You underestimate yours."

I can't think of an answer to that and he lets the matter drop. Matthew parks the car and we enter the station. A man just inside the main door has a newspaper open in front of his face and my stomach turns over when I see my face on the front page. WANTED FOR MURDER reads the headline. I turn to Matthew.

"Now what?"

"Go stand in that corner, don't look at anyone. I'll be right back."

I do as he says and look down at my shoes. Please, don't let anyone report me.

"Here, put these on."

Matthew's got a hat and a pair of sunglasses in his free hand, I'm guessing he bought them at the newspaper stand.

"This is the best you can do?"

"What else do you want?"

"Something better than this. A real disguise."

"Yeah. Someone wearing a disguise, Dominic, you know what they look like?"

"What?"

"Like a person wearing a disguise. We might be able to do more later, we could dye your hair black, even if it would be a shame to ruin those lovely, blond locks. But for now, this will have to do."

I put the hat and sunglasses on. I feel like an idiot and Matthew's mouth twitches, he's obviously trying not to laugh.

"I look ridiculous, don't I?"

"Better ridiculous than under arrest, or dead. Let's go, I've got the tickets."

I follow him to the platform and onto the train. It starts to move and Matthew relaxes into his seat. But the peace doesn't last, that would be too easy. We've been on the move for about an hour when Matthew straightens up. I follow his gaze and see a shadow pass the door once, twice, three times. He stands and gives me the case again.

"Sit tight, I'll be back in a couple of minutes."

He leaves and I cling to the case, waiting for him to return. I hear the door open and relax my grip. But my relief is short-lived. It's not Matthew: another man is standing in the doorway, pointing a gun at me. Where the hell is Matthew? The man reads my mind.

"Looking for Bellamy? Don't bother. I already took care of him. He can't help you now."