Tinfoil

~~Reflections~~

“Duo? What the hell happened?” Quatre asked softly as he stared at the other boy. Duo’s gaze turned to him in confusion at the normally mellow blonde’s cursing, as all of them stared at Duo’s pale form. He felt their gaze travel over his body silently and he paled. He swallowed dryly. He wanted to turn around and lock the door to the bathroom and never come out again. But he couldn’t seem to make his body move. He seemed to wilt as he sank slowly to the ground. His knees hugged close together, legs splayed to either side of him, arms wrapped tightly around himself, dampened hair covering his chest and legs as he tried to hide his body from view. He felt someone move toward him, more than heard, as he couldn’t even hear his breathing over the pounding of his heart. He scrambled backwards wildly, eyes clenched tight as if not looking could make the situation not real, hidden by his ragged bangs. His back quickly met the wall and he struggled to stand, to lock himself in the bathroom and give himself time to recover. Or just climb out the window and never come back. He made it to his feet shakily and started to take a staggering step forward, but was pressed gently against the wall, in a manor that screamed ‘don’t move’. He hunched in on himself as he felt gentle hands gather his long hair over the shoulder facing away from the rest of the room, exposing more of his flesh to the others. He wanted to push those hands away so badly, but he knew he couldn’t. His training wouldn’t let him. His entire body shook as one hand ran over his shoulder and down his arm slowly. A gentle kiss was laid next to his ear and he gave a small moan of fearful protest.

“Beautiful.” That single word was breathed softly to him and his eyes snapped up in surprise and disbelief. Violet met raven in a clash of emotion as glistening tears trickled down his countenance. He felt himself pulled forward but it didn’t really matter, he couldn’t seem to look away from those dark eyes. From the acceptance and tenderness they held. It seemed he was hypnotized as he barely registered that he was now sitting on a bed while tears continued to run down his face. He jumped in shock as a warm hand rested on his back and rubbed over his skin slowly. Another lifted one of his arms upward and gentle lips placed small kisses over his upturned wrist. Someone else began to untangle his hair soothingly. He slowly began to lose sight of the kindness in the dark eyes as he was overwhelmed by the sensory input. There were too many hands touching. He began to tremble violently.

“Duo we’re not going to hurt you.”
Duo looked to the one who’d spoke, Quatre peered up at him from where he’d been laying kisses over his arm.

//“Come on Duo we’re almost there!” Quatre encouraged softly. Duo clutched his side tightly stemming the stream of blood that poured from a bullet wound. “Come on Duo!!” Quatre hissed and shook Duo slightly to wake him. He practically carried the braid boy he clasped tightly against his body, one hand gripping Duo’s arm thrown over his shoulders, the other wrapped round his waist as he dragged his friend through alleyways and back streets, fleeing the city that wanted they’re blood. “Come on Duo don’t die on me!!” Quatre cried out softly as he once more slipped into unconsciousness and the blond shook him awake. “We’re almost to the city limits!” They slipped out of the city and were picked up by the Maganac Corp. waiting nearby.//

“It’ll be okay we’ll help you.”
Trowa hugged him tighter around the chest and pressed firmly against his back.

//“Now you’ll walk the plank!!” silence met the soldier’s words.

“That was lame.” Another stated after a moment.

“Well they are!” the first defended himself.

“Screw it! Toss’em overboard!” A third chimed and they all moved to push the two boys over the side. Duo look to his left where Trowa stood calmly, hands tied, just like Duo. Face blank, not so like Duo.

“I can’t swim!” Duo confessed in a panic right before the men pushed them over. Trowa’s eyebrows shot up in surprise and worry as they tumbled backwards.

Water pressed down on Duo in an ever-increasing blackness. The entire expanse of blue sky and sunlight seemed to be just a spot of brightness that was growing smaller and smaller as he sank into the ocean. A dark shape moved through the water toward him and suddenly it was right in front of him. Hands grabbed him and pulled him upwards, back toward sky and sun and air. They broke the surface with huge simultaneous, gasping breaths and Duo sputtered and flailed wildly in panic.

“Duo! Duo!! Be still, you’re not going to drown!” Trowa yelled loudly and he calmed down a little. “I’m not going to let you drown.” He promised.

“Shit! Fuck! Bitch! Cunt! Ball-licker! Mother! Ass! Cock! Goddamn!!!” Duo yelled loudly once he got his breath back, practically sobbing. “Fuck man!! Just…just…fuck man!!”

“Duo calm down.” Trowa soothed as he cut the other boy’s hands free from the ropes that had tied them behind his back. Duo latched tightly onto the arm Trowa had wrapped around his body. “Duo I’m going to teach you how to float okay?” Duo nodded and Trowa tried to let him go.

“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Trowa man don’t let me go!!” Duo demanded fearfully, still latched on.

“Duo it’s easy trust me.” Trowa said soothingly and Duo let go slowly.//

“Its alright.”
Wufei laid the long tresses of hair flat against Duo’s shivering skin.

//*Oh fuck! What the hell happened!* Duo wondered hazily. *Why the Hell am I up-side-down? Wufei hit the windshield…why?* Duo tried to piece together what had happened. He remembered Wufei slamming into the windshield and then….*The truck’s flipped over!* Duo realized. *Wufei!* Duo pried his eyes open and turned to look around the pickup truck they’d stolen. Wufei was gone, as was the windshield and Wufei’s door.

“Wufei!” he croaked hoping to get an answer. There wasn’t one. Duo moved to undo the seatbelt that held him and quickly realized that his arm was broken and that he was stuck. His head hurt badly and he just wanted to go to sleep, he tried not to but he felt his eyes closing slowly. They snapped back open suddenly. There before him was a puddle that smelled strongly of gas, growing ever large and heading straight toward a small flame. His eye grew wide in alarm. “Shit!” He swore and tried to undo his seatbelt again. *I’d die from a head wound no prob, but I’ll be damned if I let myself burn to death!* he thought in panic. *This is just like a fucking movie!* He thought in disbelief as the gasoline puddle grew slowly. He could smell the automobile burning around him, hear the flames. A black sneaker stomped down on the flame suddenly and Wufei knelt to look into the vehicle.

“Need help?” he asked simply. Duo choked back a sob and nodded in silence. Up side down Wufei’s eyebrows drew down in worry as he worked his way into the truck’s cab. He flipped open a knife and sliced the restraints carefully. Duo sank from the seat to the ceiling with a loud thump and a cry of pain as his arm was jarred. Wufei pulled him from the wreckage and Duo looked back and shivered. The entire thing was in flames; it was a wonder it hadn’t exploded yet. They flagged down a passing car, which they stole.

Duo huddled against he door in the passenger’s seat of the Escort they’d stolen. He hadn’t said a word since the crash.

“You alright?” Wufei asked in worry as they drove to the safehouse.

“Promise me something. Promise me on your honor.” Duo whispered softly.

“What?” Wufei asked after a few moments.

“Promise me you’ll kill me rather than let me burn to death.” His voice wavered. “If you can’t get me out, just kill me.”

“I promise.” Wufei vowed after a long pause.

“Thanks Wufei.” He whispered and fell asleep.//

Heero silently stroked his knee in comfort.

//“Almost done Heero!” Duo called over the intercom that connected his spacesuit to the inside of the Wing Zero’s cockpit. “How you doin’ in there buddy?” he asked worriedly.

“Alright. They’re serving tea soon.” He responded and Duo froze a moment in concern. Then he laughed heartily.

“Damn Yuy, this is not the time to develop a sense of humor, I thought you were totally out of it.” Duo told him. Duo’s shoulders shook with silent mirth as he continued to adjust the thrusters that had been damaged in their last battle as they fought their way off of one of Oz’s many moon bases.

“Move up now!” Heero shouted into the com unit suddenly and Duo gathered his legs under himself and pushed upwards. He didn’t ask why, it just needed to be done. “Debris!” Heero rasped loudly and Duo curled into a tight ball as he gripped Wing’s hull tightly. A shower of debris crashed over him. The largest was only as big as a golf ball, but it was a golf ball that almost certainly had frozen crystals of…something in it. Ice is sharp, sharp enough to cut skin or flesh or bone if traveling fast enough. Sharp enough to slice through the thin material that made the spacesuit, sharp enough to let out the heat and air that kept Duo alive.

“Duo!” Heero called out as the wave passed. “Duo?!” he called again tensely when he didn’t answer.

“Hit…” He breathed over the open channel.

“Duo.” Heero breathed a short sigh of relief. “Go down Duo. Go to the front of Wing’s leg!”

“C…cold…” he stuttered.

“Go down Duo!” Heero demanded and Duo started to move. His fingers and toes were too stiff to move properly, his breath came in short pained gasps as the heat was leached from his suit along with his air. He could feel the killing cold seeping up through his arms and legs, moving towards his core as drawing air became harder and harder to do. He stopped feeling anything and took a final huge breath of icy cold air. He held it easily his body telling him he didn’t really need air because his blood would soon be ice, he should just go to sleep. He barely registered when he felt himself dragged along, he saw that he was moving, but couldn’t feel it.

The next thing he remembered was Heero’s lips pressed against his, breathing warm air into his frozen lungs.

“Duo shiver already! Fucking shiver!” [8]Heero demanded and began to suck on the other’s fingers. Duo sucked in a shallow gasping breath and suddenly screamed raggedly. Everything hurt! Gods he was so cold it hurt like fire, like a thousand needles of pain! Heero held him close to the searing heat of his body and Duo began to shiver violently. Heero gave a happy chuckle and rocked him back and forth as his temperature slowly returned to normal and his pain receded.//

*They’ll always have my back if I’m in trouble and I’m in deep shit!* Duo thought to himself with a shiver. The four of them piled into the bed, huddled around Duo tightly. *I don’t know if they’ll like me still, not after they find out…*
~Then again we were sure they’d leave when the found out we were giving info to Oz.~ he argued. Warm skin brushed against his shivering body as he began to cry. *I want them to like me, I want to have friends…* Duo curled himself into a tight ball and pretend, just for a moment that they wouldn’t hate him when they found out.

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[8] In the final stages of hypothermia you no longer shiver and don’t feel cold anymore, just really sleepy and achy. Sucking on the extreme parts of the body, such as the fingers and toes will keep them from becoming frostbitten, which can lead to gangrene, possible amputation, or death if not amputated when needed.

~~~~~~~~~~~TBC~~~~~~~~~~~