Tinfoil

Yes it has been awhile since I updated. But here it is! I’m still working on my other stories as well, in between playing with my D&D starved hubby(poor baby) so NO I have not abandoned my fics and will continue to update ALL OF THEM as the fairy muse of smutdom flutters about my head. Giggling manically a the while. Enjoy, let me know what you think!!

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Duo wondered idly why he was warm while he was sleeping in the bed when he always felt so cold all the time. He shifted restlessly under the blankets that covered him to the hips and realized that he was naked. *Naked in bed…not good…and warm* he thought. He always slept fully clothed. Always. It was a matter of principal. And he normally slept with the covers pulled over his head, barring that at least up to his shoulders. He stretched checking his body for injuries. He felt fine really, no extra bruises, no broken bones. What was more he felt almost rested and he didn’t remember having any nightmares. He yawned widely and finally managed to crack his eyes open blearily with a groan of protest.
*Wufei called me beautiful…* he thought without meaning to.
He had a sense of something being not quiet right off to the left side so he turned his head slowly and was surprised to meet stunning green eyes gazing at him. He blinked in surprise as his eyes focused fully on the person looking at him.

“Do you always shower with a handgun?” Came the soft-spoken whisper. Duo blinked again.

*Why is Trowa so close to me?* he wondered not making a connection. In his mind’s eye he could see Trowa kneeling on the floor and staring at him. But the angle wasn’t right and he really did feel warm. “Shit!” he swore croakily and hurriedly tried to scoot away from Trowa’s lanky form. Only to slide heavily into someone else making them grunt in irritation. He turned to his right as Heero rolled over to face him and yawned. “Fuck.” Duo swore without conviction.

“Quatre and Wufei went to get all of us breakfast and then we plan on leaving.” Heero told him evenly as he ruffled his mocha-colored hair into place. “Unless you have something else you need to do here.” Duo shook his head in shocked silence.

“Usually a knife.” Duo said running on autopilot as turned back to Trowa. “A big one.”

“Why?” He asked as he laid his head in his hand while propping his elbow against the bed.

*We’ve been fighting in a war and he asks me why…*
“Better paranoid than right.” He spouted cheekily, trying to be the joker he always was. He failed miserably. It was impossible to have a sense of humor about anything as he felt the two bodies on either side of him shift. Trowa shrugged his thoughtful agreement.
*Holy fucking Christ…I don’t know if I can take this…* They were acting as if the three of them always woke up in the same bed together. Like sleeping next to a naked Duo was the norm. Speaking of which he badly wanted to pull the covers up over his naked chest and push the two of them to the floor. Or run headlong for the bathroom where his clothes were stashed. That left the problem of him crossing the room naked and since neither one of them had looked at him from the neck down yet he didn’t want to draw attention to himself. So he lay there tense and uncomfortable and uncertain what to do, but totally wanting last night to never have happened.
*Gods with this much regret you’d think we’d slept together.* he joked to himself and held back a sigh. *I wonder if I could push them both to the floor and make it to the bathroom.* he thought after a moment, weighing his options. He went over other scenarios of escape in his mind. So he jumped in surprised when a gentle finger brushed lightly against his side and drew a line up to his shoulder.

“What happened?” Heero asked softly as he looked at Duo with compassion in his eyes. Duo glanced down to where his flesh shivered under Heero’s touch. Duo recognized the puckered scar that Heero’s hand rested near. He chose to answer the implied question he wanted, rather than the one that was actually being asked. He didn’t want to go over his life just yet. He remembered what had made that scar and told them.

“Knife.” He answered simply. Heero and Trowa both caught on right away. Trowa’s hand slid gently over his hip.

“This?” Questioned the green-eyed boy.

“Mirror.” Duo breathed and he felt more than saw Trowa’s eyebrow rise in slight disbelief. He couldn’t quite bring himself to focus on either of them entirely. He closed his eyes tightly as they examined his body. Heero’s hand slid smoothly over a scar on his ribs. “Whip.” He whispered before the other boy could ask. They continued touching him gently and he ground out single word responses while trying to stay calm and remind himself that they were his friends and they wouldn’t harm him. Focusing on keeping his breathing steady and not panicking, although he couldn’t keep from flinching each time their fingertips brushed his skin lightly or keep from growing more tense with each passing moment. He couldn’t quite identify who’s hand was whose as fingers slid slowly down his body and stopped at his hipline to brush along a scar marring his lower stomach.

*It’s not very big whatever caused it.* thought Heero to himself as he ran a gentle fingertip over the paler skin of the scar on Duo stomach. They two of them noted the way Duo froze at the touch. Heero’s gaze flicked up to the braid boy uncertainly. His eyes had snapped open; he now stared at the ceiling wide-eyed as he shivered violently.

“Duo?” Trowa asked softly in concern as Heero pulled his hand back slowly. Duo vaulted from the bed suddenly and ran into the bathroom and slammed the door. Heero and Trowa jumped up to follow immediately but paused at the door as they heard the sounds of retching from within the room. They looked at each other for reassurance then opened the door to help in whatever way they could. Duo knelt next to the toilet puking into the porcelain bowl, his body wracked by violent spasms as he emptied the little bit of protein bar he’d eaten the day before from his protecting stomach. Trowa quickly pulled Duo’s still loose hair back from the danger zone and began to rub soothing circles over his back while Heero got a glass of water and some wet washcloths ready for use. Trowa began to get concerned when Duo had emptied his stomach but continued to sob and dry heave violently for minutes afterwards.

“Duo sweetie you’ve gotta calm down.” Trowa told him soothingly. “Calm down now, calm down.” Slowly he began to settle and he stopped trying to be ill every few breaths. Duo tried to stand suddenly but his legs gave out almost immediately and Trowa wrapped his arms around the other’s waist to keep him upright.

“Shower.” He muttered hoarsely. Trowa and Heero helped him into the shower carefully and Trowa began pealing off his clothes. “No!” Duo protested adamantly. He couldn’t handle either of them being naked around him while he was naked as well. “I’m fine.” He stated in a more normal voice and stood on his own leaning lightly against the wall. “I just need a few moments. Please.” The two of them nodded in silence and left the room. Duo turned the hot water on and lathered a washcloth with the cheap soap provided and rubbed until his skin turned pink from the heat and abuse and then shaded to red and finally became raw in places.
He turned the cold water all the way on and turned the hot off and stood in the frigid spray as he quickly began to shiver. He finally turned the shower off, not wanting to be barged in on again and still not feeling clean enough.
*I’ll never be clean enough…* He shuddered as he dried himself off and slipped into his pants. They were too big for him again. It always seemed like he was having to find smaller and smaller sized clothes. He just kept losing weight. He hands shook as he pulled his shirt on over his head. He gave a brief thought to how long it would be before he died, then dashed it away with a shake of his head. He quickly rebraided his hair, his fingers a flurry of movement. He looked at his reflection in the mirror, disgusted by what he saw. His sweet, cherub face and his stormy violet eyes seethed with unvoiced emotion. The pale column of his throat contracted as he swallowed dryly. *I’d keep me if I were G. It’s just good business on his part. I can do just about anything, any assassination mission, any brutal killing, any mechanical job, any computer hacking, anything…* he shuddered as he contemplated what ‘anything’ meant. But above it all he didn’t look sick, not as sick as he felt or as sick as he probably was. Death came to his thoughts again.
*We all die. Some of use sooner than others. I’m a…I was a Gundam pilot. I remain Shinigami, as always.*
“I do not fear death.” He whispered aloud. *I will miss the good times I’ve had though. Few though they may be, I cherish them.* he thought to himself as he took a final deep breath of the steam filling room willing it to somehow cleanse him and make him whole. *Never clean…* his mind supplied as he pulled the door open with a half-hearted, tired smile on his face. He was the master of all jokers. He knew that if he walked out with a huge, bright grin on they’d all know he was faking. They’d know how close he was to breaking down completely. So to make them think he was going to be okay he let a little of his hurt show, so they’d never fully see. Yes, he was the king of all jokers. He had to be.

“Are you alright?” Quatre asked in concern as they all turned to look at him.

*Show time.* he thought silently.
“Yeah, I’m fine.” He told them sounding tired, but like he really was okay.

“Come eat something.” Wufei prompted and Duo did as he was told and crossed the room silently to sit upon one of the beds cross-legged. Wufei moved towards him with a disposable paper bowl in one hand and a plastic spoon in the other. He stopped before Duo, looking down at him.

“I need to stretch my legs. We’re going for a walk.” Trowa stated as he and Quatre left. Quatre waved a little in goodbye.

“I’ll pack the car.” Heero told them and left as well. Duo watched them go and wasn’t fooled for a moment. That left just him and Wufei who still stood above him. Duo had avoided his eyes until now and he still wanted to, but knew he couldn’t. He looked up blankly into the dark eyes above him.

“Duo? Are you really okay?” He asked carefully. Duo started to reply with a smart-aleck comment, but he stopped himself when he saw that Wufei was being totally serious. He felt his mask slipping.

*Why has it gotten so hard to keep up my faces with Wufei around?* He wondered. He wanted to tell Wufei how he really felt, just lay everything out and cry until he was empty of the hurt inside him. A few tears trickled down his cheeks as he closed his eyes. Duo felt Wufei’s warmth lean towards him and he started to move backwards.

“Don’t.” Wufei whispered and held him closer. “Don’t pull away.” Duo let himself rest lightly against the Chinese boy’s waist. “I…” he started to say but stopped short. “I’m not trying to sleep with you.” he said softly. Of all the things he could have said, that was not something Duo was expecting.

“What?” he asked in a confused voice.

“I’m not trying to get into bed with you.” Wufei stated as if that should make everything understood. “I guess I have been staring at you lately, but I haven’t meant to.”

Suddenly Duo remembered what he’d said when they first came to the hotel and how Wufei had changed towards him. “Then what are you doing?” Duo asked skeptically and folded his arms across his chest.

“I…” Wufei blushed and Duo figured he was trying to make something up quickly. “I’ve been trying to figure you out. There’s more to you then you let on and I realized that none of us know you. I just wanted to get to know you a little better.” Wufei said shyly.

Duo’s mind screamed ‘Danger!’ Wufei was talking about breaching his defenses, breaking through his masks. They were there to protect him and he’d be damned if he just let someone passed them.
“You called me beautiful.” Duo spouted without meaning to. He just stopped short of clapping his hands over his mouth. He bit his thumbnail instead. *That’s not what I wanted to say.* he growled to himself. Wufei burned suddenly as his face blushed crimson at the memory. “Why?” Duo asked him as he worried the flesh of his fingertip with his teeth.

“I didn’t want you to think we hated you.” Wufei told him. Duo was okay with that answer. “And I do think you’re beautiful.” Wufei finished in a serious whisper. Duo wasn’t okay with that, he barked a bitter, biting laugh.

“Have…have you lost your mind?” he grated around his laugh. “Did you even see me?! Were your eyes closed?” Duo rasped out bitterly.

“Duo I…” Wufei started to say.

“Don’t! Don’t even!” Duo held up his hand to silence the other boy. “I don’t want to hear it.” he told him. He couldn’t handle someone he trusted feeding him the same lies he’d always heard from everyone who’d ever touched him.

“There’s more if you want it.” Wufei said and handed him the bowl and spoon. He didn’t try to press Duo into talking, he didn’t look upset. He just let it go, which was very un-Wufei like. Duo looked at the bowl in his hands. It held what looked like canned fruit and a large dollop of plain yogurt. Hunger hit Duo suddenly and he looked up to Wufei who stared at him. Duo worked a piece of what he thought was a peach onto his spoon and a swipe of yogurt as well. He worked the food around in his mouth a moment, eyes closed in bliss as he held back a moan of rapture. He’d never tasted anything so wonderful in all his life. It had been months since he had real fruit. Even from a can and the yogurt was a wonderful touch. It fit very nicely and Duo hurriedly spooned another bit into his mouth. He barely registered when Wufei left the immediate vicinity he was almost totally focused on his food. Duo scrapped the bottom of the paper bowl repeatedly, trying to get every last bit of nourishment he could. He was about to throw the spoon down and lick the bowl when a hand reached for it and Duo snatched it away, practically snapping like a wild animal at the hand. A second hand held out another bowl of fruit and Duo pounced on it, the empty bowl forgotten. Halfway through the second bowl reason came back to him and he realized that he’d been bolting his food like the street rat he was. He wiped the back of his hand across his mouth and forced himself to slow down. He looked up to Wufei as he finished his second bowl of fruit and yogurt. The dark-haired youth reached again to take the now empty bowl and replaced it with another. Duo consumed it much more slowly, taking time to savor the flavor of what he was eating.

“When was the last day you ate?” Wufei asked softly. Duo swallowed the food in his mouth and looked at the other former pilot a moment.

“A week and a half ago.” He admitted truthfully.

“Why?” Wufei asked. “And none of that ‘old habits’ bullshit! Why are you starving yourself.” He demanded.

“I ran out of money.” Duo explained haltingly. Wufei just looked at him questioningly. “I ran out of money for this month.”

“Okay we can’t really do things like this now, but we were at war until less than two days ago. Why didn’t you just steal what you needed from someone’s online back account?” Wufei decided not to give voice to the fact that they’d stolen a car to get where they were or that Heero was procuring another one.

“I couldn’t and I can only pick so many pockets and rob so many grocery stores.” Duo admitted almost in spite of himself.

“I don’t understand.” Wufei told him confused.

“I can’t steal from online accounts because he tracks my activities and it would look strange to ask to use Heero’s laptop, which he guards like a junk-yard dog.” Wufei just continued to gape at him in disbelieving confusion. Duo heaved a sigh. “G only gives me fifty dollars a month to spend and I had to buy more bullets this month.”

“So why didn’t you ask one of us for some credits or food or hell bullets!! It’s not like we don’t have enough to go around!” Wufei demanded.

“Because I can’t pay you back!” Duo shouted at him. “I don’t have anyway to pay you for it!!”

“We wouldn’t have let you starve!” Wufei shouted back.

“Nothing is free!” Duo cried out brokenly.

“You don’t have to pay your friends!” he yelled. “But you didn’t really consider us to be your friends did you? You probably still don’t.” Wufei said dejectedly as he sank heavily into a chair. He realized that Duo really did think they’d keep track of every single bullet and bite of food and expect him to pay them back. He rubbed his eyes tiredly even though the day had just begun. “Finish eating Duo.” Wufei whispered with a weary sigh.

As the braided boy finished his meal, Wufei came to a decision. “I need something from you.” Wufei told him, knowing how it would sound. He could almost hear the other’s bitter thoughts. ‘Friends don’t have to pay friends for stuff, yeah right.’
“If you need or want anything you’ll tell us.” Wufei prompted and Duo looked shocked a moment before he hid it behind a mask of disinterest. “I’m serious clothes, food, stuff. You tell us and we’ll get it. No worries about payment or any of that bullshit. I want you to promise me.”

“Okay.” Duo said evenly.

“Promise me.” Wufei told him.

“I promise.” Duo responded.

“Promise!” Wufei demanded.

“I said alright!” Duo told him sounding angry.

“That’s three times you promised.” Wufei told him seriously pointing at him and left the room carrying the last of the bags.[9] Duo rose and left the room as well, clutching the ends of his long sleeved shirt in his hands as he tried to keep the desperate, fearfulness he felt off his face.

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“We’re going to get arrested.” He heard Quatre moan as he and Wufei approached.

“No we won’t.” Heero said calmly as he gazed around the hotel and restaurant that shared a parking lot looking for a car.

“This will be the second car we’ve stolen and we haven’t paid our hotel bill.” Quatre hissed in response. Duo laughed a little.

“Quatre you’re too caught up in the fact that you can kill as easily as breathing, blow up buildings, and pilot a fifty-three foot Mobile Suit with no trouble at all.” Duo said laughingly as he grasped Quatre’s hand and pulled him over to a station wagon. He pointed to his see-through reflection in the window. “You forget that when people look at you they don’t see all of what you are. They see only a sweet, kind teenage boy. We’re sixteen and seventeen year olds.” He said in assurance. “They won’t put us in jail. They’d put most of us in homes and orphanages since the good doctors don’t seem to want us anymore.” Duo stated softly. *Please let me get sent to a home, please, please, please.” He pleaded silently. He forced his fingers to stop digging into Quatre’s arm and tried to steady the trembling that suddenly took him. He ran his fingers carefully through his braided-hair. “That’s why we were all perfect for the war. Who would suspect a bunch of kids?” He commented as he began to pick the car’s lock.[10] He slipped into the driver’s seat and pulled the lever to pop the hood. Quatre piled into the back seat of the vehicle, while Trowa and Wufei placed their bangs in the hatchback trunk area. Heero moved to the front and in just a few moments had the car roaring to life.[10cont.] The rest of them piled into the car and Duo kicked it into gear and drove casually out of the parking lot.
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[9] Based on a scene from the movie ‘Fight Club’, which I don’t own and make no $, £, or ¥ off of. Tyler is Wufei and ‘Jack’ is Duo. Great Movie!

[10] Okay, just to see how this really works, I did research on lock picking “Thanks Wikiapedia!!” and let me tell you that shit is not as easy as it sounds! I tried to pick the lock to my house for like twenty minutes and couldn’t do it. My knees fell asleep. Next time I’m taking a pillow. I could get two of the three pins up and then couldn’t get the third to stick, even though I could see it wiggling! I suppose that the fact that I was using a tent stake as the tension wrench and a bent paper clip as the picklock didn’t really help much but oh well!
[10cont.] I also went to see if I could hotwire my van, no go. I can’t see the solenoid they’re talking about. I have a Ford and it’s supposed to be on the passenger-side fender well. I can’t find the damn thing. So props go to our G-boys who can do all this and so much more!