Title: Trading Faces
Rating: PG-13, just because I feel like it.
Warnings: Profanity, violence, eventual 1x2 pairing, etc.
Disclaimer: Nope, they aren't mine. But I like to pretend that they are. Guess I'll have to settle for owning this story (not a fair consolation if you ask me…)
A/N: Wow, I guess the last chapter wasn't so bad after all, huh? I had my qualms about it, but … yay, people seemed to like it! Thanks to: Clairol (my story is on your fave list? *grin* I'm flattered!) Naomi (I'm glad you think that the story is interesting – yes, the Duo/Heero thing is a funny picture!) Natasha (I would tell you that 'bestest' is not a word, but I'm too flattered! Thanks!) Shellie (C'mon, deep breaths, you aren't gonna die … hehehe) and Elle-FaTe2x1 (Thanks for reviewing so faithfully, glad you like!) for their reviews of last chapter.
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By the time Duo came downstairs Wufei and Trowa were no where in sight; Duo assumed they had already left to get on with their day. Quatre was at the sink, his hands plunged deep in the soapy water as he hummed quietly to himself, and Heero was at the table staring at his plate. As soon as he entered the room violet eyes lifted to meet his, and Duo quirked an eyebrow.
Everything okay? the gesture asked.
Heero gave a slight nod, tilted his head toward Quatre slightly, and then looked down at the heaping breakfast in front of him. Duo had the sudden urge to snicker. It was definitely a Duo-sized meal, and Heero looked lost. He stepped into the room, intending to motion his amusement to Heero, but his foot made more noise than expected on the linoleum. Quatre turned, smiling brightly at him.
"Morning, Heero," he said cheerfully. "We saved you some just in case. It's on the table there. I made Duo promise to stay away from it." Duo made some kind of noise of acknowledgement and went to sit at the table. There was silence for a minute, as Quatre turned back to his chore and Duo stared at Heero. Once he was sure Quatre was occupied once more, Duo reached over to take some food from Heero's plate. It was obvious that the silent boy wasn't going to be eating it anyway.
Heero shoved his hand away, glaring, and Duo retracted with surprise. He looked at Heero's disapproving face, and then made a face. 'What's your problem?' he mouthed. Heero didn't dignify him with any sort of response, he just picked up his fork and poked half-heartedly at the food in front of him. Duo kicked him under the table.
'Say something!' he mouthed, motioning to Quatre momentarily. Heero frowned, and Duo widened his eyes to show his impatience.
"You guys sure are awfully quiet," Quatre said, as if reading Duo's mind. Duo tightened his lips and nudged his chin forward as if to say 'See?!'
"Listen," Quatre continued, turning off the tap and wiping his hands on a dishtowel. "Um, are you guys …? Well, what I mean is, if there's anything …" He turned to face them, his face flushing as he saw their blank stares. "Never mind. Excuse me, please." The slight Arabian bolted from the room, and the two at the table watched him go in surprise. Once he was gone Duo turned back to Heero, and shrugged.
"What's wrong with him?"
"I don't know. He seemed fine before," Heero said quietly. "How can you eat this much, Duo?"
"I'm a growing boy," Duo shrugged. "Speaking of which … what gives? If you aren't gonna eat it, I'll be glad to take it off your hands."
"No," Heero said resolutely, startling Duo with his fierceness.
"Um … if I ask why are you gonna bite my head off?"
"You aren't putting this junk into my body," Heero said tersely. "It's all simple sugar and grease."
"The best kinds!" Duo argued, and his face fell when Heero frowned more deeply. "So what are you saying? I'm stuck eating this bran stuff, or whatever it is that you and Wufei usually eat?"
"Exactly."
"But …" Duo began, and trailed off into a groan. "Heero!"
"No buts, Duo."
"Fine. I won't touch it. But you, my annoying friend, are gonna eat every last bite!"
"What?" Heero replied, not missing the look of determination that flitted across Duo's eyes.
"You said it yourself. You don't want that food in your body? Well, I do," Duo said. "It's what I usually eat, so eat it."
"But … it's not healthy."
"I haven't died yet. C'mon, Heero, you eat it or I will."
"Tch," Heero growled, and sighed in resignation. "You really are a baka."
"I know for a fact you'll like it," Duo said. "My taste buds and all, you know? Well?"
"Hn. Fine. But if I do, you promise to stay away from foods that I would normally not eat. I don't want an out of shape body when we get back to normal."
"Heero Yuy, are you saying that I'm out of shape?" Duo demanded. Heero smirked slightly.
"Well, you did mention that my body runs faster than yours …"
"Hey! That's not fair!"
"Whatever. Eat your breakfast while you have the chance. Quatre was looking for you."
"He was?"
"Well, looking for me. But whatever he wants, you'd better take care of it just how I would."
"Never fear, Heero, I'm a great actor," Duo grinned, but his face quickly fell as he looked down at the plate in front of him. "There is no way I'm gonna act like I like this though."
"You'll be fine," Heero said, smirking smugly. "My taste buds, remember?"
"Don't you dare throw my words back at me, Heero!" Duo said irritably. Heero continued to smirk, and calmly lifted his frosted cinnamon roll to his mouth. Duo groaned.
"Definitely not fair …!"
Duo went quietly to Quatre's room, pausing at the doorway with a slight bit of hesitance. The blond was inside, sitting at the computer on the desk and tapping his foot against the hardwood floor absently. Duo leaned against the doorframe, waiting for Quatre to acknowledge him, but nothing came. He finally cleared his throat, just loud enough to draw the boy's attention. Quatre's head shot up, his cerulean eyes locking easily with Duo's.
"Hello, Heero," he said with a smile. "Did you need something?"
"Apparently you do," Duo said, keeping his arms crossed comfortably across his chest. Quatre gave him an unsure look, and Duo gave an inward groan. "Duo said you were looking for me?"
"Oh!" Quatre brightened immediately. "Oh, yes. I'm glad he reminded you! I need your help … that is, if you have the time to spare?" Duo gave a noncommittal shrug, and slowly strode into the room. If he kept his mouth shut he would be fine, he told himself. Quatre wasn't that perceptive, even if he was the hardest to be around. He kept looking at Duo with an odd expression; it made him uncomfortable.
"Great. I just, um …" he waved a hand vaguely at the computer screen. "I was trying to get into this database, but the walls around it are a bit harder to leap than I thought they would be. You're a better hacker than I am … would you give it a try?"
"Hn. Move over," Duo said, keeping his voice and expression as neutral as possible. Truth be told he was a bundle of nerves; he wanted nothing more than to run out of the room and away from Quatre's probing eyes. But that was not a Heero thing to do. So he sat at in the chair that Quatre had just vacated and placed his hands on the keyboard tentatively.
Duo considered himself a fairly good hacker, but no one stacked up to the Perfect Soldier. He only hoped that Quatre didn't notice that his skills weren't quite up to par. However, when he happened to glance over at Quatre he saw that Quatre's eyes were calmly trained on him, watching him thoughtfully. Duo's face tightened in apprehension, and he narrowed his eyes at his companion.
"Is there a problem?" he asked quietly.
"Huh? Oh, no," Quatre shook his head. "Nothing, Heero."
"Hn," Duo muttered. He didn't believe the blond one bit; he only wondered if his paranoia was justified. He continued his rapid typing, trying to focus on the task at hand. He wondered if Heero's hacking skills were something that he could tap into, like he had done with the Japanese.
"Actually, Heero, I wanted to talk to you," Quatre said, and Duo's hands paused momentarily on the keys.
"About what?" he finally asked, carefully avoiding Quatre's eyes.
"I don't want you to take offense, or anything, so please keep an open mind about this," Quatre began. Duo frowned at the nervousness that he detected in his friend's voice. This couldn't be good. He didn't say anything, and after a brief silence Quatre continued.
"I've just … been getting some odd feelings since I got back from my last mission. Normally I wouldn't say anything, but they have to do with you and Duo …" Duo tensed, the nervous knot in his stomach growing. Quatre couldn't know, he just couldn't!
"I know it's your business, and I have no right to ask, but is … something going on between you two? Because you know I wouldn't judge either of you, Heero, none of us would. If there's something wrong, or … or anything, there's no reason that you couldn't tell us. You probably think I should be having this conversation with Duo, but I wanted to tell you …"
"Damn it, Quatre, would you just shut up?! You have no idea what you're talking about, no idea--!" Duo burst before he could hold back his frustration, and he suddenly clamped a hand over his own mouth in horror. Twisting in the chair and stumbling to his feet, he quickly left the room with as much dignity that he could salvage. As soon as he was in the hall he took off in a mad dash, his intention to find Heero as quickly as he could.
* * *
Heero was in the study, calmly typing on his laptop when Duo burst into the room. The look on Duo's face was enough to still his hands, and he turned to fully face the frenzied young man before him.
"What the hell are you doing?" Duo snarled at him, desperately needing to take his fury out on something. Heero frowned.
"Doing the research we talked about, since you are probably too lazy to do any of it."
"Hell, Heero, I don't know how, but Quatre's on to something!" Duo burst, unable to hold it in. Heero's face darkened.
"What?"
"Yeah, my sentiments exactly. He asked me to help him hack something, then he just started going on about how he knows something's going on with us, and how we could always tell him if something was wrong!" Duo explained, flopping down on the edge of the desk and crossing his arms over his chest. "What did we do wrong?"
"Nothing," Heero said after a pause. "Quatre senses a lot of things. As long as he can't place what he feels we have nothing to worry about."
"It's to damn close for comfort, if you ask me," Duo grumbled. Heero jumped to his feet, and began to pace the room as he thought. Duo's lips curved into a ghost of a smile as he watched the boy reach to pick at the end of his braid.
"Heh, you're doing the brain thing," Duo said softly. "That's my nervous habit."
"I am not nervous," Heero protested, dropping the rope of hair immediately upon realizing what he was doing.
"Yes you are. I'd be worried if you weren't," Duo said.
"…I think we should tell them."
"What? Absolutely not."
The two were so engrossed in their argument that they didn't notice when Wufei appeared in the doorway. Wufei noticed them, and halted in his approach as he saw the apparent anger between the two. He turned to leave them alone, but a part of him was curiously suspicious. Heero and Duo rarely fought when the others were around, unless it had something to do with a mission gone wrong. Even then it was Heero who got upset first; inside the study, Duo looked far more angry than the Japanese boy. Heero simply looked irritated, but that wasn't uncommon. Carefully pressing himself against the wall in the corridor, Wufei cocked his head to listen.
"They're going to find out sooner or later!" Heero retorted, his hand unconsciously seeking out his braid once more.
"What would you suggest then?" Duo hissed, his eyes glinting murderously. "Calmly explaining to them that we aren't who we say we are?! I thought we agreed it was best to keep it between us!"
"I know what the agreement was!" Heero replied with equal fervor. "Hell, it seemed like the right thing to do! But I can't put up with this much longer!"
"And you think I can?!" Duo retorted. "Unless you have a better idea, just shut up!" Heero opened his mouth to reply, then deflated with a sigh. Duo leaned back on the table, propping himself up with his arms and craning his neck toward the computer.
"We aren't going to get anywhere while we're at each other's throats," he said rationally, his voice much more calm. "What did you find out from OZ?"
"Not a whole lot yet," Heero admitted. "I didn't want to do anything until I was sure the other guys would leave me alone."
"Hm. Probably a good plan."
"Probably?" Heero repeated, quirking an eyebrow. "Definitely. Give me a little credit here. I'm not stupid."
Wufei was frozen in the hallway; it was only the innate need to breathe that brought him back to the present. He had been holding his breath without realizing it, and he drew in a shaky breath. No, it couldn't be possible … could it?
He pushed himself away from the wall with suddenly cold hands, wary not to make any noise as he took off down the hall. He couldn't bear to listen to them anymore.
It couldn't be true … Heero and Duo are trusted allies, he told himself as he took swift steps away from the scene he had witnessed. But there was a nagging doubt in the back of his mind that he couldn't rationalize away. Either there was some bizarre explanation for all of this, or … or they were being betrayed …
"Not stupid? I dunno, Heero, could have fooled me," Duo teased, a softer smile breaking through his features at last. "You do have a baka's body, after all."
"Hn … you aren't that much of a baka," Heero said softly, then glared at Duo quickly to cover up the words that could only be considered a compliment from the Perfect Soldier. "Not all the time, anyway. You're quite tolerable when your mouth is closed and you're not moving."
"Aw, geez, Heero, for a moment I thought I was gonna have heart failure. To think you held me in high esteem," Duo said, and lifted a hand to clutch at his chest. "Then you shot it all down! You're more cruel than I thought."
"Shut up," Heero muttered, sitting back down in front of the laptop.
"Hey, Heero?" Duo said, leaning over the back of the screen to stare Heero in the face.
"Yes?"
"Sorry for getting pissed off at you. Q just really freaked me out, with all of his 'I can sense what you're thinking' vibes and all," Duo said.
"Hn. You were not the only one at fault. I also … lost my composure." Duo laughed at the rigid words.
"Apology accepted!" he chirped. "So, we cool again?"
Heero raised his eyes to meet Duo's, a strange expression mingled with amusement darting across his features.
"Um …yes, Duo. We're …cool." Duo snorted as he failed to hold back his laughter, and he collapsed on the desk.
"I can't believe you just said that!" he exclaimed, then calmed. "What was that look on your face for, Heero?"
"Hn. Nothing."
"Oh, c'mon."
"It was nothing."
"Nuh uh, Heero, be honest. Secrets don't make friends," Duo said in a sing-song voice. Heero looked sharply at him, the same look dancing momentarily in his eyes.
"You're doing it again. It's …strange."
"What is?"
"Hearing my own voice say something that ridiculous."
"Yeah, well, think about how I felt when I heard my own voice condemn junk food. A knife through my heart, really."
"Hn," Heero smirked thoughtfully, and then turned back to the computer. "Shut up, baka."
* * *
Wufei sat in the darkness of the living room, curled up on the couch. It was well into the night; all of the others had retired to their respective rooms long ago. The serious young man breathed slowly, trying to calm his nerves as he mulled over the thoughts that plagued his mind.
'What would you suggest then? Calmly explaining to them that we aren't who we say we are?!'
"They're going to find out sooner or later!"
"What did you find out from OZ?"
"I didn't want to do anything until I was sure the other guys would leave me alone."
"…we aren't who we say we are …"
"…did you find out from OZ?"
"They're going to find out …"
"…aren't who we say we are …"
"It isn't possible," Wufei whispered aloud. "It just can't be!" But he could come up with no proof, except for the fact that he trusted the two pilots. They all did. They were supposed to be allies … friends.
A noise drew his attention, and he froze as he saw a figure walk silently out of the stairway on the opposite side of the room. It was Duo; the limited moonlight that infiltrated the window near the stairway allowed Wufei to see him clearly enough. He was dressed in his usual black pants, one of Heero's hunter tank tops, and a black jacket that hung off of his slim frame awkwardly.
Apparently the braided boy had not noticed Wufei, because after a slight glance around the room he traversed the carpet toward the kitchen, mostly likely heading for the back door. Wufei watched him exit the room, and as soon as he had gone the Chinese boy was on his feet. Wherever Duo was going at this hour, it was certain that he didn't want the others to know. But Wufei wanted to know.
"…we aren't who we say we are …"
Wufei had to know. Hurrying to find a pair of shoes and a suitable dark jacket, he took off into the night after Duo's disappearing figure.
Continued
A/N continued: Bwahahahahahahahahahahaha! I feel evil, and it feels good! Poor Wufei and his misunderstandings. Well, I had to have a little fun …. Anyway, review? *points to the button* I must know what you think!