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: Thanks go to: Clairol (A talent for sap? If you say so …*grins*) Bryony (Sorry the running away thing was confusing for ya – but I'm glad you liked otherwise.) Angel of Insanity (Poor Duo and Heero, bickering like 5 year olds –hahaha, I had fun with that one!) Faye Maxwell (I'm not sure what you mean about the quote marks *scratches head* They're there … so …? *shrugs* Maybe your computer doesn't like the format? I dunno … anyway, thanks! Glad you like!) Elle-FaTe2x1 (Is Quatre on to something? I did say this was eventual 1x2 pairing, so … eventually, he'll have to be, ne? *grin*) Natasha (They were being pretty immature, ne? I couldn't resist …. Glad you liked! *waves*) ReySolo (I'm glad it's to your liking! Your roommate must like it to, if they recommended it … yay! I'm loved! Or something …) sapphire (I'm glad you think it's fun … I sure do!) Tori Sakana (Very perceptive of you … yes, it is going to be very strange for poor Duo and Heero. I am a fan of happy endings, but that doesn't mean there won't be any trouble on the way!) LB (Yes, that would be horrible … so we'll just make sure it doesn't happen, ne?) Dreamer (I'm glad you're still reading, even with the dreaded copy/paste!)
_ _ _
"… So, that's basically what happened."
"Tch," Wufei grunted, his arms crossed as he leaned against the bedroom wall, one foot propped up and resting on the faded wallpaper. "With a story like that, 'basically' is not a word you should be using to describe it."
"So … you've been hiding this for days?" Trowa asked. Duo nodded, shifting from where he sat on the floor, curled next to the bed.
"Yeah … did a pretty good job, too, if you ask me," he replied, glancing once more at Heero's sleeping figure. Quatre sighed.
"The question is, what do we do now?"
"Find the disk, I guess," Duo said, flinching a little. "That was my job, but I … well, got a little distracted. Then Heero needed saving, and I just …" He trailed off, throwing his hands up helplessly. "I didn't mean to screw up."
"You didn't screw up," Quatre said gently.
"I just have one question," Wufei said, his face still dark. "You got the disk from OZ …"
"Yeah."
"And you knew that it was a danger to anyone who came in contact with it."
"Uh huh. Your point?"
"And you don't know if OZ has any more prototypes?"
"Not really …"
"Just when did you plan on sharing this with the rest of us?!" Wufei demanded. "We could have been in danger, you know! Didn't you think we deserved to know that OZ has such a powerful weapon?!"
"Geez, we were gonna tell you, honest. We just … uh, wanted to find out more first, and … Wu, come on. Stop looking at me like that!"
"You deliberately hid vital information from us! You were harboring OZ secrets!" Wufei growled, pushing away from the wall and advancing on Duo. Duo's eyes widened, and he scooted away on the hardwood floor.
"Wufei, come on. It's not like we were working with the enemy or anything!"
"What you did was irresponsible! You could have destroyed everything! How could you?!"
"Wu, really … c'mon, you're overreacting!" Duo tried to reason with him, pulling himself to his feet anyway in preparation for a scuffle. "Guys? Back me up here?"
"He has a point, you know," Trowa said blandly. Quatre blinked.
"This is too bizarre," the blond muttered. "Wufei's going to beat up Heero … only it's Duo."
"Thanks for your concern," Duo said sarcastically, scowling at the dazed blond.
"What else are you hiding?!" Wufei commanded. Duo's face grew stony.
"Nothing, okay?! Would you just lay off?! It was hard enough telling you all this in the first place! Of course we didn't want anything bad to happen to you guys!" he ranted, coming back at Wufei with a furious glare. The cold gaze diminished Wufei's anger, and he took a step back as Duo advanced on him. "We were gonna tell you, you know! We just wanted to fix everything first! We knew you'd all think we were crazy if we came right out and told you! Think about it! What would you have done in our situation?! Huh?!"
"Please, Duo," Quatre said sensibly. "Wufei didn't mean to offend you. We're all just a little shaken by this, that's all. Both of you, please just calm down?"
"Tch. Fine. Why do you think I wanted to avoid this conversation in the first place?" Duo grumbled, stalking over to the bed and flopping down carefully on the bed. The action was enough to jar the mattress, however, and Heero groaned slightly as his eyelashes fluttered. He had been fading in and out of consciousness since they had bound up his injuries, and Duo leaned over him curiously to see if he was actually waking up. Narrow indigo slits peered up at him, and Duo gave a slight upturning of his lips at the sight.
"Hey, how ya feelin', Heero?"
"Mm, like hell …" Heero mumbled. Duo snickered.
"Figured as much," he said softly, a small degree of commiseration in his voice. "Sorry, man, but I do know how you feel. And I can say that, you know, 'cause I really do. You … aren't mad at me anymore, are ya? I am really sorry, just so you know."
"Wh-what? I'm not mad. Why would I … be mad?" Heero asked frowning.
"Don't you remember what happened?"
"What happened when? With OZ?"
"No. After that. Don't you remember getting back to the house?"
"Sort of … I yelled at you?"
"Yeah, I guess you could say that," Duo nodded. "I guess the drugs still had a good hold on you, huh? You were being way more sarcastic than normal."
"You … probably deserved it."
Wufei snorted somewhere behind Duo, but Duo hardly noticed.
"Wufei, hush!" the blond hissed, then raised his voice. "Duo, you should probably give him some space."
"Ah, right Q. Of course," Duo said, scooting back on the quilts immediately. Heero's face froze in obvious panic, and he attempted to look around Duo.
"Duo? What …?" he frowned. "Are the others …?"
"Right behind me? Uh huh," Duo nodded. "You really don't remember, do you? The others know, Heero. Hell, you made me tell them." Heero groaned.
"I did?"
"Yeah. Don't worry too much, they took it okay. And they'd basically figured it out anyway, after listening to our argument. There really wasn't any other choice."
"Oh …"
"Anyway," Duo said, turning a little to get a better vantage of the others. "You were saying something about what to do now, Quatre?"
"Uh … yeah. Now that we're all in on this together, we can always help you look for this disk thing."
"You would do that?" Duo asked.
"Of course," Quatre shrugged. "Although, I think it would be best to wait a few days, until Trowa and Heero have a chance to heal a little."
"I'd have to agree," Duo nodded. "Especially if OZ is still patrolling."
"OZ is patrolling?" Trowa frowned.
"Well, I guess. That's what Heero thought. He went out to look for the disk at night, and said that he could tell someone was tailing him. It has to be OZ. Maybe they'll lay off after a few days though?"
"It's worth a shot, I suppose," Trowa shrugged. Wufei shifted nervously.
"Hm. There is no OZ patrol," he said softly. Everyone turned to look at him.
"What?"
"There were no OZ soldiers following Maxw …er, Yuy," Wufei admitted. "I followed him."
"You?" Duo repeated.
"Yes, me! He was sneaking off in the middle of the night! What was I supposed to think?!" Wufei retaliated. Duo held up his palms.
"Whoa. I just asked. I'm actually glad to hear it. I was kind of freaked that OZ was onto us."
"We shouldn't wait," Heero spoke up, silencing the room. "We need that disk, Duo."
"Now, Heero, what did I say? The disk wasn't running off anywhere before, and it isn't going to now. It won't be any harder to find in a couple of days. You can't go running around in the forest like that."
"But …"
"No. Way. All right?" Duo shook his head. "Don't make me use the 'it's my body' excuse, because I will. Would you rather we left you and Trowa behind?"
"Hn," Heero frowned.
"See? It's settled then! You just rest here, and everything will be okay in a day or two, huh?" Duo said positively. "Man, you don't know how relieved I am. It feels great not having to hide anything! And I can't believe how well you guys are taking this. Well, anyway, I don't know about you guys but I'm starving! Have we got anything to eat? Ah, never mind, I'll go check." He stood and headed toward the door, but was stopped by a call from Heero.
"Duo?"
"Yes?"
"No junk food."
"Aww, but Heero! Why not? They know now!"
"That wasn't the point in the first place."
"Yeah, but …" Duo trailed off, and sighed glumly. "Fine. But it's still not fair." With that he whirled out of the room, leaving the rest of them in relative silence.
"You know?" Quatre said. "We are taking this pretty well. Of course, I think I'm too shocked to react any differently …"
* * *
The house was oddly silent. Quatre found himself yet again in the kitchen, calmly chopping vegetables in the crispy sharp sunlight of mid afternoon. He was in the process of making a salad that he intended to serve at dinner; something nutritious to help Trowa and Heero heal faster. The two injured pilots had slept all night and through most of the day, waking in spurts to seek out a glass of water or fresh bandages.
He didn't know where Wufei was, but he guessed that the solemn Chinese boy had retreated to one of the more obscure places in the house in order to avoid the enigma that was Duo-in-Heero's-body. Ever since they had discovered the two pilots' secret, Duo had ceased any semblance of pretending to act like the Japanese boy. It was driving Wufei a little over the edge, and Quatre couldn't blame him. Even the blond was feeling taxed at the odd phenomenon of Heero's voice making jokes, Heero dashing about playfully, Heero smiling. Quatre had to keep reminding himself very pointedly that it wasn't Heero. It was Duo. But it was still hard to adjust to the vast difference.
Quatre paused in his methodic work, cocking his head to listen. There was nothing. That could not be a good sign. Heero's body or not, Duo hadn't been silent for this long since … well, since Quatre could remember. Abandoning his leafy greens and carrots, the blond wandered out of the kitchen to glance around the other rooms of the house.
It didn't take long to find who he was looking for. Duo was standing in the living room, somewhat close to the stairway, facing away from the blond and holding something in his hands. Whatever it was happened to be shielded from Quatre's eyes, but Duo seemed very intent. After all, he was perfectly still and silent. Quatre walked forward.
"Hee … er, Duo?" he spoke, blushing at his misspoken greeting. Duo turned to glance over his shoulder, the slip-up apparently not bothering him in the least. He raised one hand to motion for the blond to come closer.
"Hey, Q-man, want to help me out?" he asked, his voice devoid of tone but at the same time mischievous. Maybe it was just the fact that he had called him Q-man, Quatre mused. Heero had never said that in his life.
"What are you doing?" Quatre asked curiously.
"Taking pictures," Duo said matter-of-factly.
"Of what?" Quatre said, frowning. There was nothing around except a normal-looking living room.
"Well, of me, if you must know," Duo shrugged, turning to fully face Quatre. Quatre realized that Duo was holding a small digital camera, and he glanced curiously at Duo's face.
"Of you? But why?"
"Well, of Heero, you know? I just thought …" he fidgeted a little. "None of us ever get to see him smile. But he can, you know. So I thought, before we get switched back, maybe I should document the undocumentable. But it's kind of hard to take good pictures when I'm taking and posing at the same time. So … wanna help?" Quatre didn't say anything for a moment, and then he smiled softly.
"I'd love to, Duo. I think it's a great idea," Quatre said, holding his hand out for the camera. Duo surrendered it immediately. "But are you sure Heero's okay with this?"
"Huh? Oh, who cares?" Duo said, waving his hand through the air dismissively. "If he wants to take pictures of me scowling and looking like I got a stick up my ass, he's more than welcome. Now, I've got three film cards[1] for this thing, and I think we might as well fill 'em up. Do you think?"
"Sure, Duo, sure," Quatre nodded.
"Great!" Duo said cheerfully, an odd sound from Heero's throat, then without hesitation he struck a ridiculous pose and stuck his tongue out. Quatre burst into giggles.
"Duo!" he protested weakly. "That's … so funny! I didn't know Heero could be so expressive."
"Yeah, he's a regular Boy Wonder. Now are you gonna take the picture or not?" Quatre raised the camera to his eye and gleefully took the shot. His vegetables had definitely been forgotten.
Heero was drawn by the sound of laughter. Quatre's and … he frowned for a moment, trying to place the other source, and grimaced when he realized that it was Duo. He took a moment to steady himself where he stood, clutching the doorframe, then took a few wary steps into the hall. He was painfully thirsty, and decided that that particular need outweighed resting in bed. Careful to keep the railing within easy reach, just in case, Heero began his descent down the stairway. He wanted a drink. And he wanted to know what was so damn funny.
"Last card, Duo," Quatre said, shaking the small, gray square at Duo as Duo pocketed the full card.
"Great. I think some of these are gonna turn out pretty good, once I get a chance to print them off somewhere," Duo replied.
"How do you want to fill this card?" Quatre asked. Duo paused in contemplation.
"I don't really know," he finally said. "I kind of wish I had a vid-cam right about now. You know, so we could have a fun home movie of Heero doing the 'I'm a Little Teapot' dance or something." Quatre nearly choked on a burst of laughter.
"Oh Allah," he giggled. "I did not need that image, Duo!" Duo grinned widely.
"You want to see it, Quat? Huh?"
"No, Duo, please," Quatre gasped. "I think I won't be able to breathe!"
"Tch. Okay. Maybe later," Duo said in compromise. "Let's just finish the pictures, huh? How about this?" And without further ado, Duo calmly stuck all of his fingers in his mouth, prying his lips away from his teeth in a horrible face. Quatre rolled his eyes in amusement, but lifted the camera anyway to snap the shot.
It was then that Heero stumbled out of the stairway.
"What … what the hell are you doing?!" he growled furiously, his face growing deadly. Duo yelped, pulling his hands away from his face and whirling to face the irate boy.
"Um, hi Heero," he said weakly.
"Answer me! What the hell are you doing?!"
"Taking some pictures?" Duo said, then sighed at the scowl on Heero's face. "It's no big deal."
"It's no big deal?! You're making a fool out of me! That's my face! Who said you could do that?"
"Who said I couldn't?!" Duo retorted, reaching out to put protective hands over the camera in Quatre's hands.
"Give it here. Now."
"No."
"Yes, Duo."
"It's my camera!"
"I'm deleting those pictures," Heero growled.
"Like hell you are," Duo snorted, whirling and pulling Quatre with him. Leaning close to the blond's face, he whispered to the boy. "Take the camera and hide it, okay? I'll distract him." With that he spun Quatre and pushed him away, then hunched into himself as if he was hiding the camera against his stomach beneath his arms.
"There's no way you're getting this camera from me, Heero, so give it up!"
"Duo!" Heero shouted, lunging at the boy with unsteady legs. Duo sidestepped him and ran past Heero, bounding up the stairs cackling.
"Catch me if you can, Heero!"
Heero caught up to Duo as the escaping boy ran into his bedroom, unsuccessfully trying to shut Heero out. Heero plowed the door in, glaring furiously at Duo.
"Give it!"
"No."
"Damn it!" Heero roared, rushing Duo with what strength he had. Still slightly unstable from his condition, Heero lost his balance and ended up tripping forward, falling onto the bed with Duo beneath him. Duo gave a small cry of surprise, and flailed his arms as much as he could to protest the movement.
Pressed against Duo's stomach, Heero blinked away his dizziness and came to a conclusion. Duo didn't have the camera at all. He rolled off of the boy with a grunt of frustration, his eyes cold as he carefully got to his feet once more. Duo stayed sprawled on the mattress, making a very exaggerative show of trying to catch his breath. The determination in Heero's eyes made him stop short.
"Aw, Heero, don't be mad," Duo said. Heero didn't even look at him, he just marched out of the room quietly. Duo frowned. He knew that look. He knew what that look felt like on his face; he only felt it every time he decided to play a trick or do something equally malicious. He felt a slight knot of uncertainty form in his stomach, and suddenly he shot after Heero.
Heero walked pointedly down the hall to his room, ignoring the fact that Duo was on his heels, complaining loudly the whole way. He went into his own bedroom, Duo following closely. Approaching the small desk, he kept his face turned away from his shadowing companion as he rummaged through a flimsy drawer.
"You had better tell me where that camera is, Duo," Heero said calmly.
"Oh yeah? And if I don't?"
Heero smirked over his shoulder, the expression nothing short of devious. Turning slowly to face Duo, he reached behind his head to grab his braid. In the other hand, he coolly lifted a pair of gleaming scissors.
Duo's eyes widened, and he blanched. He shook his head furiously.
Heero nodded.
Duo panicked.
"Noooooo!"
In the front foyer of the house, tucked away from the main traffic of the others and next to the front door that they didn't use for security reasons, sat Wufei. A dog-tagged, worn paperback lay on his knees; he had been enjoying the quiet solace when a cry shattered his peace.
"Noooooo!"
After the shout came a considerable amount of clattering and stomping, the hurried falls of scrambling footsteps and crashes of objects as they were knocked to the floor. Wufei looked up at the ceiling, sighed, and set his book aside reluctantly. As much as he would have liked to ignore the ruckus, he knew he should go investigate.
He was nearly bowled over as he entered the living room and jumped aside as Heero's figure dashed by, clutching a pair of scissors to his chest protectively. He watched the Japanese boy leap the couch, effectively putting the furniture, and Wufei, between himself and the braided boy that raced into the room after him, clamoring down the stairs only paces behind the other.
Wufei had to remind himself that the boy with the scissors was Duo, and the boy with the frazzled braid was Heero. Heero was glaring viciously, his violet eyes intensely trained on Duo. Duo looked shaken.
"Stay away, Heero! Leave my braid alone, you sick bastard!"
"Duo!" Heero barked.
"Okay, time out!" Wufei demanded, positioning himself between the two bickering pilots and taking the most intimidating stance he could manage. "Tell me what the problem is. Now."
"He was gonna chop my braid!" Duo said heatedly, waving the scissors to prove his point.
"Just give me the camera, and I won't do a thing!" Heero retorted.
"No! It's not fair! It's not like you won't get your face back if I take a few pictures! If you cut off my braid it's gone! It's not fair!" Duo shouted, close to tears. "Fei, don't let him hurt my braid!"
"Maxwell, put the scissors down before you gouge something," Wufei snapped, irritated at their childish behavior. "Yuy, stop resorting to juvenile threats. You will leave Maxwell's braid in tact, and Maxwell, you will give Yuy whatever it is you probably hid from him. Understood?!"
"Yes," Heero replied curtly. Duo tightened his lips, looking for a moment as if he was going to protest, then he threw the scissors to the couch and crossed his arms with a huff.
"Fine," he grumbled. "Quatre has the camera. Just leave my braid alone!" Heero turned to leave the room immediately, probably to track down the blond and demand the camera. Duo knew Quatre would give it up; he didn't blame him, though. He watched Heero go, then slumped dejectedly.
"You know, Fei? This sucks. I miss how it used to be. I miss my braid and my clothes and junk food. I miss being able to annoy the hell out of Heero without having to look into my own goddamn face. I didn't want this, you know? I really didn't."
"Maxwell," Wufei said, and then sighed. He could think of nothing to say to make Duo feel any better. "Nothing, Maxwell. Nothing."
"I'm going for a walk," Duo said, moving toward their improvised coat closet near the kitchen's entrance to retrieve his coat. "I need to get out of here for a while. You'll … you'll make sure Heero calms down, won't you, Fei? Please?" Wufei blinked as he returned Duo's gaze. It might have been Heero's face, but the emotion there, the pleading, it was all Duo. He nodded curtly.
"I will, Maxwell."
"Thanks, Fei. See you later, huh?" With that he pulled his jacket on and went into the kitchen, tromping across the linoleum toward the back door. Wufei watched him leave, a concerned look floating across his features. He then turned and went to find Heero. He had made a promise to Duo. The least he could do was make sure that Heero didn't do anything irrational.
Continued
[1] Film cards – okay, I don't know what those things for digital cameras are really called, that's just what I call them. Because they're like film, only they're little disk/card things. I'm sure they have a proper name, but … *shrugs*