Pairings: Duo/Heero, Quatre/Trowa

Warnings: violence, supernatural stuff, kinky moments, guns...um...gundams, implied sex, men in drag, etc...

Author's comment: Sorry for the delay. x.x Had a lot going on between work, convention, a job fair, some drawings, some coloring, resumes, and Watch Dogs...x.x cause I won't lie, I am playing that just haven't gotten to play it much yet. Anyways enjoy. This also went though a butt load of revisions and a small moment of writer's block that sort of got scrapped into the next chapter.

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Operation Blank Conspiracy 43

Three days had passed since the rescue operation. Wufei found it worrisome that Duo hadn't talked or eaten since that time. The male just had a bad habit of staring off into space and, from what Heero said, nightmares that forced him awake at night. He avoided them…a lot. It'd gotten to the point it was getting harder and harder to find him leaving Wufei to wonder if he'd eventually disappear from the ship. The man was good at hiding. He'd proved as much their first meeting.

He remembered the first time they all travelled together when they were first bringing Duo to the Preventers. He remembered how the other had been asleep in the back of the shuttle and jolted awake from one of his nightmares. It was that first time Wufei truly bonded with him, that the two had tolerated each other to the point of being friends. He'd sat with him, meditated with him, and showed him how to stay calm by telling him to shut up and think.

Duo wasn't the only one on his mind lately. Treize had been acting weird since their return, no maybe since that moment on the ship when he'd tended to Wufei's injury. Wufei looked down at the bandages around his hand that Wufei wrapped up himself awkwardly since Treize was in a briefing with his leaders. They were discussing the best course of action concerning Relena Peacecraft since she was still on the OZ space fortress as well. Trowa was there in the briefing too since Heero wasn't at fully function mentality thanks to his concerns for Duo. While he could still take on the task of escorting the queen to their safe haven of the Preventers, there was no way he'd leave Duo behind in his current state. If it wasn't obvious before, it was definitely obvious now that Heero had a thing for Duo. Because Heero never went out of the way just to save one fallen comrade without it being his mission.

Speaking of which, it was one of the reasons for why Wufei hadn't bothered going to the briefing as well. He was looking for Duo, a tray of food in his hands that he was going to force down that braided idiot's throat if he didn't at least try to eat something. Fly-Z or not, he was still human in Wufei's eyes. And that meant he needed to eat and at least get some sort of variation of sleep.

It was the last place he expected to find Duo which was the reason why he looked in the library in the first place. The room would likely be the least visited place in the whole fortress unless you were a book reading nerd like Wufei. Not that he thought of himself as a nerd…well maybe just a little bit.

Pushing his glasses up with one hand, he started walking quietly inside, frowning slightly at how empty the place was. Then again it was pretty early in the morning and Duo apparently took advantage of the empty place to keep to himself. When Wufei found him, he couldn't help smiling just a little bit at the male sitting at an empty table in the corner of the library, snoring softly as his head leaned to the side wearing one of the OZ issued uniforms. He really needed to get some proper sleep. This whole staying awake thing wasn't going to work.

Sliding the tray on the table as quietly as he could, Wufei eased himself into the seat counter corner to him before he reached down and rapped his knuckles hard against the wooden table once. The desired effect worked instantly as Duo's head shut up, his eyes taking on the look of a wild animal trying to figure out their surrounding before they landed on Wufei reminding him of how mesmerizing the strange mixture of blues and purples were.

Wufei didn't wait for him to do anything as he slid the tray over in front of him giving out only one word as a command. "Eat." Frowning, Duo glanced up at him before he reached down sliding the tray back. Wufei didn't relent, sliding the tray over again and keeping is hand on it to make sure that Duo couldn't push it back again. There was plenty to be eaten there. A turkey sandwich, fruits, and some sugary soda that he was sure Duo wouldn't mind guzzling down. "Eat," he repeated.

The reaction was expected, the eyes glancing away from him quickly before Duo stood up to his feet pushing the chair back as he started for the door.

"Think of things that make you happy. Not of things that connect to misfortune." Wufei sat up more, letting his eyes rest on Duo's back. "Isn't that what I told you before?" The other stopped, freezing in place as he stared ahead of him, his back tense. "Right now, I think Heero is that person that makes you happy. Shouldn't you at least try talking to him?"

He cleared his throat and swallowed, like he wanted to talk. When had he spoken last? Or was it hoarse from the screaming that happened through his time in captivity? Did he get breaks from the torture and the pain? Was it all back to back? What all did the enemy do to Duo? And did Wufei really want to know the answers to all these questions?

Wufei frowned as he slowly pushed to his feet grabbing the tray taking notice of the little action that said Duo was going to keep walking. "You have no idea how worried Heero's been through this whole thing, hell how worried any of us have been. Yet, the only thing you've been doing these past three days is running away and hiding from us. I can't say that I understand the pain you're going through, because I don't. But if you need to be reminded of the fact, we're not your enemies. We're your friends. And if you can't seem to remember even that simple fact, then what good are we in being able to help you?"

He knew it couldn't be a good thing, getting frustrated with the braided male wishing he could do something, anything to take away the pains the other must be feeling. This wasn't what he came here about. He wasn't supposed to be picking a fight with Duo. But seeing Duo like this, torn apart and avoiding everyone really got to him.

He just wanted to fix things as quickly as possible. He missed hearing the sound of the braided male's annoying ramblings or even just seeing a smile on his face. Hell, he was starting to get worried that things would never go back to the way they were.

"I'm pretty sure you don't know this yet," Wufei said following the other to the door. "Heero's been injected with the Fly-Z."

Duo stopped and turned around so quickly Wufei stepped back. His eyes looked dangerous but he seemed to be more shocked than angry. Heero hadn't wanted him to mention it, but if this was the only way to get a response out of Duo then he'd do whatever he must to make it work. There was question in Duo's indigo eyes mixed along with a look of fear as if he'd just heard that Heero just came down with a terminal disease. It probably wasn't the best thing to tell him but with the way things were going, he had to get to Duo in some way.

"I injected him the first time," Wufei said glancing away from the eyes. "Between that and him dying from the injuries 01 gave him, we couldn't take the chance." He looked up at him again, setting his jaws tight with determination. "But the second time, he did it himself just to be able to have the strength to rescue you. He refused to rest until he found you." Duo seemed to take his words in as he stared down at ground.

"Maybe you're bothered that he used it on you or something," Wufei said continuing trying to make high or low of why Duo was avoiding Heero. "I'm not really sure. But he only did it because he was afraid of losing you. I'm pretty sure the others and I would have done the very same thing had we been the ones to find you." He wanted to say more but it wasn't easy to find the words he wanted. He couldn't exactly tell Duo to just suck it up and stop whining, not after all the things he'd been through. And even then, he was afraid to ask him about the things that happened to him. If Wufei's guess was correct about the current relationship of Duo and Heero, the two of them needed to talk.

"The man saved you from being stuck in that place for the rest of your life. He voluntarily went into enemy lines without a care for his own wellbeing. And I'm sure he would have gone down fighting thinking only of saving you. The least you could do is talk to him so he's not feeling like he completely failed."

He didn't say anything else, walking over and pushing the tray into Duo's hands gently ignoring how the other tensed up at the closeness, He gave him a meaningful look before he continued on to the door. He wasn't sure if Duo listened to him or if he would follow up with what he said, but he had to try. He was sure Heero probably hadn't wanted Duo to find out about the Fly-Z injections, but Duo had the right to know what all the man had to go through just to find and rescue him. Duo didn't know how close Heero was to losing every bit of the emotions he'd gained around Duo if the other had actually died in that place nor did he know how close Heero had come to dying in that hospital. He wondered if they would have made it out of White Fang's base alive if either of the two men had died.

Wufei headed back to the room before he paused staring at Treize, his hand on the bedroom door looking like he was about to enter before he happened to look up and catch sight of Wufei standing there. His eyebrows rose a little in surprise and Wufei found himself staring at him debating between staying or running away. Treize opened the door heading inside, the two trusted guards Wufei had become used to not saying anything as they stood watch.

"Good timing, Jin," Treize said pausing just inside the room as he turned to look at him. "Come in. I have some things to discuss with you." It bothered him that Treize looked away from him without that teasing stare he usually seemed to reserve for him. Could it be he was starting to get tired of his presence now? Maybe he was causing him too much trouble. Ugh, why was this even bothering him? Sighing, Wufei straightened the hat on his head and went inside pushing the door closed behind him.

"We've discussed the plans of what will take place involving Queen Relena," Treize continued walking over to the bed and sitting before he started untying his boots removing them from his feet. Wufei moved to the chair by the table at the center of the room, staring at the body that seemed to droop with fatigue. "It's been decided that for her safety, it is best that she returns to the Preventers Headquarters." Treize stood again, removing his jacket and laying it on the bed he moved to the small cabinet over the dresser and pulled out the bottle of red wine, pouring a small glass for himself. The bastard didn't even offer any to Wufei like he normally would.

"That was the best option to begin with," Wufei said frowning slightly. "If she stays here, she's more likely to be in danger. Not because of Romefeller itself, but because I don't fully trust White Fang's actions. Between the two, Romefeller is at the moment the lesser of two evils. We had no retaliation against bringing them back with us, even after Heero killed two of their scientists." In fact it was one of the things that bothered him about Relena and Duo's easy release. Why wasn't Zechs worried about the fact that the two were stolen from them even though he went through so much trouble to capture them in the first place? "At least with the Preventers, she's back in her home territory and we can keep a better, protective watch over her."

"There is also the fact that White Fang might be planning on using this against Romefeller to make it seem as if we are the real culprits. With Relena out of the way, they won't have a reason to point the finger at us."

"And what about Duo?" Because at this point, with White Fang already knowing what his name was and who he was, hiding the fact from Treize didn't seem relevant anymore.

Treize hesitated for a moment, taking a sip of the wine before heading back to the bed. "My plan is simple. For now, I think it wise to keep him on the ship until you can find the traitor in your base." Wufei opened his mouth to protest, but Treize stopped him by lifting a hand up. "I have no intentions of experimenting. It would be wise to find out what the sound is that makes him weak and how to fight it. But until he agrees to finding out, he's just here as a guest."

It took a moment before Wufei finally calmed down, giving a sigh as he relaxed back against the chair. "Fine." It wasn't like he wouldn't be there to stop them from doing anything to Duo. Trowa was probably going to be the one to escort Relena back to HQ since there was no way Heero would conceive of the idea of leaving Duo behind, whether Duo cared or not. "So when will Trowa and the Queen leave out?"

"The three of you will be leaving out tonight," Treize said sitting down on the bed and sitting the glass on the nightstand beside him.

Wufei didn't miss the number said, his eyes narrowing as he slowly stood to his feet. "What do you mean three?"

"Just as I said." Treize lay back on the bed resting his hands behind his head and not looking the least bit intimidated by the glare Wufei was directing at him. In fact, a hint of that cocky smirk he liked to display was twitching at his lips, eyes showing a pinch of that playful personality he'd been hiding the past three days. "You're going with them."

"…I never made that agreement."

"You weren't in the meeting to do so." Treize closed his eyes though his mouth continued to speak. "Of course you wouldn't have been there to agree. But sending the Queen out with only one person from your team is very risky."

"Trowa is completely capable of taking care of her on his own. I'm staying here to keep a protective eye on Duo." He walked over to the other side of the bed climbing on it to glare down at Treize not caring if he dirtied Treize's bed with his shoes or not.

"Shouldn't he be completely capable of taking care of himself as well?" Treize said, the eyes popping open when he felt the bed move, his eyes staring up at Wufei making the younger male freeze up and swallow. "His blood runs with the Fly-Z. The same could be said of Heero as well. What use would you be to them?"

Wufei frowned at the words, not wanting to think of himself as incapable. "Regardless, you seem to forget that I am not your soldier. You can't control my actions because of this false little game we're playing. In the end, I'm a Preventer and you're part of Romefeller and the leader of OZ."

"Which is why the game needs to end now," Treize said staring up at him making the Chinese male want to turn his eyes away. "There is no longer a need to put yourself in danger for a man you call an enemy."

Wufei blinked, staring down at him in surprised before he sputtered feeling his anger rising. "Is that what this is about? Because of what I did back at White Fang?" When Treize didn't say anything and continued to stare up at him, he huffed looking away in frustration before he sat back on the bed glaring over at the man. "Did you forget that I am, at the least, your personal guard during this whole stupid charade? If I hadn't acted, Zechs would have gotten suspicious. Seriously, what kind of guard would just stand by while his leader has a sword to his neck? Are you stupid?" And he really was looking at him like he was. What was he thinking? That Wufei would just stand there and let Zechs threaten him, kill him?

Treize seemed to be amused again, his eyes watching what was probably the different emotions flashing across his face. He really wanted to slap the man good. However, when the eyes looked over to his hand Wufei was being careful not to lean on, his eyes softened and in some ways even looked sorrowful for some reason. Why would Treize care about what happened to him? Shouldn't one less Preventer in his way be a good thing?

"W-What?" Wufei asked, still frustrated and unconsciously pulling the hand back from Treize's view. "Quit staring at me, you freak." Treize sat up, reaching over to quickly grab the wrist of the injured hand, Wufei's body freezing up as he watched him pull the hand to his lips gently kissing the bandaged palm.

"I apologize," Treize said staring up at him and gently rubbing his fingers across Wufei's hand like he was trying to soothe away the pain. "But you should not have been injured on my account." Wufei stared back, swallowing at the sincerity he heard in the words and wishing he could stop his heart from trying to rip out of his chest. He could feel his anger dissipating, his free hand reaching up to push his glasses up on his face before slowly tugging his hand free.

"It's fine," Wufei said turning his eyes away from the icy blues staring at him. "I-It's not like it's your fault Zechs threatened you." Well it might have been. He glanced over noticing the eyes still staring at him and felt the shiver run down his spine as he pushed himself to his feet again. "Look, regardless of what you think, I'm not leaving here. Duo still needs protection and the best way to do that would be to stay here as your personal guard." Wufei turned looking at Treize seeing the lively shine there in his eyes and felt his cheeks redden as he fretfully reached up to fix his hat. "N-Not that I want to be the guard to such an annoying man."

"I understand, Jin…Nataku." That playful teasing was back as he chuckled, apparently catching sight of Wufei's red cheeks in the low light. "Do as you wish. It is your decision after all."

"…Yeah." He tried not to think about how much each little action Treize performed made him desire the man more and more. Maybe Treize's lustful need was starting to rub off on him. It couldn't possibly be that he liked the man. No, who in their right mind would like such a vexatious man? Certainly not him.

He started to walk to the door but paused as he looked back at Treize trying to ignore the fact that the older male was still staring at him. "Wufei," he said gaining some smug satisfaction to seeing the extravagant eyebrows rise up in surprise. "My real name is Wufei…Wufei Chang." He didn't wait for a reply, turning quickly as he opened the door and stepped out closing it behind him. He didn't know why he said it, why he gave the man his real name. And he definitely didn't know why he was smiling like a moron, ignoring the confused looks of the two guards by the door as he walked away. But he sure felt like he'd lifted a weight from his shoulders with his admission to the man.

TBC…