Notes: #...# indicates thoughts/thinking.
Interlude IV
Treize didn't even hear Duo come in. That he was in the shower might account for his carelessness. The sight that met his eyes when he got out was something that he really didn't like. He wrapped a towel around himself and frowned. He wondered what was going on.
Duo leaned against his bathroom door, the steam from the shower wafting passed him and escaping into the bedroom. He was dressed in a tight leather pants that were laced up the side from his ankles to his waist, just above his hips. The back and the front didn't meet, leaving a gap of a couple of inches on the outside of his leg, where the ties were. You could tell that the wearer didn't have anything on underneath those pants. There was no zipper that Treize could see, but the crotch looked like it another one of those lace up jobs. A fishnet crop top and paint was all that Duo was wearing above the waist. He looked delicious, erotic and the answer to anyone's wet dream.
So long as one didn't looked into his eyes. Treize was disturbed to see how hard they were. How professional. And no matter how delightful Duo looked for him now in that outfit, Treize had the sneaking, sinking feeling that this was what he had worn on L2 to sell himself on the streets. He was upset to feel his groin hardening at the sight before him. He was two seconds away from slamming him against the wall and ripping off those pants.
"Duo..." Treize started and then stopped. He couldn't control the raw lust that was in his in voice at the sight in front of him. A small voice in the back of his head gave small thanks to the fact that Duo had made it here without being caught. If he had, Duo would have never made it to the interrogation cells.
"You like?" Duo asked in a careless voice. "I figured you should get what ya pay for, since you know the truth now."
"It's wonderful, but it's not what you are now, is it?" Treize said, hoping to reassure his lover. He winced at his tone. Lust, that's all he heard in it, none of the love that Duo deserved. And lust was not what Duo needed now, no matter what outrageous outfit he showed up in.
Duo needed love more then lust right now. Treize for the last few weeks had been torn between trying to contact him to see if he was all right and ignoring him until he came back of his own. Duo retreating after his little confession was a move that he expected. He actually didn't think that he would come back this soon. Lady Une would have told him if Duo needed help. She seemed to be keeping track of him, for some reason. So if Duo got into any trouble he would have been notified. He had spent most of his free time fighting the urge to head to L2, find the bastard that sent to his bed and maim him. Duo was a person, not a play toy and he shouldn't be treated like one. He wondered if his controller would ever know the difference. Or care. Or was it a habit with him to think of his people as things, so that he could treat them like this. Either reason made Treize want to kill him as slowly as possible, astonished at the rage that he was feeling. This latest incident wasn't endearing him to Treize either.
"I think so. I really hate myself right now T-chan. I'm tired. And I feel like I'm losing control. Not that I had much, but..." his voice trailed off and his eyes softened for a second. The lost child that he had been looked out for a second. Then he controlled himself and slipped his mask back on. The professional was back so fast Treize wondered if he had imagined that moment.
"Duo...I didn't expect a virgin. All they're good for is catching unicorns, who are nasty creatures with the disposition of a camel. You who you are today, because of everything that has happened to you in your past. But that outfit is not who you are today. You're a Gundam pilot and a damn good one." Treize attempted to comfort him. He was no innocent either from the politics and plotting that he had done. He past wasn't anything to be proud of. The bloodshed and back stabbing that he engineered in his destruction of the Alliance made Duo look like an innocent angel.
"You don't want me?" Duo asked, putting on a come hither smile that didn't reach his eyes and sauntering up to Treize, casually feeling him through the towel and smiling at the erection that he found there. "Someone else does though."
"Duo that outfit would make a week old corpse hard." Treize growled, trying hard not to grab him back. Duo wouldn't be able to sit for a week if he gave into what he was feeling "My body is responding to that. My heart and soul wants the Duo that I took to the beach and I watched him build sand castles with the children that were there. The one that asked Une to take care of me and calls the most dreaded woman in OZ, ‘Oneesan'. The one who I want to cuddle over long winter evening and listen to music with. The Duo that I think of at odd times during the day. The one that I want wake up with for the rest of my life."
"T-chan, he doesn't exist. He is a myth. A mask that I wore to fool you. An illusion. This is the real me. Street brat. The local child of Joy. I wonder why they call us that, it's not a joyful existence." Duo's tone was cold and abstract. He could have been discussing the weather, not himself.
Duo was stoking Treize's erection and he couldn't hold back the moan that the sensation caused. He arched into and leaned down to capture Duo's lips. He started gently, not wanting to rush Duo. Sex was the last thing that his very troubled lover needed, but his body was starting to overwhelm his mind with the practiced touches Duo was giving him. He hoped that he could forgive himself some time for giving into what was happening here.
Duo kissed back roughly, thrusting his tongue into his mouth and bruising his lips. Treize felt Duo snatch his towel away before he could do anything about it. Duo started to very gently play with his nipples, teasing Treize until he felt that he was going to burst. Treize moaned loudly, the contrast between how rough Duo was being with his mouth and how gentle he was elsewhere was making him weak in the knees.
Duo stopped kissing him and slowly worked his way down Treize's chest, nibbling on his collarbone, before making his way down to his nipples. Treize continued to moan, his hands moving to grab at Duo, whether to stop him or encourage him he didn't know. Duo stopped sucking on his right nipple long enough to growl, "stop that."
Duo continued down his chest, his mouth making Treize groan as it slowly and carefully nibbled his way to what was to his target. Treize made one more attempt to stop Duo, before he gave in as Duo swallowed his cock whole in one motion. Treize groaned and almost came right then, but Duo slowly drew his lips back, to the tip and started to gently swirl his tongue around the head. After an endless time, Duo just as slowly started to reswallow him, millimeter by millimeter until Treize felt himself hit the back of his throat. He gasped and came when Duo hummed deep inside him and the vibration sent Treize over the edge. Treize sank into the bathtub in a daze too stunned to do anything else. Duo didn't stop licking and sucking on his cock until it was soft, following his body as it sank. He only spoke when Duo made an attempt to get up off his knees and go.
"Duo," Treize asked softly. "Don't leave."
"Why should I stay? You got off." Duo's tone was brittle. No warmth, no life at all.
"Duo, that bastard is really screwing you over, isn't he?" #As much as I enjoyed that, you didn't. And I feel so ashamed that I did, because there wasn't anything in you. None of the teasing or delight that you've had with this from our first night.#
"Does it matter? Do you care?" Duo looked at him with drained, empty eyes.
"It matters. Even if I didn't care. Don't let him win." Treize pleaded. #Oh Duo you sound so dead. So tired. I will kill them all. They won't haunt my dreams, if it will just get some life back into you. You're starting to sound like the doll that they think you are.#
"I was told that if I wasn't having sex with you, I could kiss flying good bye. Which is why I forced the issue when I did. He won then. He had me under his thumb."
"Duo. Do you, not anyone else, want to continue with our relationship? You have a choice." Treize said quietly. #I'll never touch you again if it would help. You can just sleep here. Be with me as friend only, because this is slowly killing you, more then anything else that they are making you do. #
Duo laughed harshly. "No I don't. Unless they know that I'm still actively continuing this, I don't fly and you get a new playmate. And there's someone that's leaking the info to them. I don't know if the room is bugged, they're checking the sheets or what, but they know. I checked myself for bugs after the first hint that they dropped, but I couldn't find anything in here or on my stuff." #T-chan don't hate me. I just used you like you were the whore in this relationship, not me. Don't hate me, please because hoping that you will understand this or forgive me eventually is the only thing that stopping me from killing myself. #
"Duo, how? The place is swept daily for listening devices. Are you sure that they know, that they're not pulling your chain?"
"T-chan, last time when I showed up and we didn't do anything, I got a message that injured or not, feeling like shit or not, you get laid. Cuddling wasn't an option. I tried to stay away as long as I could, but orders came through and I was to make myself as charming as possible. Or else. So here I am. I don't care if they hear, if you know or what. I'm tired...its getting hard not to self destruct in a battle. Harder not to give in to giving up." #I just want someone to hold me and tell me it's another nightmare. I want to wake in a bed, in a house in the 'burbs, with white picket fence, a normal family and have this entire shitty life of mine be the result of me eating too many pepperoni pizzas before bed time and having a bad dream.#
Duo had sat up and was rocking back and forth slightly. Tears were filling his eyes, causing him to blink rapidly and his eyes were dark. Treize thought he could still drown in those pools of violet, but it would with the sadness that was in them, not the sensuality of their first night together.
"Duo..." Treize breathed and closed his eyes. So much pressure. No wonder Duo hated himself and showed up in that outfit. There probably about a handful of people that Duo trusted and he was lying to all of them. "How long do you have?"
"My orders were for as long as you wanted me. Why?" #Actually, they were ‘Keep him entertained you cheap slut. You can do that right at least. Playing hard to get at this stage of the game is counterproductive. Unless you want one of the others doing this? #
"I'll be back." Treize smiled and walked over to Duo, bending down to whisper in his ear, "I have an evil plan, trust me."
Treize threw on some clothes and walked out of the room, turning on the stereo as he left. He knew someplace that they could talk, just had to arrange for a car to get them there. He was going to arrange with Une to spread the story that he was going to be studying the future of OZ and the mobile dolls for a few days. That should keep both his supporters and enemies busy enough looking at shadows so that he could straighten out his love life.
Duo rocked back and forth too tired to move. He was exhausted and just wanted to sleep. He had been doing that a lot lately. Sleeping meant that no one bothered him or ordered him around. Sleep was also an escape that was getting harder and harder to stay in. Too many of his targets had been coming back to haunt him, waking him up.
In the last fight that only thing that kept him from self destruction was the fact that Quatre would be the one that would have had to pick up the pieces afterwards. He still wasn't that desperate yet to punish Quatre for his fuck up.
Duo had fallen asleep, head resting on his knees, when Treize came back to get him. He barely made a sound when Treize picked him up, grabbed his pack and carried him to the car. Une frowned when she saw what Duo was wearing.
"What ever possessed the boy?" she whispered fiercely. She was horrified that he was dressed like that. It was degrading what his superiors were doing to him. He was an excellent pilot and a good person. She hadn't met anyone that was as caring as he was in a while. She knew that she should be jealous of his relationship with Treize, but she couldn't. Not of a boy that treated her like an older sister and had asked her to take care of Treize, her co-conspirator in her plot to shield her Treize-sama from some of the nastier aspects of the war, god knows if it was working, but they were trying. A child that might be dead before the month was out, either because of his enemies or his allies. The way things appeared, Duo had to worry more about from his superiors then his enemies.
"Orders Une," Treize replied tiredly. "They weren't happy about his last visit."
Une frowned. "They're either more degenerate then I thought or something is going on that Duo doesn't know about."
"Could be, but I'd like to get going before he wakes up. Also check everything in my suite for bugs. He said that they can monitor our activity in there. Or that there was someone feeding them information."
"Voyeurs and perverts. Poor Duo-kun." Une sighed. #Who the Hell is doing that! I thought I kept tabs on everyone! If I find him....#
"I'll be back in a couple of days. Come yourself if there's trouble. I'm going to place with no phone or net access. That cabin a couple hours north of here that I stumbled across." Treize said.
"Treize-sama, why are you doing this? He's the enemy." Une asked. #That he is your lover is something entirely separate. You both are professional about keeping yourselves separate that way. Even if you weren't sleeping together you'd probably being trying to help him. Any of the Gundam pilots, because you have more in common with them then most everyone else you know.#
"He's also a sixteen year old boy whose back is against the wall. He might not see seventeen and he deserves more out of life then what he is getting. His superiors are hounding him. He can't talk to anyone about it and I love him. He deserves to be happy, as happy as he can doing what he does."
"Knowing all that you do and don't about him?" Une asked, watching him closely.
"God help me yes." Treize muttered, tightening his hold on Duo. He carried him over to the waiting car, placing him inside and buckling him in. He climbed into the driver's seat and started up the car, waving to Une as he drove off his estate. He was thankful that he was at one of his private estates and not a military base, one of those would have been impossible to sneak off of. He drove for a couple of hours, stopping when he came to a small cabin. Duo had woken up a little halfway though the drive and asked where they were going. Surprisingly satisfied with Treize's answer of ‘someplace' he fell back to sleep again. He woke up fully when the car stopped and got out with Treize.
"Okay T-chan. Where the hell are we?" Duo asked stretching.
The nap had made he feel marginally better. But waking up and dealing with everything was going to be difficult. He almost laughed out loud when he realized why he enjoyed being with Treize so much. It was the fact that they made these timeless moments for themselves. No war, no sides, no politics. Just the two of them.
"Someplace that we can talk without being overheard. It's out of the way. This area has been abandoned for some time. So we are going to talk." Treize said. "Take off your clothes, there's a lake in front of the cabin and we are going to talk in there. A dip in the water should kill any tracking or listening devices that you might have on you."
Duo meekly followed his orders, striping down right there and walking down to the lake and submerging himself in the water, soaking his head. Treize followed his lead, but found it hard to start the conversation, once both of them were standing in the lake. It was like standing in ice water. It would help to the conversation on track, because they were both freezing.
Duo was shivering and Treize remembered a rainstorm that they had been caught in once, they had a delightful time warming each other up afterwards. Treize had a hard time not attacking the boy then and there. But he said they would talk and that Duo would have a chance to make up his mind. Besides the water was cold and he was having a hard time convincing his balls that they should get back to where they belong and stop hiding from the cold water some where in the middle of his chest.
"Duo, what do you want to do?" Treize started.
"T-chan, why are you being nice to me?" Duo asked suddenly. "Our entire relationship, if you can use that term to describe what this is, is based on the fact I'm having sex with you to get information out of you and to spy on you."
"No, our relationship is based on honesty. You could have lied to me at any time during our first night and I would have bought it. I had just lost my lover to the game of politics. That was the first adult affair that I have ever had and it was with someone I considered my best friend, as well as my lover. And he walked out on me because he put his need for revenge before our relationship, after things got difficult. I was hurt and vulnerable. You were kind enough to be up front with why you were with me. And besides conversations that you either overheard or were present for between me and Une, have you gotten any information?" Treize said.
"The first night I was covering my butt. I still thought that I could make a difference. And I didn't want one of the others to be in the position that I was forced into. A quick roll in the hay and I was going to be out of there. Then I felt guilty about treating you like a cheap screw. That had happened to me far too often, so I sent flowers and started thinking about you as a person instead of an assignment. After the second night, things changed. You made me laugh. I discovered outside the spotlight Treize Khushrendra could turn into T-chan. I felt wanted. For me. Not for what I was doing.
In Boston we got know each other better. I could talk to you. And you talked to me, not down at me because I didn't have the same education as you. You showed me that a street rat actually had some worth besides being expandable. I could dream..." his voice trailed off, overwhelmed by the emotions that he was feeling inside. There was so much that he wanted to tell him.
"You held me when I had nightmares and you could understand why I had them. You've woke up from a few yourself and let me hold you." Duo continued focusing on the moon above them, afraid to look at Treize. "I hadn't realized how far I had fallen, until that rainy night I showed up at your place half dead, when it was easier to have gone back to the safe house."
Treize moved up beside Duo and took him in his arms. Duo hugged him back, not speaking.
"It's okay Duo. You don't have to say any more." Treize soothed him.
"Just my luck T-chan, I get to kill the guy that I'm...closest to. Just another example of how rotten my luck is. They are probably counting on that." Duo said with a small gulp.
"I'm sorry about earlier," he said, drawing back, "but I didn't want to lose my nerve. That's why I didn't let you speak. I would have started crying. And boys don't cry."
"Sh...it's all right." Treize said, leaning down to kiss him gently on the lips. Duo tentatively kissed back, gradually warming up when Treize wasn't rejecting him. "You know that I still trust you."
"Don't T-chan. Because there is something going on that you don't know about." Duo warned softly.
"Whatever you injected into me the first night?" Treize asked
Duo jerked out of his arms and stared at Treize. "How did you find out? When did you find out?" he asked horrified. Staring at him, eyes impossibly wide, the color slowly draining from his face. His thoughts raced as he tried to process this new information.
#All this time and he said nothing! Not that he could. It was a waiting game to him. Seeing if I would go through with it. And I could honestly say to myself that I don't know if I could or would follow through. It depended on what else was happening. What the stakes were, because as important as this is to me, the big picture wins. Because I'm not worth it. Not against the freedom of the colonies.#
Treize moved to hug him again, hurt when Duo jerked away for a second time. "I found out soon after you left me the first time. I had an allergic reaction to it. Une found me that morning throwing up anything I had ever eaten. I couldn't figure out what was wrong with me until later. And by then I had flushed it out of my system. The next time you visited me I didn't want to bring it up. Telling you would have put more pressure on you."
"I..." Duo shuddered, hugging himself "Sorry doesn't cut it does it. Neither does the phrase ‘following orders' .
"Duo..." Treize started and sighed. "My eloquence has deserted me on this. I can't tell you that everything will be all right. You've realized that the good guys and the bad guys have become a blurred line. After all this time in the war, I don't think that anyone knows any more."
"Do you consider me the good guy or the bad guy?" Duo asked in a small voice.
"One of the white hats. You've tried to do your best with an impossible situation." Treize smiled down at him. "And I just realized that you weren' t really the spy, you were the decoy."
"T-chan it took you this long to figure that out!" Duo exclaimed, torn between amusement and dismay. "I thought it was obvious. Which is why you were letting this go on as long as you did. Lady Une certainly keyed onto it right away."
"Well it was too obvious. No one is that unsubtle." Treize protested. #How long has my faithful Lady Une known that? And has she managed to find the other one? Beside the third that she's going to rip into shreds for taping me in bed.#
"A subtle thought had never passed through these guy's brains before. Trust me." Duo assured him.
"But how did they manage to organize themselves and launch your operation." Treize asked.
"God T-chan, look what they are working with. A bunch of kids that shouldn't be let out with either a hell of a lot of supervision or more meds then you can shake a junkie at. Well, except Quatre, but the rest of us are a mess and he's heading towards the loony bin real fast if something doesn't break soon. ‘Sides I was a last minute addition, they found me hiding in the ship and decided to train me rather then space me. I wonder if they made the right decision at times." Duo argued. "I can't believe I told you that... I gotta change the subject." he muttered hitting himself on the head.
Treize grabbed his hand and held it. He drew Duo into his arms, thankful that he was distracted enough to let him. He held him gently, not speaking, waiting for Duo to break the silence. After a few moments, he raised his head and looked Treize in the eyes.
"You said back in your apartment that you want to wake up with me for the rest of your life?" he asked, wistfully. "I'm a street rat, that you only met because his superiors threw him at you like a party treat. Why?"
Treize looked back, realizing how emotionally naked Duo was. He hadn't seen him so vulnerable before, anyone that vulnerable in his life. He was afraid to answer him, knowing that it could make or break their relationship.
"I never thought of you as a party treat." he started slowly, trying to convey the depth of his feeling for this quicksilver being in his arms, it was hard. Duo seemed too hurt to really understand how much he loved him. "You were a breath of fresh air in my world. A mystery that I wanted to unravel. You then showed me that no matter how big the picture was that I was looking at, all those pieces that made up the whole were human beings that had dreams and hopes and wishes. That for all my posturing and grand speeches, there was someone out there who didn't care about all that, but was willing to bleed and sweat and die, so that someone else didn't have to. And you had no hidden motives, no secret agenda, you were the one person that has never lied to me. You didn't tell me everything, but you didn't lie. I know that I wouldn't have met you, except for my position in OZ, but you separated Treize Khushrendra and T-chan out. You are about the one person in my life that I don't have to play some power game with, and I love you for that. You understand the politics of what is going on and you don't care. There are a thousand little things about you that made me fall in love with you, I can't list them all."
"Stay with me, Duo. I know you don't want to think about the future, but I would like one with you." Treize pleaded.
"I'll stay. And I want a future with you too." Duo mumbled, burying his face in his chest.
"Then let's get some rest. And out of this water before we both freeze to death. This was not one of my smartest moves. I packed some supplies and we can camp out here for a few days, work things out, trying to out think those bastards. And then we can go back to the world."
"I know" Duo sighed. "Why don't you hate me for what I am doing to your troops?"
"Because it's a war." Treize answered, seriously, "And if you weren't faster and smarter then them, you'd be the one that they killed. I wouldn't hate them for that, but I would hate your death."
"Now that we've depressed ourselves, lets see how good a condition the cabin is in." Duo said wandering over to the car.
Treize enjoyed the view of a naked, wet Duo bent over the back seat of the car, getting the supplies and his pack out. He smiled and went to help him, pausing to run a hand down his back and enjoying the chuckle that he received at his actions.
"You know that the water is really cold when I'm warmer out of it." Treize commented ruefully.
"Stupid question Treize, you do have the keys to this place or do I have to break in" Duo asked.
"Break in." Treize answered with a smile, "I always wanted to see you in action."
"Months of hot, sweaty sex wasn't enough action for you?" Duo asked as he wandered up to the door and tested the lock.
"A different sort of action, one that doesn't leave my mind out wandering in the universe when we're done." Treize replied, glad that a nap had restored some of the life to Duo's voice. He still wasn't the carefree imp that had climbed into his bed months ago, but he hoped that they could work on that.
"What's a matter T-chan?" Duo snickered, "Not allowed to wander out on its own?"
"Too small." Treize joked back.
"Small will never describe you," Dou leered back, running his tongue over his lips.
"Flattery will get you every where, my sweet, but I want to get into the cabin before that."
"Give me a minute..." Duo answered, getting his lock picks out of his hair. He started fooling around with the lock, glad that the moon was close to full so he could see what he was doing. The lock was a little stiff from disuse, which why it took him as long as it did.
"I was wondering where you hid those things." Treize observed idly. #Would Duo ever unlearn those early lessons. Would he live long enough to sleep without a gun under his pillow or jumping at any strange noise?#
"Where did you think?" Duo asked.
"Didn't think of it, I know that I felt them once in while, but I didn't dwell on it."
"Don't leave the house without them most of the time." Duo called back, entering the cabin, trying not to trip over things.
It smelled closed up, but didn't smell like something had been living there, so he was happy. Grumpy animals were not his thing, they were Trowa's. He found a lamp and was happy to hear that it had a little fuel in it when he shook it. He found matches after a few gropes and managed to light it. As the lantern flared, he found himself in a large room, the size of the entire cabin with a small loft over head.
‘It's okay Treize, nothing in here and I got a light going. Hope that there is more fuel around here." he said.
"Should be, it wouldn't have dried up, if top was screwed on tight. And no one seems to have broken in here." Treize said.
"How do you know this place?" Duo asked, his curiosity stirred. Treize out in the woods was something that he would never believe. He was a city boy, like Duo and roughing to him Duo would have sworn was not having a four star hotel to stay at.
"I found it a few weeks before we got together. I got very lost driving around here. I made sure that I'd remember where it was in case there was someplace that I wanted to hide out."
"You afraid that we are going to win and you are going to need someplace to hide out. I'll remember that if I have to look for you." Duo teased him.
"I was thinking of hiding from my responsibilities. But I will hold you to that," Treize replied seriously. #Thinking about the future, there's some hope yet.# He thought hopefully, but Duo's next words crashed that.
"Like I'm going to survive this mess. I might not want to, if I keep get these assignments." Duo sighed.
"That bad?" Treize asked quietly, hugging him. Duo leaned into it and sighed, not answering for a minute.
"Yeah, I'm their favorite little toy right now. But I'm not complainin' about it any ‘cause Quatre or Wufei might get them. In fact, I'm sure of it cause I grumbled once and got that as an answer. And I got to choose which one. So I keep my mouth shut and just accept my orders. I've started sleeping in Shinigami again, cause I'm havin' more nightmares and I don't want to wake the others. I've started running from my friends and it sucks. But I turn on the charm when I'm with them, so they don't know that anything is wrong and it gettin' harder to do."
"Well, I think that you're just charming the way that you are, so don't worry about acting around me. That those idiots insist on burning you out as punishment for your surviving the streets, makes me just want to kill them all the more." Treize said quietly, as Duo buried his head into his chest and started to shake. Treize was fairly sure that's as close as tears he was going to get. Duo had been very drugged out the last time to get him to breakdown as completely as he did.
"Just make me forget when I'm with you and I'll be happy." Duo whispered. "I want to forget all the blood and death."
"That's all I want to do, Duo. I want keep you safe, spoil you silly and let you have a future. I know that is an impossible dream at times, but I want to give it to you." Treize whispered back, slowly stroking his back, letting Duo try and find comfort in his arms.
They stood like that for a while, until Duo stepped back, raking his bangs out of his face. "We should throw down a sleeping bag at least. And I've got to brush out this mess or we are going to spend all day tomorrow doing it."
"There are worse ways of spending the time." Treize replied, running his hands through it. It was amazing that Duo managed to care for it. He must have been growing it for years, almost since he was born. That he had managed to keep it through everything that had happened to him was a miracle. He wondered if Duo would ever tell him why he had grown it this long.
"I can think of better things to do." Duo said, leaning up to give him a kiss.
"I think that all you want me for is sex." Treize complained. "I resent that. I have a brain, you know."
Duo chuckled. T-chan was so cute at times. Too bad the rest of the world didn't see this side of him. And had as much as a one track mind as he had, but he did have a point. "I was thinking about a swim or a walk. You know, the things that normal couples do."
"Do you have anything else to wear besides that outfit? I don't want to get arrested." Treize asked #Do you even realize you said that Duo? Couple. Not anything else. And it does sound so nice coming from you.#
"How stupid do you think I am T-chan? If I had gotten caught in that by anyone else besides you or Une , I wouldn't have made it past the barracks. I changed in you room, thank god you like long showers."
"A walk in the morning then, after we figure out what we need from town. If we need anything. Closest thing to a store is about five miles away. We can pick up anything that I forgot there."
"Either me or you, but not together. We stick out too much. You got to take lessons on sneaking, T-chan. Around here two guys together stick out, since we aren't local and don't look like we're up here for the fishing or whatever people do around here. I might in the dark pass for a girl, if I don't open my mouth. And your car is fancy enough to stick out."
"I bow to the wisdom of the professional terrorist." Treize replied, bowing to Duo.
He laughed and shook his head. "That's Heero, I'm just a good thief."
Treize laughed at the look on his face when he realized the mistake that he made. "Don't worry, I have enough information on all of your compatriots. You aren't telling me anything I don't know. You are about the only blank I have. Lady Une couldn't find anything on you."
"Really?" Duo asked in relief. "That's the hardest part, watching what I have to say so that I don't mention them. They are a great bunch of guys in their own way, Quatre especially. He doesn't deserve to be doing this."
"You don't deserve this, Duo." Treize pointed out gently as Duo started to unroll the sleeping bag he brought in. "You manage to keep cheerful in the face of all the trouble that those people are giving you. Starting with them tossing you at me. I don't care if you reluctantly volunteered so that the others didn't have to, it was dirty tactics that they even thought of it."
Duo grabbed his brush from his pack and attacked his drying hair. "You want to know the trick to me surviving as long as I have, T-chan? It's that the past is over, the future hasn't happened yet and now is the only thing that matters. And I squeeze everything that I can out of now to keep me happy. That's how I survive."
They were both quiet for a few minutes, Duo concentrating on working out a particularly nasty tangle in his hair and T-chan just watching him. Treize grabbed the brush from Duo and started working on his hair, enjoying the process of detangling his hair and then just brushing it dry. Duo sighed and leaned back, practically falling asleep on him he was so relaxed. He didn't fight it when T-chan pushed him down on the sleeping bag and curled up. Treize blew out the lamp and curled up next to him, happy that Duo snuggled up against him in his sleep.
Treize was woken up to Duo nuzzling his chest. He was making little murmuring noises and smiling. Treize hugged him gently and kissed the top of his head. Duo nuzzled some more before slowly waking up. Treize enjoyed seeing him blink the sleep out of his eyes. They were so soft and vulnerable when he was doing that. He managed to look younger then he really was.
"Good morning, Duo" Treize said, giving him a good morning kiss. Duo returned it enthusiastically.
"Don't expect much, my sweet," Treize said and winced when he stretched out. Sleeping on the floor was painful. "Why don't you feel like you've been through the wringer?"
"'Cause I've been sleeping in Shinigami. That's cramped quarters. Only advantage that I have is that I'm small. I think that's why we're all so compact. We wouldn't fit otherwise if we had to be in ours for a long time. You don't have that problem with the Leos and the Aries. And Tallgeese is just a wildcard in the deck. I think that if I had to pilot that, I'd need a map of the cockpit." Duo replied.
"Nope, I just think that the bunch that recruited the lot of you are a bunch of perverts that like young boys. And the lot of you are attractive enough to make the authorities overlook any irregularities that might crop up. Youth and an innocent face do go a long way."
"Could be, it always served me in the past. But now we got to check out what we have here. I want to see in the water's running, if it isn't, that might be a problem. I don't care about electricity if we have enough fuel, but water is a must." Duo said getting up.
Treize sat up slowly, wincing as each new part of his body protested that he hadn't slept in his own bed last night. The cracking of Duo's spine told Treize that while he may be used to such odd conditions, his body didn't like them much either. He felt better at that and checked out the place in the daylight.
It was a small cabin. One large room that had a very ancient stove, sink and refrigerator in the corner with a battered table and a few cabinets. In the opposite corner were an old sofa and a few bookcases. Duo had checked out the loft above the room and was hanging over the edge waving.
"A comfy bed up here and that's about it. Nothing in the way of closets and I haven't check out the bureaus yet. The bed seems in good shape and I think that the mattress is a feather one. Aside for dust, there's nothing wrong up here. I'm opening a few windows and airin' it out. Then I'm seein' if I can find stuff for the bed."
Treize had to smile at his excited tone. He sounded like a kid at Christmas time. Treize thought that he should explore down here. He checked out the two doors that were on either side of the ladder to the loft. The way that he was feeling, he hoped that one of them was a downstairs bedroom, but a large featherbed would make the climb worth it. The first door led to a large closet, that in a pinch might be a small bedroom, if one didn't expect anything besides a bed in there.
The other door led to a huge bathroom. Treize was impressed with the facilities. They were about twenty years out of fashion, but he wouldn't argue about it. Just so that they worked would be a good thing. The tub was impressive even by his standards and the separate shower and toilet areas were a nice touch. He had obviously stumbled across a rich family's vacation hideaway. Duo had climbed down and came in behind him. Treize was amused by the look of wonder in his eyes as he stared at the tub.
"I want to get that to work! Think of the bubble baths T-chan. We could have an orgy in here!" Duo exclaimed excitedly.
"What is it with you and water? It's a tie to see what you like more showers or food?" Treize asked. He was happy to have a bouncy Duo. He was going to milk this for all it was worth before he had go back. The shadows hadn't left Duo's eyes completely, but they were faint. Treize didn't think that they would completely leave until long after this war was over.
"If you're good I'll tell you some time." Duo replied offhandedly, more interested in trying to find out how to get the water to work. He traced the line and frowned that he had to go outside. He really didn't want to go outside yet, but water was important.
"I hope that I can find some tools and that this place was on well water, instead of the city. But I bettin' on well water cause we are so far from anyplace. Just let me get dressed and I'll start pokin' around outside."
"Okay, are you sure that you can get this going?" Treize asked.
"It shouldn't be too hard, I've had to do this a couple of times before. Just have to find the water input and poke around. I'm hoping for self contained power unit too, they didn't skimp on stuff when they furnished this place. The sheets are SILK if you can believe that. I just wonder why no one has been using it."
"A lot of people have been affected by this war. They may have stopped using because they all died or the children are gone and they don't want to be reminded of the good times that they had here. Or they may have immigrated to the colonies It could be any number of things, but I'm taking advantage of the fact that no one is here and we are." Treize replied, hugging Duo.
"Just let me get the water going and I will make breakfast. If you're hungry I've got a few snacks in my pack, nothing fancy, just something to munch on. But I'm going to be fooling around outside for a little while, so could you check things out by looking though the bookcase and the kitchen, see if you can get a hint of who owned this place while I'm outside."
"Why?"
"Just curious. I like knowing these things. I usually write a thank you note after we're though with someplace. It's weird I know, but I do try to have some manners." Duo said throwing his clothes on. He braided back his hair quickly and gave Treize a kiss "I'm moving the car so it's in back of the cabin, that way if the local cops are driving by, they aren't going to see it. The sheriff hauling us in for trespassing would be a very bad thing. That would definitely be a no-no."
Treize moved to pull on some clothes himself and let Duo putter around the outside of the cabin. He heard snatches of singing while Duo was trying to get things up and running. He was busy himself trying make the place habitable for the short time that they were going to be there. He cleaned out the cabinets of out of date cans and jars and was happy to see that the refrigerator was empty of anything. He tackled the bookcases next, and besides finding out that the owners had the habit of hiding money in between the pages of their books and that they apparently didn't read anything more then the best seller's list, nothing. No names or hints of who owned it. He was about to start searching the sofa when Duo came back in.
"Any luck T-chan?" he asked, giving him a hug. "I got the water going and the power, it was a simple shut off switch. Just had to get some of the rust off. I found that there is a garage underneath this place and parked the car down there. A casual drive by won't detect us. If they even bother with that stuff. This place looks deserted. The furnace and the water heater are down there and I turned on the water heater, should be warm in about a half hour or so."
"No information, not even pictures. There is just a bunch of books, nothing that stands out there and I found about hundred dollars hidden in the books. Everything that I found is around A C 185. I made the bed and I think I can scrape up something for lunch considering it's about noon." Treize said, hugging Duo back. "After that we can go for a swim, but it's getting cold out which is about right since it's winter here and the warmth of the last few days was unusual. I can't believe that you went in last nigh t, you must have been freezing. So a bath would be better to clean us up and then we can try and figure something out."
"I've been thinking about that." Duo said thoughtfully. "More music and we don't do anything that we wouldn't do in public in the bedroom. Just enough hints that something's happening. Just pretend that you've suddenly have gotten a yen for doin' it in odd places like the kitchen, the bathroom, your office. Hell I'm for recording odd noises and playing it back if that means that it will get them off our back."
"God, Duo I don't care if they record us during sex, its afterwards that bothers me. I like our discussions and that I resent that they are recording those. I don't care about that other stuff." Treize retorted. "I haven't had a private moment since I've been at the Academy it seems. Less so since OZ overthrew the Federation."
"I mind it too, T-chan." Duo said sadly. "I spent a year under their thumb training. Privacy was nonexistent. It was a blessing too in a way, because no one could get me into a dark corner. It was nice when I finally got some alone time."
"That bad?"
"Well, there weren't to many female types around and I think I was the cutest thing on board. Even guys that didn't swing that way were eyein' me after a while."
"We'll go with this plan for now. Something better has to come up, I just can't think off it." Treize said, moving into the kitchen. Sandwiches sound good?"
"Excellent. I'm starting to get hungry. Then a shower and do you wanna check out the mattress? I've never done it on a feather mattress." Duo looked at Treize with begging puppy eyes.
"Duo you are incorrigible. Do you think about anything besides sex?" Treize asked laughingly.
"No it's just that the only time that I get to see you is for sex. And you are just so cuddly afterwards." Duo smiled winningly and fluttered his eyelashes. "Besides I know that they aren't recording us here, so I gonna enjoy it while I can."
"I give in. Besides I can't think of anything better to do, I don't want to share you with anyone." Treize admitted. "So lunch, a shower and then bed, we didn't get much sleep last night."
"Then we better get out of here, because I don't want anyone else to find this place. I want just the two of us to know about this." Duo said. "I know that don't they expect me back for a while, but we might as well do one performance for them and then I better split. The guys do on occasion expect me to spend some time with them, even if they really don't pay any attention to me."
Treize sighed happily and cuddled Duo closer. It had been interesting on a feather mattress. It was like sinking into Duo when they were making love, warm and engulfing. While Duo usually responded with an enthusiasm that was unparalleled, he had been tender, caring and yielding . Something had changed in him with their discussion last night and Duo admitting that he wanted a future with him. Treize didn't know if he liked this new maturity in him, but it was special.
Duo sighed and snuggled back. "I don't want to move. Can we stay here forever?"
"We are going to have to move eventually, if it's only to eat. Or Une's going to track us down and find two skeletons. She might be a bit annoyed at that." Treize replied, idly playing with Duo's hair.
"I'll be dead, what can she do to me?" Duo teased back.
"She'll make sure that you don't get buried with your pride and joy, this hair" Treize replied, burying his face in it. He adored the smell and the feel of his hair. There was something just so Duoish about it.
"She can try, she's gonna hafta deal with someone more powerful then her if she does that." Duo said, starting to drop off to sleep.
"Who's that?" Treize asked. #A clue, something that you're willing to tell me? A glimpse into your past that you never told me about?#
"Mmm...I should tell you, they way things are going I want someone to know. I never told anyone else." Duo said, waking up a little. "I want someone to remember if I don't make it through this."
"What do you want to tell me, Duo?" Treize asked, not bothering to contradict him. Duo was being realistic, as much as it tore at his heart and made him want to assure the boy that they would both survive. If he kept doing assassinations, he was going to get caught sooner or later and that would be it. Or it was going to get to him eventually and he was going to put a bullet in his brain. Either option left him dead at before the end of the war.
"T-chan, I don't even remember my parents. I was about three when they were killed in some stupid Federation battle. Most of the neighborhood was destroyed. I was found by another kid that was only a couple of years older then me. His name was Solo. We ran together for a couple of years, we eventually got a gang of kids together, after we had moved to one of the other colonies. We had stowed away on one of the freighters that were moving around the L2 cluster. We were doin' pretty good until the plague went through. Solo died in my arms. It was then that I finally got name, Duo. I lost about half the gang before I managed to steal the inoculation that could cure us. The Feds weren't going to waste it on a bunch of lowlifes like us."
Duo's tone was bitter. Treize tightened his arms around him, waiting for him to continue with his story. He didn't want to break the fragile spell that was happening here. He didn't think that he would get another chance to hear this.
"Solo told me that I was in charge, before he died. That was about the only thing that kept me going. I had to keep things together. It was a little nasty at times, but if I was doin' it with the Johns, the little ones weren' t with them. You'd laugh, but I was only about seven or eight at the time, I wasn't much older then they were. Start of my illustrious career on the streets. I learned real early that in nothing in life was free."
‘Oh God, Duo.' Treize thought, kissing him gently. #You should have been playing with the other kids, not turning tricks or stealing to survive. You never had a childhood.#
"It was a couple of months later that we all got picked up. Not by the Feds, hell some of them were my best customers. But by Father Maxwell and Sister Helen. They tried to find homes for all of us, but no one wanted me for more then a night or two, I couldn't get along with them or the other kids if they were some. They either wanted to cut my hair, I'd been growing it for a while so I wasn't going to do that, it was they only thing that they couldn' t take away from me. Or they didn't like the look in my eyes. I'd been in charge and out on my own too long. I wasn't a good kid anymore. It disturbed them. I was something that they couldn't deal with, a fact of life that they didn't want to know about. After a while Sister Helen and Father Maxwell let me stay with them. I got real good matching up kids with parents. Charming the parents out of donations too.
I stayed with them about four years. Sister Helen taught me to braid my hair back. It was mess and since we were on water rations I didn't get to bath too often, just when it rained or snowed. I got some education, they sent me to a Fed school. Sister Helen tried to teach me about the ballet, the Opera, the arts. I think she came from a real good family. And she was willing to put up with a stinking, stubborn street rat. She took real good care of my hair when she could. It was special to her. I guess hers had been long before she became a nun.
It all went to Hell when I was about twelve. Father Maxwell didn't want to get involved between the Feds and the rebels, but they both wanted me. I was really good at jacking suits, I'd been doing it for a long time. I could fix almost anything too. I swear I kept the generator at the orphanage going long after the blasted thing should have died, but we never could get enough to replace it. The Feds wanted me, cause I was good at fixin' things and the rebels wanted me for the same reason. They didn't trust Father Maxwell's neutrality, I was supposed to be a hostage for that I think. It didn't matter. I went off to get a suit for the rebels to get them off our back and the Feds decided to bomb the place out of existence. Of the 245 people that were there, kids, nuns and rebels, the Feds killed them all. I came back just in time to see Sister Helen die. I was happy that they had only shot her, ‘cause she was really pretty. The authorities nearly nabbed me because I wouldn't let her go. That was the last time that I cried, until that night with you. Not that I had cried a lot before that. I took my last name so that someone would remember him. They used to call me Maxwell's little demon. He always insisted that I was his little angel. Funny, huh? I think that he'd be a little disappointed on how I turned out.
I disappeared back into the streets after that. It only took a couple days for me to hook up with another gang. I worked my way up to second boss. Not that I was that ambitious, but I could take care of the little ones better that way. There was a little more protection for them that way. I got caught by the Feds a few times but I knew how to get out of their clutches, you can guess how.
After a few years of that I split. I didn't want deal with things any more. I thought that I could get a better start on another colony. I stowed away on one of the Sweepers barges to get out of there. The doc caught me and it was touch and go for a while whether they would space me or train me. I still don't know why they chose me. I lost a couple of days with them, I think that I'm glad that I can't remember them. The only thing, I think, that saved me was good reflexes.
After training they sent me to Earth for Operation Meteor. And you know the rest. Doc either got me to spill my guts on what I'd been doing or I told him under some weird drug, ‘cause no way in hell I'd of voluntarily told him that I was turning tricks. He always struck me as the slimly type that had to pay for it, but I don't ever remember running into him. I didn't know that he had found out until he got mad at me for turning him down. And he threw what I had been doing back in my face. Then he decided that since I wouldn't play with him, he'd hand me off to you. And I keep getting every nasty assignment they can give me. I don't think that I'm going to last too long this way and I want someone to remember." Duo fell silent, waiting for Treize's reaction.
"Thank you, Duo." he said, stroking his hair gently. Duo looked up at the odd tone in his voice. He was surprised to see a tears running down his face.
"Oh T-chan." Duo started, moving up to kiss his tears. "Don't cry, that's the past, It's over, I just want someone to know that I existed outside of being a Gundam pilot. You're about the only one that I wanted to tell. I'm sorry that it made you sad."
"Duo, you just gave me the greatest gift. I am overwhelmed that you trust me this much."
"I wouldn't have stuck around this long if I didn't. Just remember that I was once an innocent little kid once. That I wasn't born with a gun in one hand and the self destruct in the other. Maybe after I wash all the blood off, I might be able to find something that resembles that innocence."
"You may not be innocent anymore Duo, but you have a caring heart that few people are willing to have. Get some rest Duo, I'll wake you in a little while and we'll get back before they come looking for us."
End Part 5
Christine
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