Duo had finished the soup that Trowa brought a few minutes before and he was sitting with Wufei, his arms wrapped around him. "Fei... Did you hear em?" He looked so sad, his violet eyes wide.

"Hear who?" Wufei asked softly. He was still nuzzled gently into Duo's chest.

Duo dipped his head. "The others... They were making Heero laugh."

"No way!" Wufei replied and kissed Duo's chin lightly.

Duo shook his head once hard. "No! I know what he sounds like when he laughs. They were all laughing and made Heero laugh too... Fei, I thought they were threats... Why?"

Wufei shrugged. "I don't know. Last time you thought Trowa was hurting Heero." He brought that up for Duo to compare it to then wrapped an arm around Duo's stomach, trailing the stripes with his fingers a little.

Duo sighed, leaning into the shivery touch. "I want to not instinctively be afraid of the others... I'm being worse than Quatre in making the family break up..."

"No... You're not. Don't beat yourself up. It's not your fault." Wufei pulled himself on top of Duo and kissed his nose gently.

"Wufei, I scratched Heero. I'm talking hissing and leaving a deep set of cuts in the arm." Duo wrapped his arms around Wufei. He'd been feeling more social than even before the capture, but it was also more localized.

"Why did you scratch him?" Wufei asked, curious. He had missed this.

"He got too close. I think that now that I'm thinking about it, he just wanted me to move toward the bathroom for you, but I thought he was trying to take you from me at the time. I told you, I'm being more disruptive. They sound so happy in there... What do they even need me for?"

"Duo." Wufei replied in a gentle scolding tone. He kissed Duo on the lips, lingering for a moment. Duo tilted his head down with a soft sigh, not looking Wufei in the face. He was thinking too much. This was why he usually talked. "Duo." Wufei said again, softer this time. He rubbed Duo's face with the back of his hand, "Don't worry." Wufei made his voice low as he soothed him.

Duo sighed and nuzzled into Wufei. "I don't like being so different, it's making me doubt myself." He closed his eyes on a soft sigh, relaxing into the soothing.

"I'll still like you." Wufei smiled warmly at his lover. "Besides you're not so different. What do you think they did to me?" Wufei tilted his head to the side slightly, still looking warmly at Duo.

"You got cold." Duo tilted his head to look into Wufei's face. "I'm glad you care... But you can't be everything for me... I need a group Fei..."

Wufei looked sad for a moment, his hands playing with Duo's face. "I wish I could." His answer was soft and he laid down, his face on Duo's chest again. He closed his eyes and tried hard not to cry, focusing on Duo's heartbeat. Duo wrapped his arms tightly around Wufei in understanding, just lying with him that way. He was sad too.

Wufei shivered a little and returned the tight embrace. *Why can't I be enough for you Duo?* A lone tear escaped his eye.

Duo felt the damp touch his chest and he closed his eyes as he bit his lip. He didn't want to make him cry, but it was true, he'd never only been alone with one person. "I'm sorry Fei..."

"I'm sorry too, for everything. Soon, I'll get better..." Wufei swallowed and choked out the next words. "Then you won't have me around you."

Duo made a small noise, and held Wufei tighter. "So you don't want to be around me..." Duo tilted his head back and blinked rapidly, taking another tact entirely with Wufei's words then was perhaps intended. "So when you didn't want me touching you... You really feel that way?" He kept his voice amazingly level.

"I belong to you Duo. You don't belong to me." Wufei said sadly. He took a deep breath. "I'm not enough."

"I don't want you to go away. You're part of the group I need Fei... You're my lover. I care about you. I don't want anyone else to leave me. If you go It'll be like I lost a chunk of my family..." Duo blinked a few more times then simply closed his eyes, keeping his face tipped back to hide the tears, even as he chanted quietly in his head the mantra of 'boys don't cry.'

"I'll stay." Wufei said sadly. "I'll stay..." He repeated it again a little louder. *Until you throw me away... I'll stay around. I can't leave you.* "I'll never be enough." He whispered, more to himself then to Duo as he hid his face into Duo's chest.

Duo took a deep shaking breath as he held onto Wufei tightly. "No, that isn't it Fei... I just; I can't lose anyone else. I can't... And the others... I don't wanna drive them away." Duo ended it in a husky whisper, a suppressed sob causing him to shiver, and he moved his head, resting his cheek on Wufei's head, eyes tightly closed against the threatening tears. He felt like he'd lost his place.

"I'm sorry." Wufei apologized and hugged Duo again. He didn't know what else to do, other than to keep saying 'I'm sorry' over and over again.

Duo couldn't help it, a few of the tears were able to escape him anyway and his mental mantra became an audible whisper as he tried and failed to hold in his tears. He didn't know why laughter could make him so sad, but it was so much more with that. "Boys don't cry..."

Wufei squeezed Duo again and repeated after him: "Boys don't cry." His own tears fell too, onto Duo's chest. He didn't understand why repeating with Duo this way seemed to be how he should handle it, but it's what he did.

Duo finally fell silent as he broke down into dry tears, he shook, but no other sounds escaped him. He'd at least managed to try his eyes... His grip was so tight on Wufei that the other could hardly breath. He spoke again a few minutes later, after managing to beat back his pain. "I don't wanna be alone again."

"I don't either. I can't breathe." Wufei choked out a moment later. "Let me go." He pushed on Duo lightly, encouraging him to loosen his grip.

Duo loosened his hold all at one, nearly letting go as he complied with the push and request, his violet eyes blinking back a few persistent tears from his eyes. "They got quiet Fei... You don't think Q felt us do you?"

Wufei sat up and looked towards the wall, the blankets a puddle about his waist. "Fuck." He cursed and ran a hand over his face and then his hair. "I hope not." He scowled. "He 'listens in' enough, that I wouldn't be suprised." It was a sudden mood change from near depressed straight into burning anger.

"Don't get angry. He finally realized he was doing something wrong." Duo turned his saddened eyes on Wufei. It just seemed wrong for Wufei to be so solemn. "Please?"

*No more headaches please. I can't deal with them!* Wufei rested a hand on his forehead again. *Surely death would be better than whatever it is they did to me.*

Duo leaned down to kiss Wufei, a small smile on his face. "Someone is coming to see us Fei."

"Goodie." Wufei replied in a sarcastic voice as he lay down on the bed again. He hastily threw the covers over his head and turned his back towards the door. Duo made a small sound as Wufei abruptly closed off from him in his efforts to avoid anyone else. Duo sat up, drawing his knees to his chest and swiping at his eyes. He knew better than to expect Wufei to suddenly be social. Wufei, too swiped at his own eyes and just pulled the blankets further over his own head, he didn't want to talk to anyone.

Heero slowly pushed the door open, peering around the doorframe cautiously before stepping into the room. He saw the tears on Duo's face and dipped his head. "Duo, Wufei. Would you allow me to speak with you?" Heero's voice was in its normal tones, but he wasn't calling them Chang and Maxwell, so it was clear he didn't have angry intentions.

Duo gave Heero a shaky smile then, and nodded. "Sure, if you're still willing to talk to me..." Wufei shrugged from under the covers. He didn't care. He wasn't going to be talking. He just wanted to be left alone. Not totally. He wanted--needed Duo nearby but he could care less at the moment if there was anyone else in the room.

Heero made the strangest of faces. "Why wouldn't I want to talk to you? You're my best friend." Heero moved forward, perching on the corner of the bed by Duo. "Sure, both of you have done rather... Violent things towards me in the last couple days, but it's not like either of you shot me." Heero paused, a shy smile crossing his face as he looked Duo in the eye. "Well not again." Duo finally smiled a little, resting a hand on Wufei's shoulder lightly in hopes the other would at least join the conversation.

Wufei shrugged it off. He wasn't in the mood. He sniffed under the covers and tried to hide it under a badly disguised cough. Duo slumped again as Wufei rejected him and pulled his hand away. "I guess maybe I shouldn't have invited you in... Wufei didn't want to talk to anyone." He dropped his gaze to his hands, sounding a little defeated, and Heero didn't know what to do with that.

Wufei only shifted under the covers a little bit. He didn't want to talk, but he didn't want to stop Duo from talking to Heero if that's what he needed. *Heero seems like he needs to talk as well...*

Heero looked down as well. "Oh, well, if you think I should go I will. I just... I wanted you to know that I missed you, since you disappeared. It just seems like you aren't all back."

Wufei sighed loudly. Duo looked over at Wufei even as Heero did before he answered. "I didn't think you guys wanted the new and improved versions."

Wufei snorted. *I'd hardly call it 'improved'*

"Different. Though... Blue's a good color for you." Heero tried to make the joke a good one, and by the suprized look on Duo's face, he thought he'd failed.

Duo laughed a little once he finally understood and moved forward, giving Heero a sudden hug. "You tried to make a joke for me!"

Heero caught Duo and wrapped his arms around him. "Yes. Was it funny?"

"Not even a little, but thanks anyway!" Duo turned to look at Wufei then, poking at him with a foot. Wufei grumbled and shifted further away. Duo untangled from Heero, surprised that the shorthaired boy was so clingy, but he then jumped on Wufei, shaking him a little. He then leaned in very close to Wufei's face. "Do you want me to be unhappy Wufei? He isn't just here for me."

"What do you want me to say to him?" Wufei whispered and turned away from Duo again. "I don't want him to see me like this." He lowered his voice further at the second phrase.

Heero shifted a little on the bed. "Maybe I should go now. It's clear that Wufei doesn't care for my presence..." Heero sounded a little disappointed, but didn't press.

Duo moved as Heero was about to slide off the bed, using his foot to push Heero back in a nudge. "Well, he already has." Wufei said nothing and moved his feet a little under the covers. Duo spoke up as he scooted away from Wufei a little, sitting up slightly to reach Heero with his hand and yanked him closer. "Stay please." He then lowered his voice again. "Wufei. I want to trust again." Wufei remained quiet. Duo put his head on Wufei's shoulder as he perched on him, pulling Heero to just lay next to them, and keeping a hand on his side. "Can you let me Fei?"

"Let you what?" Wufei replied, his voice slightly muffled by the covers still pulled over his head

Duo leaned down so his breathed answer was only audible to Wufei. "Trust. You have to as well if I can. You being with me... It isn't fully one way." Duo smiled a little, then turned to look at Heero who was laying on his stomach where Duo had arranged him, clearly waiting for something, though what was hard to tell.

"I trust you..." Wufei whispered back, only a little hesitant.

Duo closed his eyes, talking quietly, but Heero could hear. "But not anyone else."

"Yes." Wufei answered, this time not hesitant at all.

Duo turned his face from Heero, speaking to Wufei, "You make me unable to trust my best friend."

"Why do I make you feel that way?" Wufei shifted a little under the covers.

"How can I trust anyone unlike us if you can't?" Duo knew Heero was watching, but he needed to know.

"'Cause you're Duo." Wufei said.

"But I'm not the same Duo I was." Duo ran his finger over Heero's side as he felt the boy move to shift away, and he halted under his fingers.

"Nor am I the same Wufei."

"No, you aren't, but I want to trust my same family. The pilots are my family, but I couldn't trust them Fei, because I knew you do not." Duo sighed softly. Wufei sighed in return and rolled over onto his stomach. He readjusted the blankets to cover him from view from Heero and Duo, but so that he could see over his pillow.

Heero finally spoke up, his voice quiet. "We wanted you in there with us, both of you. But... That isn't going to happen is it?" Heero rolled away from Duo's hand and back to a sitting position at the edge of the bed.

"No." Wufei whispered to himself from under the covers knowing that Heero couldn't hear him. He didn't want to be rude. But he didn't want to lie either.

Duo closed his eyes as he heard Wufei, and he pulled away from them both, stumbling his way off the bed. "Well I want to! Wufei if you don't just... Just stay there!" Duo didn't want company, not even Wufei near him suddenly. He just knew if anyone tried to follow him they would be in pain, because he would cause them to be. Then he ran, his footsteps taking him quickly out of the safe house and into the forest. Heero gazed at the closed door in shock over the sudden eruption, and turned his head to see what this reaction caused in Wufei, who had apparently said something Duo didn't agree with.