Author's Note: Huge chapter...but I know no one will mind ;) So much to cover!
Boot Camp Part 30
Escape and Evasion
"Trowa, you haven't touched your food," Quatre pointed out, a worried look fixed on the green-eyed boy.
"Not hungry," Trowa shrugged. "I'm just--nervous. Tense."
"Yeah, I can tell," Quatre said quietly. "What brought this on?"
The other boy simply shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe we've just been having too much of a run of luck this week. And now Maxwell and Yuy are at war again, and we've got a team exercise tomorrow." A scowl crossed his handsome features. "I have a bad feeling about all of this, Quatre."
The aquamarine eyes were soft with concern. "You really do seem--upset--since you spoke to the warden. Nothing went wrong with Nanashi, did it?"
"No!" Trowa said hastily, feeling a sharp twinge of guilt and fear. Not knowing exactly how much Quatre could really pick up on emotions, he tried to quell the dread Kushrenada had left him with. "It'll all be okay come Sunday," he assured the other boy, closing his eyes wearily. "As soon as Catherine takes Nanashi, I'll be able to rest easier." And tell you what happened and why I had to betray the entire team. Please, Quatre, understand!
Quatre could tell there was something wrong...something deeply wrong with his friend. And he could even pick up on the fact that it involved Nanashi. But the only probable explanation was that there was potential for the adoption to fall through, and it was obvious Trowa didn't want to discuss that possibility.
Setting a reassuring hand on one of Trowa's, Quatre forced a smile. "If you want to talk about whatever's got you worried, I'll be happy to listen, any time."
Trowa nodded, looking away and swallowing hard. It was with relief that he saw Heero walking over from having a meal packed up in a bag to take back to Duo. The former circus performer didn't want to be alone with Quatre's empathic nature just then.
"You really expect him to eat that, Yuy?" he said, shaking his head. "He'll throw it in your face."
"Hai. That's why I'm having Quatre give it to him," Heero said flatly, handing the bag to the blonde.
Quatre shrugged slightly. "I doubt he'll eat it, but at least I probably won't end up wearing it, like you would." His attempt at humor fell rather flat, as they all felt the deep rift within their team.
"So I fucked up!" Heero said sharply, angrily. "For Christ's sake, he's seventeen and a street kid. He should be able to shake this off!"
Quatre's blue eyes smoldered, and he stood up slowly, leaning in close to whisper in Heero's ear. "He might have, if he hadn't been falling in love with you, you insensitive ass!" He walked out of the mess hall, carrying the paper bag, and leaving his two teammates staring unhappily at each other.
"Don't look at me," Trowa sighed, staring at his glass of juice and wishing it were something stronger. "I'm as fucked up as you are, Yuy."
Heero gave him a slightly puzzled look, and Trowa stood up, heading after Quatre. The team leader took his own untouched meal and tossed it in the garbage before following both of his teammates.
~*~
Duo didn't look up at their return. He was sprawled across his bunk, ostensibly reading some of Hilde and Howard's letters.
Quatre set the paper bag on Duo's foot locker. "Brought you back something for later," he said quietly, giving his friend a small, reassuring smile.
"Yeah, thanks," came the listless reply.
"You'll need your energy," Quatre added, walking over to lean his chin on the edge of the bunk. "Tonight we've got the campout before the river crossing."
Duo nodded, never taking his eyes off the letter in front of him. But instead of reading, he was absently smoothing the paper, his eyes fixed on a point in the middle of the page.
Heero swallowed a lump in his throat at the sight of the braided boy with such a lost look in the deep, indigo eyes. Not for the first time, he wanted to bang his head against the wall in frustration. But instead, he set up the laptop and settled in front of it, trying to concentrate on the screen and failing miserably.
Trowa had gone to his own bunk, stretching out on it and staring at the ceiling, trying not to think of the warden's threat against Nanashi, and what he was going to have to do to prevent it from being carried out.
Quatre clapped both hands to the sides of his head. "Allah! I can't take this from you three!" He stomped outside, slamming the door, and sitting on the barracks steps, where at least the turmoil was slightly less overwhelming.
Heero looked up at Duo, who was still staring at the letter, his eyes narrowed in anger, but with tears threatening to spill over those beautiful lashes.
"Find something else to stare at, Yuy," Duo snarled, not even glancing in his direction. The boy's voice was rough...hoarse from screaming obscenities into his pillow...and colder than Heero had ever heard it.
Heero opened his mouth, trying to find something to say. But no manner of apology was going to bring the warmth back into those indigo eyes, and the Japanese boy suddenly realized how much he was going to miss it. His own eyes threatened tears, but he blinked, tearing his gaze away from the chestnut-haired boy, and fixing it back onto the laptop.
Trowa let out a short, bitter bark of laughter, rolling over so he was facing the wall, and muttering about how seriously fucked up they all were.
~*~
Corporal Carter found Quatre still seated on the steps, idly rubbing a hand across his heart, as if in pain. "You okay, Winner?"
"As okay as I can be with my team at war," sighed the blue-eyed boy.
"Maxwell still ready to kill Yuy?"
"Yeah...in any number of gruesome ways, I'm sure," Quatre shrugged.
"'M not sure I blame him," Carter admitted, sitting beside the boy. "That was pretty cold, what Yuy did."
"It kept Duo from breaking Kyle's neck and going to prison for it," Quatre noted.
"That's one way of looking at it." The soldier looked off across the compound, his face pensive. "Am I safe in assuming Maxwell had--feelings--for Yuy, before this happened?"
Quatre shrugged, not wanting to reveal too much. He was already sorry he'd told Heero that Duo had been falling for him; that wasn't his secret to tell.
"If he did," Carter pushed on stubbornly. "Maybe he'll find a way to understand why Yuy did what he did."
"He's smart. He'll figure it out," Quatre said flatly. "The question is whether he'll ever forgive him."
"Yeah," Carter shrugged. "Maybe I should start a betting pool on it." The shocked look the blonde gave him made the soldier chuckle. "Just kidding, Winner. I was hoping to get a smile out of you."
Quatre mustered up a wan smile. "Sorry, Carter, but that's all I've got."
"You're a good kid," said the corporal quietly.
The blonde gave a skeptical snort. "Wouldn't be in juvenile boot camp if I were," he said flatly.
"Bullshit. A lotta people end up in places like this just for making dumb kid mistakes." He leaned back against the side of the building. "I wasn't exactly a picture of perfection at your age, either."
This time Quatre managed an almost genuine smile. "It's hard to think of you being in trouble," he said, shaking his head. "You're so...I dunno...professional?"
Carter chuckled. "You wouldn't say that if you'd been there when my graduating class at our boot camp put bubble bath in the fountain at the Academy."
Quatre gave a short laugh. "Don't tell Duo," he advised. "You'll give him ideas."
"I think he's already full of 'em," Carter grinned back. "And as soon as his wounded pride recovers, he'll be up to his usual pranks." He stood up and stretched. "C'mon...let's get your sulking teammates up and ready to move out. We leave in an hour for the campsite."
Quatre opened the door to find the barracks as quiet as a tomb, save for Heero's steady tapping on the computer keyboard.
Carter gave a low whistle. "Shit, for the team that's won every event this week, you're pretty somber in here."
"I think we're all just...tired," Heero suggested.
"Well, considering we've got a ten-mile hike to the river, it might be a long afternoon." The soldier looked up at Duo expectantly. "C'mon, Maxwell...I'm counting on you to keep things lively today."
Duo gave him a flat, cold stare. "You may find your faith sadly misplaced," he said evenly. Like I did.
"Ah, right," sighed the MSC corporal. "Well, then, you leave me no choice. You all have fifteen minutes to pack your shit and get your sorry asses down to the exercise yard! Now move it!"
The four boys got up and doggedly packed their things; a change of clothes, toiletries, spare socks, windbreakers, and sleeping bags. Duo pulled the survival pack out of his foot locker, quickly rummaging through to make sure everything was accounted for. And with about thirty seconds to spare, they loaded up and jogged down to the field.
All of the recruits were gathered there, in team groupings, each with a liaison keeping watch.
"Fucking babysitters," Duo muttered under his breath, with a resentful glare focused on Team Faction's liaison.
"Down, boy," Quatre hissed back. "You promised Chang, remember?"
"I know," came the sullen reply. Duo looked around restlessly. "I haven't even heard whether Jase is okay, Quat," he said finally, beginning to snap out of his snit over Heero.
"Well, here comes Chang. Maybe you could ask."
But one look at Captain Chang's face convinced Duo he didn't want to mess with the officer. Wufei had a perfectly thunderous expression on his face.
"What the hell--?"
And then the reason for his anger became apparent. Warden Kushrenada and a handful of armed guards were assembling along with the soldiers.
"Oh," Quatre murmured, glancing back and forth between Wufei and the Warden.
"What?" Duo asked.
"I don't think Captain Chang is very keen on Kushrenada and his guards coming along," guessed the empath.
"Neither am I." Duo followed his gaze to the two men, and he saw the same exchange of unfriendly glances that the blonde had seen. "Huh. Go figure," he mumbled. "It does look like they hate each other."
"I wonder why," Quatre commented.
The boy from L2 wore a slight smirk. "They both wanna be 'alpha,'" he guessed. "Probably having a falling out over jurisdiction. K.'s never been one to share. And I'll bet Chang's no better."
"Well, we really are supposed to be under Captain Chang's supervision."
Duo made a snide sound. "If you think K. would let this many inmates outside the perimeter without his thugs to supervise, you're crazier than I am."
Quatre was relieved that Duo seemed to have snapped out of his misery. And, in fact, as they began the ten-mile march to the place they'd be camping, the braided boy perked up a bit, keeping his friend company while they walked. Heero was studiously avoiding Duo, keeping Trowa and Carter between them as much as possible, to give the other boy room to sulk.
~*~
The recruits, soldiers, and guards arrived at the campsite in the late afternoon, and spent a couple of hours setting up a tent that would serve as "headquarters," laying out each team's sleeping area, and making a fire in the center of the clearing. By sunset, the MSC cook was preparing dinner over the fire, and the teams took turns going up to get theirs.
Kushrenada stayed close to Captain Chang, but his guards disappeared to set up a perimeter watch for the night. The oriental officer smoldered a little at that, but remained calm and aloof, assuring the warden none of his recruits were a flight risk, and that they still had their GPS anklets on. Wearing a skeptical smirk, the corrections officer shrugged and took a seat just outside the tent, his tawny eyes never leaving their perusal of the inmates.
Trowa ignored his presence as much as possible, avoiding meeting that knowing gaze. Clearly Kushrenada was going to monitor the next day's competition, to make sure Trowa did as he was told. The boy tried to remain distracted by concentrating on laying out sleeping bags for Team Wing.
"Are you okay?" Quatre asked quietly from his side.
"Fine!" Trowa said more sharply than necessary. He gave the boy an apologetic look immediately after. "Quatre, please...don't try to analyze me, okay?" He straightened, green eyes intent. "I'm just worried about Nanashi, and that K. might change his mind, or that something horrible will go wrong before Catherine gets here."
Duo overheard the quiet exchange, and walked over to give a friendly tap to Trowa's shoulder. "C'mon, Barton, lighten up. Nothing will go wrong."
It already has. Trowa sighed deeply. "Right, Maxwell. When did you become such a raving optimist?"
"Since Quatre told me what his sister brought!" Duo said brightly.
Trowa smiled in spite of himself. "So, now we know how to bribe Duo Maxwell, eh? S'mores?"
Duo shrugged, smirking just a little. "It's amazing what you can get with a chocolate bar or two."
"Got you to smile again," Quatre said cheerily. "I'm glad." And yet, even though his friend wore a familiar smile, the blonde wasn't sensing any less unhappiness from him. The aquamarine eyes narrowed slightly, as he realized Duo was a consummate actor, idly joking and laughing, when in fact he was miserable. He wondered how often that was the case, but then, being an empath, he more or less knew. This was the first time he was aware of Duo concealing his feelings to such a degree. He hoped it would be the last, too, once it passed.
~*~
When they were done with supper, many of the teams gathered around the communal fire to toast marshmallows, talk, and compare notes from the competition so far. A favorite topic was the Mobile Suit Simulator, which they'd nicknamed "Missy." It seemed there wasn't an inmate there who didn't think it was the coolest part of camp so far. Even those who had, in Captain Chang's words, "puked their guts out," still found it to be a thrilling joyride.
While Duo and Quatre rummaged through the bag of s'mores supplies, Heero and Trowa went over to hang out by the fire. It didn't take long for some boys from other teams to join them, offering congratulations on the team's performance so far, and then sharing views on other topics.
But when someone sat on the log beside Heero, just a little closer than the Japanese boy liked, he looked up with a vague scowl. His brief hope that maybe it was Duo, ready to talk at last, was extinguished at once. It was Tom, a boy from Team Shoot.
"Hey, Yuy. Nice job sparring today," he said by way of greeting.
Heero gave his usual non-committal grunt. As far as he was concerned, it had been a total fuckup from the start.
"You kicked Norton's ass."
At that Heero was able to muster a genuine smile. "It was the high point of my day," he admitted.
"I was a little surprised, though." Tom glanced over his shoulder at Duo and Quatre, who were walking over to the fire with their supplies. "Um..." He frowned slightly, lowering his voice and leaning closer. "I thought Maxwell was...well...gay."
Heero gave him a cold look, raising an eyebrow questioningly and wondering where the boy was going with the conversation.
Tom went on as if oblivious to Heero's scowl, and the fact that Duo and Quatre were nearly within earshot, and that Trowa definitely was. "But when you kissed him, and then he belted you one..." The boy shrugged, looking a bit perplexed. And then he put a hand on top of one of Heero's that was steadying him on the log. "If Maxwell isn't interested, Yuy, I am."
Heero nearly jumped in surprise, but controlled his reflexes and looked down at the other boy's hand, eyes wide. "Uh..." Words failed him at the moment, and he looked up just in time to see Duo's glance take in the scene and then turn hastily away. "Oh, fuck," he muttered under his breath.
"What was that?" asked Tom, having not quite caught the mumbled curse. He looked hopefully at the team leader, not noticing that on Heero's other side, Trowa was doubled over, both hands on his face, and shoulders shaking with silent laughter.
Not that Trowa thought it was funny, per se. But the irony of it was just too much.
Heero carefully pulled his hand out from under Tom's, his gaze still on Duo's back. Goddamnit, Maxwell, turn around! "Um, thanks for the...uh...compliment, Tom. But I--I'm pretty busy, what with being team leader and all."
"Ah, yeah. No time for a social life." Tom apparently didn't get the hint, though, and he smiled encouragingly. "You let me know if you find the time," he suggested.
Heero could have sworn he saw Duo's shoulders stiffen at that. The braided boy probably heard every goddamned word that dumbass Tom was babbling.
"I'll, uh, keep you in mind," Heero replied, instantly regretting the implied encouragement he'd just given the other boy. Shit, shit, shit! He stood up hastily. "I have things to do, for tomorrow's competition. Excuse me." He took one step towards Duo, and then changed his mind and headed for their sleeping bags, certain he couldn't possibly get into more trouble if he tried.
Having stifled the last of his laughter, Trowa drew a deep breath, wiping his eyes, and got up and followed the team leader. Ironic? No, it was beyond that...it was almost tragic.
Duo and Quatre had settled in side by side, with graham crackers lined up, chocolate in place, and marshmallows toasting on sticks. Aside from the burst of pain when the braided boy saw Tom hitting on their team leader, Quatre was only picking up a deep melancholy.
"This is probably one of the nicest things anyone's ever done for me, Quat," Duo said quietly, his earlier smile having been replaced by a weary, pensive look.
Quatre smiled warmly. "You're my best friend, Duo. You deserve it."
Duo shook his head. "You've been a better friend than I have...with all my moods, and ups and downs." He fixed his indigo eyes on the other boy. "Thank you."
"It's been a two-way street," Quatre insisted. "You watched my back from day one, you know."
"And you've put up with my shit ever since," Duo added with a wry smile. He looked out at the dark forest beyond the edges of the firelight. "Just...I appreciate all you've done for me, Quat. Don't ever forget that."
Quatre frowned, wondering about the boy's choice of words. It sounded almost like a goodbye. But before he could push for clarification, smoke began billowing from one of the marshmallows, and he grabbed quickly to save it from being flambé. "Aw, crumbs!" After shaking the smoldering marshmallow until it went out, he surveyed the charred exterior ruefully. "Well, this one's ruined."
"No way!" Duo insisted, pulling it off the stick and carefully peeling the black crust off the outside. With fingers sticky from melted marshmallow, he put the center lump onto one of the chocolate bars, and sandwiched it between graham crackers. "On L2, you learn not to waste food," he said wisely, flattening his s'more and taking a bite.
His face promptly lit up with delight, and he closed his eyes. "Oh my fucking God, that's good!" he said through a mouthful. He looked at Quatre with a broad smile. "I never knew how good these things would be!"
"You mean you've never had them before?" Quatre asked in surprise. When Duo shook his head, busy taking another big bite, the blonde Arab frowned questioningly. "But you went on about them last time we camped. The way you talked about how to make them, it seemed like you were an old hand at it."
"Never did it before in my life," shrugged the other boy. He gave his friend a sidelong look. "Always wanted to, though."
Quatre just shook his head in amazement, glad he'd gone to this little bit of trouble for Duo.
The braided boy stuffed the last piece into his mouth, chewed and swallowed, and suddenly reached out and hugged Quatre tightly. "You don't know how much this means to me," he whispered in the blonde's ear, his voice noticeably choked up.
Quatre hugged back; he didn't need to be empathic to know the braided boy needed to be comforted. "Almost as much as your friendship means to me," he answered gently.
Duo pulled back after a moment, self-consciously rubbing his sticky hands on his pant legs, and looking down at the ground while he composed himself. "I really do love you, Quat," he said quietly. "I mean, like I love Hilde and Howard...and like I loved Sister Helen and Father Maxwell." He looked up with dark eyes, but managed a near-smirk. "I hope that doesn't freak you out or anything. It's just...I wanted you to know how great you are."
Quatre was blushing furiously at the heartfelt compliment, but his aquamarine eyes were bright with unshed tears. He forced a smile himself. "Man, you know how to choke a guy up, don't you?" he teased. Then he met the indigo eyes squarely. "I have twenty-nine sisters, Duo...and I feel closer to you than to any of them." He paused a moment, and then his smile widened. "Brothers?"
"Yeah...that sounds good," Duo sighed, looking away as if a little embarrassed. "So how 'bout we toast some more marshmallows and eat s'mores till we puke?" he said with a chuckle, trying to lighten the mood.
"Well...how about we eat them just until we almost puke?" Quatre suggested.
So they spent another hour, making s'mores, and actually sharing a good many of them with other boys who stopped to see what they were doing. And Quatre took some over to Trowa and Heero, both of whom accepted only to please the blonde. Neither one of them had much of an appetite.
It was late when Captain Chang made the rounds of camp, strongly urging (i.e. ordering) all the boys to get to their sleeping bags and get some rest. When he glanced at Heero and saw the moonlight reflecting off his eyes as he stared up into the cloudless sky, the Chinese officer sighed and shook his head. He knew how deep his friend's emotions ran, and knew Heero would be browbeating himself about the sparring incident all night.
~*~
Sometime after midnight, Heero awakened with a start, realizing he must have dozed off, though it couldn't have been for very long. He glanced around the clearing, using the faint glow of the campfire to check for anything amiss.
When his gaze came to rest on Duo's sleeping bag, he frowned, thinking something seemed just a little...off.
Slipping silently out of his own sleeping bag, he padded over to check on his teammate, only to find him gone. The sleeping bag was stuffed with the survival pack, and Duo's spare clothes, but there was no sign of the braided boy.
"Fuck!" he hissed in a whisper, scanning the nearby woods for signs of motion. What the hell was Maxwell up to? A stunt like this could get him shipped off to L2 in a heartbeat. On the heels of that thought came another; it was probably Duo's intention to do just that. "Sonofa--" Heero looked at the faint boot prints in the dewy grass, and set off in pursuit of his wayward teammate.
He avoided the loud, obvious guards, by slipping through deep shadows under the trees. Then he followed the faint trail a few hundred yards into the thickly forested ravine, finally catching a slight motion on the rocks beside the waterfalls. Duo was silhouetted against the moonlight reflecting off the water, sitting on a boulder and bending over something that seemed to occupy his full attention.
As Heero inched closer, he realized the braided boy was tinkering with the ankle bracelet. In fact, even as he watched, Duo gave a triumphant "yesss..." and removed it, sliding his slender lock pick back into his braid.
"What the hell are you doing, Maxwell?" he demanded, forgetting the other boy was still mad at him.
Duo looked up sharply, but the guilty look that crossed his face was only fleeting. "What the fuck do you want, Yuy?"
"I want to know what you're doing," Heero growled, walking over and gesturing to the device Duo was dangling from his fingers.
"What's it look like?" Duo retorted, raising his chin defiantly.
"It looks like you're trying to get yourself thrown in prison."
"Close," shrugged the braided boy, toying with the anklet. "I'm leaving, Yuy. And yeah, if they catch me, I suppose I'll end up in prison. The operative word there being 'if'." He gave a lopsided grin. "Won't be easy, though."
"Maxwell, are you insane?" Heero demanded.
"Not any more," came the glib response. "I finally came to my senses. And I am so out of here, it's not even funny." Duo tossed the ankle bracelet to his teammate. "Say 'bye' to Quat for me," he ordered, turning to walk away.
Heero caught his arm quickly, ducking the punch the braided boy threw as he spun around. "Maxwell...listen to me!"
"No, Heero! I've done enough of that! I did listen to you. I believed all your shit about giving a damn, and you fucked me over!" Duo's eyes were bright, though with anger or tears, Heero couldn't say for sure.
"I'm sorry! Okay? I'm fucking sorry!" Heero snapped back. "I was desperate and I didn't know what else to do!"
"You could've beat me fair and square...or just believed in me...believed that maybe I had enough self-control to fight Kyle without losing it!" Duo took a step back, shaking his head. "But you didn't...and it's too fucking late to apologize, Yuy. The damage is already done. I already feel like a big enough fool to last a lifetime. So just go on back to camp and play soldier with your little 'team.' I have better things to do with my time." He turned away again; and again Heero pulled him back.
"Don't do this, Maxwell. Don't throw away everything you accomplished here just because I was a stupid asshole."
Duo jerked free of his hold, rubbing his arms where Heero's hands had touched. "What have I accomplished, Yuy? I fucked up right and left. Chang hates me. Kushrenada's out to get me. Jase got beat up over me, and my teammates think I'm a goddamned idiot!"
"No, we don't!" came Quatre's voice. The blonde stood at the edge of the trees, having followed Heero when he felt the emotional surge of panic as the team leader realized Duo was gone. "I've never thought that about you, Duo. Not even once!"
Duo stiffened, closing his eyes momentarily. "Just...let me go, Quat. I don't want to be here any more. I want...I need to get out."
"There's nothing out there, Maxwell," Heero pointed out. "Just trees, mountains, and rivers. Where d'you expect to go?"
The braided boy turned away, looking across the cascades. "I did a little research, Yuy." He glanced over his shoulder. "Town's about ten miles...that way. I should make it by sunup."
"And then what? You have no money, no i.d., and you're wearing prison clothes. You think they won't notice you?"
Duo looked down, his bangs shading his eyes. "I'm a street rat, Yuy. Blending in is what I do best. Steal a few clothes from someone's clothesline...bum some pocket change from a soft-hearted storekeeper, or a mom with a couple of kids in tow." He shrugged one shoulder. "Worst comes to worst, turn a few tricks." He flashed a cold glance at his team leader. "I'm from L2, remember."
Heero's eyes blazed in return. "You're no whore, Duo, and you never will be."
Again there was a lazy shrug. "Y'never know. Sometimes it's not about what you want. It's about what you need...to survive."
"You don't need to turn tricks to survive," Heero insisted. "You're better than that."
Duo tossed his head back, giving a bitter laugh. "You don't know that, Yuy. You don't know me."
"I want to," Heero insisted.
The braided boy spun around to fix a heated glare on the Japanese boy. "Fuck you!" he snarled. "You had your chance." He took a step closer. "I'd have spilled my guts to you, Yuy. All you would've had to do was bat those big, blue eyes at me, and I'd have told you anything you wanted to know! I'd have done anything." His gaze became guarded...wary. "But then, you knew that. And you took advantage of it the first chance you got."
"I'm sorry," Heero said again. "If I could fucking go back and let you win the goddamned match, I'd do it!"
"Bullshit!" Duo's eyes narrowed. "You're a worse liar than I am, Yuy. You still think you were right...whatever it took to keep me out of the ring with Norton was fine by you."
"So you wouldn't go to prison, damn it!" Heero walked over until he was nearly toe to toe with his angry teammate. "And yeah, you're right. I would do it again! I don't care how much it hurt you; it was worth it if it kept you out of prison!"
"You have no idea how much it hurt me," Duo hissed, glaring right back.
"Yeah, I do," Heero countered. "Almost as much as it hurt me."
Duo's eyes widened, and he backed a step. "Don't even try to pretend that kiss meant shit to you, Yuy. I'm not buyin' it." He looked impatiently over his shoulder. "It's getting late, and I have places to be."
As he turned and started away again, Heero glanced appealingly at Quatre, hoping the empath might be able to reach the stubborn boy.
"Go after him, Heero," Quatre urged, a warning tone in his voice.
"But--"
"Go!" Quatre ordered sternly, aquamarine eyes flashing with anger. "Go now, or you won't get another chance!" He could feel Duo's indecision, and knew there was a slim window of opportunity. After that, all bets were off.
Heero literally ran after Duo, catching up to him as he hiked up the side of the ravine next to the river. "Duo, wait! Listen to me!"
"Done with that, Yuy!" called the braided boy, waving a hand dismissively over his shoulder.
"So you do lie when it suits you!"
Duo stopped in his tracks, turning around to face Heero. "I don't lie, Yuy. I may..."
"Yeah, yeah...run and hide. But you promised me you wouldn't!"
Duo blinked at him in surprise. "What are you talking about?"
"You made a promise," Heero reminded him. "The other day, you said you wouldn't run and hide. You said you'd talk to me, if we had another misunderstanding. And I just caught you running away, big time!"
The indigo eyes narrowed dangerously. "I'd hardly call this a misunderstanding," he said flatly. "There was no question about what you did..."
"But what about why I did it?"
"You've explained that," Duo said coolly. "Discussion over. I'm out of here."
"I did it because I care what happens to you!" Heero insisted.
"You did it because you didn't trust me."
"I did it because I--" Heero stopped, afraid to blurt out what was on the tip of his tongue.
Duo eyed him dangerously. "Don't you dare!" he warned, more afraid of what Heero was about to say than Heero was.
"Please stay."
"Yuy, you fucking asshole--"
"Stay and give me a chance to fix this."
"You can't."
Heero reached a hand out to Duo's arm, but it was jerked back. "Please don't go, Duo."
"God, Yuy...give it up. Begging just doesn't become you."
"I'll comb the mud out of your hair any time you ask," Heero offered.
Duo turned a cool, assessing look to him. "You won't ever touch my hair again, Yuy, or I'll break your fucking arm."
"Fine. I won't touch it," Heero agreed, nearly wincing at the thought of never having the chance to run his fingers through the silky hair again. He'd thought he had so much time to work through the camp and then get to know Duo at their leisure. But now... "If you come back with me, you can set the terms yourself. Name them."
Duo eyed him with a new gleam of speculation in his eyes. "My terms?" he said quietly. "And what if you don't like them?"
"We can...negotiate later," Heero replied, not quite willing to give the other boy carte blanche.
"I don't like the way you negotiate," Duo said with a scowl.
"Kissing you during sparring wasn't a negotiation," Heero said flatly. "It was an act of desperation. You were kicking my ass, and I was afraid of what you'd do to Norton if you ended up fighting him, and afraid of what Chang would have to do to you."
"Why?" demanded Duo, hands on his hips.
Heero looked at him warily. "I told you why."
"You told me as much as you wanted to say. Now try telling me as much as I want to hear."
The team leader scowled at him. "If you want some kind of declaration of love, Maxwell, forget it. I told you I'm not even sure myself what my feelings are for you." His severe expression softened. "I just know I have some."
"Some what?"
"Feelings."
Duo wore a puzzled look, his indecision becoming plain on his face. "Yuy...face it. Things are just an awkward mess now. Whatever was starting to happen...with you, and with me...it's all fucked up."
"Then what do you want from me?" Heero sighed, rubbing his forehead wearily. "Do you want to keep things professional? You want me to be the efficient team leader, and nothing more? I can--I can do that."
"I don't know what I want!" Duo said in exasperation. He looked around a little wildly. "I want to run." His indigo eyes were filled with frustration. "But...you're right. I promised not to...not to run away from you." He ran a hand across his face. "Why the hell did I make a stupid promise like that?"
"Because you know I care," Heero said quietly. "And I'm sorry I hurt you. I'm sorry I lost your trust. And I'm sorry I spoiled what should have been the best kiss of my life."
Duo turned his back. It was so much easier not to believe Heero when he didn't have to look at those pain-filled eyes. And, God, why did he have to mention that kiss? It was an incredible kiss. It was everything Duo had built it up to be in his mind...right up until he realized it was a lie. "You did spoil it," Duo said flatly. "D'you know how long--? Aw, fuck...forget it," he sighed.
"Will you come back to camp now? Before Chang finds out we're AWOL, and we both end up in prison?"
Duo gave a wry snort. "Yeah...like Chang would send you away. You're his star recruit, Yuy. His 'perfect soldier' in the making." He looked at the anklet that Heero still held clenched in his hand. "I, on the other hand, am his poster child for screw-ups."
"You're not!" Heero insisted. "Chang has been very impressed with you. Regardless of his cold exterior, I think he's downright fond of you."
Duo laughed wryly. "Sure. You wanna tell me what you've been smoking, Yuy? I think I might like some. Must be fun to live in that fantasy world of yours."
"I'm not kidding, Maxwell..."
"Duo." The braided boy walked closer, eyes intent. "If I come back, I want you to call me Duo more often. I don't want to be just another last name you snap out when you're annoyed, Heero."
The team leader's breath caught in his throat, as he noticed how the moonlight cast shadows across the other boy's face, obscuring his eyes and highlighting the gleam of his bangs across his forehead. It followed the curve of his cheek down to his lips, which were quirked in a wry, self-deprecating way.
"What do you want to be?" Heero asked quietly.
A bitter smile flashed across those perfect lips. "I wish I knew."
"When you figure it out, will you let me know?"
"You mean 'if,' don't you?"
"No," Heero said gently. "I know sooner or later, you'll know what you want to be to me. And maybe by then, I'll know what I want, too."
"I don't want to be your fool again, that's for sure," came the bitter reply.
"You won't. I promise," Heero assured him.
"Don't make promises you can't keep," Duo cautioned. He took a deep breath, and sighed heavily. "I don't believe I let you talk me into this, Yuy. I'll come back. But fair warning...you fuck with me like that again, and I will take you apart, limb from limb." Duo walked past close enough that Heero caught the faint scent of his shampoo in the long hair.
~*~
Quatre was waiting in the shadows, back where Heero had first overtaken Duo. The blonde walked up to them, and although his aquamarine eyes were stern, he drew Duo into a hug.
"Don't ever scare me like that again," he pleaded, pressing his face against Duo's shoulder.
"I'm sorry," Duo murmured.
"D'you know what would happen if Kushrenada's guards caught you out here? And without the GPS anklet on?"
"Yeah, a one-way ticket to L2," shrugged the braided boy.
Quatre glared at him. "After all that bullshit about how close we were--you'd have gone off without a word?"
"I'm sorry," Duo repeated, this time sounding sincere.
"Then prove it," Heero said firmly, holding out the ankle bracelet. "Put this thing back on, and let's get our asses back to camp before anyone notices we're missing."
Duo took the anklet, almost wincing as his fingers brushed Heero's. "I'm not sure I can make it lock again," he said uncertainly, examining the slender metal device.
"Then fucking glue it back together," Heero hissed in an undertone, warily scanning the trees for signs of pursuit. "Use some of those goddamned marshmallows you were toasting before."
Duo looked at him for a long moment, finally laughing quietly. "They were pretty gooey." He studied his still-sticky fingers, absently putting one in his mouth and sucking the sweet marshmallow taste off it. As he did so, he very deliberately looked at Heero out of the corner of his eyes, a smirk curling his lips.
"For God's sake!" Heero burst out in a pained whisper. He turned and stalked back towards the camp, muttering under his breath.
Quatre grinned. "You're evil, Duo."
"Um-hum," Duo replied. "And Mister Yuy has a lot of payback coming to him." He gave his friend a saucy wink, and they set out after Heero, slipping quietly under the very noses of Kushrenada's lax guards, and tiptoeing back to their sleeping bags.
When they got there, Duo stuffed the GPS anklet into his pocket, figuring he could show it to Captain Chang in the morning and tell him it appeared to be faulty, and wouldn't lock back on. He never even noticed that the survival pack wasn't exactly where he'd left it.
TBC...
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