Author's Note: I know! I know! It's about damned time. (For what, you ask? Ah, you'll see.) This is a bit short, but the break is in a logical place, and I'm busily working on the next chapter!
Boot Camp Part 44
Teamwork
"Tell me again why we thought this was such a good idea on paper?" Duo asked, wincing at the ache settling into his arms from clinging to the side of a cliff.
"You said it would save us twenty miles of uphill hiking," Heero retorted, wiping sweat from his brow, and reaching for another hand-hold.
"I also said I was sorry I noticed the shortcut. Didn't anyone listen to that part of the conversation?"
"After you did such a good job of selling me on the idea?" Heero asked.
"Sometimes I'm just too smart for my own good," Duo moaned, grunting as his foot slipped and he barked a knee against the rocks, scraping it raw even through the canvas uniform pants. "I fucking hate my life!" he lamented.
"Shut up and climb," Heero shot back unsympathetically.
"I'm bleeding."
Heero glanced down at him from his position a good twenty feet above. "I don't see blood."
"On my knee...under the pants."
"Don't be such a baby."
"It really hurts, Yuy," came the mournful reply.
"I'll look at it when we reach the top."
Duo looked up with wide eyes. "You're going to take off my pants at the top of the cliff? Yuy, you're a fucking pervert."
"I only meant..."
"I know what you meant," came the chuckled reply. "God, you are so easy to bait, Yuy."
"And you're not?"
"Depends."
"On what?"
"--on who's doing the baiting."
"Maxwell...shut up and climb!"
~*~
The four boys had reached the base of the mountain with two hours of daylight left, and had decided to attempt the climb right then and there. In retrospect, Heero thought, as he felt his hand slip and his fingers scraped raw against rock, they probably should have camped there the night and started the climb at first light. But filled with ambition and resolve, they'd been too impatient to lose so many hours at the very beginning of the journey. Despite their misgivings upon seeing how very long and arduous the climb was going to be, all four boys had elected to continue with the ambitious plan.
Now they were an hour and a half into the climb, with the afternoon light fading fast, and they were within about eighty feet of the top. They were also bone-weary, scratched and scuffed, and irritable as well, wanting nothing more than to stand on solid ground atop the mountain they'd so cavalierly challenged.
Heero took the lead for the last leg of the climb, having Trowa lag behind to help Duo and Quatre as needed. Despite his gruff tone with Duo, he was genuinely concerned for the boy who'd been so severely beaten only a couple of weeks earlier. And although worried that Trowa might not be up to full strength either, he knew no one was better equipped to assist the less experienced climbers.
The team leader finally gained the summit, with Quatre a mere twenty feet behind him, Duo around forty, and Trowa another twenty feet below the braided boy, climbing smoothly in his wake.
"God I can't wait to lie down," Duo groaned, looking up in time to get a face full of sand that sifted down when Heero scrambled up the last few feet. "Scratch that," he sighed. "I can't wait for a bath...a shower...anything to get the crap out of my hair!"
"Save your breath," Trowa called up unsympathetically. "That last stretch ahead is the hardest, Maxwell."
"Easy for you to say...you've been there and back."
Trowa was the one who had set the safety lines each boy wore, and he'd rappelled back down to their last resting point to help the others. It was very clear that without his skills, they'd never have been able to take the risky shortcut.
At that point, a loose rock shifted beneath Duo's hand, causing him to fall back against the safety line, cursing fluently.
"Careful!" Trowa cautioned, looking above him to where the line curved over a rocky outcropping. "Try not to depend totally on the safety line, Duo. I don't like the way it's placed."
The green-eyed boy frowned, studying the lip of rock, and realizing that Duo's path up the slope had drawn the rope across a sharp edge. As he was about to call out to Duo to alter his route to take the stress off the line, he heard a yelp of panic, and watched a section of granite crumble under the braided boy, sending him swinging loose on the end of the rope. The back and forth motion dragged the cord across that sharp lip, until it snagged into a v-shaped crevice.
Duo took a death grip on the nearest rocks, re-establishing his position, and grabbing for dear life. "Fucking shit!" he gasped aloud, relief in his voice. "I wish I'd never thought of this stupid-ass stunt!"
Trowa's eyes were still on the wedged rope, watching for the telltale sign of breakage, and then he saw the raveling strands, and his heart leapt to his throat.
"Holy shit! Duo! Stop! Don't move an inch!" he yelled to his teammate.
Duo looked down, eyes wide, but obeyed the command. "What's up, Trowa?"
"The rope's starting to give!" Trowa called back. He eyed the cliff face above Duo, and then from Duo to where he was. "Hold on and I'll be up there in a sec."
Duo nodded, face pale as he realized how precarious his position really was.
Heero had just reached the top, and heard the exchange, so he immediately began affixing another length of rope to the anchor. "I'm making another secure line, Trowa. You do whatever you can to help Duo."
Trowa nodded, and set about climbing as fast as he could. He was still several feet below his teammate when they heard the ping of snapping rope, and Duo slipped another foot down the cliff face, feet scrabbling for purchase on the rocky surface. "Shit!" When he finally stabilized his position, gripping desperately with fingertips and toes, he looked down to see Trowa just a few feet away.
"Hold on...I'm coming!" Trowa moved as quickly as he dared, and finally eased up to the same ledge as Duo. "I'm here," he said quietly, his voice more reassuring than the expression on his face.
Duo was pressed against the cliff face, hands shaking with the effort of hanging on. Trowa moved so that his body was against Duo's, providing some support in case the other boy's grip failed.
"Shh...stay calm," he murmured quietly, hearing the strained panting as Duo fought against panic.
"I'm calm," came the choked voice. Duo's indigo eyes locked on Trowa's, and he tried for a smile that wouldn't quite come. "No sweat," he whispered shakily.
Trowa looked up, realizing that the line Heero was beginning to lower down the cliff was not going to be long enough. "Yuy! You'll need another line! Make sure you knot it right."
Heero looked down, seeing the same thing Trowa had, and cursing viciously. "Is there a way you can secure Duo's harness to yours?"
"Rope's not rated for two, Yuy," Trowa called back. Damned Army surplus crap!
The ledge under one of Duo's feet was crumbling slowly, and he started slipping again, but Trowa's hand closed firmly around his wrist, supporting most of his weight as he scrambled to find a new foothold.
"Fuck, Trowa--" he breathed. "Your rope can't hold us both." Duo squeezed his eyes shut, and for a moment there was only the sound of harsh panting. "Let go of me," Duo whispered.
"I'm not letting go," Trowa retorted. "Get your feet back under you."
"Your rope won't hold--we'll both fall." As if to emphasize his point, there was the sharp ping of a breaking strand in Trowa's safety line.
"Your feet, Duo. There's a rock shelf six inches to the left of your left foot. Find it."
Duo obediently swung his foot over, but the motion caused the hold on his wrist to slip a bit. Trowa's grip tightened until it was painful. "I can't..."
"Yes, you can. Do it!"
The toe of Duo's boot finally found a tiny bit of purchase against the rock surface, and he was able to ease the weight on his wrist. "Goddamnit, Tro', just get your ass out of here."
"Don't listen to him," Heero called down. "Hang on! I've almost got another rope ready."
"Don't worry. I got it covered," Trowa replied. His green eyes quickly assessed Duo's position. "Have you got a good foothold now?"
"I th-think so," came the anxious response.
Trowa released Duo's wrist slowly, watching to make sure the boy remained steady, and then he quickly unhooked his safety line, and reached for Duo's harness.
"What are you doing?" Quatre demanded from his position about twenty feet above. "Trowa?"
"Hush, Quat...there's no time to debate this!"
"You said we couldn't free climb this slope!" Quatre shot back. "Put your line back on, Trowa!"
Duo suddenly realized what Trowa was doing. "That's your safety line, Barton!"
"Shut up, Maxwell!" Trowa ordered, sliding the rope through the first safety ring.
"No." Duo reached to push Trowa's hand away, and nearly lost his balance, cursing under his breath.
Trowa hastily pressed himself against Duo, pinning him to the cliff. "Stop it, Maxwell. Let me fasten this before we both fall."
Duo glared at him. "Don't try being a martyr, Barton. It doesn't suit you."
"Ditto."
"Fuck you!"
"Trowa, no!" Quatre called. "Heero's splicing another rope to the secure line. Just hang on until he does."
"No time, Quat." Duo was already trembling with the effort of holding on, and Trowa didn't think he had enough strength to wait much longer.
"Don't do this Trowa," Duo pleaded, as the auburn-haired boy reached for the harness again.
"Shut the fuck up, Maxwell," Trowa retorted. "Save your breath for hanging on."
Duo closed his eyes and concentrated on maintaining his grip on the handholds he'd found. "Goddamn you, Trowa," he whispered. "Don't think you can pay me back like this!"
"It's my life."
"That's just it...my life was never in danger...you don't owe me that much!"
"You talk too much, Maxwell," Trowa muttered, sliding the rope through the rings and affixing it to the safety harness. "There. Just relax. If worst comes to worst, Heero and Quatre can pull you up."
"Yeah, and let me live knowing you sacrificed yourself?" Duo demanded bitterly. He glared at the other boy.
"I'm not sacrificing myself," Trowa told him. "I'm going to free climb to a sturdier ledge and wait for Heero's rope. He'll be done in a minute."
Duo let out a yelp as the outcrop of rock he had his left foot on crumbled away, and in an instant, his fingers lost their tenuous hold on the cliff and he would have fallen off the mountain if not for the rope that kept him swinging gently just inches below where he'd started.
"Relax, Duo!" Trowa ordered. "Get your balance and then find new hand holds."
Quatre had now reached the top along with Heero, and between them they lowered the spliced rope towards Trowa. The instant he caught the trailing end, they turned their attention to pulling Duo up the remaining distance. Within a few minutes they had the braided boy safely at the top, and Trowa was quickly scaling the cliff with a safety rope once again hooked to his harness.
When he gained the top, Quatre pulled him roughly away from the edge, hugging him desperately. "You stupid, reckless fool!" he chided, aquamarine eyes brimming with unshed tears. "What the hell kind of stunt was that?"
Trowa looked dazed, catching an amused glance from Heero's eyes, before the team leader pulled Duo to his feet and wrapped his arms around him.
"Quatre?" Trowa asked, trying to extricate himself from the tight embrace. "Quatre, I'm fine. Really."
Quatre looked up into the green eyes, reaching a hand to touch a scrape on his teammate's cheek. "You got hurt. You could have died! Do you know how much it'd hurt if you--?" He blinked, regaining his senses, and loosened his grip so Trowa could pull free. "I'm sorry. I just..." He turned away, putting a hand over his face. "I care, okay?" he blurted.
Trowa blinked, turning a perplexed look to Heero, who seemed to be hugging Duo for an inordinately long time. Duo looked up, catching Trowa's expression. "You dumbass," he said with a wry grin. "Quat's had it bad for you since the first day of camp."
"Duo!" Quatre turned on him, blushing furiously.
"What?" Duo snapped. "You want to keep on pining for him? And what the hell good would that do if he fell down the fucking mountain and died? You'd have nothing but regrets for what you never said...what you never did." He pulled back, looking up at Heero with a mischievous gleam in his deep eyes, their lips only inches apart. "As a matter of fact, I think I should take my own advice. No more dancing around this, Yuy. No more interruptions."
And then he kissed him.
And Heero kissed back, wrapping his arms tighter, and immersing himself. Duo moaned at the reciprocation, and Heero took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, sliding his tongue in, tasting the braided boy's mouth.
For once, there was no power struggle; each one gave and took in equal measure, exploring each other's mouth with a fascination and hunger long-denied. In spite of the fact that Duo had initiated the kiss, it was obvious that they both wanted it desperately...that they'd both been longing for the contact. And now that it had begun, there was no stopping it.
"Whoa," Quatre muttered, wide-eyed. Never thought Duo would have the balls to do it! His thoughts were interrupted as Trowa stalked over and pulled him into his arms, kissing him every bit as passionately as Duo had kissed Heero. Quatre, for his part, was too surprised to do anything but close his eyes and enjoy it. Wow...Duo's inspiration seemed to be contagious.
When Duo and Heero were finally forced to breathe again, they drew only slightly apart, still wrapped in each other's arms, lips brushing together. "Wow...I shoulda done that a long time ago," Duo said breathlessly. His face was flushed, damp with sweat from the climb, the close call, and the rush of passion that the team leader's closeness caused.
"Better late than never?" Heero asked, his eyes aglow with emotion. "That was a hell of a first kiss, Maxwell."
"You mean second."
Heero's eyes flashed. "That stupid stunt in sparring doesn't count. This does. This is real." He shook his head, face grave. "I thought I was going to lose you." He brought up a hand and traced Duo's lips with his thumb.
"I'm not that easy to get rid of," came the cocky reply. Duo kissed the thumb, brushed a kiss across Heero's lips, and then leaned his cheek into the hand that cupped the side of his face. "Wow," he murmured, half-closing his eyes in blissful contentment.
"Yeah, wow," Quatre echoed from a few feet away. Apparently he and Trowa had recently decided to take a break for air as well.
"Not to spoil an absolutely perfect moment," Heero said quietly, "but we still have a race to win."
"Screw the race," Duo said glibly, pulling Heero in for one more heated kiss. But he kept this one shorter than the first, if no less intense, and then reluctantly released their team leader. "Okay, Yuy...let's go capture that flag so we can pick this up where we left off."
"Count on it," Heero said with a husky tone in his voice that made Duo's knees a little weak.
"Timing," Duo sighed. "My timing always sucks."
Quatre was still looking at Trowa with disbelief. "What--? When--?"
"Since I first laid eyes on you," Trowa muttered, blushing slightly. "But then, after you took care of me when I was...y'know...getting off the drugs..." He shrugged helplessly. "No one's ever been there for me like that." He spared a glance to Heero and Duo, who were already gathering the ropes and stowing their gear. "I owe you all."
Duo looked up, and then sighed, smiling faintly and walking over. "Water under the bridge, Trowa...okay? Teammates help each other." He held out a hand.
Trowa looked warily at it. "You really mean it? You can forgive what I did?"
"Yeah," Duo said quietly. "If you hadn't gotten me off that cliff, I'd have never gotten that little taste of Heaven I just had. So...thanks for that. And I think I can let go of the bad stuff now, 'kay?"
Trowa took his hand to shake it, but Duo stepped forward and gave him a one-armed hug. If not for himself, he needed to do it for Quatre...to let him know that his choice in boyfriends wasn't going to be a cause of strife in their friendship. In fact, he caught the blonde's eyes over Trowa's shoulder and winked reassuringly.
"Thanks, Duo," Quatre said, walking over to hug them both.
"Hey, guys..." Heero said, rather plaintively. "How about we have our little warm, fuzzy group hug after we capture the flag?"
The heated glance Duo shot his way brought an instant blush to Heero's cheeks. "Get over here an' join in, Yuy. Then we'll get back to work," promised the braided boy.
Heero sighed, abandoning all pretense of keeping his 'personal space,' and walked over to wrap his arms around Duo and the others. "Baka," he murmured, burying his face in the chestnut hair.
"But as I keep pointing out," Duo murmured huskily, "your baka."
TBC...
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