Kracken
Disclaimer:I don't own them and I don't make any money off of this.
Warning:Male/male sex, graphic, language, violence, past Ncs.
Shinigami's Lover Four
Sequel to What's Normal Anyway?
Bite the Bullet
"Duo?" Heero called as he approached the figure gathering wood. Duo glanced at him, made a face, and shook his head.
"Stop looking like that, Heero," Duo told him. "I'm not going to tear a chunk out of you."
Heero sighed as he came to stand by Duo. He offered an arm. "I deserve it. Here."
Duo snorted in amusement and shoved his wood into Heero's arm. "I'll punish you by making you carry."
Heero clutched the wood close to him and then he said, "I'm sorry. I didn't have any right to tell Kit-"
"Heero!" Duo cut him short in exasperation. "I know you're having trouble. I know the woods make you edgy. We've never talked about... I mean... " He sighed and clenched a piece of wood in both hands. "We can't go there. You can't really talk about it to me, but it is something we can deal with. You aren't going to hurt Kit because of something that happened during the war. I'm not going to either. We have better control than that. Try... Try not to scare her, okay?"
Heero nodded, contrite.
Duo grinned then, shrugging off the mood. He slapped his wood onto Heero's load. "There are more important things to think about, besides. Like how we're going to have sex without Kit knowing about it."
Heero blushed. "I didn't think we-"
"A whole week without?" Duo snorted. "I don't think so, Yuy." He scanned the woods. "Maybe we can fool her and..."
Heero listened to Duo's ridiculous plan to get into the woods for some personal time together. He forced himself to laugh, but he could see how nervous Duo was about the subject and he wasn't any more steady. Heero wasn't going to be having sex there and he knew Duo wasn't going to insist on it either.
They carried the wood back to the campsite and stacked it so that it would stay dry under a covering. Kit began her campfire then, as intent and as careful as if it were some sort of sacred ritual. She fed the flames little by little, pushing Soda's nose out of her way when the dog kept insisting on investigating her meticulously ordered stack of wood and tinder.
When the flames were finally established, Duo snorted, "I've run an entire operation in less time."
Kit glared. "If you don't do it right, Maxwell," she told him tartly, "Your fire doesn't stay lit, dry, or workable when you need to cook. See these stones all around it? They get hot. They keep us warm and we can cook on them."
"I'm surprised that you used a lighter," Duo joked. "I was expecting you to rub two sticks together."
"Ha, Ha," Kit shot back. "You'll thank me later, I promise you."
"I will thank you now," Heero said seriously and they both looked at him in surprise. Heero was a little embarrassed, but he said, "You didn't have to do any of this Kit."
Kit shrugged and smiled good naturedly as she bent to check how the wood was burning. "You guys are damned interesting and I like you." She looked suddenly pensive. "I'm kind of... well, not many people actually get along with me. I think I come on... too strong."
Duo laughed. "And we do too, so we're perfect friends for each other."
Kit laughed too. "Exactly. Besides, I miss my partner, and he's away on missions too much any more."
She was talking about Duo. Duo looked contrite, but he wasn't apologetic. "Guess we'll have to do more of these, then, and keep in touch," he suggested.
Kit smiled, pleased, "Yeah.... well... if we survive this one."
Duo looked curious. "So," he asked plaintively. "Do you actually have something to cook on that fire or...?"
"Or," Kit grinned and motioned to some collapsed fishing poles. "Get going men."
Heero nervously picked up a pole. "I've never fished."
Duo grunted as he took up his pole. "Don't look at me. I never saw water
bigger than a street fountain before I came to Earth. Fishing was never involved."
Kit snorted. "You're highly trained soldiers. I think you can figure it
out. Don't worry, once the fire is going well, I'll help you two out."
"Thanks," Duo grumbled, but headed off toward the stream dutifully. Heero followed, trying to piece his fishing pole together as he walked. Soda followed with his tail wagging.
"Okay," Duo muttered as he eyed the stream and tested his footing on the slippery bank. "Line, hook, fake bait of whatever that is.... maybe this is simple. Just toss the hook into the..." He started to plunk the line into the water, but Heero's mind was already working on the problem. He stopped Duo with a hand on his arm.
"This is a fly," Heero told him, pointing to the bait. "If this is a fish's natural food, then it would be more effective if it mimicked the motions of a fly that had fallen into the water."
"Desperately trying not to drown, you mean?" Duo wondered. "That's kind of sick."
"But natural," Heero replied. He eyed his line and pole and then studied the water for a long moment.
"Well?" Duo prompted impatiently. "Are you going to try it?"
Heero frowned. "The sun is up. Would a fish prefer the sun or the shade?"
Duo made a face. "I haven't thought about the inner workings of the fish mind, lately, Heero."
"Process of elimination, then. " Heero decided and cast his line towards the shade of an overhanging tree. It fell well short and tangled.
Duo laughed," Well, Mr. Expert-"
Heero snorted as he reeled in his line and untangled it. "Perfect on the first attempt is far too optimistic, little baka."
"Let me try," Duo said with a smirk. He tested the weight of the pole and then, eying the spot of shade, he cast. It hit perfectly.
Heero grunted and accused, "You've done this before."
"All in the eye, hand coordination, " Duo laughed. "You could have done it too, but-" He stopped and bit his lip. He suddenly concentrated very hard on reeling in his line and making the fly dance on the water. He could feel Heero's tenseness beside him. "Sorry," he said, knowing that Heero hadn't missed his meaning.
"I am still recovering from the accident," Heero replied. "There's nothing wrong with pointing that out."
Duo nodded, but still looked contrite. "That's right. You are still recovering. You will get it back, Heero. I know you will. You're too stubborn not to make a full recovery."
Heero gave him a look. "I won't be defeated by a line and a fake fly. I may not remember some parts of my life, but my coordination hasn't suffered." He eyed the shady spot, adjusted his grip on his pole, and then said with a humor that surprised Duo, "You were just lucky." He cast and it landed perfectly. He smiled with self satisfaction and Duo couldn't help sliding an arm around his lover's waist and giving him a tight hug.
They ended up catching a rather large salmon, one that they almost lost because they were unsure how to get it to the bank. Kit stepped in with a hand net and some excited advice and they soon had the fish landed, cleaned, and cooking over the fire in a fish basket of wire.
Duo was glowing as he stared at their catch.
"What?" Kit finally asked.
Duo had several emotions playing over his handsome face; Fascination, accomplishment, and amazement. "Just thinking about my life and all the twists and turns that it's taken. Street orphan on L2, sweeper brat, pilot in training, colony terrorist, war hero, Preventer agent, and now, backwoods fisherman. Seems all too strange when you think about it. I mean, what's next? I'm still young. " He glanced at Heero and smiled. "We're still young."
Heero reached out and clasped Duo's hand in both of his. He said intensely, his blue eyes on Duo's purple ones. "As long as we're together, we'll be ready for whatever life brings us."
Kit looked wistful. "I won't need any honey for my coffee, I think."
Duo looked at her, contrite, "Sorry," he said, "I wish Grange could have come along."
"He has a name, Duo... well, when he's not our overseer," Kit chuckled.
Duo smirked, "What is it, pookie?"
"Dan," Kit replied indignantly.
"Daniel?" Heero guessed.
"Danforth, actually," Kit corrected him.
Duo mouthed 'Danforth?' at Heero and then laughed. "I thought it was-"
"Well," Kit explained. "Officially, he doesn't like to use it."
Duo laughed outright. "I can see why! I don't think someone named Danforth would be as intimidating as Agent Grange."
Kit was indignant. "There's nothing wrong with Danforth!"
Heero stepped in, squeezing Duo's arm to quiet him. He said calmly. "I think we were discussing the fact that he couldn't come on this trip...."
"He had a last minute assignment," Kit replied, letting her anger go. "That's the life we lead, though. " She shrugged. "I'm used to it."
"Doesn't mean we have to like it though," Duo commiserated. "We can still bitch about it."
"Oh, I did at the time, don't worry," Kit assured him. She turned the fish and poked at it with a long tined fork. "Almost done."
Duo couldn't help asking, "What do you see in that big..."
"Idiot? Lug? ape?" Kit supplied and laughed when Duo grinned and nodded. "His dedication? His loyalty? His pure, masculine sexiness?"
Duo made a face. "Sexiness?"
"Yeah," Kit said with almost dreamy look in her eye. "He has that animal magnetism in spades."
Duo made mock choking sounds and she glared at him as she took the fish off of the fire.
"Keep that up, Maxwell, and I'll make you eat gravel and sticks for dinner," Kit warned.
Duo held up his hands. "Sorry!" he apologized.
She glared, but cut up the fish equally and served it. Duo gingerly tasted his and then nearly inhaled it while Kit and Heero were still only starting on theirs. "Good!" Duo said around a mouthful.
Kit grimaced. "How can you tell? You aren't letting it stay on your taste buds long enough to taste it."
Heero eyed Duo, but decided his lover wasn't in danger of making himself sick. He nodded, agreeing. "It is good. Some rice... sauce..."
"Seasoned by nature is better than any sauce, Yuy," Kit told him around her own mouthful.
Duo picked out something from his fish. "Dirt is seasoning?"
"That's a bonus," Kit smirked.
They finished their meal and Kit banked the fire. She stretched and yawned. Soda wagged his tail and perked ears at her. "Wanna sleep with me tonight?" she asked the dog. "I don't snore."
"In Mr. Mildew?" Duo snorted. "Dogs have sensitive noses, ya know."
"He'll stay here and keep watch," Heero said suddenly and they both looked at him, humor gone. Heero stood up. He looked uncomfortable, but he was adamant. "I don't want him to be distracted."
Kit and Duo exchanged looks and then Duo was standing as well. He slid an arm around Heero's waist and turned him towards their tent. "That's a good idea, Heero," he said. "Soda, stay, yellow." He pushed Heero through the tent flap and then looked back at Kit with an expression that was pained and apologetic. "Good night, Kit."
She nodded pensively. "Good night to the both of you, "and then, trying for a lighter mood, "I promise, Soda and I won't let any dangerous squirrels infiltrate the camp."
Duo chuckled and winked. "We'll sleep good tonight, then, knowing you're on the job."
Kit watched Duo climb into the tent and then zip it up. She then heard Heero and Duo talking in low tones and tried not to eavesdrop. That was almost impossible. She decided to give them some distance, instead, and picked up the flashlight. A bathroom was only one place in the woods.
"You're on guard until I return," she whispered to Soda.
The dog pricked ears and cocked his head to one side. He settled, as if he understood, just outside the door flap of Heero and Duo's tent and put chin on paws. His eyes looked soulful.
Kit trudged out into the cold and dark until she found a likely spot. After a few nervous moments of 'taking care of personal issues', she put her clothes back into order and straightened. The flashlight promptly went out. It was suddenly as dark as a tomb.
"Well, isn't this embarrassing?" Kit growled angrily. She rattled the flashlight, tightened the battery cap, took the batteries out by feel, brushed at their contacts, and then put them back in. "Bulb," she concluded when it continued not to work.
"Ah, what the hell, I know my way back," Kit swore under her breath. "I just went a few yards. No reason to interrupt their little talk. Heero needs some damn reassuring right now... and why he hell am I talking to myself?" She grumbled and then started walking. She didn't get more than a yard before the ground dropped out from beneath her feet. She fell, how far, she wasn't sure, but when she hit the ground again, it was hard. Her knees buckled and something crashed into her side and head. Unconsciousness came swiftly.
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