Kracken
Disclaimer:I don't own them and I don't make any money off of them.
Warnings:Male/male sex,graphic, past NCS,language, violence
Shingami's Lover Four
Sequel to
In Good Company
There was sudden, wild barking. Duo sprang up, reaching for a weapon only a second behind Heero who was already springing up and darting out of the tent. Cold blasted into the cocoon of warmth and Duo swore as his senses reoriented and 'Soldier mode' gave way to, 'Probably some other campers' mode. He took the time to grab both their coats and jam his feet into his hiking boots before he followed Heero out of the tent.
It was bone chilling cold. Duo looked around anxiously as he tossed on his coat and jerked up the zipper. "Grange? Wu Fei?" he exclaimed in astonishment as he caught sight of Heero confronting the two men.
Nameless was with them as well, wagging his tail and trying to greet his brother, but Soda had a job to do and he was stiff and unresponsive, confronting intruders and waiting for orders. Grange was anxious, looking past Heero to their tent. "Is she in there?"
Heero scowled and pointed to the other tent. "No, over there."
Duo handed Heero his coat and admonished, "Get some shoes on Yuy!" and then, facing the newcomers, he demanded, puzzled, "Why are you two out here? I thought you," he nodded to Wu Fei, "hated camping, and you," he nodded at Grange, "had a case to complete."
"Kit isn't in her tent!" Grange cut across that. "I already checked! Where is she?"
Duo looked around them at the forest. "Well, there isn't exactly a ladies washroom around here, Grange. She might have gone out on personal business."
Heero had gone to put on his shoes. He came back, eying the forest as well. "It wouldn't be wise to go looking for her."
Duo agreed, "Relax, Grange, she'll be back soon and then you can have your lovey dovey reunion, okay?"
Grange didn't look convinced. He stood stiffly, looking around them and listening for sounds of Kit.
Duo bent and poked at the fire, shivering with cold. Tossing on a few logs and a handful of tinder, he looked slyly at Heero as he placed a fuel cell into the center of it. The logs burst into flame instantly and began glowing warmly. "Don't tattle on me."
Heero grunted. "She'll know."
Duo made a sour face. "Yeah, she probably will." He looked up at Wu Fei, who was watching him with a frown. "So, your turn. Grange came out here to see his girlfriend. Why are you with him?"
Wu Fei looked annoyed but then he admitted, "Grange ordered me to accompany him. It is advisable not to travel alone in the wilderness. I also considered that it would be a good training exercise for Chase."
"Chaser?" Duo raised eyebrows. "Is that his new name?"
Wu Fei grunted. Duo looked at the white dog. "Chase? Come here, boy. Chase? Chase?" The dog looked oblivious, his attention still on Soda. "Green, Soda," Duo ordered and Soda relaxed and licked 'Chase's' face. "It's amazing how he answers to his own name, Wu Fei."
Wu Fei replied uncomfortably, "It may not have been a correct choice."
Duo sighed in exasperation. "You mean, again? Have you ever thought, Wu Fei, that it might not be what the dog wants, that's the problem, but in how comfortable you are in saying the name? Dogs sense when you're tense."
Heero brought food over to the fire and a few pans. Eggs, bacon, and protein bars. Duo grinned at him. Heero shrugged. "I refuse to eat fish this entire trip. We need protein, carbohydrates, and vitamins."
"I'm not arguing," Duo replied with a laugh.
"She should be back by now!" Grange suddenly exclaimed, fists clenching and unclenching.
Duo pursed lips. "Well, if you want to barge in on a lady doing her 'business' you can, but I refuse to pick up what's left of you when you do." He thought for a moment and then brightened. "How about this... Soda, find Kit. Find Kit, Soda."
The dog looked uncertain, not wanting to part with Duo when there was an angry man present, but another repeat of the order and he lowered his nose and trotted off into the trees.
"There, now, calm down, Grange and have some breakfast," Duo told him with false cheerfulness. "You better eat fast, too, before Ms. Rough It gets back and takes all of this away from us. She expects us to eat roots, berries, and what ever we can catch for our meals. She's not going to be happy with Heero's lapse."
Wu Fei crouched and stretched his hands out to the fire. He didn't look comfortable at all. Duo shook his head, perplexed. "I can see you holed up in a room full of books, Chang," he said, "Not hiking after Grange and enjoying nature."
Wu Fei admitted sourly, "I'm not enjoying it. This is an assignment for me." He eyed Duo suddenly. "How has the trip been for you so far?"
Duo's eyes narrowed. "Was Grange worried about me turning into psycho Duo and hurting his girlfriend?"
Chase sprawled at Wu Fei's feet, tongue lolling. Wu Fei sank a hand into his pile of white fur and scratched. Chase looked as if he had gone straight to heaven.
"Grange had his reservations," Wu Fei replied, "But I think his concern mostly sprang from the image of his affianced camping with two men."
Duo widened eyes, "But Heero and me are..."
Wu Fei snorted. "Jealousy has little to do with common sense."
Chase leaned and began nosing into one of the supply bags. His teeth audibly crunched on something. Wu Fei dragged at his collar, alarmed. "Chase, no!" The dog ignored him, straining to reach whatever he had found to eat. "Chase!"
The dog was eating crackers, they saw when his nose reappeared. He continued to chew, ignoring Wu Fei completely. "Stubborn and spoiled," Duo grumbled.
Heero turned the frying eggs over in a pan with a spatula and finally looked up from his cooking. "Chang, you've been taking advice from many people concerning the dog's name and the dog's care. Perhaps you should put that advice aside and follow your instincts instead. All animals are different and they respond differently."
"That's right!" Duo interjected. "You know your own dog and
only you know what he's likely to respond to. Stop with the text book crap,
Wu Fei and wing it for once."
"Isn't that following your advice instead?" Wu Fei pointed out archly.
Heero grunted, amused. Duo scowled.
Soda took that moment to return, tail down and moving nervously.
"Where's Kit?" Duo asked, standing up and brushing dirt from the back of his jeans. Soda came to his side and wined, ears down.
"Something's wrong!" Grange exclaimed. "Get that mutt to take us to her right now!"
"I think that's a good idea," Heero replied as he put the pan of eggs away from the fire and stood up. "Duo?"
"Don't bother!" Kit came staggering out of the trees, a hand to her head and leaves and debris stuck all over her. Grange rushed to her side only a few steps ahead of the others. She looked at him in surprise and then grimaced and hobbled to the fire. Sitting down heavily, she reached out towards the flames. "I'm okay," she told them. "Just took a fall, that's all."
"You have a large scrape on your forehead, Kit! that's not okay!" Grange exclaimed excitedly.
Wu Fei bent to examine it. She winced away from his touch. "I know all about concussions and fractures," Kit grumbled. "I don't have either one. Relax and let me rest."
Grange hunkered down beside her, still anxious. Wu Fei shrugged at Heero and Duo and then went to sit by them. Heero, after a moment's hesitation, began cooking the eggs again.
"We should get you to a doctor!" Grange suddenly exploded and pulled out his cell phone. "I'll call for a chopper. We can evac you out of here-"
"Grange!" Kit snarled. "Don't you dare!"
Grange froze, phone half lifted to his ear.
"I've had emergency training," Kit assured him. "I know my own condition. I fell down a ravine and, miraculously, didn't do anything more than knock myself out and wound my pride. Now, sit the hell back down and tell me what you and Chang Wu Fei are doing out here?"
Kit rubbed at her forehead and looked at Grange from beneath her hand as he admitted, "The mission was scrubbed and..."
"And, like a big, jealous ape, you came rushing out here to make sure nobody tried to put the moves on your girl," Kit finished sarcastically, "Or you decided to be the knight in shining armor and rushed out here to protect me from the big bad forest. Which is it?"
"Both," Wu Fei replied in a low grumble.
Grange winced and suddenly found the ground very interesting.
Kit glared at him and then relented. "Welcome aboard, guys, but the same rules apply to you as it does to my other two victims, uh, camping companions. We rough it. Got that?" Her glare turned towards the fire. She grabbed a stick and poked until the fuel cell popped out of the flames. Duo swallowed and looked nervous as the glare now turned to him.
"Uh, sorry?" Duo apologized sheepishly.
"Roughing it!" Kit repeated strongly.
"I should get rid of the eggs and bacon then," Heero said blandly.
Kit's expression told them all what she thought about that idea. "Might as well eat them since you've already cooked them," Kit replied breezily. "Can't put eggs back in the shell, after all."
Duo laughed. Wu Fei growled under his breath as he held out a plate for Heero to put the cooked eggs on. "That means, 'My stomach thanks you for being reasonable, woman.' in Wu Fei speak," Duo translated, but then he grew more serious. "Are you sure you're okay, Kit?"
"Throbbing headache, but not any nausea or double vision," Kit replied. "I just need to rest." She looked over at Soda. "He found me. Did you send him?" When Duo nodded she snorted. "You need to train him to do something when he finds someone, Duo. Finding me doesn't do any good if he runs off again. He's not going to tell you, 'I saw Kit and she's in trouble.' He needs to wait and let me give him something of mine to take back with him."
"He did talk to me," Duo argued. When Kit looked at him skeptically, Duo explained, "He came to me and I could tell by his body language that he'd found something disturbing."
Kit snorted, "Yes, disturbing. I guess a human being, clawing their way out of a ravine, with leaves and dirt all over them, would constitute 'disturbing'. I only caught a glimpse of him before he high tailed it back to you. "
"We were going back to look for you," Heero told her as he started to cook the bacon. "He would have taken us to you."
Kit relented. "I suppose. " She looked down at 'Chase' who had started chewing on the supply bag. "You're paying for that!" She growled at Wu Fei.
Wu Fei tore the bag away from Chase who looked as if he were laughing at him. Wu Fei sighed. "Add it to my growing bill."
As Chase reached for Wu Fei's boot, Kit laughed. "I bet it's a big bill, too."
"Oh, yeah!" Duo laughed. "If he owned his apartment, he'd have to take out a mortgage."
"Are you sure you're all right?" Grange asked anxiously.
Kit blinked at him. "I think we were talking about chew monster dogs, honey. I told you I was all right. You can calm down now."
"That was a large fall..." Grange pointed out worriedly.
"And I'm OKAY," Kit stressed and then glared. "I'm also smart enough to tell you if I wasn't."
"Take my advice," Wu Fei in all seriousness to Grange. "Drop the matter."
Grange scowled, but he did swallow what ever he had been about to say. Heero finished cooking and they ate, though Grange kept watching Kit as if she might fall to pieces at any moment.
Wu Fei was looking about them while he ate. "You shouldn't be camped so close to the water," he commented. "If it should flood..."
"We're already camped on the side of a hill," Duo grumbled around a mouthful of food. "Don't encourage Heero or," he glanced at Grange, "Mr. Overprotective boyfriend over there, to get even more anal about security."
Grange was already looking anxious. "Wu Fei might have a point..."
Kit stood suddenly, brushing off the dirt from her pants with angry motions. "Look, guys! I know something about the woods. We're fine! Now, if you're done eating, I expect everyone to pull their weight around here. We need to clean up the camp to keep the bears away, which means securing our supplies. We also need to bank the fire, hunt for dinner, and do something I've been longing to do for almost a year now."
"What's that?" Heero wanted to know, smirking in amusement.
"Enjoy myself," Kit shot back. "So, if you would all cooperate with me, I won't have to get ugly, okay?"
"It gets uglier?" Duo snickered. Kit glared and Duo stifled his laughter. "All right! All right! Let's make a pact, guys, to behave and let Kit run the show."
Wu Fei looked uncomfortable with that plan, but he nodded curtly with everyone else and agreed.
"Good," Kit said with satisfaction. "Now, lets get to work so we can relax later."
Duo helped Heero clean up the skillet, and the cups and plates, as the others allowed Kit to direct them in putting the supplies up where Bears couldn't reach them. Heero said, without preamble, "This might be difficult for you."
Duo wasn't smiling any longer, his mask gone. "I know... Wu Fei I'm used to, but Grange... " He snorted self deprecatingly. "Grange is going to be on his last nerve, it seems, worrying about Kit, Wu Fei is going to have his hands full with 'Chase', you're nervous about the woods, and I'm nervous about men in general. 'Fun' is starting to seem less and less like a good description for this trip."
"I feel...," Heero searched for the right words, "More secure with people I trust around me. You have all of us to protect you as well," he reminded Duo. "Grange shouldn't upset you."
"No one should," Duo replied darkly, "but they do."
"Did you take your pills?" Heero wondered, almost under his breath.
"No," Duo admitted. Heero gave him a look and Duo sighed. "Okay, so my anxious feeling is probably because I decided I didn't need antidepressants on a trip that was supposed to be carefree and fun."
"Take them," Heero told him firmly.
Duo sighed again. "Going, going..." He walked towards the tent. He paused at the tent flap, gave Grange a thoughtful look, and then went inside.
Heero walked over to where Grange was tossing a rope high over a tree limb in preparation to use it to hoist up their supplies to a safe height. Heero stood very close, so close that Grange stopped and looked at him, puzzled. In a very low voice, Heero warned, "Keep at least three feet between you and Duo at all times or there might be trouble."
Grange was instantly angry. "I'm not gay, so forget the jealous act."
"And I'm not straight, so you can forget yours too," Heero shot back. They glared at each other and then Heero said, "That isn't what I meant, though. You make Duo nervous. If he thinks you are a threat-"
Grange grunted, turning back to his work. "Save your breath, I already know all about that."
Heero nodded, reassured, but then he said, before turning and walking away. "You had better relax, Grange. You won't win any points with Kit if you play the part of the overprotective boyfriend."
"Follow your own advice much?" Grange snarled back .
Heero stiffened and then stalked away angrily. It wasn't the same thing, he told himself, until he saw Duo come out of the tent and realized that it was. He had sent Duo to take his pills like an overprotective mother. Duo had already realized his mistake. Heero hadn't needed to say anything, hadn't needed to act as if, after realizing it, that Duo wouldn't do what was clearly necessary.
Heero walked over to Duo, who looked at him with raised eyebrows when he spotted Heero's serious expression. Taking Duo's braid in his hand, Heero rubbed the end between his fingers gently. "Sorry," he apologized simply.
Duo grinned, replied, "Apology accepted.", and then leaned to give Heero a quick kiss on the lips.
"Back to work love birds!" Kit called from across the camp.
"Yes, ma'am!" Duo shouted back derisively and then winked at Heero, laughter in his eyes. "So, Yuy, you wanna rake coals, or fetch more wood?"
Read more of Kracken's fiction and fanfiction at http://kracken.bonpublishing.com
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Kracken has a yaoi book published, The Angel Within, at amazon.com. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0974416002/qid%3D1066434868/sr%3D11-1/ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F1/102-2967152-0308168
and at her publishing website at http://www.bonpublishing.com. Thank you to
everyone who already bought the book. *hugs*
Go to Chapter 4