Your Song

Part 1

~ Love of My Life ~

By: JC Maxwell-Yuy

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JC: Konichiwa!

Van: Yo!

Moonbay: You have done this before, haven't you?
JC: Nope! This is my first Zoids fic! Yay!

Irvine: How scary is that?

JC: It is. I'm trying my very best to make… … whatever it is I'm trying to make.

Moonbay: You're trying to throw Van and Irvine into the same bed.

Van: I always knew you were a cradle robber!

Irvine: (blushes) I have no idea what you're talking about… or why my face is red.

JC: Uwwaaaaa!!!(does an embarrassed dance) I'm so shameless.

Irvine: And a loon to boot.

JC: (glares)

Irvine: Oops…

JC: Another remark like that and you won't get any for a week!

Van: That's harsh.

JC: You too!

Van: (swallows hard) Eep.

JC: Moonbay, it's your turn.

Moonbay: JC doesn't own Zoids, it's characters, in other words NOTHING! That's a good thing.

Thomas: Just for the record, Fine is Fiona.

JC: One more word and your going back to that guy with the freaky music.

Moonbay: OK. I don't want to get married and become tone-deaf so here's our story for today!

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The two moons of planet Zi illuminated the desert sands. The pale glow of the ever shifting grains reflected off Van's eyes. The young man shifted from one foot to the other as he stared up at the sea of stars, all burning brightly in the night sky.

"Van, dinner's ready." Fine called from where she had set up a small campfire. A pot of canned soup sat simmering over the fire.

"Coming!" Van snapped out of his reverie and bounded toward the fire.

"I must have called at least 5 times. What were you thinking about?" Fine giggled as she handed Van a cup of the steaming liquid.

"Aw… nothing much. Just… the usual." Van said.

"Irvine, huh?" Fine leaned back and sipped her soup.

"Yeah." Van stared at the milky liquid swirling in the mug.

It had been way back in the beginning. Back when Irvine was still trying to steal Zeke for himself. Way back at the beginning… One night, Irvine had lost his patience with Van and more or less robbed the young boy of his virginity. Van had been wary of the older boy, but then they'd become great friends. Now, he wished it were more than just friendship.

"It's been a while since we last saw him." Fine commented. "The next time… are you going to tell him?"

"I… don't know." Van replied. "I was going to the last time, but due to the situation… and I just basically… lost my nerve."

"Lost your nerve?" Fine laughed.

"Not funny." Van groaned.

"That's so like … Thomas." Fine smiled. "It's almost kind of cute."

"How can you compare me to that guy?" Van cried and buried his head in his hands.

"Well… all your attempts to tell Irvine your feelings… did turn out like Thomas'… er… " The girl struggled for the word. "Desperate obsessions… …"

"Desperate obsessions?" Van raised an eyebrow. "That's clearly and understatement."

"Well, anyways…" Fine blushed. "That's not the point. The point is that you miss every chance to tell your feelings… whereas Thomas… blows everything out of proportion, yet still gets the desired effect through."

"So why aren't you two together?" Van asked slyly.

"Well, a girl's got to play hard to get." Fine laughed.

"Hard to get? More like torture for the poor guy." Van muttered.

"In any case, just tell him exactly how you feel." The blonde girl smiled warmly. "He'll understand, whether he can return your feelings or not."

"You're right! Next time, I'll tell him, surely!" Van jumped up and shouted, forgetting about the hot soup in the mug, which spilled all over his pants.

"IIITTAAAAAIIIIIIII!!!"

"Irvine…"

Hands roamed his body, exploring, needing…

"Please… "

A larger muscular body pressed tightly against his form, smothering him with a scent he never could get tired of breathing in.

"I…"

Burning pleasure… indescribable feeling…

"love…"

"IRVINE!" Van's body shook beneath the sheets. The boy's eyes flashed open, but regretted it. It had been just another dream. The sleeping bag was now sticky and wet.

"…" Van stared at the traces of his dream's pleasure on his pants, and then sank back down on the now soiled sleeping bag.

"Rrre?" Zeke opened one red eye.

"It's all right Zeke. Go back to sleep." Van assured the organoid, but the silver being stared at its friend's sad expression, but powerless to make Van's wish for Irvine's love to come true.

Burning desert sands… explosions… heat pulsing in every possible direction. The Blade Liger burst through the cloud of sand kicked up by gunfire. Somebody had reprogrammed some sleeper zoids into attacking any moving object on the desert road.

"FINE! Are you OK?!" A voice screeched over the communication link.

"Yes Thomas, I'm fine." Fine replied and winced as another barrage of gunfire rocked the Liger.

"HOW DARE YOU ATTACK FINE, YOU SCUM!" Thomas roared and fired an angry barrage of energy. His fire was returned, and the Dibision's command system froze.

"Don't be so reckless!" Fine admonished both pilots before clutching her harness as the Liger was knocked aside.

"I'll second that." Another voice echoed over the com-link.

"Irvine?" Van's hands on the controls froze as the remaining enemy zoids were knocked out. The Command Wolf bounded over to the Blade Liger and the now out of commission Dibision with Moonbay's Gustav in tow.

"HEY FINE!" Moonbay jumped out of the Gustav and ran over to hug the blonde girl.

"Guess I need a tow." Thomas muttered apologetically.

"I'm a…" Moonbay started.

"Transporter of the wasteland." Irvine and Fine finished for her before everyone laughed.

Van just watched Irvine's smile. The older man noticed Van and held up a hand in greeting. Van felt his cheeks flush.

Later…

"Lovely. Just lovely." Thomas muttered as he watched his zoid being repaired in a small town repair shop.

"The repairman said it'll take a day or so." Fine said.

"The good news is the Guardian Force sent us orders to take a short vacation while the Dibision's in the shop so…" Van started.

"So I guess that means you guys have some free time." Moonbay finished.

"It'll be fun. We haven't all been together for a while." Fine exclaimed and tugged Van's sleeve.

"Even if it's only for a day or so." Van muttered.

"Well, let's just find a hotel." Thomas started walking ahead.

"Thomas?" Van called.

"WHAT VAN?!"

"The hotels are in the other direction."

"DDDAAARRGHHH!!!"

The hotel…was more like an inn.

"Well, this is all we could afford." Moonbay sighed.

"So Van, now's the perfect chance to tell Irvine." Fine whispered.

"In this dump?" Van exclaimed.

"SHHHHH!!!" Fine clamped one hand over Van's mouth and dragged him off to a secluded corner.

"Here's the plan. I'll room with Moonbay for obvious reasons and then con Thomas into rooming with Zeke." The Zoidian hissed.

"But… me… with …" Van's face turned bright red.

"Oh, suck it up." Fine groaned and dragged Van back to the others.

"I don't want to think about what you two were doing." Moonbay said.

"NOOO!!" Horror crossed Thomas' face as visions of Van and Fine making out in a secluded corner of a cheap hotel flooded his disillusioned brain.

"What's with him?" Irvine stared at the whimpering and now hunched on the floor Thomas.

"Love pains." Moonbay shook her head. She didn't notice the sad look that crossed Irvine's face through the whole episode.

"Well, I have room keys!" Fine shouted from the check in desk.

"Moonbay, you're with me. Thomas, be a dear and watch Zeke." Fine smiled sweetly at Thomas, who quickly removed himself from his sob-puddle on the floor with a thousand-watt smile on his face.

"Anything for you Fine!" Thomas cried as Zeke wandered over to him and accidentally stepped on the man's foot.

"And that leaves Van with Irvine." Fine tossed the last key to Van and dragged Moonbay and Thomas upstairs with the other two keys before the two men could protest.

"RRWRRR?" Zeke followed Thomas in confusion up the stairs.

"What was that?" Irvine asked.

"Guess she wanted to have a 'girl talk' or something." Van quickly covered up.

"Oh." The bounty hunter muttered and followed Van up the stairs.

"You know, for a run-down looking place, the bathroom's pretty nice. Even has a hot tub." Van shouted as he explored their small, but tastefully decorated room.

"Uhm hm." Irvine replied absently.

"If you don't mind, I'm going first!"

"Sure. Whatever you want." Irvine sighed as the bathroom door clicked shut. The man lay down on the king-size bed to sleep. His slumber wasn't a pleasant one.

To Be Continued_