Author's Note: I appreciate everyone's reviews and am glad you all are enjoying my work. I'm going to try something I haven't before and post the first few chapters and then update as I go, so feel free to check back as the story continues. (Many of you will also be happy to know that I'm working on quite a few more stories with various pairings, so stay tuned!)
Bunkies
Stork clutched at Finn's sleeve. "Don't you understand?" he pleaded. "We're going to die!"
Finn rolled his eyes. "Relax," he said, patting Stork on the arm. "We'll be here one night, tops. You'll see."
Stork still seemed panicked, but at least he let go of Finn. It had been several hours since their unexpected run-in with a group of Talons, and during the battle Finn's skimmer had been sliced in half, leaving him to parachute to safety to Terra Amazonia below. Stork had been piloting the Condor, with Junko manning the turrets, but a series of explosions had rocked the ship and thrown Stork out a shattered window, leaving him to parachute to safety as well. In time the two had found each other, but there were no signs of any other Sky Knights, either on the ground or, as the dense foliage prevented them from seeing the sky above, in the air.
With no friendly contact, and the daylight slipping away, the two Sky Knights knew they had to settle in and make the best of it until help arrived. Stork's paranoia paid off again, as he had several useful items with him at all times, including matches, a knife, and several protein bars. He also had several other less useful items, such as an extra pair of socks, a welding torch, knitting needles, a wrench, and a bottle of soap bubbles ("You never know," Stork had said defensively when Finn asked). Using what was left of their tattered parachutes, the two managed to cobble together a tent and a bedroll before they ran out of fabric.
"Looks like we'll be bunkies," said Finn, nudging Stork with his elbow. Stork's eye twitched. Stork was particularly anxious about this whole situation not just because of the impending doom he predicted, but also because he hadn't been away from the Condor for this long in a very long time and it definitely made him antsy. Finn's cavalier attitude about their predicament certainly didn't help, either.
After scouring the surrounding area for something to eat (Stork's knowledge of poisonous foods came in handy when Finn tried to eat a fruit that would have turned him purple), they made a fire, ate what they had found, and stayed awake for as long as they could, hoping for rescue. Finally Finn stood up, stretched, and yawned loudly.
"Well, I'm done," he said. "You ready to hit the hay, bunkie?"
Stork twitched as twig snapped in the distance. "OK," he said, slowly standing up, "But don't say I didn't warn you when we get eaten by a giant three-headed snake in the middle of the night."
Finn rolled his eyes. "Right," he said, heading into the tent. "I'll keep that in mind."