Title: Dare
Author: Lisa M
Pairing: BJ/Hawkeye
Prompt: #51 Water
Rating: Everyone - perhaps borderline 13
Word Count: 489
Disclaimer: Nope … still don't own anything.
Summary: Hawkeye never backs down from a dare.
Warnings: None. Short and sweet.
"Are you actually going to do it?"
"Of course I am! I never back down from a dare."
"I wasn't serious, you know."
"If you weren't serious, why'd you dare me?"
"It was your turn. I asked 'truth or dare'. You said 'dare'."
"Well, there you go!"
"I honestly didn't think you'd go through with it!"
"That's the game, Beej. Those are the rules."
"For Christ's sake, Hawk, you don't know what's in there!"
"I'm not afraid. I've seen worse. Hell, I've been in worse."
"There could be snakes."
"There aren't any snakes."
"How can you be so sure?"
"I just am."
"Who knows what's been dumped in that thing!"
"Would you just shut up and let me do this already!"
"Fine. But I hope you don't expect me to take care of you when you wind up with dysentery. Or worse."
"You know you're going to have to be the one who takes care of me if something like that happens. Remember, this whole 'truth or dare' thing was entirely your idea."
Those were Hawkeye's last words before tearing off his t-shirt and dropping his pants. A loud Tarzan-like shriek pealed from him and he began running, full speed, toward the small, moonlit pond they'd found nestled in some trees behind the camp. BJ clamped his eyes shut as his friend launched himself forward and into the water. He waited for the telltale splash. It didn't come.
Silent moments passed. Nothing but crickets. BJ's eyes popped open.
"Hawk!" He slipped his gaze around the clearing, searching the semi-darkness for Hawkeye, thinking that perhaps he'd fallen while running. Spilt his head open. Broken his leg.
But there he was, standing, knee-deep in the center of the pond - a huge smirk on his face. He spread his arms out at his sides and turned in a circle. Then, as BJ's face darkened, he began to laugh. Hard. So hard, in fact, that his body shook and tears ran down his cheeks.
"What's the matter, Beej?" His breath was hitching between howls of laughter. "Cat got your tongue?"
"You knew? You knew that damn thing was only two feet deep?"
"Of course I did." Hawkeye walked back toward the edge of the water and stepped onto the grass. He rejoined BJ, gathered up his clothing then slipped his shirt back over his head. "Do you honestly think I'd risk my health over a game?"
"You're a jerk, you know that?" BJ shoved him playfully and Hawkeye tumbled into the grass.
"I know," he replied, sheepishly, then grabbed BJ by the hand and pulled him down on top of himself. One hand wove its way into his friend's wavy hair, the other slid beneath BJ's shirt and came to a rest between his shoulder blades. "But you still like me, right?"
BJ leaned in, closing the gap between their mouths, but stopping just short of their lips actually touching.
"We'll see."
End