BJ and Hawkeye stumbled onto the dance floor. They were so intoxicated no
nurse wanted to dance with them and so they had decided to dance with each
other. They had just spent 48 hours solid in the OR which had been followed
by 48 hours of solid sleep. They hoped to follow that up with 48 hours
solid partying.
Hawkeye's hand fumbled awkwardly as it tried to find the right resting place on BJ's shoulder and BJ shifted his hand uncomfortably as he searched for the best spot on Hawkeye's waist. There was an awkward pause as they joined hands and then they began stumbling drunkenly around the floor in a poor attempt at dancing and laughing uproariously as they did so.
They soon fell into their own little world, and no longer laughed or moved wildly over the floor, but stood quietly rocking, not exactly in time to the music, but in a rhythm with each other. Hawkeye jumped a little and stiffened as BJ's arm tightened around his waist, but he decided, it wasn't so bad after all and they were both so drunk, the next day it would just be a bad dream that people tactlessly reminded them of.
He tightened his arm around BJ's shoulder, the movement drawing the two men closer together, so their bodies just brushed.
"It's disgusting," Frank muttered to Margaret who watched the two men with a growing curiosity, she had seen a few nurses in her time that had become more than friends after months of living together, but she had never seen it happen to two soldiers or doctors. However the circumstances were right and she couldn't help but wonder if a change in their relationship was in the air.
Blue-green eyes locked with blue-grey and BJ gazed into the eyes of his dancing partner.
"You're really something, d'ya know that Birdseye?" He mumbled softly.
"Thanks, you're pretty cute yourself Doctor Honeydew." Margaret tittered as Frank continued muttering in her ear.
"It's vile, unhealthy, unmilitary, inhuman." BJ and Hawkeye were dancing practically cheek-to-cheek, and it's a good thing Klinger started a fight and drew Frank's attention away from them or he would've seen Hawkeye's arms wrap around BJ's shoulders and BJ's arms wrap around Hawkeye's waist.
"May I cut in?" Colonel Potter joked sometime later, startling the two men out of their daze.
"What? Oh, of course Colonel if you insist." Hawkeye and BJ broke apart, and looked stunned, fortunately Margaret came up.
"May I have the next dance Colonel?" Potter politely escorted her to the floor "Frank's being a party pooper," she explained as Colonel Potter twirled her.
Finding nothing else to do, the two men resumed dancing.
"So, Birdseye, what's a place like you doing in a surgeon like this?" The two men nearly tripped over, clutching at each other for support.
"I don't know, I just woke up here, Dr Honeydew, what's a doctor like you doing with a girl like me?" BJ laughed, and he and Hawkeye posed for a photo, completely unaware of anything that was happening .
"D'ya wanna go for a walk sugar?" Hawkeye slurred, in an attempt at seduction.
"I'd be pleased to, Dr Birdbrains" BJ replied. The two men left the dance floor, wove their way to the door and nearly fell through it
"Why Dr Birdbrains, you're drunk!" BJ stated in drunken surprise, after regaining his balance.
"If I wasn't so drunk Dr Honeybee I'd resent that!" And so Doctor Honeybee and Doctor Birdbrains stumbled off hand-in-hand for a walk around the camp.
The fresh air helped them wake up a bit and shake their drunk stupor, Hawkeye was the first to realise that the hand he was holding was not that of a nurse, but of his best friend. BJ came to as Hawkeye's hand stiffened uncomfortably in his grasp and they hurriedly let each other go.
"Jesus Christ, what have we been doing?" Hawkeye asked, while the two men shook their heads and stared at each other, trying to mentally explain how the pleasantly comfortable feelings they had experienced had been caused by their best friend.
"Nothing, I hope," BJ said as the two men walked in the direction of the Swamp.
"I never thought I'd say this, but I finally think we drank too much," the men collapsed on Hawkeye's bunk, staring at the wall.
"Beej, you are so drunk, you're delirious! The day I drink too much will be the day that Klinger gets his Section-8!" BJ had to laugh at that, and Hawkeye went to the Still, searching for a glass,
"Can I have one please Birdseye?" BJ asked,
"Only if you say please Honeybee." Hawkeye responded, pouring a second drink
"I already did," BJ replied, somewhat confused,
"That's okay then, but you have to come get it, I'm not walking all the way over there." BJ lugged himself to his feet, muttering.
"Here ya are. just kidding!" Hawkeye pulled the glass sharply out of BJ's reach and as BJ reached towards it, both men lost their balance and went crashing down onto the floor, martini showering the room.
"Well," BJ commented, "This is awkward," Hawkeye had fallen backwards, and BJ had fallen forwards, consequently BJ was lying on Hawkeye.
"Yeah," Hawkeye agreed, wondering why BJ hadn't gotten up. The truth was, BJ was trying to work out why he felt so comfortable lying with his friend.
"We should probably get up, Frank's gonna strip us down to our socks when he sees this mess," Hawkeye said, uncertainly.
"Yeah," BJ half-heartedly agreed, preparing to pull himself to his feet.
"Just a second," Hawkeye murmured, as BJ put a hand on either side of Hawkeye's shoulders, bracing himself, and BJ paused, his face hovering inches above Hawkeye's.
"G'night Honeybee," Hawkeye said, lifting his head to brush his lips against BJ's. BJ pulled back, surprised, but then leant down.
"G'night Birdbrains," he mumbled, returning the kiss with a short one of his own. Their eyes locked again in an embarrassed fashion, both wondering why they hadn't pushed the other away.
BJ hastily got up and offered Hawkeye a hand as Frank came into the tent.
"Sweet dreams Birdbrains," BJ said and Hawkeye grunted a reply.
"What are you two lowlifes doing now?" Frank asked snottily as BJ and Hawkeye crawled into their bunks.
"Nothing Frank, nothing that concerns you," Frank laughed disbelievingly at BJ's answer.
"You mean nothing I'd approve of." BJ gave a little chuckle, Frank didn't realise how close he was to the truth.
Margaret's eyes followed BJ and Hawkeye around as they got breakfast, both men were unusually polite and considerate to each other. She gave a small smile to herself; there had been a big shift in their friendship, what it was she didn't know, but there had been a change and that she could see plainly.
In a preternaturally courteous fashion, the asked if they were actually welcome where they chose to sit and BJ gave Hawk the choice of sitting next to Margaret or Radar. Margaret smirked as Hawkeye sat down beside her, he and BJ may have gotten closer, but Hawkeye hadn't changed that much.
"Hey Beej, pass us the salt," Hawkeye requested and BJ handed Hawkeye the saltshaker, their hands brushing. Long slender surgeon's fingers, on long slender surgeon's fingers.
"Thanks Beej," Hawkeye replied, attempting to drown his food in salt. Margaret watched them out of the corner of her eye as their strangely civil behaviour continued, she couldn't help but wonder what had happened after they'd left for the walk and what exactly was going through their minds.
Hawkeye's eyes studied BJ's slim fingers as they delicately twiddled with the fork. Every movement of his hands were graceful as he twisted the fork deftly, as one would a pen, over his fingers, before flicking it into the air, catching it and stroking the handle thoughtfully.
Hawkeye wondered how he had found such warmth in holding that hand. He remembered with a pleasantly familiar warmth in his stomach, how neatly their fingers had been interlaced, and how those hands had caressed his waist as they danced. A thought crossed his mind, and he pushed it away hastily, trying not to think about it.
"I'm not really attracted to BJ - am I?" He asked himself as Radar asked for the salt and their hands brushed once more as they passed the little shaker down the table.
"No, I can't be I sat next to Margaret didn't I?" He mused, rubbing his left hand where BJ's fingers had come into contact with him, there was an odd tingly feeling, one he normally got from holding hands with a nurse.
He glanced at Margaret, but felt only that warm friendship that the Head Surgeon and Head Nurse had worked so hard to build. He turned his eyes back to BJ and to his surprise, BJ was looking at him, a thoughtful smile on his face, BJ flashed a grin and turned back to his meal, performing a few short 'fork aerobics' before resuming eating.
As Hawkeye watched BJ lick his lips after a swig of coffee, Hawkeye pondered the kiss, the kiss he had given on impulse and the kiss that BJ had chosen to return instead of laughing it off or being disgusted with him.
"Maybe I am attracted to BJ," He thought, seeing himself in a new light he'd never had to before.
A smile played at BJ's lips as he watched Hawkeye eat his breakfast, there was something so perfect about him, from the devil-may-care light in his eyes, to the school boyish way his hair fell over his face.
BJ's lips tingled slightly as he licked them, putting his coffee mug down he thought about what had happened. He'd had so many choices, laugh it off, hit Hawkeye, be disgusted, make a joke that Hawkeye really had had too much to drink, ignore it, never talk to Hawkeye again, write home to Peggy, and he'd chosen the answer that hadn't been on the test so to speak, he'd kissed him back.
Both kisses had been like the sort of ones 10 year olds might share in a game of Spin the Bottle or Truth and Dare, short, barely a brushing of the lips, and followed by an embarrassed pause.
In a way they hadn't been like a kid's game, BJ had barely hesitated before kissing Hawkeye back, and the kiss had actually meant something not the quick This-Is-Only-Coz-I-Have-To kiss that BJ had had his share of in Junior High. He wondered what it would be like kissing Hawkeye again, and this time maybe having Hawkeye respond.
He put the thought out of his mind, there was no way Hawkeye would feel the same, it was just a single drunken encounter and Hawkeye after all was the local girl-chaser.
"BJ, I'm going for a shower," Hawkeye interrupted BJ's thoughts, and BJ decided as he followed Hawkeye out of the Mess Tent, to put the whole idea of out his mind.
"Row, row, row, your boat!"
"Row, row, row, your boat, gently down the stream!" The two men sang in a round as they showered.
"Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, liiiiiiife is buuuuuut aaaaaaaa dreeeeeeeeeeeam!" They finished together, Hawkeye pushing a falsetto note to harmonise with BJ's lower one.
"BJ, chuck us the soap," Hawkeye said and BJ 'chucked' the soap, causing Hawkeye to duck suddenly. The soap clattered to the floor just outside the cubicle and while BJ laughed, Hawkeye retrieved it.
"I'll get you. Honeybee!" Hawkeye said, remembering the nickname he'd used the previous night when he'd kissed BJ. BJ chuckled,
"Well, Birdbrains, you ducked!"
"I'm a bird, what'd you expect me to do, hamster?" Hawkeye responded smartly,
"You could've crowed instead of ducked!" BJ replied as Hawkeye turned off his shower and took up his towel. They bickered in a friendly fashion all the way back to the Swamp, which for once was empty of Frank.
"So, Birdbrains, about last night." BJ began, as Hawkeye towelled roughly at his hair.
"Yeah. that was a bit out of the ordinary wasn't it?" Hawkeye paused his hair drying.
"You could call it that." Hawkeye looked seriously at BJ, and began to apologise, thinking his friend had been offended by the action.
"I'm sorry I shouldn't have." BJ cut him off, knowing full well what his friend thought.
"Don't be, I probably would've done the same thing in your position," Hawkeye looked surprised, at BJ's sudden honesty.
"Really? I can't honestly say I'd have done the same thing if I was you," It was BJ's turn to look surprised as Hawkeye's admission knocked him for a six.
"I thought you had better manners than that!" Hawkeye chuckled, knowing what BJ was referring to. A few drunken nights ago they had discussed 'kissing etiquette' and had decided it was impolite not to kiss back.
"So what, if I do this.?" Hawkeye leaned forwards and kissed BJ gently, just a brief lip brushing, but a kiss nonetheless.
"It'd be rude if I didn't do this," BJ finished, kissing Hawkeye back. The kisses were slower than the rushed ones shared last night, and both BJ and Hawkeye knew that they'd enjoyed it, and that the other person had enjoyed it also.
"Well, does that make it impolite if I don't do this?" Hawkeye's lips made contact with BJ's in a gentle but firm fashion that allowed BJ to either pull away or respond, as he wanted. He chose the latter and slowly the two men kissed, neither one aware or interested in the consequences. BJ chuckled, as they broke apart.
"Well, I'm not sure, I lost any sense of kissing etiquette a long time ago." Hawkeye nodded, looking dreamy.
"Where does this leave us?" He asked curiously, and BJ looked thoughtful.
"I don't know, how about we leave this room, and then just see what happens later on?" Hawkeye nodded, holding out his hand in an honest, friendly gesture.
"We'll just play it by ear, deal?" BJ nodded and shook Hawkeye's hand, at the touch pleasant warmth spread up their arms.
"Deal." The two men got up, left the tent and walked in opposite directions, both wondering how to 'play it by ear.'
"You're a mess, what will your patients think if the see you looking like this?" Hawkeye laughed as BJ's hand reached across and pushed his hair out of his face, his hand coming down to run under Hawkeye's jaw affectionately.
"Thanks mum," he said jokingly. BJ laughed and put on his best old-lady voice.
"Now tie up your boots, wash behind your ears and give your old mother a kiss before you go to work." Hawkeye laughed, tying up his boots as he did so. He splashed a little cologne on, and scrabbled around for his coat.
Frank woke at the sound of voices, and lay silent as he waited to see what prank they were planning. Pulling his coat on, Hawkeye laughed as BJ fell into his bunk, exhausted.
"Big night huh?" Hawkeye asked, trying to feel awake.
"Yep, keep an eye on that chest wound, his pressure's kinda low. Now come and give your old mother a kiss before you go to work." Hawkeye chuckled, and Frank's eyes opened and he tried to see what was happening.
Hawkeye crossed the tent and bent over BJ who was already half-asleep. Frank's eyes opened wider at the unmistakeable sound of a lip-to-lip kiss.
"See ya," Hawkeye left the tent and BJ rolled over to go to sleep. Frank lay awake in his bunk the rest of the night, disgusted at what he had observed and made up his mind to talk about it with Margaret in the morning.
Margaret laughed directly at Frank, and ignored the insulted look that crossed his face.
"Frank dearest, don't take it to heart, but you're so stupid!" She laughed gaily, clapping her hands and Frank seemed rather hurt,
"Margaret, dearest, why are you laughing, it's disgusting, and unmilitary and if I had any authority and not that doddering old fool Potter, I'd give them both a dishonourable discharge!" Margaret's eyes widened and she pointed speechlessly behind Frank.
"Oh, I'm a doddering old fool am I?" Colonel Potter roared, standing right behind Frank and causing him to nearly jump out of his skin,
"Well Major Burns, this doddering old fool just gave you a month of Kitchen Duty! Report to Igor 0500 tomorrow!" Colonel Potter left as suddenly as he'd appeared. Frank sulked while Margaret tried to hide her laughter, failing dismally.
"Well, Frank, you've really got to be more careful about what you say. Now as for Pierce and Honnicut, they've been like that for ages, I'm surprised you never worked it out! As for unmilitary, they don't let whatever it is they've got between them interfere with their work. And disgusting. well they keep it suitably private, no one has to see anything unless they want to." Frank spluttered, words failing him as they'd failed Margaret earlier.
"It's unhealthy, it's inhuman!" Margaret stood up, frustrated and began to walk away.
"Inhuman? No, it isn't I've seen and known other people who have been that way. It isn't unhealthy, it's perfectly normal for two people after living so close for so long, to develop a romantic interest in each other, and you'd better watch out, they'll be after you next!" She added teasingly, walking away from Frank, disgusted at his behaviour.
A year or so ago she too, would have been as willing as Frank to give the Captains a Section-8, but she'd seen the light, something she'd never told anyone else had changed her views.
She'd attended a medical conference in Tokyo, and had run into an old flame from college. She had tried to come onto him, but had discovered he was a homosexual. It had not only hurt and surprised her, but it had drastically changed her view on the topic and was far more accepting of it, including when a nurse that was visiting had had a fling with one of her permanent staff.
She had never told anyone why she'd changed so suddenly, but no one minded they were just happy to see Margaret a little softer and more accepting of many non-conformist aspects of life. She smiled at BJ as he passed, determined to become closer friends with the two men.
"Hey Maggie!" he called teasingly, knowing full well she hated it.
"Major Houlihan to you!" She called back laughingly, accepting it as a joke, and replying as a joke, wagging her finger in a mock-scolding motion, nearly walking into the door of Post-Op.
Hawkeye was asleep on one of the beds while Margie Cutler checked the patients. Margaret gave an understanding smile and went to him to wake him as Frank was going to be on a shift in ten minutes.
"Hawkeye, wake up, wake up," She shook his shoulder softly, and he stirred opening his eyes sleepily.
"Margaret?" He mumbled,
"The one and only," she laughed "Now let's get you into your own bunk before Frank does his rounds." Hawkeye stretched a little and sat up, he yawned and looked around the room.
"What time did I fall asleep?" He asked Margie, who had come to help get him to his feet.
"Right after you closed that chest wound again, remember, you thought there was a bleeder you missed, and so you went back in." He nodded tiredly as Margaret lugged him to his feet. Hawkeye looked at his scrubs, which were bloodstained.
"Let's go Hawkeye," Margaret helped Hawkeye to the door as BJ came in, his eye lighting up at the sight of his friend.
"I was just coming to get him," He said, slinging Hawkeye's arm over his shoulder to support him.
"Let's go sleeping beauty, I'll take it from here thanks Maggie!" He added the last bit teasingly and she laughed and watched as BJ and Hawkeye left the room, arms around each other.
BJ and Hawkeye laughed hysterically as Frank shied away from Hawkeye's outstretched arms.
"Don't try and include me in any of your. of your filth!" He spat, drawing himself as far away as possible.
"Why Frank," BJ began pretending to be hurt, "It's not filth if I do this," He put an arm around Hawkeye.
"And it's not filth if I do this in return," Hawkeye leaned over and kissed BJ on the cheek.
Potter tried to hide his smile; BJ and Hawkeye were very successfully tormenting Frank with their closeness, trying as Frank put it, 'to include him in their filth.' Margaret hid a smile behind her hand, Frank was so stupid, anyone could tell that Hawkeye's attempt to hug him was a complete set-up, anyone except Frank that is.
BJ was now murmuring in Hawkeye's ear, and a warm smile was spreading over Hawkeye's face as BJ's soft words continued. It had been two months since the first embarrassing kiss and everyone was pretty much used to their canoodling.
They had been asked to keep 'public appearances' as Colonel Potter put it, to a minimum, and they were generally pretty happy to do that, Frank Burns being their one exception. Frank looked disgusted, as Hawkeye whispered a reply before brushing a kiss against his friend's lips.
Both men pulled back a little; there hadn't been any emotion in that kiss. It was just plain awkward.
Hawkeye looked at BJ's face, he had tried to put emotion into the kiss, but somehow, he felt for the first time, like he'd just kissed his best friend.
BJ was confused; he usually enjoyed kissing Hawkeye, or being kissed as the case may be. But this time it didn't feel right, and from the look on Hawkeye's face he felt the same way. BJ swallowed nervously, wondering where they were headed now.
"Beej, can we talk?" Hawkeye asked, and BJ knew then that Hawkeye felt the same.
"Sure," The two men got up and casually as possible, slung their arms over each other and headed straight for the Swamp.
"That was just weird." Hawkeye said once they'd assumed their 'conversation positions' sprawled full-length on their bunks.
"I'll say." BJ agreed, shifting to face his friend who stared up at the ceiling.
"So, we're playing by ear and my ear sure says that it's not right, that it's all over." Hawkeye said slowly, hoping BJ wasn't going to be hurt.
"I agree there, it wasn't right at all." BJ sighed.
"Jesus, I never thought it could be so hard." Hawkeye muttered mostly to himself.
"Well, we can still be friends Hawkeye, no matter what." BJ offered sitting up.
"I know that, we'll always be best friends, I'm sure but I'm just so confused." Hawkeye had broken up with people before, but couldn't, for whatever strange reason do it this time.
"Hawk, listen from now on, we're just best friends again okay? Best friends, plain and simple, like we always were." BJ said, offering his hand to Hawkeye. Hawkeye took it and they shook hands. There was no longer a pleasant tingle, but the strength and warmth of two best friends shaking hands.
"Okay Beej, friends." The two men laughed and went back to the O-Club, and shouted each other drinks and resumed the lives they called normal.
Hawkeye's hand fumbled awkwardly as it tried to find the right resting place on BJ's shoulder and BJ shifted his hand uncomfortably as he searched for the best spot on Hawkeye's waist. There was an awkward pause as they joined hands and then they began stumbling drunkenly around the floor in a poor attempt at dancing and laughing uproariously as they did so.
They soon fell into their own little world, and no longer laughed or moved wildly over the floor, but stood quietly rocking, not exactly in time to the music, but in a rhythm with each other. Hawkeye jumped a little and stiffened as BJ's arm tightened around his waist, but he decided, it wasn't so bad after all and they were both so drunk, the next day it would just be a bad dream that people tactlessly reminded them of.
He tightened his arm around BJ's shoulder, the movement drawing the two men closer together, so their bodies just brushed.
"It's disgusting," Frank muttered to Margaret who watched the two men with a growing curiosity, she had seen a few nurses in her time that had become more than friends after months of living together, but she had never seen it happen to two soldiers or doctors. However the circumstances were right and she couldn't help but wonder if a change in their relationship was in the air.
Blue-green eyes locked with blue-grey and BJ gazed into the eyes of his dancing partner.
"You're really something, d'ya know that Birdseye?" He mumbled softly.
"Thanks, you're pretty cute yourself Doctor Honeydew." Margaret tittered as Frank continued muttering in her ear.
"It's vile, unhealthy, unmilitary, inhuman." BJ and Hawkeye were dancing practically cheek-to-cheek, and it's a good thing Klinger started a fight and drew Frank's attention away from them or he would've seen Hawkeye's arms wrap around BJ's shoulders and BJ's arms wrap around Hawkeye's waist.
"May I cut in?" Colonel Potter joked sometime later, startling the two men out of their daze.
"What? Oh, of course Colonel if you insist." Hawkeye and BJ broke apart, and looked stunned, fortunately Margaret came up.
"May I have the next dance Colonel?" Potter politely escorted her to the floor "Frank's being a party pooper," she explained as Colonel Potter twirled her.
Finding nothing else to do, the two men resumed dancing.
"So, Birdseye, what's a place like you doing in a surgeon like this?" The two men nearly tripped over, clutching at each other for support.
"I don't know, I just woke up here, Dr Honeydew, what's a doctor like you doing with a girl like me?" BJ laughed, and he and Hawkeye posed for a photo, completely unaware of anything that was happening .
"D'ya wanna go for a walk sugar?" Hawkeye slurred, in an attempt at seduction.
"I'd be pleased to, Dr Birdbrains" BJ replied. The two men left the dance floor, wove their way to the door and nearly fell through it
"Why Dr Birdbrains, you're drunk!" BJ stated in drunken surprise, after regaining his balance.
"If I wasn't so drunk Dr Honeybee I'd resent that!" And so Doctor Honeybee and Doctor Birdbrains stumbled off hand-in-hand for a walk around the camp.
The fresh air helped them wake up a bit and shake their drunk stupor, Hawkeye was the first to realise that the hand he was holding was not that of a nurse, but of his best friend. BJ came to as Hawkeye's hand stiffened uncomfortably in his grasp and they hurriedly let each other go.
"Jesus Christ, what have we been doing?" Hawkeye asked, while the two men shook their heads and stared at each other, trying to mentally explain how the pleasantly comfortable feelings they had experienced had been caused by their best friend.
"Nothing, I hope," BJ said as the two men walked in the direction of the Swamp.
"I never thought I'd say this, but I finally think we drank too much," the men collapsed on Hawkeye's bunk, staring at the wall.
"Beej, you are so drunk, you're delirious! The day I drink too much will be the day that Klinger gets his Section-8!" BJ had to laugh at that, and Hawkeye went to the Still, searching for a glass,
"Can I have one please Birdseye?" BJ asked,
"Only if you say please Honeybee." Hawkeye responded, pouring a second drink
"I already did," BJ replied, somewhat confused,
"That's okay then, but you have to come get it, I'm not walking all the way over there." BJ lugged himself to his feet, muttering.
"Here ya are. just kidding!" Hawkeye pulled the glass sharply out of BJ's reach and as BJ reached towards it, both men lost their balance and went crashing down onto the floor, martini showering the room.
"Well," BJ commented, "This is awkward," Hawkeye had fallen backwards, and BJ had fallen forwards, consequently BJ was lying on Hawkeye.
"Yeah," Hawkeye agreed, wondering why BJ hadn't gotten up. The truth was, BJ was trying to work out why he felt so comfortable lying with his friend.
"We should probably get up, Frank's gonna strip us down to our socks when he sees this mess," Hawkeye said, uncertainly.
"Yeah," BJ half-heartedly agreed, preparing to pull himself to his feet.
"Just a second," Hawkeye murmured, as BJ put a hand on either side of Hawkeye's shoulders, bracing himself, and BJ paused, his face hovering inches above Hawkeye's.
"G'night Honeybee," Hawkeye said, lifting his head to brush his lips against BJ's. BJ pulled back, surprised, but then leant down.
"G'night Birdbrains," he mumbled, returning the kiss with a short one of his own. Their eyes locked again in an embarrassed fashion, both wondering why they hadn't pushed the other away.
BJ hastily got up and offered Hawkeye a hand as Frank came into the tent.
"Sweet dreams Birdbrains," BJ said and Hawkeye grunted a reply.
"What are you two lowlifes doing now?" Frank asked snottily as BJ and Hawkeye crawled into their bunks.
"Nothing Frank, nothing that concerns you," Frank laughed disbelievingly at BJ's answer.
"You mean nothing I'd approve of." BJ gave a little chuckle, Frank didn't realise how close he was to the truth.
Margaret's eyes followed BJ and Hawkeye around as they got breakfast, both men were unusually polite and considerate to each other. She gave a small smile to herself; there had been a big shift in their friendship, what it was she didn't know, but there had been a change and that she could see plainly.
In a preternaturally courteous fashion, the asked if they were actually welcome where they chose to sit and BJ gave Hawk the choice of sitting next to Margaret or Radar. Margaret smirked as Hawkeye sat down beside her, he and BJ may have gotten closer, but Hawkeye hadn't changed that much.
"Hey Beej, pass us the salt," Hawkeye requested and BJ handed Hawkeye the saltshaker, their hands brushing. Long slender surgeon's fingers, on long slender surgeon's fingers.
"Thanks Beej," Hawkeye replied, attempting to drown his food in salt. Margaret watched them out of the corner of her eye as their strangely civil behaviour continued, she couldn't help but wonder what had happened after they'd left for the walk and what exactly was going through their minds.
Hawkeye's eyes studied BJ's slim fingers as they delicately twiddled with the fork. Every movement of his hands were graceful as he twisted the fork deftly, as one would a pen, over his fingers, before flicking it into the air, catching it and stroking the handle thoughtfully.
Hawkeye wondered how he had found such warmth in holding that hand. He remembered with a pleasantly familiar warmth in his stomach, how neatly their fingers had been interlaced, and how those hands had caressed his waist as they danced. A thought crossed his mind, and he pushed it away hastily, trying not to think about it.
"I'm not really attracted to BJ - am I?" He asked himself as Radar asked for the salt and their hands brushed once more as they passed the little shaker down the table.
"No, I can't be I sat next to Margaret didn't I?" He mused, rubbing his left hand where BJ's fingers had come into contact with him, there was an odd tingly feeling, one he normally got from holding hands with a nurse.
He glanced at Margaret, but felt only that warm friendship that the Head Surgeon and Head Nurse had worked so hard to build. He turned his eyes back to BJ and to his surprise, BJ was looking at him, a thoughtful smile on his face, BJ flashed a grin and turned back to his meal, performing a few short 'fork aerobics' before resuming eating.
As Hawkeye watched BJ lick his lips after a swig of coffee, Hawkeye pondered the kiss, the kiss he had given on impulse and the kiss that BJ had chosen to return instead of laughing it off or being disgusted with him.
"Maybe I am attracted to BJ," He thought, seeing himself in a new light he'd never had to before.
A smile played at BJ's lips as he watched Hawkeye eat his breakfast, there was something so perfect about him, from the devil-may-care light in his eyes, to the school boyish way his hair fell over his face.
BJ's lips tingled slightly as he licked them, putting his coffee mug down he thought about what had happened. He'd had so many choices, laugh it off, hit Hawkeye, be disgusted, make a joke that Hawkeye really had had too much to drink, ignore it, never talk to Hawkeye again, write home to Peggy, and he'd chosen the answer that hadn't been on the test so to speak, he'd kissed him back.
Both kisses had been like the sort of ones 10 year olds might share in a game of Spin the Bottle or Truth and Dare, short, barely a brushing of the lips, and followed by an embarrassed pause.
In a way they hadn't been like a kid's game, BJ had barely hesitated before kissing Hawkeye back, and the kiss had actually meant something not the quick This-Is-Only-Coz-I-Have-To kiss that BJ had had his share of in Junior High. He wondered what it would be like kissing Hawkeye again, and this time maybe having Hawkeye respond.
He put the thought out of his mind, there was no way Hawkeye would feel the same, it was just a single drunken encounter and Hawkeye after all was the local girl-chaser.
"BJ, I'm going for a shower," Hawkeye interrupted BJ's thoughts, and BJ decided as he followed Hawkeye out of the Mess Tent, to put the whole idea of out his mind.
"Row, row, row, your boat!"
"Row, row, row, your boat, gently down the stream!" The two men sang in a round as they showered.
"Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, liiiiiiife is buuuuuut aaaaaaaa dreeeeeeeeeeeam!" They finished together, Hawkeye pushing a falsetto note to harmonise with BJ's lower one.
"BJ, chuck us the soap," Hawkeye said and BJ 'chucked' the soap, causing Hawkeye to duck suddenly. The soap clattered to the floor just outside the cubicle and while BJ laughed, Hawkeye retrieved it.
"I'll get you. Honeybee!" Hawkeye said, remembering the nickname he'd used the previous night when he'd kissed BJ. BJ chuckled,
"Well, Birdbrains, you ducked!"
"I'm a bird, what'd you expect me to do, hamster?" Hawkeye responded smartly,
"You could've crowed instead of ducked!" BJ replied as Hawkeye turned off his shower and took up his towel. They bickered in a friendly fashion all the way back to the Swamp, which for once was empty of Frank.
"So, Birdbrains, about last night." BJ began, as Hawkeye towelled roughly at his hair.
"Yeah. that was a bit out of the ordinary wasn't it?" Hawkeye paused his hair drying.
"You could call it that." Hawkeye looked seriously at BJ, and began to apologise, thinking his friend had been offended by the action.
"I'm sorry I shouldn't have." BJ cut him off, knowing full well what his friend thought.
"Don't be, I probably would've done the same thing in your position," Hawkeye looked surprised, at BJ's sudden honesty.
"Really? I can't honestly say I'd have done the same thing if I was you," It was BJ's turn to look surprised as Hawkeye's admission knocked him for a six.
"I thought you had better manners than that!" Hawkeye chuckled, knowing what BJ was referring to. A few drunken nights ago they had discussed 'kissing etiquette' and had decided it was impolite not to kiss back.
"So what, if I do this.?" Hawkeye leaned forwards and kissed BJ gently, just a brief lip brushing, but a kiss nonetheless.
"It'd be rude if I didn't do this," BJ finished, kissing Hawkeye back. The kisses were slower than the rushed ones shared last night, and both BJ and Hawkeye knew that they'd enjoyed it, and that the other person had enjoyed it also.
"Well, does that make it impolite if I don't do this?" Hawkeye's lips made contact with BJ's in a gentle but firm fashion that allowed BJ to either pull away or respond, as he wanted. He chose the latter and slowly the two men kissed, neither one aware or interested in the consequences. BJ chuckled, as they broke apart.
"Well, I'm not sure, I lost any sense of kissing etiquette a long time ago." Hawkeye nodded, looking dreamy.
"Where does this leave us?" He asked curiously, and BJ looked thoughtful.
"I don't know, how about we leave this room, and then just see what happens later on?" Hawkeye nodded, holding out his hand in an honest, friendly gesture.
"We'll just play it by ear, deal?" BJ nodded and shook Hawkeye's hand, at the touch pleasant warmth spread up their arms.
"Deal." The two men got up, left the tent and walked in opposite directions, both wondering how to 'play it by ear.'
"You're a mess, what will your patients think if the see you looking like this?" Hawkeye laughed as BJ's hand reached across and pushed his hair out of his face, his hand coming down to run under Hawkeye's jaw affectionately.
"Thanks mum," he said jokingly. BJ laughed and put on his best old-lady voice.
"Now tie up your boots, wash behind your ears and give your old mother a kiss before you go to work." Hawkeye laughed, tying up his boots as he did so. He splashed a little cologne on, and scrabbled around for his coat.
Frank woke at the sound of voices, and lay silent as he waited to see what prank they were planning. Pulling his coat on, Hawkeye laughed as BJ fell into his bunk, exhausted.
"Big night huh?" Hawkeye asked, trying to feel awake.
"Yep, keep an eye on that chest wound, his pressure's kinda low. Now come and give your old mother a kiss before you go to work." Hawkeye chuckled, and Frank's eyes opened and he tried to see what was happening.
Hawkeye crossed the tent and bent over BJ who was already half-asleep. Frank's eyes opened wider at the unmistakeable sound of a lip-to-lip kiss.
"See ya," Hawkeye left the tent and BJ rolled over to go to sleep. Frank lay awake in his bunk the rest of the night, disgusted at what he had observed and made up his mind to talk about it with Margaret in the morning.
Margaret laughed directly at Frank, and ignored the insulted look that crossed his face.
"Frank dearest, don't take it to heart, but you're so stupid!" She laughed gaily, clapping her hands and Frank seemed rather hurt,
"Margaret, dearest, why are you laughing, it's disgusting, and unmilitary and if I had any authority and not that doddering old fool Potter, I'd give them both a dishonourable discharge!" Margaret's eyes widened and she pointed speechlessly behind Frank.
"Oh, I'm a doddering old fool am I?" Colonel Potter roared, standing right behind Frank and causing him to nearly jump out of his skin,
"Well Major Burns, this doddering old fool just gave you a month of Kitchen Duty! Report to Igor 0500 tomorrow!" Colonel Potter left as suddenly as he'd appeared. Frank sulked while Margaret tried to hide her laughter, failing dismally.
"Well, Frank, you've really got to be more careful about what you say. Now as for Pierce and Honnicut, they've been like that for ages, I'm surprised you never worked it out! As for unmilitary, they don't let whatever it is they've got between them interfere with their work. And disgusting. well they keep it suitably private, no one has to see anything unless they want to." Frank spluttered, words failing him as they'd failed Margaret earlier.
"It's unhealthy, it's inhuman!" Margaret stood up, frustrated and began to walk away.
"Inhuman? No, it isn't I've seen and known other people who have been that way. It isn't unhealthy, it's perfectly normal for two people after living so close for so long, to develop a romantic interest in each other, and you'd better watch out, they'll be after you next!" She added teasingly, walking away from Frank, disgusted at his behaviour.
A year or so ago she too, would have been as willing as Frank to give the Captains a Section-8, but she'd seen the light, something she'd never told anyone else had changed her views.
She'd attended a medical conference in Tokyo, and had run into an old flame from college. She had tried to come onto him, but had discovered he was a homosexual. It had not only hurt and surprised her, but it had drastically changed her view on the topic and was far more accepting of it, including when a nurse that was visiting had had a fling with one of her permanent staff.
She had never told anyone why she'd changed so suddenly, but no one minded they were just happy to see Margaret a little softer and more accepting of many non-conformist aspects of life. She smiled at BJ as he passed, determined to become closer friends with the two men.
"Hey Maggie!" he called teasingly, knowing full well she hated it.
"Major Houlihan to you!" She called back laughingly, accepting it as a joke, and replying as a joke, wagging her finger in a mock-scolding motion, nearly walking into the door of Post-Op.
Hawkeye was asleep on one of the beds while Margie Cutler checked the patients. Margaret gave an understanding smile and went to him to wake him as Frank was going to be on a shift in ten minutes.
"Hawkeye, wake up, wake up," She shook his shoulder softly, and he stirred opening his eyes sleepily.
"Margaret?" He mumbled,
"The one and only," she laughed "Now let's get you into your own bunk before Frank does his rounds." Hawkeye stretched a little and sat up, he yawned and looked around the room.
"What time did I fall asleep?" He asked Margie, who had come to help get him to his feet.
"Right after you closed that chest wound again, remember, you thought there was a bleeder you missed, and so you went back in." He nodded tiredly as Margaret lugged him to his feet. Hawkeye looked at his scrubs, which were bloodstained.
"Let's go Hawkeye," Margaret helped Hawkeye to the door as BJ came in, his eye lighting up at the sight of his friend.
"I was just coming to get him," He said, slinging Hawkeye's arm over his shoulder to support him.
"Let's go sleeping beauty, I'll take it from here thanks Maggie!" He added the last bit teasingly and she laughed and watched as BJ and Hawkeye left the room, arms around each other.
BJ and Hawkeye laughed hysterically as Frank shied away from Hawkeye's outstretched arms.
"Don't try and include me in any of your. of your filth!" He spat, drawing himself as far away as possible.
"Why Frank," BJ began pretending to be hurt, "It's not filth if I do this," He put an arm around Hawkeye.
"And it's not filth if I do this in return," Hawkeye leaned over and kissed BJ on the cheek.
Potter tried to hide his smile; BJ and Hawkeye were very successfully tormenting Frank with their closeness, trying as Frank put it, 'to include him in their filth.' Margaret hid a smile behind her hand, Frank was so stupid, anyone could tell that Hawkeye's attempt to hug him was a complete set-up, anyone except Frank that is.
BJ was now murmuring in Hawkeye's ear, and a warm smile was spreading over Hawkeye's face as BJ's soft words continued. It had been two months since the first embarrassing kiss and everyone was pretty much used to their canoodling.
They had been asked to keep 'public appearances' as Colonel Potter put it, to a minimum, and they were generally pretty happy to do that, Frank Burns being their one exception. Frank looked disgusted, as Hawkeye whispered a reply before brushing a kiss against his friend's lips.
Both men pulled back a little; there hadn't been any emotion in that kiss. It was just plain awkward.
Hawkeye looked at BJ's face, he had tried to put emotion into the kiss, but somehow, he felt for the first time, like he'd just kissed his best friend.
BJ was confused; he usually enjoyed kissing Hawkeye, or being kissed as the case may be. But this time it didn't feel right, and from the look on Hawkeye's face he felt the same way. BJ swallowed nervously, wondering where they were headed now.
"Beej, can we talk?" Hawkeye asked, and BJ knew then that Hawkeye felt the same.
"Sure," The two men got up and casually as possible, slung their arms over each other and headed straight for the Swamp.
"That was just weird." Hawkeye said once they'd assumed their 'conversation positions' sprawled full-length on their bunks.
"I'll say." BJ agreed, shifting to face his friend who stared up at the ceiling.
"So, we're playing by ear and my ear sure says that it's not right, that it's all over." Hawkeye said slowly, hoping BJ wasn't going to be hurt.
"I agree there, it wasn't right at all." BJ sighed.
"Jesus, I never thought it could be so hard." Hawkeye muttered mostly to himself.
"Well, we can still be friends Hawkeye, no matter what." BJ offered sitting up.
"I know that, we'll always be best friends, I'm sure but I'm just so confused." Hawkeye had broken up with people before, but couldn't, for whatever strange reason do it this time.
"Hawk, listen from now on, we're just best friends again okay? Best friends, plain and simple, like we always were." BJ said, offering his hand to Hawkeye. Hawkeye took it and they shook hands. There was no longer a pleasant tingle, but the strength and warmth of two best friends shaking hands.
"Okay Beej, friends." The two men laughed and went back to the O-Club, and shouted each other drinks and resumed the lives they called normal.