Title: If You Go Down in the Woods Today
Pairings: Unknown at this point but probably Grace and Boyd
Summary: Team Bonding
Rating: K+
Spoilers: up to and including season seven.
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If You Go Down In The Woods Today
Part four
They were all exhausted, although some of them would never admit it, every inch of their bodies aching but they were probably the most relaxed they had been in months.
The morning obstacle course had been followed by lunch by the side of the river. There had seemed little point in changing when a wet afternoon beckoned, so instead they had eaten the pack lunch Tom had provided and clasped mugs of hot coffee while Tom explained what was coming next. It would have been funny if it not were for the fact Tom had been serious. Handing them each a paddle and a life jacket he had taken them to the water's edge and shown them the two canoes.
It had been with much trepidation that Boyd and Grace had climbed in, horror following as the instructor explained how to roll the canoe. That had been the last they had seen of the rest of the team as they cruised along the four mile stretch of river. It was quiet and calming as they sat back and let the instructor paddle. The calm before the storm apparently. Then they had hit rapids and both of them had ended up unceremoniously in the river. Neither had wanted to paddle back to camp so instead they had trekked through the wood in less than companionable silence.
When they had finally made it back to camp, soaked and exhausted, their mood had taken a dive and all they wanted was a hot bath and bed. Instead they were greeted by laughing and teasing from the rest of the team, who had been back for hours. A tepid shower did little to improve their moods, nor had the prospect of a hot meal and a few drinks.
--
Grace glanced up at the bar, her eyes quickly scanning the crowd of people but registering his absence. She furrowed her brow in consternation.
"He went outside," Eve whispered. "Sometime around verse two of 'You're the one that I want'."
"I'm frankly surprised he stuck it that long," she offered, grinning. Arriving at the pub for dinner and finding a karaoke night in full swing had been the perfect end to the day, and one that had seemingly called for a copious amounts of alcohol. "I guess I should go make sure he hasn't made a run for it." Grace rose to her feet and made her way through the crowded pub towards the door, her jacket forgotten until the chilly night air hit her face. She spotted him immediately, leaning against the wall, nursing a glass of scotch.
A smile tugged at his lips. "I was wondering how long it would take you."
"Take me to what?" she asked innocently.
"Miss my scintillating personality."
Grace raised an eyebrow in question. "To miss something it has to be there to begin with," she stated matter-of-factly. "Aren't you cold?"
"No."
"It's like two degrees out here." She shivered as if to confirm the fact.
Boyd shrugged, raising his glass as if by way of explanation.
"You're drunk."
"Probably."
She let out an exasperated sigh.
"Aren't you?" he asked roguishly.
"No," she said, shifting position until she was leaning against the wall beside him, using his body as a shield against the wind. "But then I can drink you under the table anytime."
He turned his head to look at her. "I'd argue but I've lost my train of thought. So you aren't drunk?"
Grace had a nice heady feeling, one that came with three glasses of wine and the buzz of high spirited conversation, but drunk was at least three more glasses away. She shook her head sadly.
"Pity." He continued to stare at her, his glazed eyes desperately trying to lock on her blue shiny ones.
Grace swallowed hard, not sure on what precipice they were standing. The game, if that's what it ever was, having turned dangerous, to the point that neither really understood the rules any longer.
"Grace," he said, his voice no longer able to conceal what was racing through his mind.
Silently, Grace took the tumbler from his hand, swallowing the aged scotch in one mouthful and pulling a face as it burnt her throat.
"That wasn't a nice thing to do," Boyd said, laughing lightly.
"Then maybe . . .," she started, swallowing her words, staring at him as the feeling of cold dissipated from her body; the look in his eyes sending a flurry of butterflies through her stomach and a rise in temperature in areas neglected for the longest time.
The team forgotten, the empty glass discarded on the table, his eyes never left hers, his thoughts centred on her alone as he debated what to do.
She felt his fingers gently brush hers as he blindly reached for her hand, finally entwining their fingers. Reluctantly, she looked down at their joined hands and back at his face.
"Why don't we walk back to camp and rectify the situation?"
For a bright, intelligent woman, she was suddenly lost.
"Open a bottle of wine. Talk." Although conversation was the last thing on his mind. He tugged gently and she found herself falling into step with him.
They walked in silence, hand in hand, the way they thought they had come, following the road rather than the trees. Concerns about getting lost were furthest from either of their minds as his thumb gently massaged her knuckle and the length of her fingers, surreptitiously casting little glances at each other the way new lovers do.
"Damn it," he said suddenly.
"What?" Grace asked, glancing about nervously.
"I need to use the facilities."
She laughed lightly, reluctantly releasing his hand. "Well, hurry up."
He disappeared between two trees and she found herself alone by the side of the road. "Boyd, hurry up before Spence decides to play the hero and comes looking for us."
"I have performance anxiety," he called back, cursing his timing, and wondering if he had blown it.
"I'll be gentle, I promise," she called back, shivering.
He appeared moments later, manoeuvring his way through the bushes. "What if I didn't want you to be gentle?"
"Are we actually going to do this?" she asked, looking up at him expectantly, the shivering becoming shaking.
Boyd lifted his right hand to gently stroke her cheek, swallowing his nervousness. Slowly he moved in and brushed his lips over hers.
Grace leaned in, intending to deepen the kiss when headlights dazzled her.
Boyd stepped back, cursing as he pulled her off the road as the four by four came to a halt.
Tom wound down the window. "We thought we'd lost you. Hop in."
Grace glanced at Boyd, unable to read his expression, unsure if he was dismayed, or pleased that he had been saved, before she climbed in. As she sat back savouring the sudden warmth, she smiled, feeling his body sliding in beside her, his hand covered hers, squeezing gently; the moment had been lost but clearly the thought was still there.