Heya everyone! I was going to update this yesterday since it was my birthday, but I just didnt get the chance. Ah well :D
Ok, I want to say thanks to everyone who reviewed/faved/alerted last chapter for me! - xXSadistic BarbieXx, LightXL_Ment2B, DaniMag-san, LeMoNsOuR, WhyteRoze28, KawaiiKilala77, bloodyreader200, book-zealot and nannals! THANK YOU! :D
Now this is the longest chapter by far at over 11,000 words O.O but there are loads of cute moments so my excuse is that they took up all the space haha! XD I'm not used to writing fluffy stuff, but now I'm really starting to like it.
Read on and review for me, thank you! It'd be like a late birthday present! ^^
EDIT: Sorry, I had to repost this again because something went wrong, so if reposting this loses the reviews I got from xXSadistic BarbieXx, White-Tainted-Red, DaniMag-san and MonochromousRainbow, it's ok, I'll still remember what you put and I'll still mention you in the thank you note next chapter. Unless you want to review again, by all means, be my guest :D
Chapter 6:
Back out on the lakebed, Stanley wasn't really putting much effort into deepening his hole. Not that he usually put much effort into upending countless shovelfuls of dirt every single day, but today he was more concerned about saving his energy for his upcoming rescue attempt. He still didn't know exactly what Squid had in mind, but judging by the tiny amount Stanley knew about the taller dark-haired boy, Squid would make it impossible not to realise when the plan was about to come into action.
The new kid Twitch was digging not far away from Stanley, sweating and struggling beneath the already harsh sunlight that glared mercilessly down onto the lakebed from above. Stanley couldn't help but feel sympathetic towards the shorter boy, who was now so drained that he could barely even twitch his fingers. After all, it wasn't all that long since that Stanley was in that exact same position, digging his first ever hole at Camp Green Lake and swiftly losing hope that he'd be able to last his eighteen months there.
And to be honest, Stanley still didn't know if he would survive the rest of his time here, but that was mainly because of what damn near suicidal thing he was about to do for the sake of Hector Zeroni. It might be a good cause, but that didn't stop Stanley from being as nervous as hell, and that most of the sweat that slicked his skin wasn't entirely caused by the heat.
Less than five minutes later, Stanley heard the familiar muffled sound of Mr Sir's water truck approaching, and sure enough the older man swerved around a few holes in his way and pulled up beside D tent. Immediately, the boys of D tent were climbing out of their holes before Mr Sir had even had chance to get out of his truck.
Twitch lifted his shovel and staggered sideways slightly, as though it was too heavy for him. His face was scrunched up in pain and he hissed quietly when he removed his hands from the wooden shaft, and Stanley knew without looking that the majority of Twitch's palms were now covered with large painful blisters.
"C'mon, Twitch, let's go." Zigzag called out as he and the others headed for the water truck.
"Hey, Twitch, come get some water." X-ray practically commanded as he strode briskly past, Stanley not far behind him. Twitch gingerly put aside his shovel and Stanley stopped, offering his hand down to the shorter boy to help him climb out of his hole.
"First hole's the hardest." Stanley said, giving Twitch a small smile as the boy gratefully took his offered hand and let Stanley help him up, grimacing from the contact of someone else's skin against his new collection of blisters.
"Thanks, man." Twitch replied when he was out of his hole. He lifted one hand up to examine the extent of the damage and Stanley took hold of his wrist, angling it towards him so he could inspect the blisters too. And looking at the state of Twitch's almost red raw hands made Stanley immensely thankful that his own blisters had already turned to callous, just like Mr Sir had assured him they would.
"Are you getting tired, X-ray?" Mr Sir asked as D tent lined up before him in their usual order with their empty canteens clutched loosely in their hands, waiting for the older man to fill them up again. "When you see me coming from now on, I want you to jump out of that hole! Be first in line straight away. I'm a little scratchy today, so you got to be sensitive with me."
Stanley was barely listening to what was happening behind him, because his gaze had swiftly fallen on the now unoccupied front seat of Mr Sir's water truck where a set of silver keys gleamed in the sunlight, still stuck in the ignition.
And just like that, Stanley had found his ticket out of there.
He glanced back over his shoulder at the line and caught Squid's dark-eyed stare already on him. The taller boy winked deliberately, one side of his mouth quirking upwards as he inclined his head ever so slightly in Stanley's direction. Quickly taking the hint, Stanley started walking towards the front of the truck, gesturing subtly for Twitch to follow him. After all, Twitch was the expert car thief and joyrider around here.
"C'mon." Stanley whispered urgently when the boy didn't immediately move, and then Twitch followed on beside him, glancing curiously at the queue at the back of the water truck and obviously wondering why they weren't joining it.
"Yeah, I apologise, Mr Sir." X-ray muttered, handing the older man his canteen and Mr Sir proceeded to fill it up beneath the spray of icy cold water without looking up.
"Yeah, yeah."
Squid seemed to be waiting for something, and sure enough, not five seconds later, Magnet tried his usual trick of attempting to push in front of the other boys in the queue instead of waiting in his designated place. And Squid instantly seized the opportunity the moment it presented itself.
"No way, man, I'm tired of you cutting in line!" Squid growled angrily, rounding on the slightly shorter Hispanic boy as he tried to cut in front of him and pushed Magnet back roughly.
"Get off me, man!" Magnet hissed in reply, squaring up to Squid challengingly. Squid shoved him again and Magnet slapped his hands away with a furious expression on his dusty sweat-slicked face. Those couple extra inches Squid had on Magnet certainly made a difference as Squid bore down on him, looking far more imposing than the other boy who was glaring up at him defiantly.
"Why don't you shut up?"
"What the heck is wrong with you? We all get water!"
Squid and Magnet were almost nose-to-nose now, and it was obvious that someone had to intervene before blows were exchanged between them. Not that any of the boys of D tent seemed all that bothered about stopping it, judging by the fact that they had all gathered around to watch.
"Hey, don't be squabbling up in here, both of you is gonna get some water!" X-ray called, taking the initiative as 'leader' of the group and moving to break them up, pushing them both back from each other.
"Hey, don't you push me!" Squid snapped at X-ray, giving the darker-skinned boy a rough shove back in return.
Stanley and Twitch glanced nervously over their shoulders at Squid's distraction as they moved cautiously closer to the front of the truck. Stanley peered in through the front window, wondering how the hell he was going to pull this off when he'd never driven a car in his entire life. He just had to hope that for once the family curse would allow him a little bit of luck, but he wasn't entirely convinced it would. It never had before.
"Man, stay in your place. We get water in order!" Stanley heard Squid say to Magnet. He looked questioningly at Twitch and the younger boy nodded quickly in the direction of the gear shaft. Twitch glanced back towards the queue for a second as Stanley carefully opened the truck door and slipped inside, shutting it just as silently behind him. Twitch wisely took a step backwards, so Stanley wouldn't run over his toes when he set off.
"Gentlemen, there's only one law around here, and that's me." Mr Sir announced gruffly, moving from the rear of the truck to break up the disagreement, hitching up his trousers as he walked. "You guys wanna learn tough lessons? Here, I'll give you a tough-guy lesson –"
Whatever else the older man had intended to say was instantly drowned out by the sudden roar of an engine starting, Stanley having just turned on the truck's ignition. Mr Sir's head snapped around wildly, his expression totally shocked as the truck creaked in protest when Stanley tried to accelerate without putting it in gear. The other boys' surprised expressions practically matched Mr Sir's, all except Squid who was standing there trying to bite back the knowing smirk that was playing at his lips.
Twitch looked around quickly, twitching anxiously.
"C'mon, c'mon, put it in gear!" He shouted almost desperately through the window as Mr Sir jerked into action and set off quickly towards the front of the truck, momentarily getting stuck behind Armpit before impatiently pushing him aside in his haste.
"Hey!" Mr Sir shouted. With his heart pounding in his throat, Stanley yanked the gear shaft and pressed his foot all the way down, sending the truck speeding off across the lakebed with Stanley screaming triumphantly as he swerved around several holes in his way.
Behind him, Stanley heard the boys of D tent wildly cheering him on and Stanley felt a small surge of warmth towards the boys who he'd previously thought didn't really give that much of a damn about him. But then again, remembering what Squid had said earlier about D tent having to stick together and look out for each other, it sort of made more sense to him now.
Stanley glanced up at the rear-view mirror and grinned widely when he caught sight of Mr Sir running after the truck at full pelt, his features absolutely livid with rage. With another triumphant shout, Stanley slapped his hands against the steering wheel joyously. God, it'd been ages since he'd had this much fun! And that look on Mr Sir's furious face just made the whole scenario even more hilarious than it already was. The D tent boys were jumping around now, laughing and shouting, pointing at Mr Sir as he sprinted after his truck like a man possessed.
By some adrenaline-fuelled miracle, Mr Sir managed to catch up to the truck as Stanley had to slow down a little to avoid a cluster of holes, and the older man slapped angrily on the window rim before reaching in and trying desperately to grab hold of Stanley through the front window.
"Stop this truck, you little –" Mr Sir snarled, but Stanley sharply turned another corner and Mr Sir's legs went out from underneath him, sending the older man to his knees in the dirt, but he'd kept his desperate grip on the window rim and suddenly found himself being dragged alongside the truck, his knees throwing up huge streams of dust where they scraped along the ground. The man reached for Stanley again, but Stanley slapped his hands away as they tried to seize hold of his orange overalls and Mr Sir pulled them back, clinging onto the window for dear life, obviously valuing his own safety over apprehending Stanley at that moment.
Feeling unusually devious, Stanley 'accidentally' drove a little too close to a hole and the ground suddenly vanished from beneath Mr Sir's knees, and the older man went flying face-first down into the hole in a cloud of dust. The boys of D tent howled even louder with laughter and Stanley shouted happily once more, waving one arm victoriously out of the window at the other delinquents of Camp Green Lake as he drove past them. They were all cheering for him, some even swinging their canteens around their heads in encouragement.
"Keep going, Caveman!" A boy from another tent shouted whom Stanley had never even seen before, so how the guy knew his nickname was a mystery to him.
"Yelnats! Stop that truck! Yelnats!" Mr Sir bellowed, dragging himself out of the hole and starting to chase after the truck again. Stanley laughed loudly, looking over his shoulder through the back window to watch Mr Sir's attempts to catch up with him. An unwise move, as it turned out, since Stanley really should've kept his eyes forwards so he could see where he was going.
"Bye-bye, Camp Green –" He started to yell, but then he was suddenly pitched forwards as the truck nose-dived straight into a hole and the water tank on the back practically exploded from the impact, splashing water everywhere. Luckily for Stanley, the truck's airbags had stopped him from flying straight through the windscreen, but now his escape plan had literally been grounded, since there was no way in hell that the truck would be moving again any time soon.
"My truck!" Mr Sir shouted in enraged disbelief as Stanley fought with the airbags to get free.
"You ok? Caveman!" X-ray called, his voice sounding strangely anxious as it travelled across the lakebed. Stanley would've seriously stopped to think about that had he not been trying to force his way out of the truck. And X-ray wasn't alone either, since several other boys of D tent started worriedly shouting for Stanley, seemingly concerned for his welfare.
"Caveman!"
"You alright?"
Stanley heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps crunching through the dirt, hurrying towards him. He glanced nervously through the back window again before he swore under his breath, cursing his own stupidity as he threw his shoulder forcefully against the door and it finally flung open. Stanley could see the D tent boys getting closer now, jumping over or dodging around holes to get to him, to see if he was ok. Oh, he was screwed now. Not only had his rescue mission failed before it'd barely began, but if the expression on Mr Sir's face was anything to go by, Stanley was going to be punished for this within an inch of his life.
And at that moment, being lost out on the huge barren wasteland of the lake was a much more appealing idea.
With his mind quickly made up, Stanley leaped out of the truck, sprawling gracelessly to the floor when his foot snagged against the edge of the hole he'd driven into. He scrambled hastily to his feet and then without another second's hesitation, Stanley Yelnats set off running faster than he'd ever run in his entire life, speeding out onto the lakebed with no other thought in his mind but to get the hell outta dodge before anyone (namely, Mr Sir) could even think about chasing after him.
"You done it now! You done it now!" Mr Sir hollered, gesturing angrily with his arms as he strode towards his completely wrecked water truck that was now hissing thick clouds of white smoke from the engine. The other boys of D tent had already come to a halt by the truck and were examining the wreckage in awe, X-ray and Magnet moving to get a closer look. Mr Sir pushed past them.
"Get back away from that truck!" He snarled at them, "Get away from that truck!"
No one seemed to be listening to the older man though, instead turning away from him to watch Stanley's rapid getaway. The cheering started up again, louder than before, and the boys jumped wildly up and down and waved goodbye to their fellow juvenile delinquent who was swiftly becoming little more than a shrinking orange speck in the distance.
"Yeah!"
"Go on, Caveman!"
Mr Sir glared out onto the horizon, his eyes narrowed in pure loathing.
"Yeah, keep going. There ain't gonna be no Yelnats the Fifth!" He shouted, but Stanley was too far away to hear him. In fact, Stanley had run so far away that he could barely make out the figures of Mr Sir and the rest of the Camp Green Lake boys when he stole a quick look back to make sure he wasn't being followed.
Huh. As if anyone would be stupid enough to follow him. They all knew that he wouldn't survive long out on the lakebed with no food or water. They'd give him a week, tops, and after that he'd be nothing but buzzard food.
But Stanley didn't care.
He was going to find Zero even if it killed him.
Which it undoubtedly would.
Stanley had been walking for hours. At least that's what it felt like. Hell, he didn't even know how long he'd been out there or which direction he was heading in. Everywhere he turned the barren wasteland just looked exactly the same from every angle. He could've been walking in circles for all he knew.
At least he hadn't run into any more of the local wildlife yet, so that was a definite plus. When he'd first come across that hole earlier that'd had about ten yellow-spotted lizards squirming around inside it, he could've sworn his heart nearly burst through his chest it was pounding that hard with fear, but thankfully none of them decided to jump out and chase him, so he'd been able to move on without having to flee for his life from a group of hungry venomous reptiles.
Stanley's canteen hung down from it's strap over his shoulder, slapping against his hip, reminding him just how empty it was with every step he took. He really should've filled it up before he'd commandeered the water truck, but he hadn't thought of that at the time, and it was too late to do anything about it now, so he just tried his best to ignore the dryness that was scratching his mouth and throat raw from the inside. It wasn't easy, but he was managing. For now.
The sun was high up in the sky, directly above Stanley's head and obviously determined to burn him alive. He squinted against the harsh sunlight from beneath his battered red baseball cap, not caring that the heat was causing thin trickles of sweat to make slick lines through the layer of grime that covered his face.
For some reason, Stanley happened to glance downwards as he approached one of the few sparse shrubs that occasionally dotted the otherwise lifeless lakebed every few hundred metres and he noticed a murky brown shape that was carelessly draped over the pale leaves. Stanley walked over to it and picked the thing up, realising that it was nothing more than an empty old sunflower seed sack. He examined it in his hands for a moment and was about to throw it away again when he looked up and caught sight of something that was a definite change to the same old scenery he'd been traipsing through for the last God knows how long.
Was that really what he thought it was? No, it couldn't be. It must've been a hallucination from the lack of water or something.
Stanley blinked a few times, squinting as he moved slowly closer. The image didn't change. It was without a doubt an overturned boat, and since this used to be a lake once upon a time, it wasn't that hard for Stanley to believe it was the real deal.
Now that he was pretty sure the boat wasn't a mirage, Stanley ran the rest of the way up to it and stopped beside it, staring at it in disbelief. God, this thing must be old, considering how the lake must've dried up about a hundred years ago. It wasn't a big boat; more like a little rowboat, made entirely of sturdy-looking weathered wood.
Stanley walked around to the other side of the boat and saw that the earth had been disturbed, looking as though someone had dug down to find shelter underneath. A familiar warm feeling started to spread through Stanley's body. Had Zero dug that? It had to have been him! There was no one else out here for miles!
Holding back his excitement, Stanley inched further towards the man-made trench and crouched down slightly to peer inside. He could barely see through the shade beneath the boat, but it was impossible not to make out the shape of a pair of skinny legs clad in dusty orange overalls splayed out carelessly across the ground, their owner not moving an inch. Stanley couldn't even tell if the figure was still breathing or not, and that was a horribly chilling thought, since the legs were obviously Zero's.
"Zero?" Stanley called softly, leaning a little closer. Zero didn't move. He didn't even twitch at the sound of Stanley's voice. Stanley felt his stomach twist in fear, desperately hoping that he hadn't arrived too late to save his best friend.
"Zero!" He repeated, a bit louder and more urgent this time, and once more Zero didn't make a single move in response. Stanley leaned back on his heels, sadness and despair rapidly filling up inside him as he continued to stare helplessly down at the lifeless form of Hector Zeroni.
Zero's foot shifted slightly, the movement so tiny that Stanley didn't even register that it had happened until the legs were sluggishly drawn back under the boat. A relieved smile spread across Stanley's face as a dark hand reached out from the shade and Zero's springy-haired head and thin shoulders appeared, the smaller boy squinting confusedly up at him through the harsh sunlight.
"Huh?" Zero croaked, his voice hoarse as he flashed Stanley an understandably weak smile. "Stanley."
Stanley laughed out loud and leapt down the small trench to meet Zero halfway as the dark-skinned boy dragged himself fully out from underneath the boat. Without hesitation, Stanley threw his arms around Zero's slender frame and hugged the other boy tightly to his chest, practically burying his face into Zero's shoulder. No words could come anywhere near to describing just how glad he was to have Zero back alive and well. Even the simple feeling of Zero's chest rising and falling against his as he breathed was pure heaven.
"What's up man? How you doing?" Stanley cried happily, not letting go, his arms locked in an almost steely grip across Zero's back.
"M'alright." Zero said, his voice muffled from where his face was pressed against Stanley's own shoulder. Reluctantly, Stanley released him and Zero slid himself sideways to sit in the dust next to the taller boy. Stanley watched him move, then he reached over with one hand to smooth back the dusty corkscrew curls from Zero's forehead, examining him for any injuries.
"We thought you were gone." Stanley told him.
"Thought I was." Zero admitted.
"Let me see. You don't look too bad." Stanley mused aloud, still checking Zero's face. Zero tilted his head weakly back a little as Stanley's fingers gently pushed his curls out of the way, and Stanley forced himself not to stare too longingly at the smooth column of Zero's throat that looked so amazingly tempting from that angle. Thankfully, he was saved from a furious heated blush by Zero suddenly catching sight of Stanley's canteen.
"You got any water?" Zero asked, gesturing hopefully towards the plastic canteen. Stanley reluctantly removed his hand from Zero's forehead, letting his hair spring back down into place around his thin pointed face as Stanley looked down and picked up his canteen, forgetting for a brief second that it was as dry as the desert around them.
"No, I'm out."
"Oh." Zero mumbled somewhat dejectedly, turning his head away from Stanley to face the front.
"But hey, y'know the water truck?" Stanley said, smiling. Zero's head turned towards him again and he nodded. "I tried to drive the whole thing over here. I drove it into a hole!"
Zero shook his head fondly, his chocolate eyes soft and warm beneath the shadows cast by his springy hair.
"Figures." He murmured, casting his gaze out onto the empty lakebed for a few seconds before he returned his eyes to fix on Stanley and noticed the burlap sack that the taller boy still hadn't let go of yet.
"What's in the bag?"
"Oh, it's empty." Stanley replied, fiddling around with the bag a bit in his hands. Zero dropped his head sideways where it made a dull thud sound against the side of the boat and he sighed heavily before his mouth stretched into a wide yawn. Stanley looked at him silently and bit his bottom lip before he looked away again. Poor kid. Stanley knew that this was probably the worst rescue in the entire world, since really all he'd succeeded in doing was giving Zero some company for the few short days they had left out on the lakebed. He hadn't brought no food, no water… Hell, all Stanley had was an empty sunflower seed sack and an even emptier canteen. What were they supposed to do with those? This was stupid, they should just go back to the camp to face their punishment for running away and then get back to digging holes everyday. At least they'd both still be alive then.
"Zero, we gotta get back to camp." Stanley said quietly. Zero lifted his head up off the boat and frowned at him, his brow creasing in that all too familiar adorable way that Stanley had seriously come to miss over the past few days.
"I'm not going back." Zero told him, and Stanley shook his head and looked away once more, not really knowing what else to say. Silence fell over them both for couple of seconds before Zero decided to speak again.
"Want some sploosh?"
It was Stanley's turn to frown this time, his forehead furrowed in confusion at the smaller boy sat beside him.
"Some what?"
"Sploosh." Zero repeated. He paused for a moment, waiting for an answer from Stanley, but it was clear the older boy had absolutely no idea what he was talking about so Zero started sliding back under the boat. "C'mon, follow me, I'll show you."
"Some…?" Stanley echoed, bewildered.
"C'mon."
Zero completely disappeared from sight beneath the boat so Stanley had no choice but to follow him down. The shade was a welcome relief from the vicious sunlight and Stanley gaped around the inside of the overturned boat, watching as Zero shuffled over to the back of the boat where the shovel he'd taken with him when he'd ran away was laid, surrounded by several empty jars. Obviously whatever had previously been in those jars were what Zero had been living off since his escape from Camp Green Lake.
"You have a door?" Stanley muttered as he straightened up the best he could and crawled over to the opposite wall, turning around and leaning back against it.
"This is how I found it." Zero replied. He took hold of a fresh jar and slammed it down hard against the corner of the shovel's metal blade three times, making dull clunking sounds until there was the crunch of broken glass and the top of the jar came off in Zero's hand. Something wet and gooey-looking trickled over the brim and slid down a couple of Zero's fingers, and Zero licked some of the liquid off the jagged edge before he held the jar out to Stanley.
"Here." Zero said. Stanley took the jar from him and examined the contents curiously. It didn't look very appetising, put it that way. Just how old was this jarful of thick orange gloopy stuff, anyway? A hundred years, if it was in the boat when the lake dried up, and that was just disgusting. Stanley didn't really fancy getting food poisoning from a century-year-old jar of slime. To be honest, he'd rather die of dehydration.
"What is this?" Stanley asked warily. Zero leaned back against the wall of the boat and smiled at Stanley, still holding the broken lid in his hand.
"Sploosh. That's what I call it. Drink it, it's good!" Zero encouraged. Stanley lifted the jar up to his face and sniffed at it suspiciously before he went to take a drink, glancing briefly over at the smaller boy as he did so.
Zero watched him with the smile still dimpling his face as he licked some of the 'sploosh' stuff off the broken lid.
Stanley reluctantly swallowed his mouthful of sploosh and was surprised to find that it actually did taste much better than it looked. It was thick, sweet and tangy, with the tiniest hint of spice, and seemed to fill his stomach with honeyed warmth. Stanley eyed the inside of the jar once more before he returned his gaze to Zero.
"That is pretty good." Stanley admitted, licking a stray splodge of the stuff off his top lip, totally oblivious to how Zero's dark eyes followed the slick movement of his tongue and how the smaller boy's throat worked as he swallowed thickly.
"Yeah." Zero said, his previous smiling widening into a wonderful white grin as he flicked his stare almost absently back at the lid he still held.
"Tastes like peaches. How many of these you got left?" Stanley asked, and he immediately knew he'd said the wrong thing. Zero sighed heavily and pointed over to the jar in Stanley's grip, his smile having swiftly disappeared from his dusty gorgeous face.
"That's the last one."
There was a moment where Stanley just stared with wide eyes at the other boy, then he let out a short humourless laugh of disbelief and set the jar aside. Now that'd been one hell of a reality check. That was Zero's last jar of sploosh, the only source of food out here for miles, and Stanley had just shown up and drank half of it without even stopping to consider that it could've been all they had left, which it bloody was. A hot spike of annoyance shot through Stanley, mainly directed at himself for being such an idiot.
"We need to get back to camp, ok?" Stanley announced, his voice sounding brisk and irritated even to his own ears. "So let's wrap it up, get your bag, put this in and we'll go."
Zero frowned even deeper than before, shaking his head slightly.
"I'm not going back." He repeated, a little more firmly this time. Stanley bit back an exasperated growl and pulled himself up onto his hands and knees, leaning towards Zero, licking his lips again just in case there was any more sploosh sticking to them.
"You will die out here." Stanley told the smaller boy, deadly serious. Zero didn't react to the words like Stanley had expected him to. If anyone had said that to him, he would've flinched at the thought of it, but Zero just stared back at him with that unreadable expression he wore so well before he looked away again, absently licking sploosh from his fingertips.
And Stanley definitely did not watch that pointed pink tongue lap at those caramel-coloured fingers, so he also did not acknowledge the badly timed flare of heat in his abdomen that wasn't as completely innocent as it usually was. Oh crap, there was a time and a place for everything, and this was so not it. And besides, Stanley was still irritated about Zero's lack of self-preservation to think about anything else. Almost.
"Here's what we're gonna do, ok? We're gonna go back to camp. We're gonna tell the Warden exactly where I found Kate Barlow's lipstick tube, and she'll be so happy that we won't get in any trouble." Stanley suggested, planning out loud. Yeah, that should work. After all, if the Warden wanted Kissin' Kate Barlow's buried treasure so badly, then she wouldn't really care about punishing him and Zero when Stanley told her where to dig for it.
Zero didn't say anything, instead picking up the jar of sploosh from beside Stanley and raising it to his lips to take a drink.
"Ok?" Stanley prompted when Zero didn't reply, looking expectantly down at the smaller springy-haired boy for an answer. Zero stopped drinking and turned his head back to face Stanley, his expression seemingly thoughtful.
"What's Mare-yuh-low?" Zero inquired after a few seconds, staring up at the taller boy in open curiosity. Stanley stayed silent for a moment, thrown by the random question.
"What're you talking about?" Stanley replied hotly, really annoyed now, and not just at himself this time. He'd seriously underestimated how stubborn Zero would be about returning to camp, but even this was a bloody mystery to him. Mare what? Was that even a word?
"Mare-yuh-low." Zero repeated. Stanley sat back against the wall of the boat sulkily, only just managing to stop his bottom lip from jutting out into a childish pout.
"I don't know."
Zero sighed and shook his head in exasperation, his corkscrew curls swinging around his face.
"C'mon, dude." Zero said, moving to climb back out from under the boat. Stanley watched as the smaller boy scooted past him and started pulling himself up out of the trench and Stanley rolled his eyes slightly before following him.
Zero yanked his skinny body out into the merciless sunlight and casually plonked himself down on one of the dirt mounds surrounding the entrance to the underside of the boat, waiting for Stanley to emerge and join him. Stanley reached up and slapped his hand down on top of the boat, dragging himself free and slouching down in the trench next to Zero, not bothering to waste any more effort on attempting to sit upright.
Zero pointed with one hand towards the back corner of the boat, and Stanley followed his line of sight and noticed some upside-down words that had been carved into the wood.
"See?" Zero said.
"Oh, it's Mary Lou." Stanley read, the words easy for him to make out even though they weren't the right way up. Zero frowned slightly.
"Oh. But I thought 'Y' made the 'yuh' sound."
"It does at the beginning of the word, but not at the end of a…" Stanley started to explain to him, but then he suddenly trailed off when he happened to glance out onto the horizon and his eyes almost automatically landed on an oddly shaped mountain in the distance that instantly brought back a conversation that Stanley had had once with his grandpa, when Stanley had learnt that his great-grandfather had been robbed by the infamous female outlaw Kissin' Kate Barlow.
"She left him stranded in the desert. No water, no food for sixteen days."
"But grandpa, how'd he survive?"
"They said he found refuge on God's Thumb."
"What's God's Thumb?"
"Who knows? He was half crazy when they found him."
Stanley couldn't believe it. His eyes must've been playing tricks on him. Maybe he really was hallucinating this time, or the sploosh had already taken a nasty effect on him, because there was no way on earth that that could be…
"See that mountain right there?" Stanley asked Zero, who had been glancing at him somewhat worriedly from the corner of his eye, wondering why Stanley had randomly stopped talking in mid-sentence. Zero tore his gaze from Stanley to cast it out over the lakebed instead, looking in the same direction as Stanley was pointing.
"That one?" Zero replied, lifting one hand from where it rested on his knee to point at the mountain in question.
"Yeah." Stanley confirmed.
"Huh." Zero murmured as they both dropped their arms back down to their sides. Stanley hesitated for a second before he tilted his head towards Zero again to ask him another question.
"What does that look like to you?"
Zero blinked slowly at the mountain for a moment more, and then he moved his hand, giving Stanley the thumbs up sign. Stanley returned the hand gesture and both of them glanced simultaneously from their hands to the mountain in the distance that was unmistakeably the exact same shape.
"Y'know, my great-grandpa almost died out here." Stanley said almost casually to Zero, even though he felt anything but casual at that moment. Excitement was rapidly swelling inside his chest at the amazing discovery they'd just made. Who would've thought it? Perhaps Stanley's luck was changing for the better after all!
Zero blinked at him owlishly.
"Really?"
"Yeah. They say he survived because he made it to the top of God's Thumb."
Even from a distance, it had been obvious that God's Thumb was by far the biggest mountain in sight, but Stanley hadn't quite been prepared for exactly how absolutely huge it was when he and Zero came to a halt at the very base of it, craning their necks as they stared heavenwards, squinting through the harsh sunlight that was determined to blind them.
They'd been walking for a while now, having set off from the overturned boat earlier with their shovel and the previously empty burlap sack now packed full with a few of the unbroken empty sploosh jars. But it hadn't taken them as long to reach God's Thumb as Stanley had thought it would, and that was a good thing really, since it gave them more time to climb the damn thing and reach the top before nightfall.
"You ready?" Stanley asked Zero, sounding more confident than he actually felt.
"It's a long way." Zero replied wearily.
"Yeah, well we better get up there before dark."
"Yeah."
They stared at the vast towering rock face that reached way up above them and Zero shook his head in incredulity, no doubt thinking they must be out of their minds to even consider climbing it, but he didn't voice that opinion out loud. Stanley was thinking the exact same thing, actually, but he wasn't going to let a bit of pessimism stop him now. His great-grandfather had made it up there all those years ago, so why shouldn't Stanley and Zero be able to do the same?
With a barely repressed sigh, Stanley moved forwards to start their ascent up the mountainside, Zero following not far behind.
Stanley had long since given up on trying to keep track of the time as they climbed, scaling their way slowly but surely up the almost vertical cliff face, Stanley with his canteen and the burlap sack strapped around his chest, following Zero with the shovel, who turned out to be almost as good as climbing as he was at digging. Seriously, the smaller boy was like a little monkey, clinging to the rock as though he'd been born to do it. Stanley wasn't jealous though, since he was doing well enough himself. Those long weeks spent digging holes had definitely benefited his body, making him stronger and able to endure physical exertion for longer. Thank God for that, because without it, Stanley wouldn't have even attempted to climb God's Thumb at all.
"Hey, Stanley." Zero suddenly spoke as he pulled himself up onto another ledge, sounding a little breathless. "What d'you think's up there?"
"I don't know, probably a great big Frosty Freeze." Stanley smiled in reply, passing the shovel up to Zero so he had both his arms free to drag his body onto the ledge alongside the dark-skinned boy.
"Good. I could use a hot fudge sundae."
"Is that all you keep thinking about? Imagine how fine this Mary Lou probably looked in a bikini." Stanley grinned and then he let out a surprised yelp when his foot almost slipped out from under him, but he quickly managed to right himself again before he could fall flat on his face.
To be honest, though, Stanley couldn't imagine how fine this Mary Lou looked in a bikini, since the only images that played over and over in Stanley's head were of Zero… watching him blush, seeing him at the showers that time, teaching him how to read, kissing him, digging with him, watching him lick sploosh off his fingers… Bloody hell, Stanley had it bad. And it really didn't help that Zero was leading the way, considering how that meant that when they climbed, all Stanley had was a rather nice view of Zero's backside. As spectacular as the sight in front of him was, it was incredibly distracting, especially when they were God knows how many feet above the ground right now and could fall to their deaths at any second.
It was only sheer desperation that kept them going, along with the thought that they'd find food and water when they reached the top of God's Thumb. Stanley seriously prayed that he'd been right about this, because if not, he'd dragged himself and Zero up a mountain for nothing.
And if that happened, Stanley knew for a fact that they'd never make it back down again alive.
So far, the climb hadn't been particularly challenging. Until now, of course, when Stanley found himself clinging onto a rather steep wall of rock, his hands and feet planted firmly into the few handholds he'd managed to find as he watched Zero drag himself up first onto the ledge above him.
"C'mon up." Zero said, grunting a little with the effort as he clambered up onto the level surface and then turned around to help Stanley. "Don't look down, man."
It was purely instinctive (and stupid), but the moment Zero said that, Stanley couldn't help but do the exact opposite and he glanced down over his shoulder before immediately regretting it, all the blood draining from his face in fear at the sheer drop below.
"Oh my God." Stanley groaned hoarsely, breathing a little more shallowly than he had been a second ago as he nervously shifted his feet as much as he dared for a better position on the rock face.
"Ok, c'mon Stanley, you can do it. C'mon." Zero smiled supportively, crouching low and reaching down with one hand, patting it encouragingly against the rock. He twisted his head to glance briefly upwards at the rest of the way they still had to climb before sunset, then turned his attention back to Stanley, who swallowed thickly and moved a slightly trembling hand up towards another handhold in the wall.
"Ok. Ok. Did you grab right there?" Stanley asked, tilting his head towards the small hole in the rock face in question, not daring to move his other hand yet. Zero nodded and pointed at it.
"Yeah, that's where I got it."
Steeling himself, Stanley made a hasty grab for the handhold, but he misjudged the distance and his fingers slipped, causing Stanley to swing hard back against the unforgiving rock face with a loud thud. His spine exploded with pain so intense that Stanley seriously thought he'd broken some bones in his back, but he just clenched his jaw and tried to ignore it, now literally hanging from the side of the mountain by one hand.
"Whoa!" Stanley yelled in pure fear, his whole life flashing before his eyes in sickening blur of colour.
Without a second's hesitation, Zero quickly pushed himself as close as he could possibly get to the edge without falling off and thrust his hand desperately down to try and reach Stanley, his dark chocolate eyes wide with fear.
"No! No, no, no! C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!" Zero shouted frantically as his fingers scrambled uselessly against the rock several inches out of reach from Stanley's own. Stanley forced himself to swing back and clutch onto the rock face again, but from there he really didn't know what to do next. There was no way that he was going to try and grab that handhold again. He might not be so lucky this time.
Realising that he wouldn't be able to get to Stanley no matter how hard he stretched, Zero moved back and seized the shovel from behind him, laying it down and gripping onto the metal blade with both hands so the wooden end was near enough for Stanley to reach. With an immense amount of effort, Stanley lunged up and grabbed hold of the shovel, using it to help drag his aching body up towards the ledge.
Zero was holding onto the shovel blade impossibly tight, his teeth gritted together as he groaned in pain, Stanley's weight almost too much for the smaller boy to manage, but he refused to let go until Stanley had pulled himself up onto level ground.
Stanley threw himself down into the dirt beside Zero, so overwhelmed with relief that he didn't notice Zero release the shovel with another groan of pain, arching his back from the effort before reaching over to place the shovel gingerly back down on the other side of him.
Stanley didn't move from that sprawled-out position for at least a whole minute before he sluggishly sat up and laughed breathlessly as he glanced over the side, then blanched again at the sheer steepness of it. Jesus, that was a long way down. And he'd almost had first-hand experience at just how much of a long way down it really was.
"Oh. Look at that." Stanley breathed, his voice coming out weaker than he'd meant it to. Zero moved past him, shuffling backwards through the dust as he held both his hands up towards himself and examined his palms with a pained expression on his face.
"Look at this, man. This isn't cool." Zero groaned, shifting sideways so Stanley could sit beside him, both of them now a safe enough distance away from the cliff's edge.
"What happened?" Stanley asked. Zero groaned again, his brow furrowed and his teeth clenched in pain. He held his hands out so Stanley could see them, and the first thing that Stanley noticed was red. Lots of red. Zero was bleeding! Both his palms had an identical deep gash running straight across the centre that was leaking blood steadily, lines of scarlet staining Zero's dusty caramel skin. How had that happened?
And then it hit him.
The shovel. Zero hadn't let go of the metal blade of it, not even when the weight of Stanley had caused the sharp edges to cut into his hands. Stanley felt a wave of gratitude spread through his body at the same time as a familiar rush of heat flared up in his stomach once again.
"Alright, hold on." Stanley told him, examining the other boy's bloodied hands for a few seconds longer before he reached around his chest and seized hold of the sunflower seed sack still strapped there. He tore the top strip of cloth straight off the sack and then ripped the material again into two long thin lengths of fabric. Zero watched him with a frown, biting his bottom lip.
Stanley took Zero's hands gently in his own and proceeded to wrap up the injuries with the makeshift bandages.
"AAAH!" Zero cried out loudly in pain, the sound echoing all around the mountainside.
"Is it numb or is it stinging?" Stanley asked, his voice muffled due to the second piece of cloth he was holding in his mouth as he used both hands to tie the knot on the first crude bandage. It was a pretty stupid question really, considering how Zero's previous agonised shout had already given him the answer to that one.
"It stings, man." Zero groaned in reply, but this time there was a hint of amusement beneath the pain. Stanley smiled at him warmly, taking the cloth from his mouth and fastening it around Zero's other injured hand.
"Don't think about it right now." He told him. "When we get to the top of the mountain, I'm gonna get you a hot fudge sundae, alright? I promise."
Zero smiled back at him, dimples appearing in both his cheeks from the wideness of his grin. Stanley's heart swelled to new levels of affection for the smaller boy, if that was even possible.
"Good. All that sploosh is getting to me." Zero replied, and Stanley didn't miss the tiredness in the other boy's voice. Zero was running out of steam already, and they weren't anywhere near the top of God's Thumb yet. Stanley wasn't doing much better himself, but Zero had been out here without food or water for three days longer than he had, so it was understandable that the springy-haired boy was in a worse state than him.
Stanley just hoped that Zero would hold up long enough for them to make it to the top of the mountain, because if he didn't… well, Stanley didn't even want to finish that train of thought, but if Zero couldn't make it, Stanley would be damned before he left his best friend behind.
They were in this together, no matter what happened.
"Give me another word." Zero said quietly as he trailed along behind Stanley, clutching the shovel loosely in one hand and dragging his feet tiredly through the dirt as he walked. Stanley was leading the way, Zero having slowed down not long ago, but Stanley knew that it was sheer willpower that kept Zero going now. He was in a pretty bad shape, but he refused to let it stop their ascent. Zero was much stronger than people gave him credit for, and Stanley was incredibly proud of him for that.
"R-O-C-K." Stanley spelled out for him. He'd found that teaching Zero words while they were walking was a great way to keep the smaller boy's mind off how tired and hungry he was.
"Ro... rock?"
"Yeah, that's right man, you're doing good." Stanley smiled as he started to climb a particularly steep rock slope. His back was turned to Zero at that moment, so he didn't notice how the springy-haired boy staggered slightly on his weak legs. "Keep practising."
Suddenly Zero started coughing hoarsely, but Stanley didn't get too worked up over it. Zero had been coughing more and more the higher they climbed, so Stanley just continued on pulling himself up the steep rock face and waited patiently for Zero to finish and follow him.
"Almost there, c'mon." Stanley said encouragingly, glancing back down over his shoulder at his best friend. Zero's coughing fit got a little harsher and he lurched to a stop, dropping the shovel as he doubled over and clutched at his stomach. He retched mid-cough and only just managed to swipe the string of his hat that dangled down around his throat out of the way before he threw up; emptying what little sploosh had been left in the contents of his stomach.
"You alright?" Stanley asked, getting seriously concerned now. Zero let out another weak cough and fell to his knees, leaning unsteadily sideways before he could stop himself and started tumbling roughly down the slight incline of the mountainside.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Zero!" Stanley shouted in absolute panic, immediately jumping down from the rock and leaping after Zero, who was rolling painfully down the hill with increasing speed. Luckily for him, Stanley seized hold of the smaller boy by the nearest arm and leg, instantly halting his progress down the side of the mountain.
"Zero, Zero, Zero, Zero!" Stanley cried, repeating his friend's name frantically, his breathing ragged from both the rush of adrenaline zipping around his system and the horrible realisation that he'd just very nearly lost Zero for the second time in less than a week. "Got you, got you, got you."
Zero hung limply in Stanley's desperate unyielding grip, his dark eyes shut and his mouth hanging open in pain and lethargy.
"You good? Hold on. Alright." Stanley murmured soothingly, though he was probably calming himself more than Zero. His heart was still racing in his chest, pounding furiously against his ribcage like it was trying to punch its way straight through it.
Zero's corkscrew curls had gotten caught on the branch of a small shrub and Stanley let go of the smaller boy's arm to untangle his hair from the plant.
"Alright, hold on. Let me get in front of you, stay right there." Stanley said, climbing over Zero as carefully as he could, blocking the springy-haired boy from falling any further down the mountainside with his body. He slowly turned Zero around so he was lying in a more comfortable and stable position in the dirt, his back resting against a protruding length of rock that ran down both sides of the incline.
"Ok. Here. Slide this down, ok." Stanley manoeuvred Zero's legs into place for him, and Zero's jaw clenched tightly as he was gently moved. Every part of his body was hurting dully all at once, and there wasn't a doubt in Zero's mind that he was going to have some serious bruises from this in the morning.
"There we go, nice and comfy."
Stanley sat back against the opposite raised length of rock, facing Zero. Zero let his head loll back, obviously too weak and/or exhausted to raise it, and the smaller boy just laid there like he was boneless, his eyes still closed.
"Stanley, I gotta tell you something." Zero murmured softly after a few long seconds of silence. Stanley jumped slightly from the unexpected sound of Zero's hoarse voice.
"What?"
Zero didn't answer, instead letting his head fall slowly to the side. Fighting back another surge of panic for his friend, Stanley leaned forwards and patted Zero on the chest perhaps a little rougher than he'd meant to, trying to keep the other boy conscious. Stanley bit his bottom lip worriedly as Zero merely stirred and moaned, scrunching up his thin face and gritting his teeth as he turned his head to the other side.
"Huh? C'mon, Zero." Stanley said. Zero's head dropped back against the rock he was leaning against. He was completely unconscious now, his mouth gaping open as his chest rose and fell shallowly beneath his dusty orange jumpsuit.
"Zero? Zero!" Stanley called, practically pleading for Zero to open his eyes again, but it was useless. Zero wasn't about to wake up any time soon, so Stanley had little choice about how to proceed. Leaving Zero behind was definitely not an option, so Stanley could either wait for his friend to wake up or he could carry him the rest of the way. And since they were losing daylight right now, continuing on was really the only option Stanley had.
Stanley pulled back from Zero and swiftly got to his feet.
"Alright, we can't sit here, we gotta keep going. We're gonna go get the shovel and we're gonna fill it full of ice cream." Stanley told Zero, even though he knew the other boy couldn't hear him. He bent down and picked up Zero's skinny body easily, holding him bridal style in his arms as he started making his way cautiously back up to level ground. Once there, Stanley transferred Zero from his arms to his back, wrapping his arms around Zero's thighs as the smaller boy's arms fell to drape around Stanley's neck.
Stanley crouched down as far as he dared to pick up the abandoned shovel before he straightened up again, shifting Zero a few inches higher up his back. Almost instinctively, Zero's arms moved to grip onto each other around Stanley's neck and his springy-haired head landed beside Stanley's own, his pointed chin resting on the taller boy's shoulder.
As Stanley set off, he could've sworn he felt a soft full pair of lips press gratefully into the side of his throat.
Stanley's feet were sore and his entire body was aching beyond belief, his legs feeling like lead weights that constantly threatened to fold beneath him. Each step he took felt like it was going to be the very last one he could possibly manage, but somehow he forced himself to keep on going, and not just for his own sake.
The smaller boy still hadn't woken up yet, not since he'd fallen halfway back down the side of the mountain and lost consciousness a few minutes after. Stanley had been carrying him on his back right on through the day as he kept on with their ascent up the mountain to the very top of God's Thumb. Surely they were almost there by now.
And even if they weren't almost there, Stanley knew they'd have to stop soon. Night had already fallen over the mountains and the pale glow from the full moon above was the only thing lighting Stanley's path now. It'd be stupid and dangerous to keep going through the night.
Suddenly, as if from nowhere, several tiny midges appeared in the air in front of him and flew straight for his face, no doubt attracted to the layer of sweat that clung to his skin.
"Damn bugs." Stanley muttered in annoyance, lashing out and swatting at them with the shovel he'd been carrying along with Zero, trying to keep a firm grip on the smaller boy as he did so, just in case he accidentally dislodged him. He needn't have worried though. Zero's arms were locked so tight around his neck that he was about an inch away from strangling him.
Stanley paused for a second, releasing the shovel and letting it lean against his shoulder as he wiped his brow tiredly with one hand, fighting to keep his eyes open. God, he was exhausted. He was down to his absolute last dregs of energy now, his body slowly but surely getting heavier and heavier. With great effort, he set off walking again, treading cautiously down a slight muddy banking.
And that's when realisation struck him like a lightning bolt.
"Wait a minute." Stanley muttered to himself. "Wait. If there's bugs, that must mean there's…"
He came to a swift halt, his wide hazel eyes taking in every inch of his surroundings. Despite the darkness, Stanley could clearly see that they were standing in the middle of a small gully with a steady stream of water nearby, the area almost completely covered with clusters of long thick grass. To anyone else, it probably would've been pretty unremarkable, but to Stanley it was like he'd died and gone to heaven.
"Water." He breathed, his gaze drawn immediately to the gentle lapping of water against the muddy ground. Stanley's lips slowly spread into a wide smile before he laughed triumphantly, dropping the shovel and running the rest of the way down the slippery banking, clutching onto Zero as he half-slid, half-sprinted down to the centre of the ditch.
"Hector, wake up, man! Hector, wake up!" Stanley shouted happily. He squelched to a stop beside a large pale grey rock and gently unlatched Zero's arms from around his throat, letting the smaller boy slide down over his shoulder so he could lay him carefully down on the smooth surface.
"Alright, buddy. Alright. There we go." Stanley murmured as he set Zero down. With one hand, Stanley lightly slapped Zero's cheek, trying to bring him back to consciousness. "Wake up, Hector. Huh?"
With a shout of joy, Stanley turned and threw himself down into the nearest puddle, cupping his hands together and scooping water up into his eager mouth, drinking deeply. It tasted of more mud than water, but at that moment, Stanley really couldn't care less.
When his hands were empty again, he glanced back over at Zero. Apart from the slight fluttering of his eyelids, the springy-haired boy hadn't moved at all. Worry started to build in Stanley's chest, his heart clenching with the thought that maybe Zero wouldn't ever wake up again. Maybe it was already too late. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if that happened.
"Hector, wake up." Stanley repeated, scooping up another handful of water and throwing it at Zero. The instant the spray of water hit Zero's dark skin, he sat bolt upright on the rock in a flash, the look on his thin face one of complete confusion and disbelief as small droplets of muddy liquid dripped down his cheeks.
"Wake up!" Stanley chuckled in relief this time, watching Zero as he stared around the gully with wide eyes and his mouth hanging open, a small frown just starting to crease his brow. Stanley laughed at his expression, swirling his hands deep in the muddy puddle before he just couldn't resist the temptation any longer and threw himself belly-first straight into it, splashing murky brown water everywhere.
"Dude, this feels so good!" He grinned. Zero slid down off the rock, letting his feet sink into the thick mud as he stood upright, still looking around with that tiny frown that was slowly beginning to turn into a wide smile of his own. Stanley laughed again and surged to his feet.
"We made it!" He shouted at the top of his lungs as he tackled Zero, wrapping his arms around the boy's thighs and lifting him up into the air over one shoulder.
"Stanley!" Zero yelled in surprise, his legs kicking vainly as he found himself airborne for about half a second before Stanley swung him down and landed them both straight in the middle of the shallow puddle with a huge splash. They laughed as they were immediately drenched from head to foot with icy cold water, sliding around the mud as they wrestled.
"Hector, we made it, buddy!"
"Cold, cold, cold, cold!" Zero cried out, shivering a little as he tried to pull himself back up, but his foot slipped in the sludge and he fell straight back down again. Stanley smiled fondly at Zero and crawled closer, leaning over him. Zero flashed him a wide smile in return, his dark eyes glittering playfully in the moonlight. He looked completely and utterly beautiful right at that moment, and Stanley abruptly realised that he couldn't resist the allure of Hector Zeroni any longer.
"We made it." Stanley repeated, his voice softer this time. He reached down and brushed Zero's sodden corkscrew curls back from his face, his fingers lingering against the soft caramel skin of his cheek. Zero stared up at him with warm eyes like melted chocolate, propping himself up onto his elbows and tilting his head upwards as Stanley leaned down and pressed their lips lightly together.
This was exactly how their first kiss should've been. It was sweet, chaste and slow, no tongues or teeth involved as they simply savoured the gentle pressure of one soft pair of lips against another. Despite how much Stanley had enjoyed their original first kiss back in D tent that day, he found that he liked this kiss even more, just because of the tenderness of it and the promises it so obviously held for the future. To Stanley, it was the signal that his life was definitely about to change for the better now that he had Zero.
Stanley stroked Zero's cheek with his thumb, a pleasant shiver sweeping down his spine as Zero's arms came slowly up to drape around his shoulders, his fingers trailing delicately over the back of Stanley's neck. After several long minutes, they reluctantly drew apart. Stanley pulled away a little and smiled tenderly down at Zero, who smiled just as tenderly back.
Then Stanley happened to glance over the top of Zero's head and he noticed something a few feet away from them.
"Hold on, what's…" Stanley started, frowning slightly as he reached over into the long grass, stretching himself out over Zero so he could grab what he was looking for. Zero twisted his head around to watch, not really minding as the muddy water seeped through his springy curls. After a bit of a struggle, Stanley managed to brush aside a small pile of loose earth and took hold of what looked to be several long thick blades of grass.
Unable to fully unearth the thing from that angle, Stanley reluctantly got off of Zero and crawled over to it, yanking at it firmly. Zero sat up in the puddle, his dark eyes fixed curiously on the back of Stanley's head as the earth suddenly gave and Stanley pulled out something large and round out of the ground. It looked like… an onion?
Stanley turned over onto his back and took a large bite out of it, swiftly confirming that he was right and that it was an onion, which he chewed a mouthful of gratefully.
"What're you doing?" Zero asked, standing up and licking his lips absently as Stanley swallowed his mouthful of onion and then held the vegetable out towards the smaller boy.
"Here, try this." Stanley said. Zero took the onion and looked down at in with a frown, his damp corkscrew curls clinging to his face.
"What is it?" Zero inquired, turning it around in his hands, his brow furrowed in curiosity.
"It's a hot fudge sundae, just eat it!"
Zero grinned at him and took a large bite, the loud crunching sound echoing deliciously in both boys' ears. Stanley had never been fond of onions before, but right now they were a bloody Godsend!
"Oh, man!"
"Good, isn't it?"
"That's the sweetest onion I ever tasted." Zero said, munching on his mouthful of onion as he passed the rest of the vegetable back to Stanley, who took another bite out of it and lay back in the muddy puddle again, staring up at the stars above their heads as he let the onion drop onto his chest.
For the first time in his life, Stanley truly felt at peace. He was in a small gully at the very top of God's Thumb, drinking muddy water and eating raw onions with his best friend Hector Zeroni, watching the starlit sky.
And to be honest, there was nowhere else in the world he'd rather be.
His eyelids were starting to feel really heavy now, but before he let sleep claim him at long last, Stanley softly started singing the old Yelnats pig lullaby, the words barely louder than a whisper as he let his eyes slide slowly shut.
"If only, if only, the woodpecker sighs,
The bark on the trees was as soft as the skies,
While the wolf waits below, hungry and lonely,
He cries to the moon, if only, if only."
Zero watched Stanley drift off to sleep with his usual unreadable expression on his thin pointed face, but even that wasn't enough to mask the burning flickers of emotion in his rich dark eyes.
Because right then, Zero knew that something had changed. He didn't know what, how or why, but he just knew it had. It was a weird light feeling, deep inside his chest. It felt like… something wrong had just been made right.
His lips curved upwards into a small smile and he moved closer to Stanley, sitting himself down in the mud beside the taller boy. Zero watched as Stanley's chest leisurely rose and fell as he breathed deeply in his sleep, and without thinking, he reached over and gently touched Stanley's face, brushing back his dark hair and lightly tracing over the small cut underneath his eye from where Zigzag had punched him. Stanley looked so beautiful while he slept. Not that he didn't look gorgeous to Zero anyway, but in his sleep he... He was perfect. There was just something about Stanley Yelnats that gave Zero a reason to keep on believing that everything would turn out ok for them both.
Warmth spread through his stomach as Zero leaned in and brushed his lips tenderly against Stanley's own before he settled down in the mud beside him, snuggling comfortably into the other boy's body heat in a way that felt so amazingly natural to him that he fell asleep with his smile still in place.
Aww, I can seriously imagine that last paragraph, warm fuzzy feelings! ^^
Oh yeah, just remembered what I was going to ask you people. Right, in the next chapter I was planning on making Stanley and Zero get a little more... um, intimate... so I was just wondering, how intimate do you think I should make them? Bearing in mind that Zero is only fourteen in this, so it won't go all the way. I just want your opinions on what you think I should do, ok? Let me know and I'll do my best to write what you want :D
See ya next time!