Disclaimer: I own no Zoids or charas...I just like to use them for my own facked up reasons... That and I stole a quote from Shinji from the End of Evangelion movie (now you must read and tell me which one!)
Warnings: The two boys are now making PHYSICAL CONTACT by the love of Cheese!!! Wah, they kiss and stuff...not too much stuff, FanFiction would ban me... That and a bit of swearing and blood and nearly dead persons being found in the middle of the desert. And YET more Van angst!! GAD!!
Broken ~ Part two
Pains and Revelations
"He did what!?" Irvine yelled at the general as everyone else stood behind him. Everyone else was Fiona, Moonbei, Thomas and Doctor Dee.
The general nodded. "He's locked out all communications and he's apparently cloaked himself well enough to avoid all frequency and environment scans." He watched their faces alter into ones of shock. "And that's not all…"
"There's more?" Moonbei asked. "What is he planning to do? Run away?"
"More like get himself killed," the general explained. "He's headed towards the Geno-Breaker's last known position."
Fiona gasped in shock. "You don't think… Is this because of what happened to Zeek?"
The general shook his head. "Whatever the reason, if he survives, when he returns he will be properly punished for this recklessness and insubordination." With that said he strode off, intent in dealing with other matters.
Irvine narrowed his eyes at the man, turning away and storming towards the Lightning Sykes. Moonbei watched him leave.
"You're not thinking of going after him, are you?" she called.
Irvine whipped around to scowl at her; apparently she'd hit a nerve. "Moonbei, I'm not going to sit around while Van goes off and commits suicide. He's after Raven; in his Geno-Breaker, he'd have Van done in no time!" He turned away and kept walking towards his Zoid. "And I'm not about to let that psycho take out one of my friends!"
The others watched in silence as Irvine climbed into the Sykes and brought it to life, turning to charge out of the hanger in a bright flash of boosters.
He growled at the landscape in front of him. "Come on Sykes! We need to get to Van before he gets himself hurt!"
The Zoid roared in response and sped up in a sudden burst, knocking Irvine to the back of his seat. He frowned to himself.
*Or worse…*
***
Van brought the Liger to a walk as he neared Raven's last known position. He frowned; trust Raven to pick a spot where the terrain is against you. The rocky outcroppings of the lower desert area weren't the best for manoeuvrability, even in the Blade Liger. He avoided walking into the narrow canyon and waited where the land was still slightly in his favour; only a few large rocks around him. Van let out a noise of frustration and turned on his loudspeaker.
"Raven! I know you're out here! Come out here and fight me one on one, you coward!" he yelled. His amplified voice echoed off the empty rock walls, sending a vibration through the air.
Van raised an eyebrow; he never knew his loudspeaker was loud enough to do that. He froze as the vibrations grew stronger, travelling through the Liger. He whipped around to see the Geno-Breaker landing almost gracefully in front of him, despite its immense bulk.
"Van Fleihight…" Raven's voice and image came over his com link. "I must say I'm pleased with your courage. Not many want to challenge me one on one these days." He smiled at him with laughing eyes. "Or is it stupidity that you now face me with?"
Van snarled in anger. "Shut up Raven! I'm here to destroy you!" he screamed at the teen. "To stop all the suffering that you've ever caused! To the innocent, to Zeek and to me! No more!!"
Raven laughed loudly at him. "Come off it Van! You've never been able to defeat me before! What makes you think you can do it this time?"
The Geno-Breaker snapped its foot-lock in place and levelled its head at the Liger. Van whipped his shield into place as the Liger was engulfed in the blue-white light. The blast faded and the static left behind made the very air crackle.
"Is that the best you got Raven!?" Van screamed in blind fury and charged at him, blades at the ready.
***
Irvine frowned as he scanned the horizon. He spotted the many rocky outcroppings that formed the lower desert and started up a heat scan, hoping to find Van quickly. His fingers had just grazed the buttons when an immense explosion and a billowing cloud of fire tore his eyes to the east. Irvine's eyes widened in horror as a feral roar of a Zoid alerted his ears further.
"Van!!" He cried and shot the Lightning Sykes over to whatever was ablaze. He prayed it wasn't his friend as he entered the narrow canyon and forced the Sykes to slow down.
"Dammit! Stupid canyon!" he yelled in frustration. Irvine booted up a com window to Van, eyes going wide again.
Through the severe static, Irvine could see the teen was unconscious and sat limply in his seat, one strap of his harness broken and blood trailing down his head and from the corner of his mouth.
"Van! VAN!! Wake up dammit!!" Irvine cried desperately. The black haired youth didn't move and Irvine was relieved beyond belief when the canyon finally ended and he shot forward as fast as he could. Van's screen exploded in static as another explosion rang out, throwing Van forward roughly as the screen disappeared in static.
"Van!?" Irvine cried in shock. He sombered quickly and scowled venom at the land in front of him. "You had to go and prove yourself, didn't you?" Irvine mused loudly. "Had to go and take on Raven, didn't you Van? You idiot… If you've gotten yourself killed…"
Irvine scowled at the direction his thoughts were taking. *No, Van won't die; he's too strong for that.*
Irvine gasped as he brought the Sykes to a dead stop, shoving open the hatch and leaping from the cockpit in a mad rush to get to the Blade Liger. As he ran forward he quickly surveyed the damage to the blue Zoid.
"Not good! It looks like it's been through the shredder!" he said aloud. "And the cockpit is… Van!!"
The bounty hunter ran up to the fallen Liger, scrambling up to the cockpit and looking inside quickly. He whipped around from his higher perch and stared intently around him. Irvine gasped and ran some fifty metres to where Van lay, unconscious still and face down in the sand.
"Van! Wake up!" He shook his shoulders lightly. Irvine felt his heart somersault when Van's eyelids fluttered open slightly after a long moment.
The black haired teen cast his blurry gaze up to Irvine, unable to move from pain. "…Ir…vine…?" he strained.
Irvine nodded. "Yeah Van, it's me. Just what the hell were you thinking, taking on Raven like that?"
Van winced in pain, gasping through clenched teeth at one point, as Irvine turned him over and cradled his head in his lap. Van smiled weakly up at him as Irvine began to wipe the blood from his head.
"Raven…had to be…stopped…" Van breathed. "He's caused…too much destruction…already…" Irvine wiped the blood from his mouth and sighed.
"You idiot, you almost got yourself killed this time!" he cried.
Van strained a grin. "I hurt him…pretty bad…though…" he breathed in shakily. "The Geno-Breaker…won't…be functional…for a long while…"
Irvine's expression softened. "But…" Van continued. "I don't think…I'll be…able to fight…for a…while…" He gasped in pain and his body tensed up.
"Van!" Irvine cried. Van clenched his eyes tight as wave after wave of pain slammed into him. He cried out and clung to his ribs tightly.
"Van, hold out for just a little longer! Please!" Irvine stared up at the Sykes and then down at Van. The teen had relaxed some but still clutched tightly to his ribs. "I'm going to radio the base so they can send out a recovery squad. I'll be right back Van!"
Irvine stood up slowly, carefully putting Van's head onto the sand before sprinting over to the Sykes and pulling up a com window.
The general stared back at him. "What is the meaning of this!? Where on Zi did you-"
"I've found Van and the Liger sir!" Irvine interrupted. "The Liger's out of commission and so is Van. Send a recovery unit to our position immediately!"
The general frowned for a moment but nodded all the same. "Consider it already done, just stay safe until they arrive." The general's face disappeared as the connection was cut.
Irvine sighed, from relief or exertion, even he didn't know. He quickly checked the time; four in the evening. He jumped down from the Sykes and jogged back to Van. If the recovery team took ten minutes to mobilise then it would still take them two hours to get here, given that they were in a Gustav and Irvine had pushed the Sykes to it's limit getting here. The bounty hunter knelt down next to his friend, placing a hand on his forehead. Irvine frowned.
"You're burning up, Van," he stated. "I know you're going to hate this, but I have to move you to shelter, just in case Raven comes back."
Van opened an eye slightly and stared up at him. "No… If I'm…badly hurt, then…you could…do more damage…" he forced out.
Irvine sighed and removed his hand. "You're probably right…" he smirked at Van. "Geez, you're an idiot Van…"
The black haired teen smiled up at him. "Granted… Still alive though…huh?"
The bounty hunter shook his head with a smile on his face. "Barely," Irvine lay down on his back next to Van, staring up at the dimming sky. "You were damn lucky Raven didn't finish you off this time. Just what were you thinking anyway? That you'd be the one to take him down?" He turned his head to the side to look at Van.
Van's smile disappeared. "Yes and no…" he breathed in deeply, eyes tracing the line of clouds overhead. "I wanted to…stop Raven…from causing any more…pain to…everyone…" He scowled at the sky. "He's the…reason why Zeek's…in that dammed…Organoid pod…"
Irvine watched Van's face intently as rage burned behind the teen's eyes. "And I…couldn't beat him…this time…which just proves…how weak…I really am…"
Irvine propped himself up on one elbow and glared at Van. "Van, you're not weak, dammit! How many times do I have to tell you that until it sinks into your thick skull?"
Van glared back at him. "Then why couldn't…I beat Raven?"
Irvine rolled his eyes. "Because he's got that bloody Geno-Breaker and you're just one Blade Liger! Raven has the skills and the resources to beat an entire army, so don't think it's weak that you in your one Zoid got your ass kicked!"
Van turned away, eyes narrowing. "That's no…excuse…"
Irvine had heard enough. He grabbed the front of Van's shirt roughly as the teen locked shocked eyes with him. "Listen Mr Pessimistic, I don't care if you do call yourself weak all the time! You nearly got yourself killed this time! Killed Van, do you understand? What in the hell do you think the others would do if you died? Just have a long, hard think about all the people you'd leave behind all because of a stupid grudge! How heartbroken do you think they'd all be? Think before you act for Christ's sake!!"
Van didn't move for a long moment, mulling over what Irvine had said. "And…" he breathed, expression softening. "What would…you do…?"
Irvine froze as he slowly released Van. "I…" he said. "You're the best person I've ever met… I…I couldn't bear to live without you…"
Van blinked up at Irvine as his shocked expression turned into a warm smile. "I guess…you were right, Irvine…" he whispered. "I really am…a pathetic person…"
The bounty hunter was about to reply until he saw the tears welling in Van's eyes. He tried to blink them away but they stayed there.
"Van…you're not…" Irvine said softly, ignoring Van's protests as he pulled the teen into a sitting position, his injuries long forgotten. The bounty hunter brushed his tears away softly with his thumb and smiled at him. "You couldn't be a more perfect person if you tried…" The black haired teen sniffled loudly as he smiled sadly back at the bounty hunter.
"Irvine?" he said softly. "Would you…?"
Van watched as Irvine smiled in understanding and leant forward, encircling the teen with his strong arms. Van returned the embrace and the two held each other tightly. The black haired teen felt hot tears trailing down his cheeks and he sniffled loudly.
"It's going to be okay Van…" Irvine soothing voice said as he rubbed his back gently. "Just let it out…"
Almost as if he'd been waiting to hear that, Van began to sob loudly, tears running down Irvine's skin as he buried his head in his friend's neck. Irvine held him closer, whispering words of encouragement into Van's ear.
"I've been…so stupid…" The black haired teen said between sobs. "All this time…and it took Zeek…nearly dieing to show me that…" Van clenched his eyes tight as hot tears streamed down his cheeks. He sniffled loudly and fell silent of Irvine's shoulder. "I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…" he whispered.
Irvine moved his hand to Van's hair, running his fingers through the soft tresses as he cradled his head against his shoulder. "Van, hey, it's going to be all right…" Irvine whispered. Almost unconsciously, the bounty hunter placed a soft kiss on Van's hair, trying his best to calm him down.
Van sniffled and stopped sobbing, pulling back slowly to meet Irvine's eyes with his own distraught ones.
"What…what was…that for?" Van asked quietly. Irvine felt his face heat up.
"You were upset; I was trying to help you settle down," he looked down at the ground. "Sorry if I did something wrong." Van smiled warmly at him, raising a hand to tilt Irvine's head up, his gaze meeting his own once more.
"Irvine, that's not how you kiss someone."
Without warning, Van leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to Irvine's. The bounty hunter bit back a squeak of surprise and stared wide-eyed at the teen who now had his eyes closed. Irvine swallowed behind the intimate brush and surrendered; his eyes closing as he began to kiss Van back.
The young pilot reached up to cup Irvine's face gently with both hands. Irvine felt his cheeks burning as Van parted his lips slightly and began to trace the bounty hunter's lips with his tongue. Irvine put up with the sweet torture for a mere moment before parting his own lips and allowed their tongues to meet.
Van moaned softly, a shiver running down his spine as Irvine gave in. He moved his hands up behind Irvine's neck, pulling him closer as he arched his back. Irvine ran his hands down the black haired boy's back softly, almost a tickling touch if it wasn't for the intimate situation.
Van pulled back and the two parted, almost reluctantly. He panted softly as Irvine blinked at him.
"Van, I-"
The young pilot raised a hand to silence him, turning away and closing his eyes. "That was wrong…I'm sorry…"
Irvine raised an eyebrow. "How could that be wrong? You seemed to be enjoying it."
"That's the point!" Van exploded. "We're both guys Irvine! We're not supposed to enjoy kissing other guys!"
Irvine's brow furrowed into a frown. "Who told you that it's wrong?"
"No one…it's just a common assumption…" Van replied softly. *I'll be kicked out of the Guardian Force if they find out about this…*
The bounty hunter sighed. "Van…" the teen looked worriedly up at him. "I'm sorry… If it makes you feel any better, I'm sorry that I kissed you back."
Van lowered his gaze again. "No, it's not your fault Irvine… It's…it's just…" He sighed loudly and let his form slouch. "I'm so fucked up…" he whispered.
Irvine placed a hand softly onto Van's shoulder. "Van, you're not, okay? And it's no one's fault either," he smiled at the teen before him. "You're a wonderful person Van, don't let anyone else tell you differently, because that's what makes you you. It doesn't matter what you like or don't like, because that makes no difference to the person you are now." He smiled openly at the teen who gazed up at him. "Hell, look at me; I'm a criminal and a bounty hunter and you trust me as one of your best friends."
Van smiled weakly back at Irvine. "I know, but…" he spoke softly, "that still doesn't justify why it had to happen at all."
Irvine chuckled softly. "Didn't your sister ever hold you and kiss your hair softly when you were upset?" Van raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, but I never pashed my sister…" he mumbled. Irvine laughed at him.
"Seriously though Van, taking the whole thing into consideration, I think it did you some good," Irvine spoke softly. Van's eyes went wide.
"Come again!?" he shot. "What on Zi do you mean by that!?"
The bounty hunter sat back and supported his weight on one arm. "Well, for one thing, I know that since this whole deal with Zeek started, you've been so tense that you started making some really weird decisions," he explained. "You never were the one to show your feelings before and I think that Zeek's turn for the worse delivered you a swift kick to the pants, so to speak; you opened up to me more than the others because I guess you can relate to me somehow.
"You let it slip about what your sister used to do to you when you were upset and that stuck with me I guess. When you asked me to hold you those times, I knew you weren't asking me for just a casual hug every now and again, Van; you were asking me for genuine emotional support." He watched as Van sat there a bit stunned as he considered it all. Irvine grinned. "Am I right, Van?"
The black haired youth stared up at him blankly. "You…" he frowned at Irvine for a moment before launching himself at him with a yell and throwing the bounty hunter to his back. Van scowled down at him, teeth clenched tightly as he sat on top of him, fists balled in Irvine's overalls.
"Yes Irvine, you're right! Everything you said is true! Everything!" Van yelled in fury. "It did take Zeek nearly dieing to show me that; I never did show my feelings in the past; yes I can relate to you in some way!" Van glared at him with narrowed eyes. "And you know what? I hate it Irvine! I hate how you can always be right about everything; I hate how you can always smile about things; I hate the way you're always so confident and happy; I hate how I can relate to you!! I hate you Irvine!! I hate everything about you!!" Van took a gasping breath through clenched teeth. "And I wasn't just asking for emotional support because…because I…" Van trailed off as he relaxed on top of Irvine, releasing his overalls. He sat still for a moment and Irvine just lay there as Van's back heaved with sobs. The teen looked back at Irvine, fresh tears in his eyes and a tortured look on his face.
"Because I've fallen in love with you…"
TBC
Chan: Wa~ai!! I love a good shounen-ai story! 'Specially when it's Van and Irvine!! *melts and thinks lil' perverted yaoi-full thoughts*
Van: Why have you made me such a sissy? And- *notices authoress' thought bubble and squints* ...is that physically possible??
Chan: It is in my world, Van-kun!
Van: *backing off* I wanna leave then...
Chan: Not on my imagination you don't!! *chases after a screaming Van*
*Irvine watches the show with popcorn in hand*
Irvine: At least she's not after my butt anymore...