Response time-ies, and let's start off with Maelgwyn: Ooh, you naughty thing you! Monage-e-twoi? Kinky! I'll have to consider something like that! ^_~ Ninetails: Hee hee...I like the bedroom scene too ^_^ And ya, Fiona is a perv and Raven is a snoop (but he's a cute snoop!). Naomi Hunter: It's freezing here too. Coincidence?? @_@;; Bah, I find it easy to write homophobic charas coz all my friends are homophobes (close-minded pricks...). Meh, but how could Raven be anything else but sexily evil??
Disclaimer: I would like to own Zoids and all that jazz but I can't because most people are homophobic and I would only totally screw with everyone's heads.
Warnings: Aww... Time for some cute moments with some sweet V+I sappy goodness! Hee hee... And just who is the bigger tease?? ^_~
Broken ~ Part six
The Mission or I'll Stay With You
"So, that's it? You have to leave this afternoon?" Irvine pressed as he stood in Van's quarters, the door closed behind him as he watched Van throw some clothes into a duffel bag. The black haired youth turned to smile warmly at him, stopping what he was doing and walking over to him to wrap his arms around his waist.
"Irvine, I have to go," Van reasoned with him softly as Irvine's arms encircled him. "It's a direct order from General Harlan and besides, there's a lot of people who got hurt down there. I can't just ignore that." He placed a hand softly on Irvine's cheek. "It's only one week. I promise that as soon as this mission is over, we're going to spend some good quality time with each other, all right? We'll do whatever you want."
Irvine smiled down at him and hugged him closer as he felt Van snuggling into his neck. "Well…if it's only for one week. But I want you to send me at least one message while you're away, you got that?" Van chuckled, a muffled sound.
"I'll send you at least three, how about that?" he breathed, grazing his lips across the warm skin of Irvine's neck. The bounty hunter closed his eyes at the touch and failed to stop the soft moan that slipped past his lips. Van smirked and pressed his lips to his neck, sucking gently as he slowly devoured the taste of Irvine under his tongue.
"Van…ahh!" Irvine moaned as Van bit down softly, the teen's hand reaching up to tilt Irvine's head down as he pulled back. The two locked lips instantly and Van moaned, knotting his fingers in Irvine's hair. Van pulled back suddenly, a hairs breadth away with his eyes half closed. He smirked at the bounty hunter.
"Mmm…I'm going to miss that…" he breathed. Irvine smiled and ran a finger along Van's jaw line. "Tease…" The black haired pilot mock-laughed, his warm breath sweeping over Irvine's lips. "Me? A tease? Why on Zi would you even think such a thing?"
Irvine smirked and laced his fingers through Van's, freeing the teen's hand from his hair. "Because you are and you know it, Van Fleihight," he purred, placing soft kisses over Van's cheek. The young pilot moaned, gasping out, "And you're not?" Irvine chuckled in his throat, whispering, "Not nearly as much as you."
Van pulled back suddenly and locked his ebony eyes onto Irvine's soft mauve ones. A wisp of a hungry smile played on his lips. "Then prove it…"
Irvine smiled at him and, in a move that completely shattered the mood, ruffled Van's hair quickly. The young pilot cried out in surprise. "Well, I'd love to 'prove it' Van, but it's nearly one and you have a mission to go to." Van pouted and frowned at Irvine.
"Aww…you're no fun…" he breathed. The bounty hunter smiled warmly at him and turned him around by his shoulders, pushing him forward towards his bag as he opened up the door. Van took the hint and crouched down to scoop up his possessions. "Yeah, I know; I'm a cynical old wart. But you have no idea how cute you look when you pout."
Van flushed red as he crouched there. He swallowed and stood up again, turning to stare wide-eyed at Irvine. "Come again?" he squeaked. Irvine laughed at him. "You heard me. Now rack off before Harlan boils you alive." He jabbed a thumb at the door as he stepped over to him, pulling him through the door before the young pilot had a chance to blink. Van turned around and stammered a protest when the door slammed in front of his nose.
"Hey! You can't just lock me out of my own room!" He yelled to the door. "Irvine! Hey cut it out and open up! Irvine!!" He sighed in exasperation. "Fine! See if I-" the door abruptly swung open and before Van had a chance to breath, Irvine's hands had cupped his face and pulled him close for a breath-stealing kiss. Van squeaked in surprise as his eyes went wide with shock. Irvine pulled back all too soon for Van's liking and the young pilot just blinked at him in silent shock. The bounty hunter smirked at his expression.
"You shriek worse than a banshee on a windy night, Van," he whispered. "I had to do something to shut you up…"
Van's mind was still unable to form coherent thought for a moment before it snapped into action again and he glared at Irvine. "Listen you, just because you're older than me and taller than me doesn't give you the right to-" he was silenced once again by Irvine, who pressed his lips to Van's. The black haired youth resisted for a moment before his numb mind allowed his hand to glide up to the back of Irvine's neck, rubbing the soft skin gently. Van suddenly pulled back and stared at the bounty hunter with one eyebrow raised.
"And you say I'm a tease?" he asked, incredulous. Irvine just laughed at him and rubbed his cheek affectionately. "You are, now go," he smiled warmly at him, all humour gone from his face. "I'll be waiting for you, so don't go getting yourself killed or anything stupid like that."
Van smiled back at him and nodded. "I won't… Promise…" he stepped back and waved at Irvine as he walked off backwards.
"Tell me how Zeek's doing too, would you?" he called. Irvine nodded. "You got it Van." The black haired youth grinned and turned around fully, walking quickly away before his body had any say in the matter.
Irvine watched him go, leaning against the door frame and folding his arms across his chest, a warm smile forming over his face.
***
Over the course of the next few days, no serious incidents were reported to the Keron Base. Van and Thomas had almost finished their work at Aran Valley and were almost ready to return to base. Fiona had called Van excitedly to tell him that Zeek would be fully recovered sooner than expected and the young pilot was so elated by this that he had to strongly resist the urge to swipe the nearest Zoid and streak back to the base.
Irvine had been the first one to send a message that Van received directly after the transmission about Zeek, which put him on cloud nine. He was so happy that day he even hugged Thomas fiercely, which startled the sandy blonde to no end. Other than that one burst of energy, the end of most days saw Van collapsing onto his bed, waking stiff and sore the next morning.
It was on the sixth day that Van sat down to send off his periodical report to General Harlan that he noticed he had a new message. He raised an eyebrow before realization set in and a broad grin crept over his face. He clicked it open and quickly scanned the text.
Hey Van,
The General's still being a hard-ass as always; won't let me join any scouting groups because it's some BS about not being in the military. Bastard. The man has no idea how boring it is just sitting here and waiting for you. Doctor Dee is out for your blood – he's seriously pissed at the condition you put the Liger in and says he's going to take it out on you when you return.
Fiona's still watching over Zeek. She says he's doing just fine and it should be around ten days before he's allowed out of the pod.
…I'm missing you heaps Van.
Irvine
Van smiled warmly when he reached the end of the message. He sat there and ignored the rest of the message, his eyes only seeing those five words at the end. The young pilot decided to send a quick reply before transmitting General Harlan his report.
Irvine,
It figures General Harlan would be like that, but then again, he's always been like that, all through my training. You just have to learn not to piss the guy off.
So Doctor Dee wants to kill me, eh? Nothing unusual there; he couldn't stand the way I treated the Liger right after he'd fixed it last time either. I can't wait for another lap around the base; it's great exercise.
Speaking of exercise, I've been so exhausted the last few days. I mean, I know I've got a good level of stamina and everything, but rebuilding an entire village really takes it out of you!
It's great to hear about Zeek. I can't wait to see him again. I still feel like it's my fault though and no Irvine, you won't be able to hug me and yell at me enough to get that out of my system.
I'm missing you too Irvine, but that'll be remedied within the next twenty-four hours. I'm returning to the base at around six tomorrow, and we're still going to do whatever you want afterwards.
Van
Happy with his reply, Van sent it off with a smirk. He sat there and leant back in his chair, pushing it back on two legs with his arms folded behind his head. The young pilot stared at the roof of his temporary room for a long while before giving a prolonged yawn. He sighed and sat forward with a thud; sleep would have to come later, he thought and began work on his report.
***
Van arched his back and yawned loudly, scratching his stomach as it grumbled loudly. He frowned down at it and stared out of the D-Bison's cockpit. He and Thomas had begun their journey back to Keron Base and Van had just awoken from a short nap in the back seat. He leant forward and rested an arm on Thomas' seat.
"Hey Thomas, how far is there to go now?" Van asked sleepily.
The younger Schubaltz shrugged. "I'm not sure; though I'd say not far. Beek, what's the exact distance?" The system whistled and clicked at Thomas for a long while and he smirked. "Don't be such a smart-mouth. Beek says it's still around thirty clicks south-west."
Van sighed and slumped back into his seat. "Thanks, that'll give me enough time to get some more sleep…" he rubbed his eyes tiredly. Thomas frowned at him while staring at the land ahead. "Are you feeling okay Van?"
"Why do you ask?" he asked after a moment. Thomas rolled his eyes. "Because a member of the Guardian Force shouldn't be this tired after a simple mission, that's why!" Van smirked at him and punched the back of his seat playfully. "Shut it Thomas, I heard you yawning before. I guess I haven't been getting much sleep lately; what with getting up early and turning in so late for the past week. It's playing hell with my body clock."
Thomas raised an eyebrow. "Maybe you should head to the infirmary when we get back to base." Van gave an exasperated sigh. "Thomas, I'm tired not sick! The only thing that'll fix it is some more sleep." The younger Schubaltz shrugged. "Probably, but it could be something else. Didn't the doctor say you took a bad hit to the head after the battle with Raven? It could be that," he suggested.
Van shrugged and stared outside again. "With me, anything's possible Thomas. I'm still alive when I should have died hundreds of times in battle; something's bound to happen to me sooner or later."
Thomas chuckled but otherwise stayed silent. Van paused as if expecting some sort of response from the other lieutenant but shook his head when he heard none. He stared sleepily out of the D-Bison as the Zoid ran back to the base, watching as the landscape around them changed from one of lush oasis to scorching desert in a matter of minutes.
He sighed, a whisper of a smile forming on his lips. *Soon… I'll be back to him soon…* A flash of movement in the distance made him frown and sit up. "Hey Thomas, scan for something out there." Thomas raised an eyebrow. "What 'something' Van?"
"I just saw something out there, that's all," Van explained. "Could just be an animal or something though…" The sandy blonde lieutenant snorted. "Yeah, or it could be that you need some sleep. You're probably just seeing things you're so tired." Van groaned in annoyance. "I'm positive I saw something, Thomas," he pressed.
The younger Schubaltz gave an exasperated sigh and rolled his eyes. "Fine, I'll run a scan on the surrounding area. But don't blame me if there's nothing out there." He flicked a series of switches and turned to give Van a wide grin. "See? There's nothing out there, you paranoid idiot. Are you happy now?"
Van nodded and said his thanks, but he was still convinced he saw something. He frowned and let his body relax again, telling himself that it was just some sort of mirage because he was so tired. *Even if it was something, you wouldn't be able to do anything about it because you're in Thomas' Zoid plus he probably wouldn't let you chase after whatever it is…* Van sighed and closed his eyes. *It was probably just some kid on a hover board anyway. Thomas is right; I'm getting paranoid because of no sleep…* He smirked to himself for the remainder of the trip.
***
Van leapt from the cockpit of the large D-Bison, landing heavily in a crouch before standing up and waving at his friends.
"Hey everyone, did you miss us?" he asked with a laugh. Fiona ran up to him and hugged him tightly around the neck. She laughed while she released him. "Silly, of course we did! Thomas; I'm so glad to see you too!"
The sandy blonde flushed red and instantly sprouted a goofy grin. "You are? Really? Oh Miss Fiona, it's so good to see you too! I've missed you terribly!" He outstretched his arms to her and she giggled, hugging him quickly. His legs nearly collapsed under him when she gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
Moonbei laughed and turned to Van. "So Van, how're you holding out?" The black haired youth raised an eyebrow. "What're you talking about Moonbei?" She rolled her eyes. "Duh, your prohibition! Or have you forgotten about that teensy little thing?"
Van smiled at her. "I haven't forgotten, trust me," he sighed and stared longingly up at his Liger. "But all in all…I think it's done me some good. It was so stupid of me to go after Raven on my own, and I've learnt from that mistake now," he chuckled. "Not only do you end up nearly dead, but so does your Zoid… Aw hell…" his face fell and he turned worried eyes to Moonbei. "Um, where's the doc?"
Moonbei sidled up to him with a malicious smirk. "What's the matter Van? Scared of old Doctor Dee for some reason?" she crooned. Van swallowed. "You could say that… Has he mentioned anything about me or the Liger lately?"
"Oh he may have said something about it…" she waved her hand for effect. Van groaned before it hit him. "Hey, where's Irvine? Shouldn't he be out here too?" Fiona stepped forward. "Van, he said he'd be back later tonight sometime. He said he had to go into town for something."
Van frowned, silently pouting. He was a little hurt that Irvine didn't wait to see him before leaving, but he managed to push it aside, turning to Thomas. "Hey Thomas, I have to go deliver my report to General Harlan; want me to drop of yours as well?"
The younger Schubaltz nodded and handed him the disk. "Sure thing Van; that is, if you're offering." Van pocketed the disk and turned to the others, stifling a yawn. "Man I'm beat… I think I'll turn in after this guys; g'night everyone." Not waiting for a reply, Van walked off in the direction of Harlan's office.
***
Raven's smirk twisted cruelly as he pulled his fist from the clerk's body, listening as the lifeless form hit the floor with a dull thud. He glanced around cautiously and shook his head, his smirk forming into a wicked grin.
*Robbing these people was probably a bold move considering I'm a wanted man, but I really did need these parts…* he turned to scoop up his prize, looking over at his Organoid. "Shadow! Let's get a move on!" he snipped and the two fled the silent store.
Raven turned to the black Zoid as they ran, a wicked smile curling his lips. "You can take the next one, I promise. You're probably getting bored without any fun, aren't you?" The Organoid snarled something incoherent and Raven just laughed as they ran.
*One more part… I just need one more fitting for the left leg and it's done…* Raven leapt onto his hidden hover board and sped off. *You're going to be mine, Van Fleihight…*
***
Van yawned loudly as he rounded the corridor. He'd delivered the reports to the good general and was now heading to his quarters for some well-earned rest. He was having a hard enough time trying to walk straight let alone notice that someone was following him.
A hand fell to his shoulder and he whirled around, heart pounding. He let out a short hiss and relaxed. "Fiona! You scared the life out of me!" She giggled at him. "I'm sorry Van; it seems I have a knack for doing that to you lately."
He sighed and wished his pulse to return to normal. "Well at least I'm awake now…" he breathed, smiling up at her. "What's up Fiona?" She looked down and toed the ground nervously.
"Well I…" she stared up at him with a cute blush tinting her cheeks. "I was wondering Van… Would you – that is if you're not doing anything; would you like…to have dinner with me tomorrow? You know…to sort of make up for, well, when I…" she fumbled for a word, waving her hands about, "...scared you...at Keron Colony."
Van was taken aback by her request, and he blinked at her for a moment before his face softened and he nodded. "Sure thing Fiona; that'd be great." Her face slowly broke out into a warm smile and she hugged him tightly.
"Thank you so much Van!" the Zoidian laughed as she pulled back. "I can't wait until tomorrow! Oh, and I'll be around at about seven, so be ready, alright?" Van nodded and smiled at her. "I will, don't worry." She giggled again and kissed him on the cheek, running off with a final "Thank you Van!"
He smiled as he watched her go. *Aw come on…she's not all that bad…* he mentally sighed. *But how's she going to take it when you tell her about you and Irvine?* His face fell and he shook his head, walking back to his quarters.
The young pilot pushed open his door and stepped inside, not bothering with the light as he closed the door behind him and leant up against it; the pale moonlight washing softly in from his window was giving his room enough light. Van took in a deep breath and sighed for a long moment, closing his eyes and tilting his head back to rest on the cool metal of his door. He frowned suddenly and opened his eyes again, looking around in the darkness.
Something, he couldn't put his finger on it, was out of place. He took a tentative step forward and peered into the darkness with an ebony gaze. Van took another step and froze, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. He swore he just heard breathing from somewhere in the room.
Before he had a chance to react, someone had grabbed him from behind, holding his arms tight with one arm while the other hand clamped over his mouth, causing him to squeak embarrassingly in shock. Van's eyes shot wide and he was just about to bite whomever it was when warm breath tickled his ear and a familiar voice whispered, "Boo…"
Van's eyebrows shot up as far as they could go and he froze as his attacker relaxed. He turned around in his arms; mouth still covered by one hand as he saw a familiar face smiling down at him. Still in a confused shock, he tried to say "Irvine?" but it came out more of a muffled sound than anything coherent. The bounty hunter chuckled softly at him and took his hand away.
"Hey Van…" he barely had a chance to whisper before the young pilot crushed his lips to his in a searing kiss, more out of need than anything else. They stayed in each other's arms, locked together for a long moment before Van pulled back a hairs breadth, one hand having snaked its way up to cup Irvine's cheek, and whispered, "I missed you so much…" Irvine was about to reply when he saw Van's confused expression in the soft moonlight. "But…Fiona said you went into town…"
Irvine smiled at him and ruffled his hair. "Idiot Van… I told her that so I could surprise you here. Van sported a large grin as he stared up at Irvine, both arms encircling the bounty hunter's waist. "Well, it worked," he laughed. "Not to mention you scared six years growth out of me! It's like everyone wants to do that to me lately!"
The bounty hunter raised an eyebrow. "'Everyone?' Who else has been scaring you senseless?" Van poked him playfully in the ribs. "Fiona got me really good while we were in Keron Colony, and again just before I got here." Irvine nodded. "I thought you looked a bit tired. Adrenaline rush, huh?"
Van grinned and failed to stifle a yawn. "Yeah, and it's starting to take its toll on me… Man I'm beat…" Irvine smiled down at him. "Then maybe you should get some sleep Van." The teen shook his head vehemently.
"No way, not a chance!" he stared up at Irvine with longing. "I've been without you for a week and that was bad enough! I don't need sleep; not just yet; not while you're still here…" his voice finished in a whisper as he nestled his head on Irvine's chest. "Just…would you please stay…just a bit longer…"
Irvine barely hesitated before he hugged Van closer and smiled warmly down at him. He kissed his hair softly and closed his eyes, resting his lips against the soft tresses. "Of course I'll stay Van…" he breathed, inhaling the soft scent of vanilla that was Van. "I missed you…" he paused and chuckled quietly which was enough to catch Van's attention.
"What's so funny?" he asked, brow furrowing in questioning. Irvine smiled and relaxed against Van. "We've only been together for three days, apart for seven and we're saying we missed each other so much… It just sounds funny to me; we've spent more time apart than with each other." Van shrugged and pulled Irvine closer. "We're together now; that's all that matters…"
The black haired youth stepped back and pulled Irvine with him, sitting down on his bed and inviting the bounty hunter to do the same. Irvine sat next to him with a smile as Van slid further back; spine curving against the wall as he drew his knees up to his chest. The two stared deeply at each other, simply smiling and saying nothing for a long moment; the only sound in the room coming from their soft breathing.
"Irvine…" Van whispered. The bounty hunter shifted from his sleepy stupor. "Mmm?" he replied softly. Van shifted in his spot and moved his legs forward slightly. "Do you…do you remember what you told me here that first day?" Irvine paused for a moment and leant back against the wall as well. "Not clearly; refresh my memory."
Van smiled warmly at Irvine and gazed down at the sheets. "Before we left, you told me 'confronting what's inside of you will ultimately lead you to understanding yourself better'. I understand what you meant by that now," he paused to look up at Irvine with a look of pure love in his eyes. "I understand that I couldn't live a single day without you…"
Irvine's expression softened and he smiled warmly back at the young pilot. "Van…" he breathed, voice pulled with emotion. The black haired teen sidled slowly over to him and reached up to his face, gently lifting Irvine's eyepiece off. He followed through by running his fingers through his hair, taking his headband with it. He smiled as he dropped them on the bed, gazing at both of Irvine's mauve eyes as he cupped his face softly.
"There…" he whispered. "Much better…" Van felt as Irvine traced his thumb over his cheek affectionately and he closed his eyes against the touch, unconsciously leaning into it. He sighed contentedly and opened his eyes to gaze longingly up at Irvine. The young pilot's smile grew and he cocked his head to the side with a cute smirk as he drew one hand away and patted the sheets. "Spend the night with me?" he asked softly.
Irvine paused for the briefest of moments to stare down at his partner; the one he now loved with all of his heart. True, they had spent more time apart than with each other, but at the moment it didn't matter to either of them; all they saw was each other. The bounty hunter smiled warmly at Van; the youngest member of the military; of the Guardian Force, and his smile grew. And himself, he thought, nothing more than a common thief and a criminal; only ever in it for the money and the hidden glory. The most unlikely pairing to ever hit planet Zi and they were living for every second of it.
"I will Van…" Irvine breathed softly. "I'll stay with you…" Van laid back and Irvine leaned forward in perfect synchronism; the young pilot breathing out softly as he nestled onto his side with Irvine snuggled into his back, wrapping his arms around him. The black haired youth sighed contentedly to himself as his felt his eyelids getting heavy; a smile on his face and on his heart.
TBC
Van: *hiding in the bushes* I shoulda stayed zonked out...
*Irvine and Chan run past and he ducks down*
Van: Now they're both after my butt... *sigh*
Chan: WA~AH!!! Found you Van!!
*Van screams and runs off only to run smack into Irvine*
Van: Iieee!! Save me!!
Irvine: Fear not fair maiden, for I shall protect you!!
Van: Fair maiden?
Irvine: *shrugs* No beast nor Chan shall harm you while I stand in their way!!
*Chan glares at Irvine and flicks a fireball at him*
Irvine: WAAAH!!! It burns!! *runs off*
Van: *glares at disappearing Irvine* Protect me huh... No harm huh... Riiiiiight...
Chan: Oo~oh Va~an...
Van: Eep...