Part eight: Betrayal
Author whines: eaggghhh!!! Gomen ne! I know, it's been the long time since the last update. I got entangled with my Karl x Thomas 'cruel intentions' angst AU fic O_O and I got entangled in a zoid RPG and I got a Karl x Thomas bondage fan art in my pc---huh, oh the bloody hell, here is chapter eight!
-RaVen0us
Irvine made some points clear to Van, who now dons the (blah) lieutenant uniform. He carefully explains about the 'orders' given to him personally by Col. Schubaltz. After the boy's disappearance in several days, a search team was dispatched and there have been sightings of him being seen around with Raven and the geno breaker. Suspecting he must have been held hostage, Irvine and Thomas were dispatched to assist a rescue force after getting the latest coordinates. The older boy wished that the oddment occurring to Van right now is not a classic case of Stockholm syndrome.
"Where is Thomas?" Van questioned, after Irvine explained his part. "You said he is supposed to be with you guys."
"He had a little technical problem; he will catch up with us eventually." Irvine spoke as he climbed in his saix's cockpit. Poor Thomas, his tongue haven't healed well and have a hard time controlling Beek, as it end up messing coordinates and commands every time he was forced to talk. Irvine pressed that he stay in one place for awhile then gets some proper rest and he'll just send the coordinates to him as soon as he finds Van.
"So what are the colonel's orders?"
If this boy is not a lieutenant and not a member of a guardian force team he could whoop him hard right now and shake him hard till his head snap. "Are you mental? I just told you few minutes ago!"
"No, I mean for me. Or else why did you make me wear back my uniform?"
Irvine nearly forgot, he said something in effect that the colonel wants Van to do something just in any case, "Just to scout the nearby area and possible hot spots Raven would have gotten himself into. Everyone is pretty suspicious of whatever he has been doing these past few weeks." Then he glanced down, descending step by step from his saix after sending the coordinates to Di Bison. "But with the red horns in pretty bad shape, I don't know how you can go around and manage. Two people are not fit enough in my saix for patrolling either."
"I can manage," Van replied, "We are just scouting any possible areas where Raven would strike right?"
"You make it sound easy," Irvine frowned, "Remember that we don't have any better shaped combatant zoids around. How can you be cool and not worry Raven would not strike back?"
"Because I know he wouldn't" The younger pilot said with a finality, slowly easing a piece of paper secretly to his back pocket. Raven gave it to him before he left; in it was the address of the place he would be staying for a few weeks time.
*****
By the time a week had rolled around, the two have settled quite nicely near camp. Although Irvine had no longer brought up the 'sugar bear' incident ever again, or tries to act overly suspicious, he seems very pleased that Van seems to have forgotten all about it. But what confuses him is that they could have lead the camp any time they wanted and report for duty afterward scouting the whole parameter of the colony. Van insisted he had some 'personal business' to attend and that they will eventually report 'sooner time around'.
"Well I hope your 'sooner time around' will be fine with you if the military bases back there are already burned to the ground." Irvine once remarked sarcastically, as he grimaces at one of Flyheight's 'afternoon patrols'. "Shit, Flyheight! You're so unpredictable!"
For what Irvine don't know the young pilot and the gray-haired mercenary have been secretly meeting each other almost every late afternoon by an inn near the town. Since it was potentially dangerous for them to be seen together, Van and Raven hadn't much more than at least several minutes with each other alone since the first day of the week, and it was beginning to show. In one of those moments, just before Van had to leave Raven's room for the evening to report on the camp, Raven pinned the other teen up against the door and kissed him fiercely.
Both boys were panting so hard when the kiss broke, and Van wrapped his arms around his lover's torso. "Damn, it's too hard to meet around in this place. At least in the ship, we had our own 'sleepovers'!"
"You're feeling it too, huh?" Raven grinned sympathetically, and rubbed his groin against Van's. The friction between their erections was almost painful, and they both moaned, the brunette pressed his form willingly, welcoming the delicious heat escalating from their down area towards their own anticipating teenage bodies. Raven responded by reaching up, and tangling his fingers to Van's pony-tailed deep ebony black hair. Curling his index finger around the elastic holding it back, he tugged sharply, snapping the band. The other pilot growled at him as the tawny black tresses cascaded around his neck.
"Will you stop DOING that?" Van whined, "I've got a limited supply of that things, and I don't know where I can get more now! And you know I hate having hair in my face!"
"Then why do you keep it that way then?" Raven asked, teasing. "It makes you look like a---"
"DON'T say it!" He howled, slapping his hand over the other pilot's mouth. "It does not make me look like a girl! Besides, I like they way it looks."
"So do I, Van." Raven's voice was muffled by Van's hand, and his lips caressed his palm with the words. The boy shivered, and then shuddered as Raven's tongue swept out to taste. "That's why I keep breaking your elastic- --it looks damn sexy down."
The gray haired pilot knew that kissing Van's palms is his weak spot; he did the same thing way back at their first night together in the cruise. That was a memorable one indeed; he was knocked solid to the jaw afterwards. Of course not now, "Uhhh---is that door locked?" Van murmured, his free hand teasing along Raven's pale neck.
"Locks when you shut it," Raven replied, indigo eyes shining with lust. "Now shut up and kiss me, you bastard. Let's christen my room, eh?"
"You are such an ass."
And with that, Van removed his hand and leaned over, more than happy to oblige.
*****
"If you---mmm, don't stop---; if you keep that up---ahhh! I'll never make it back to the---ooh, camp in time." Van muttered, nipping sharply at Raven's ear. Raven grunted something incomprehensible in reply, and thrust against Van again. The brunette rocked back into the motion, setting up a rhythm that drove them both crazy, even through their outfits. Their hands wandered over one another's bodies, and lips met in a passionate kiss.
Van broke away with a desperate look at the clock, "I gotta go, Raven! I'll be in shit if Irvine finds out I'm staying out too long."
The taller boy made a frustrated noise, but made no move to release his rival. "I don't want you to go!" he was surprised saying it himself; "I need you, Van!"
The brunette gave him a wide grin. "Ah, you just need a warm body. You are nothing but a bunch of hormones, you know that?" He ducked Raven's wild punch and ducked out his arms as well, to press against him from behind. Now he was the one pinning the other pilot to the door, his erection planted firmly in the soft part of Raven's ass. "Meet me in the nearby bar in town tomorrow morning," he murmured, while Raven moaned at the pressure. "The place opens by 5:30, but nobody else will be up that early."
"You'll never wake up that early," Raven commented, but he reluctantly opened the door to let Van out of the room.
Van tossed him a wink, "I'll find a way. On the bar, 5:30. Don't miss it if you want it."
"Not for the world, Van. Not for the world---" Raven gave him one last heated glance before he closed the door.
*****
The pilot thanked his lucky stars that the camp is almost half-empty and dark, with some of the soldiers left are either busy playing cards or off-patrol. His tight uniform did little to conceal his raging erection, and he could only hope Irvine would be distracted as usual when he got back to the tent.
No such luck. The older boy was indeed absorbed tinkering with some parts he would be customizing for his lightning saix, but he glanced up as his comrade came in the big tent. An amused glint was evident in his un- patched eye, though nothing showed on his face, as he took in the younger pilot's condition. Thankfully, he said nothing, only tossing him a wry grin before going back to fixing some parts.
Van debated running to the bathroom to change, but decided he didn't have enough time. Anyway, Irvine wasn't shy about changing in front of his comrade, so why should he be?
'Cause you've got a raging hard on and the thought of Irvine changing in front of you isn't helping any!' He answered his own question, blushing as a vivid image of Irvine, naked except for a towel, bending over to dig through a duffel bag of good clothes, came to mind. Instead, he waited for the older boy to finish his business and turn off the lights before hastily changing and climbing into the cot.
Irvine chuckled softly as Van settled in. "What're you laughing at?" the younger boy demanded, keeping his voice low.
"At you, what else?" Irvine replied. Van gave him a hard glare, which was lost in the darkness of the room. "It's nothing to be ashamed you know. Happens to the best of us."
"I'm glad you're so amused by all this," Van mumbled, 'humph'ing and turning on his side when Irvine laughed out right. Sleep was long in coming, as his body eagerly anticipated the morning activities.
*****
Early morning 5 am.
"WHERE do you think you're going?"
Van squeaked and nearly jumped out of his skin as the words splashed to him like ice water. He tried his best to sneak out of the camp, fully dressed and he was just few feet on the road of success when suddenly Irvine materialized from nowhere, his face frowning and then grabbing him by the collar.
"Irvine!" he gagged, as the neck collar of his uniform starts to suffocate him. The older boy released him so, dropping Van to his knees and starts gasping for air.
"That kind of trick don't easily work on me, I have been seeing you sneak out for various reasons ever since four years ago we met. I pretend not to know of course" he stated, watching the other boy pout. "What's your reason now?"
Van cannot think of a good reason, "The bathroom is jammed, I have to pee."
"Out there?"
"Yup."
"All fully clothed in your uniform and all, just to pee? That's impressive Van Flyheight."
It was a losing battle, and if not working on the broken zoids, Irvine's intuitiveness and observation is worse than a military interrogation. He is worse than a doting mother, checking out every time he has to leave and go back to camp, grilling him with questions, assessing him in personal details. He wondered if it's also part of Col. Schubaltz plan, but why would the colonel not trust an ally? Very confusing----
"FINE! You got me, so what now?"
"Just show me where you're about to go, that you have to sneak out this early morning."
Van paused for awhile, worried how Irvine react at the sight of Raven, and vice-versa. He got to think fast. /I have to meet Raven in a local bar--- and Irvine will find out sooner or later also---/
"I'm going to meet someone in the local bar." He murmured softly,
"Can't this wait for a later time? Why so early?" Irvine assessed him with his good un-patched gray gaze.
Van bit his lip, "Because he didn't have much time, okay? I'm eighteen now, you don't have to act like I'm some kid you know from four years ago, I know what I'm doing!"
Irvine sighed, and waved both palms lazily, "Alright, alright! You proved your point! But you can at least show me who ever this 'important person' was."
He gave him an uneasy look, "Well, if you insist---"
"I DO insist Van, ever since the day you woke up in this camp, it seems like I don't know you anymore."
*****
Raven drank the fifth mug of hot steaming black coffee to his lips. It is still hot, and it scalds, but his mind is so far away that it left his sensation numb temporarily. /What's taking Van so long? It's not so hard to sneak in this TIME of the day."/
He heard a low grunt over his shoulder, "If you know what's good for you. Just stay there." He told shadow. "I can't risk it if my cover gets blown again you know." The dark organoid made a low metallic 'humph' and turned his back to the alley. Van is supposed to meet him there outside by the corner near the tavern, but he was almost 30 minutes late. Fucking too late, and with that he threw his mug to the wall.
"Raven!"
Soon enough, Van surfaced, clean and fresh in his lieutenant colors and panting heavily as if he had ran a whole mile. All the anger in Raven's blood instantly drained on seeing the sight of his koibito, and as soon as Van leveled his face to his, he stole a deep intense kiss.
"Raven, I got to talk to you." Van said afterwards, "Irvine is with me, he is the bar---that's why I'm late." He can see the sudden silent rage in those indigo eyes.
"WHY is he with you?" he hissed,
"He has been suspicious for nearly a week now, Raven. It's not that damned easy trying to sneak off the camp every day, he will get to know it sooner or later!"
"You got caught sneaking out, eh?"
Van nodded,
Raven made a deep sigh and faced the wall, he stared at it the longest time and then pounded both his fist and along his head on it. His breathing short and shallow, he respected Van so much he can't bear to hit him. "You wouldn't know the risk, do you?"
"Of course I know! But Irvine is also my friend---it would be like betraying him if I don't tell him anything."
"Tell him what, that we are--"
"Hey, I won't tell him THAT." The brunette blushed vividly, "Just tell him that---err, umm---damn! I don't even know how to put it!"
Raven sighed, "Why don't you go ahead? I'll try to think of a way." Van gave him a worried look, "Don't look at me like that---I handled more shitty officers interrogating me, Irvine would be no problem."
His onyx gaze gave him one concerned look, that Raven is tempted to move his face near and kiss him at the very moment.
"Whatever you do Raven, don't hurt him---okay?"
*****
"There you are."
Irvine was waiting impatiently in the bar, Van was surprised that he is drinking liquor so early in the morning. "What took you so long? Talked to that friend of yours?"
"No," he lied, "I'm just taking a breath of fresh air"
"Sure you do," he sardonically replied, "and I'm a fucking Sunday school teacher."
Van frowned, his face dark. He snagged the tankard of liquor from his comrade. "You don't trust me, do you?"
"You are a bad liar, Van." He replied, snagging the mug back from Van's grip and then removing his eye-magnifier patch. Two very intensely gray eyes are now prying to the brunette, as if they are going to burn holes through him. "Tell me, what happened between you and Raven?"
Irvine is right, he is a bad liar. He might have looked edgy and restless about the current situation as he went in the tavern. When Raven said he will proceed to show up in any case, he is as nervous as hell on what Irvine's reaction would be. He heard the question, but he is too cocooned in his thoughts to think of a decent answer.
Seeing he is not getting any reaction from the boy, Irvine pointed out, "Nice coffee huh?"
"Yes, it's also pretty mild, the mocha java is---"
"You ordered black," he cuts off, nodding towards the cup. Van looked down, his coffee is indeed black. "Now back to what I am saying---"
"I accidentally met Raven when I ran away." He quickly answered, knowing it is what Irvine wants. "We just talked, and settle a few scores---and I decided to go back, and he happens to be going the same path, nothing to it!"
Irvine is no psychiatrist, but he can tell from their conversation that Van is hiding something. SOMETHING must have happened when he went missing that whole week, and like he said to the boy before, it is like he didn't him any more. All the calm questions he asked are answered back in a defensive and hesitant manner. Van took a big gulp of his steaming black coffee, and he never orders black---
"So what's he up to?"
"The usual---"
"Then why don't you stop him?" Irvine knows that the 'usual' is a simple reference that Raven will be back doing his task, which involves, well--- razing military fortresses to the ground.
"It's not that simple Irvine," he sighed. "The man is a walking incognito; you can't predict what he'll do next. You'll just don't know what to do once you meet him face to face."
"You know what I'll do?" Irvine said, looking firmly at his fellow comrade straight to the eye. "I'll slowly strangle his pale little neck, look at him straight to the eyes then plunge my hand through his chest so I can rip off his still beating heart. Then I'll shove it to his face so he can clearly see how black it is."
Van suddenly coughed, spilling some of the contents of the coffee, "What? Don't tell me I'm wrong. There is no way to reason with that punk, Van. You have him at your grasp, and he is dangerous. Better that you kill him than someone else does."
The brunette wiped his mouth furiously, "Raven---" he gasped the name, "Raven is not that kind of person you think he is! I---"
"Well?"
"I know him enough to believe reason still works for him!"
Irvine's eyes widened, "AND when did you think that it's possible to reason with such son of a bitch? Schubaltz said that fucking punk is so twisted he might even have cloven feet and kill women and children. "
"Thomas?"
"No, the Colonel."
"What? Why would the colonel say such a thing?"
Irvine slapped his forehead with a heel of his palm. Van is starting to sound like he have lost half-of his common sense, the truth is, Flyheight knew better than the rest of them that reason won't get Raven out of there hair. It will take a lot of ammo, a lot of badly destroyed military bases and severely malfunctioning zoids BEFORE one could reason with that punk. SO why would the young lieutenant suggest the idea of negotiation?!
"Gee, I don't know. What do you think?" Irvine replied sarcastically, "All I know is that, I and Thomas are requested by the Colonel himself, to be back at the headquarters as soon as possible, or he would be forced to take it out on you."
He can see the deliberate shock in his comrade's face, and he cursed silently "-shouldn't have said that."
"So it is more than 'rescuing' me isn't it?"
"Yes,"
"Why? Don't they trust me? I can pretty much take care of myself---alright, it's my FAULT that I ran away." He said, very disappointed and surprised at the same time, that the colonel is being suspicious of him. "BUT if this has something to do with Raven, I assure you---I am not turning SIDES, if that what everyone is thinking."
"I'm sorry Van, I'm just following orders. It's either you come back to us or not, that's it." Irvine said exhaustedly. "Now tell me, who is this friend of yours-is he not coming?"
"Van!" came a sudden voice, as if to answer Irvine's question. The older boy starts to look fierce as he spotted the familiar bob of gray hair calling out his comrade's name; he hoped it's just a mistake. But then, he saw a black organoid following closely at heel.
It was Irvine who first stood up, he could see the distress and confusion written at Van's face, which then turned to look around. Raven quickly recognized him, and strode quickly to their area.
"You son of a bitch!!" Irvine hissed, glancing heatedly to the younger boy. He would like to punch him right now. "You told me YOU had nothing to do with Raven!"
"Irvine!" Van gasped, then grabbing the older boy by the arm, "It is not what you think it is! Just stay!"
"Oh sure alright, it's as obvious as the nose on your face! Now, let off me!"
"No!"
Van gave his comrade one hard glare, silently pleading him to listen to him and stay. He didn't let go of Irvine's muscled arm, even if he was scared to death by the look of him. Irvine's fists are tightly clenched and it looks like his jaw would pop. But he certainly won't have Irvine coming with the wrong presumption until he has explained his side.
Raven was already in front of their table by the time Van managed to struggle Irvine down.
"Irvine." Raven said tersely, frowning and nodding lightly, as if he was forced to greet the older boy. And then he turned to Van, who is still at loss of words what to say.
"Van---"
Irvine didn't know what definitely happened next, but he was SURE that the gray-haired youth with hardened mercenary edges suddenly brilliantly smiled like sunshine, approached Van, who already reluctantly stood up, and gave him a cordial hug. Irvine hoped Raven is trying to strangle the other boy, but he wasn't. He was hugging Van possessively, occasionally stealing sharp glances to the bigger much muscular boy. Irvine swore, the odd scene lasted for ten minutes. He shuddered when he noticed that the Raven's other hand wandered to grab Van's rear tight. Van quickly sprang off from his grasp, and Irvine noticed he is blushing vividly. He muttered something to Raven without looking in the eye, and when Irvine chanced to glance on Raven, there is a look in his mocking indigo eyes---
A look one will perceived as an eagerness of a young lover.
Irvine wants to puke.
He dropped the tankard of beer from his grip, spilling the contents all over to his pants. But he remained unfazed as he watched the whole scene unfold. There is more to it than it meets the eye; the two seem have a silent mutual consent like two friends who haven't met for a long time---- or probably, even more than that.
It's even probably too late.
Irvine cannot take it any more; he stood up, left his tab and leaves the tavern without looking back. He can hear Van's upset voice trying to call him back, but he didn't heed it and walked hastily back to the camp. Then, he heard his communicator crackling---
"Orders?" he spoke, as he brings the walkie-talkie to his face. "We will be leaving in 2300 hours. Try to reach Lt. Thomas Schubaltz, tell him, mission is aborted. Lt. Flyheight is not coming with us anymore. I repeat, HE is not coming with us anymore."
He sighed, hearing the reluctant voice at the receiver.
"Yes, he was found guiltily fraternizing with the enemy. How?"
/I'm sorry Van, you gave me no choice/
-continued!-
Author whines: eaggghhh!!! Gomen ne! I know, it's been the long time since the last update. I got entangled with my Karl x Thomas 'cruel intentions' angst AU fic O_O and I got entangled in a zoid RPG and I got a Karl x Thomas bondage fan art in my pc---huh, oh the bloody hell, here is chapter eight!
-RaVen0us
Irvine made some points clear to Van, who now dons the (blah) lieutenant uniform. He carefully explains about the 'orders' given to him personally by Col. Schubaltz. After the boy's disappearance in several days, a search team was dispatched and there have been sightings of him being seen around with Raven and the geno breaker. Suspecting he must have been held hostage, Irvine and Thomas were dispatched to assist a rescue force after getting the latest coordinates. The older boy wished that the oddment occurring to Van right now is not a classic case of Stockholm syndrome.
"Where is Thomas?" Van questioned, after Irvine explained his part. "You said he is supposed to be with you guys."
"He had a little technical problem; he will catch up with us eventually." Irvine spoke as he climbed in his saix's cockpit. Poor Thomas, his tongue haven't healed well and have a hard time controlling Beek, as it end up messing coordinates and commands every time he was forced to talk. Irvine pressed that he stay in one place for awhile then gets some proper rest and he'll just send the coordinates to him as soon as he finds Van.
"So what are the colonel's orders?"
If this boy is not a lieutenant and not a member of a guardian force team he could whoop him hard right now and shake him hard till his head snap. "Are you mental? I just told you few minutes ago!"
"No, I mean for me. Or else why did you make me wear back my uniform?"
Irvine nearly forgot, he said something in effect that the colonel wants Van to do something just in any case, "Just to scout the nearby area and possible hot spots Raven would have gotten himself into. Everyone is pretty suspicious of whatever he has been doing these past few weeks." Then he glanced down, descending step by step from his saix after sending the coordinates to Di Bison. "But with the red horns in pretty bad shape, I don't know how you can go around and manage. Two people are not fit enough in my saix for patrolling either."
"I can manage," Van replied, "We are just scouting any possible areas where Raven would strike right?"
"You make it sound easy," Irvine frowned, "Remember that we don't have any better shaped combatant zoids around. How can you be cool and not worry Raven would not strike back?"
"Because I know he wouldn't" The younger pilot said with a finality, slowly easing a piece of paper secretly to his back pocket. Raven gave it to him before he left; in it was the address of the place he would be staying for a few weeks time.
*****
By the time a week had rolled around, the two have settled quite nicely near camp. Although Irvine had no longer brought up the 'sugar bear' incident ever again, or tries to act overly suspicious, he seems very pleased that Van seems to have forgotten all about it. But what confuses him is that they could have lead the camp any time they wanted and report for duty afterward scouting the whole parameter of the colony. Van insisted he had some 'personal business' to attend and that they will eventually report 'sooner time around'.
"Well I hope your 'sooner time around' will be fine with you if the military bases back there are already burned to the ground." Irvine once remarked sarcastically, as he grimaces at one of Flyheight's 'afternoon patrols'. "Shit, Flyheight! You're so unpredictable!"
For what Irvine don't know the young pilot and the gray-haired mercenary have been secretly meeting each other almost every late afternoon by an inn near the town. Since it was potentially dangerous for them to be seen together, Van and Raven hadn't much more than at least several minutes with each other alone since the first day of the week, and it was beginning to show. In one of those moments, just before Van had to leave Raven's room for the evening to report on the camp, Raven pinned the other teen up against the door and kissed him fiercely.
Both boys were panting so hard when the kiss broke, and Van wrapped his arms around his lover's torso. "Damn, it's too hard to meet around in this place. At least in the ship, we had our own 'sleepovers'!"
"You're feeling it too, huh?" Raven grinned sympathetically, and rubbed his groin against Van's. The friction between their erections was almost painful, and they both moaned, the brunette pressed his form willingly, welcoming the delicious heat escalating from their down area towards their own anticipating teenage bodies. Raven responded by reaching up, and tangling his fingers to Van's pony-tailed deep ebony black hair. Curling his index finger around the elastic holding it back, he tugged sharply, snapping the band. The other pilot growled at him as the tawny black tresses cascaded around his neck.
"Will you stop DOING that?" Van whined, "I've got a limited supply of that things, and I don't know where I can get more now! And you know I hate having hair in my face!"
"Then why do you keep it that way then?" Raven asked, teasing. "It makes you look like a---"
"DON'T say it!" He howled, slapping his hand over the other pilot's mouth. "It does not make me look like a girl! Besides, I like they way it looks."
"So do I, Van." Raven's voice was muffled by Van's hand, and his lips caressed his palm with the words. The boy shivered, and then shuddered as Raven's tongue swept out to taste. "That's why I keep breaking your elastic- --it looks damn sexy down."
The gray haired pilot knew that kissing Van's palms is his weak spot; he did the same thing way back at their first night together in the cruise. That was a memorable one indeed; he was knocked solid to the jaw afterwards. Of course not now, "Uhhh---is that door locked?" Van murmured, his free hand teasing along Raven's pale neck.
"Locks when you shut it," Raven replied, indigo eyes shining with lust. "Now shut up and kiss me, you bastard. Let's christen my room, eh?"
"You are such an ass."
And with that, Van removed his hand and leaned over, more than happy to oblige.
*****
"If you---mmm, don't stop---; if you keep that up---ahhh! I'll never make it back to the---ooh, camp in time." Van muttered, nipping sharply at Raven's ear. Raven grunted something incomprehensible in reply, and thrust against Van again. The brunette rocked back into the motion, setting up a rhythm that drove them both crazy, even through their outfits. Their hands wandered over one another's bodies, and lips met in a passionate kiss.
Van broke away with a desperate look at the clock, "I gotta go, Raven! I'll be in shit if Irvine finds out I'm staying out too long."
The taller boy made a frustrated noise, but made no move to release his rival. "I don't want you to go!" he was surprised saying it himself; "I need you, Van!"
The brunette gave him a wide grin. "Ah, you just need a warm body. You are nothing but a bunch of hormones, you know that?" He ducked Raven's wild punch and ducked out his arms as well, to press against him from behind. Now he was the one pinning the other pilot to the door, his erection planted firmly in the soft part of Raven's ass. "Meet me in the nearby bar in town tomorrow morning," he murmured, while Raven moaned at the pressure. "The place opens by 5:30, but nobody else will be up that early."
"You'll never wake up that early," Raven commented, but he reluctantly opened the door to let Van out of the room.
Van tossed him a wink, "I'll find a way. On the bar, 5:30. Don't miss it if you want it."
"Not for the world, Van. Not for the world---" Raven gave him one last heated glance before he closed the door.
*****
The pilot thanked his lucky stars that the camp is almost half-empty and dark, with some of the soldiers left are either busy playing cards or off-patrol. His tight uniform did little to conceal his raging erection, and he could only hope Irvine would be distracted as usual when he got back to the tent.
No such luck. The older boy was indeed absorbed tinkering with some parts he would be customizing for his lightning saix, but he glanced up as his comrade came in the big tent. An amused glint was evident in his un- patched eye, though nothing showed on his face, as he took in the younger pilot's condition. Thankfully, he said nothing, only tossing him a wry grin before going back to fixing some parts.
Van debated running to the bathroom to change, but decided he didn't have enough time. Anyway, Irvine wasn't shy about changing in front of his comrade, so why should he be?
'Cause you've got a raging hard on and the thought of Irvine changing in front of you isn't helping any!' He answered his own question, blushing as a vivid image of Irvine, naked except for a towel, bending over to dig through a duffel bag of good clothes, came to mind. Instead, he waited for the older boy to finish his business and turn off the lights before hastily changing and climbing into the cot.
Irvine chuckled softly as Van settled in. "What're you laughing at?" the younger boy demanded, keeping his voice low.
"At you, what else?" Irvine replied. Van gave him a hard glare, which was lost in the darkness of the room. "It's nothing to be ashamed you know. Happens to the best of us."
"I'm glad you're so amused by all this," Van mumbled, 'humph'ing and turning on his side when Irvine laughed out right. Sleep was long in coming, as his body eagerly anticipated the morning activities.
*****
Early morning 5 am.
"WHERE do you think you're going?"
Van squeaked and nearly jumped out of his skin as the words splashed to him like ice water. He tried his best to sneak out of the camp, fully dressed and he was just few feet on the road of success when suddenly Irvine materialized from nowhere, his face frowning and then grabbing him by the collar.
"Irvine!" he gagged, as the neck collar of his uniform starts to suffocate him. The older boy released him so, dropping Van to his knees and starts gasping for air.
"That kind of trick don't easily work on me, I have been seeing you sneak out for various reasons ever since four years ago we met. I pretend not to know of course" he stated, watching the other boy pout. "What's your reason now?"
Van cannot think of a good reason, "The bathroom is jammed, I have to pee."
"Out there?"
"Yup."
"All fully clothed in your uniform and all, just to pee? That's impressive Van Flyheight."
It was a losing battle, and if not working on the broken zoids, Irvine's intuitiveness and observation is worse than a military interrogation. He is worse than a doting mother, checking out every time he has to leave and go back to camp, grilling him with questions, assessing him in personal details. He wondered if it's also part of Col. Schubaltz plan, but why would the colonel not trust an ally? Very confusing----
"FINE! You got me, so what now?"
"Just show me where you're about to go, that you have to sneak out this early morning."
Van paused for awhile, worried how Irvine react at the sight of Raven, and vice-versa. He got to think fast. /I have to meet Raven in a local bar--- and Irvine will find out sooner or later also---/
"I'm going to meet someone in the local bar." He murmured softly,
"Can't this wait for a later time? Why so early?" Irvine assessed him with his good un-patched gray gaze.
Van bit his lip, "Because he didn't have much time, okay? I'm eighteen now, you don't have to act like I'm some kid you know from four years ago, I know what I'm doing!"
Irvine sighed, and waved both palms lazily, "Alright, alright! You proved your point! But you can at least show me who ever this 'important person' was."
He gave him an uneasy look, "Well, if you insist---"
"I DO insist Van, ever since the day you woke up in this camp, it seems like I don't know you anymore."
*****
Raven drank the fifth mug of hot steaming black coffee to his lips. It is still hot, and it scalds, but his mind is so far away that it left his sensation numb temporarily. /What's taking Van so long? It's not so hard to sneak in this TIME of the day."/
He heard a low grunt over his shoulder, "If you know what's good for you. Just stay there." He told shadow. "I can't risk it if my cover gets blown again you know." The dark organoid made a low metallic 'humph' and turned his back to the alley. Van is supposed to meet him there outside by the corner near the tavern, but he was almost 30 minutes late. Fucking too late, and with that he threw his mug to the wall.
"Raven!"
Soon enough, Van surfaced, clean and fresh in his lieutenant colors and panting heavily as if he had ran a whole mile. All the anger in Raven's blood instantly drained on seeing the sight of his koibito, and as soon as Van leveled his face to his, he stole a deep intense kiss.
"Raven, I got to talk to you." Van said afterwards, "Irvine is with me, he is the bar---that's why I'm late." He can see the sudden silent rage in those indigo eyes.
"WHY is he with you?" he hissed,
"He has been suspicious for nearly a week now, Raven. It's not that damned easy trying to sneak off the camp every day, he will get to know it sooner or later!"
"You got caught sneaking out, eh?"
Van nodded,
Raven made a deep sigh and faced the wall, he stared at it the longest time and then pounded both his fist and along his head on it. His breathing short and shallow, he respected Van so much he can't bear to hit him. "You wouldn't know the risk, do you?"
"Of course I know! But Irvine is also my friend---it would be like betraying him if I don't tell him anything."
"Tell him what, that we are--"
"Hey, I won't tell him THAT." The brunette blushed vividly, "Just tell him that---err, umm---damn! I don't even know how to put it!"
Raven sighed, "Why don't you go ahead? I'll try to think of a way." Van gave him a worried look, "Don't look at me like that---I handled more shitty officers interrogating me, Irvine would be no problem."
His onyx gaze gave him one concerned look, that Raven is tempted to move his face near and kiss him at the very moment.
"Whatever you do Raven, don't hurt him---okay?"
*****
"There you are."
Irvine was waiting impatiently in the bar, Van was surprised that he is drinking liquor so early in the morning. "What took you so long? Talked to that friend of yours?"
"No," he lied, "I'm just taking a breath of fresh air"
"Sure you do," he sardonically replied, "and I'm a fucking Sunday school teacher."
Van frowned, his face dark. He snagged the tankard of liquor from his comrade. "You don't trust me, do you?"
"You are a bad liar, Van." He replied, snagging the mug back from Van's grip and then removing his eye-magnifier patch. Two very intensely gray eyes are now prying to the brunette, as if they are going to burn holes through him. "Tell me, what happened between you and Raven?"
Irvine is right, he is a bad liar. He might have looked edgy and restless about the current situation as he went in the tavern. When Raven said he will proceed to show up in any case, he is as nervous as hell on what Irvine's reaction would be. He heard the question, but he is too cocooned in his thoughts to think of a decent answer.
Seeing he is not getting any reaction from the boy, Irvine pointed out, "Nice coffee huh?"
"Yes, it's also pretty mild, the mocha java is---"
"You ordered black," he cuts off, nodding towards the cup. Van looked down, his coffee is indeed black. "Now back to what I am saying---"
"I accidentally met Raven when I ran away." He quickly answered, knowing it is what Irvine wants. "We just talked, and settle a few scores---and I decided to go back, and he happens to be going the same path, nothing to it!"
Irvine is no psychiatrist, but he can tell from their conversation that Van is hiding something. SOMETHING must have happened when he went missing that whole week, and like he said to the boy before, it is like he didn't him any more. All the calm questions he asked are answered back in a defensive and hesitant manner. Van took a big gulp of his steaming black coffee, and he never orders black---
"So what's he up to?"
"The usual---"
"Then why don't you stop him?" Irvine knows that the 'usual' is a simple reference that Raven will be back doing his task, which involves, well--- razing military fortresses to the ground.
"It's not that simple Irvine," he sighed. "The man is a walking incognito; you can't predict what he'll do next. You'll just don't know what to do once you meet him face to face."
"You know what I'll do?" Irvine said, looking firmly at his fellow comrade straight to the eye. "I'll slowly strangle his pale little neck, look at him straight to the eyes then plunge my hand through his chest so I can rip off his still beating heart. Then I'll shove it to his face so he can clearly see how black it is."
Van suddenly coughed, spilling some of the contents of the coffee, "What? Don't tell me I'm wrong. There is no way to reason with that punk, Van. You have him at your grasp, and he is dangerous. Better that you kill him than someone else does."
The brunette wiped his mouth furiously, "Raven---" he gasped the name, "Raven is not that kind of person you think he is! I---"
"Well?"
"I know him enough to believe reason still works for him!"
Irvine's eyes widened, "AND when did you think that it's possible to reason with such son of a bitch? Schubaltz said that fucking punk is so twisted he might even have cloven feet and kill women and children. "
"Thomas?"
"No, the Colonel."
"What? Why would the colonel say such a thing?"
Irvine slapped his forehead with a heel of his palm. Van is starting to sound like he have lost half-of his common sense, the truth is, Flyheight knew better than the rest of them that reason won't get Raven out of there hair. It will take a lot of ammo, a lot of badly destroyed military bases and severely malfunctioning zoids BEFORE one could reason with that punk. SO why would the young lieutenant suggest the idea of negotiation?!
"Gee, I don't know. What do you think?" Irvine replied sarcastically, "All I know is that, I and Thomas are requested by the Colonel himself, to be back at the headquarters as soon as possible, or he would be forced to take it out on you."
He can see the deliberate shock in his comrade's face, and he cursed silently "-shouldn't have said that."
"So it is more than 'rescuing' me isn't it?"
"Yes,"
"Why? Don't they trust me? I can pretty much take care of myself---alright, it's my FAULT that I ran away." He said, very disappointed and surprised at the same time, that the colonel is being suspicious of him. "BUT if this has something to do with Raven, I assure you---I am not turning SIDES, if that what everyone is thinking."
"I'm sorry Van, I'm just following orders. It's either you come back to us or not, that's it." Irvine said exhaustedly. "Now tell me, who is this friend of yours-is he not coming?"
"Van!" came a sudden voice, as if to answer Irvine's question. The older boy starts to look fierce as he spotted the familiar bob of gray hair calling out his comrade's name; he hoped it's just a mistake. But then, he saw a black organoid following closely at heel.
It was Irvine who first stood up, he could see the distress and confusion written at Van's face, which then turned to look around. Raven quickly recognized him, and strode quickly to their area.
"You son of a bitch!!" Irvine hissed, glancing heatedly to the younger boy. He would like to punch him right now. "You told me YOU had nothing to do with Raven!"
"Irvine!" Van gasped, then grabbing the older boy by the arm, "It is not what you think it is! Just stay!"
"Oh sure alright, it's as obvious as the nose on your face! Now, let off me!"
"No!"
Van gave his comrade one hard glare, silently pleading him to listen to him and stay. He didn't let go of Irvine's muscled arm, even if he was scared to death by the look of him. Irvine's fists are tightly clenched and it looks like his jaw would pop. But he certainly won't have Irvine coming with the wrong presumption until he has explained his side.
Raven was already in front of their table by the time Van managed to struggle Irvine down.
"Irvine." Raven said tersely, frowning and nodding lightly, as if he was forced to greet the older boy. And then he turned to Van, who is still at loss of words what to say.
"Van---"
Irvine didn't know what definitely happened next, but he was SURE that the gray-haired youth with hardened mercenary edges suddenly brilliantly smiled like sunshine, approached Van, who already reluctantly stood up, and gave him a cordial hug. Irvine hoped Raven is trying to strangle the other boy, but he wasn't. He was hugging Van possessively, occasionally stealing sharp glances to the bigger much muscular boy. Irvine swore, the odd scene lasted for ten minutes. He shuddered when he noticed that the Raven's other hand wandered to grab Van's rear tight. Van quickly sprang off from his grasp, and Irvine noticed he is blushing vividly. He muttered something to Raven without looking in the eye, and when Irvine chanced to glance on Raven, there is a look in his mocking indigo eyes---
A look one will perceived as an eagerness of a young lover.
Irvine wants to puke.
He dropped the tankard of beer from his grip, spilling the contents all over to his pants. But he remained unfazed as he watched the whole scene unfold. There is more to it than it meets the eye; the two seem have a silent mutual consent like two friends who haven't met for a long time---- or probably, even more than that.
It's even probably too late.
Irvine cannot take it any more; he stood up, left his tab and leaves the tavern without looking back. He can hear Van's upset voice trying to call him back, but he didn't heed it and walked hastily back to the camp. Then, he heard his communicator crackling---
"Orders?" he spoke, as he brings the walkie-talkie to his face. "We will be leaving in 2300 hours. Try to reach Lt. Thomas Schubaltz, tell him, mission is aborted. Lt. Flyheight is not coming with us anymore. I repeat, HE is not coming with us anymore."
He sighed, hearing the reluctant voice at the receiver.
"Yes, he was found guiltily fraternizing with the enemy. How?"
/I'm sorry Van, you gave me no choice/
-continued!-