These reviews are really helping me update this story a lot faster despite school and such. Hell, I'm actually surprised I'm this far in a chapter story. It shows how much your feedback, favorites, and follows help me out. Thank you so much! (I know my thank you messages are annoying the hell out of some people now XD)
Anywho, enjoy^^
"Tatsumi, look!" The brunette looked up from the grass and looked ahead at what Lubbock was pointing at with one hand; their other hands were currently enclosed together.
"What am I... hold on... That's the base!" He shouted. There ahead, in the sea of trees, hills, and mountains, he and Lubbock could make out the roof of the building. Although it seemed like miles away, just seeing part of the base made his heart soar. They will finally be able to see their friends again!
"I never thought I would be back." Lubbock said and Tatsumi looked at Lubbock, "Thank you, Tatsumi."
"And Armon. The old bat did save you." Tatsumi added. The bright, rosy smile Lubbock gave him nearly had Tatsumi trip and fall with a heart attack. Lubbock was so... pretty.
"Tatsumi?" Said teen blinked from his hypnotized staring and rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish grin and a heavy blush.
"Ahaha..." His heart's rapid beating became noticable against his chest. That smile... it would surely etch into his mind forever. "Think we could make it by tonight?" He asked.
"I wish. But we're going to need one more resting stop. We haven't slept since two days ago." Lubbock said with slight disappointment. "It wouldn't be good to over-exert ourselves."
Tatsumi swung their hands in an attempt to bring things to a lighter note. "Still, we know we're close to Night Raid. Tomorrow, we'll finally see everyone." Butterflies erupted in Tatsumi's stomach when Lubbock swung their hands in response.
"Heh yeah. But let's not walk in on them looking like a newly wed couple." Lubbock joked, motioning at their hands clasped. Tatsumi laughed, but on the inside was a contradiction.
'What if I don't mind?'
"Anyway, I could use the time to take out the stitch. It'll heal back up a lot faster so I'll just get it out the way." Lubbock said thoughtfully.
"If you ever need help, just shout. Not that you wouldn't be doing enough of that already." Tatsumi teased.
"Oh shut up. There's a hot spring nearby. Not as big as the one near our base, but it's enough to camp at. I'm really not looking forward to unstringing myself."
"You're going to be okay. You've been through worse." Tatsumi encouraged, squeezing his hand. "Show your body who's boss."
"You sound so stupid." Lubbock said with a chuckle, shaking his head.
"Did it help?"
"Like always. You really know how to cheer me up. Weird."
Tatsumi figured being over-protective would not always be the best idea since their chat a few hours ago. Instead, he decided just being himself is enough and surprisingly, it relaxes Lubbock. They're interactions has definitely become a lot closer and meaningful.
Of course, Tatsumi thinks this as they swing their arms together. Definitely closer.
As the cloudy skies darkened along with the barely-visible moon rising in the deep violet sky, Tatsumi and Lubbock arrived at the hot spring just a little more than halfway from the base.
"Ugh. If only we had some way of contacting them before our arrival..." Lubbock complained as he slipped off his jacket. Tatsumi hummed.
"Armon mentioned the same thing, but that's because either way, there is a chance of our message being intercepted or rewritten."
"Thanks for the obvious." Tatsumi gave a thumb's up in response. "I'm gonna go behind that rock and get started on it. You can hang around here until I finish."
"Okay but are you sure?" Tatsumi asked once more. Lubbock seemed ready to say 'yes' but now there was hesitance. "Should I come with you?"
"... If you want." Lubbock eventually said. Tatsumi nodded and followed his friend to the large rock, following the suite of sitting on the grass while setting his bag on the ground. He will have to thank Armon some time for helping him pack the necessities.
"We can get this over with as soon as we can. Just think of how close we are to Night Raid." Tatsumi calmly said. Lubbock nodded as he leaned against the rock, holding the bottom hem of his shirt.
"Yeah. It's not a big deal anyway. I got impaled on spikes. This is nothing." Lubbock told himself. Tatsumi smiled encouragingly. He did not know Lubbock's pain tolerance so it would be difficult if it was very low.
"H-Here..." Lubbock nervously pulled off his shirt and Tatsumi exhaled when Lubbock stubbornly covered his stomach.
"... We can't get the stitch out while it's blocked."
"It's... It's gross..." Tatsumi blinked.
"I've seen dead people with their entrails hanging out. I doubt I will bat an eye at a stitched scar. Since when were you so concerned with your appearance? Especially with me?" Tatsumi joked. Lubbock huffed.
"It's not like that at all..."
"Then move your hands and lay back. No, not against the rock, wise guy." Once Lubbock did as he was told, Tatsumi opened the bag and pulled out all the medical supplies he could find.
"Want me to do it?" He asked and Lubbock nodded. Tatsumi could understand since Lubbock seemed to be shaking quite a lot. He then looked down at his bare torso with an observing look. The scar stretched diagonally across Lubbock's stomach and ended at his rib cage. Forcing himself not to stare too long at his friend's torso, he held up scissors and saw Lubbock jolt.
"I just pulled up scissors."
"Shut up."
He also pulled in the alcohol, cotton balls, a tweezer and bandages. He had no idea what to expect. He only had a basic concept of how stitches worked back when he would watch the elders perform surgery on wounded villagers as a child.
Tatsumi dabbed alcohol on the cotton ball and gently cleaned the wound, feeling Lubbock's shaking worsen.
"Christ, I'm just cleaning it!"
"Stop being so scary about it!" Rolling his eyes, Tatsumi relaxed his stern look and put the cotton ball aside.
"Alright." He only said before holding up the scissors close to the first end of the stitch. "I only need one side so I can slip the rest through. He only used that one string from your teigu."
"That's fine. Will it hurt?" Lubbock automatically asked and Tatsumi shrugged.
"The most I can say is that it will feel weird. You won't bleed, that's for sure." He reassured. When this visibly calmed Lubbock, Tatsumi placed the blades of the scissor around the small loop at the end of the string. With a quick snip, it split and he set down the tool to pick up the tweezer.
"How is it so far?" Tatsumi asked.
"I'm alright for now." Lubbock responded, looking too determinedly at a tree ahead.
Taking this as a sign to continue, Tatsumi picked at the loose end with the utensil before slowly pulling at the thread. Lubbock arched slightly, but there was no complaining yet. He pulled a little faster yet carefully and saw the other end beginning to lose the stitch. Halfway through, he saw Lubbock clawing at the grass.
"Jesus how long does this take? It's so uncomfortable!"
"Just a little longer. I'm trying not to slice you to death." The thread finally pulled out and Tatsumi dropped it on the ground as he grabbed the bandages. "There! Now try not to move so much." He ordered, ripping out the bandage with his teeth. As he wrapped the cloth around Lubbock's torso, he became more aware of the soft, apricot-colored skin the male had. Tatsumi swallowed when he had a sudden need to run his hand on Lubbock's stomach. When his eyes came into contact with the V line, he leaned up quickly while putting the medical supplies back into his bag.
"A-All set!" He stammered. Lubbock sat up and immediately began poking at his bandage.
"Huh... that wasn't so bad." He admitted. "Thanks, Tatsumi. I knew I could trust you with this."
"Eh? O-Oh no problem." Tatsumi answered as he looked away from the world-ending smile his friend gave. "But I'm sure anyone could have done it."
"Sure, but if there was anyone I would trust with my body, it would be you. N-Not in 'that' way or anything. Cause you're gentle and... and..." The two boys sat flustered in front of each other. Tatsumi finally decided to grab his bag.
"Here, let me put this up and we can-" Lubbock had grabbed his sleeve, still staring at his own lap. "Lubba?"
"N-Not yet..."
Tatsumi let go of his bag, now becoming aware of his accelerating heart rate.
"What is it?" He asked. Tatsumi found it strange when Lubbock would not look him in the eye, but held his hand with both of his own.
"I... I feel like I should say this." Lubbock started as his cheeks reddened. Tatsumi blinked as his breath stilled.
"Yes?"
"Um... Remember when I said that we might look like a couple... you know, i-if we kept doing the stuff we do now?" Lubbock asked. Tatsumi nodded as his stomach did several somersaults.
"Why?"
"To be honest, I... wouldn't have minded if we did." Lubbock trailed off in a mutter. However, Tatsumi heard every word and his head began to spin. Does that mean him and Lubbock...
"... M-Me too." Tatsumi added shyly. When Lubbock looked up at him, Tatsumi continued, "I wouldn't have minded. It's nice to hold your hand." His said with pink cheeks. He was not on his own when Lubbock blushed as well.
"And your hugs are... nice." Lubbock added on. "What I'm trying to say is i-if we ever... you know... I wouldn't be completely against it."
Tatsumi could only focus on Lubbock. Lubbock, his friend. The perverted teamate who had enough playboys to build a small house. Lubbock, his friend, who always went to him for advice on how to pick up girls. Lubbock, his friend, who goes to him for comfort, reassuring, venting. Here they are, discussing their feelings for each other that are clearly more than friendly. He admired Lubbock for having the courage to bring up his feelings so vulnerably as well.
"Hey..." Tatsumi leaned in closer and he saw Lubbock inch forward too. "If we did... I wouldn't be against it either."
"Really?" Lubbock asked and Tatsumi smiled nervously.
"I never thought we would discuss something like this. It's kind of nerve-wrecking." He said, not noticing the distance between their heads closing in.
"You don't have to make it seem awkward..." Lubbock said. Tatsumi finally acknowledged their closeness. Their warm breaths mingling, their intense gaze, and racing hearts in anticipation. The distance only continued to decrease slowly and their eyelids dropped.
"..."
In a swift second, Tatsumi's eyes widened and he hastily jerked back. Lubbock made a questioning sound while leaning back a little himself.
"Tatsumi...?"
'What are we doing? What am I doing? This... isn't right.'
How could he try to kiss Lubbock? After everything they have been through, including the Heartfields' early fates, how could they sit here and lean in to kiss?
"This is... I..." Tatsumi wanted to explain, he truly did. The right words just weren't coming out. "Please don't... we just can't..." He stammered on, but Lubbock had already hugged himself with a regretful look.
"I'm sorry." He apologized quietly. "I shouldn't have brought this up." Tatsumi chewed on his bottom lip as he stared down guiltly. He would not be able to forgive himself, especially since he was the one that said he would hold off on any next-level friendship until the Capitol is dealt with. Until then, he must not act out on his desires. This was always the plan.
"It's not your fault, it's just best that we don't-" He paused when he saw sparkling tears falling on the ground. His heart dropped when he saw Lubbock shaking.
"Th-This is horrible of me," Lubbock's tremulous voice spoke, "I lost my whole family a-and here I am thinking there was a chance we... I'm sorry." He sobbed quietly. "I'm a terrible person... I'm so sorry..."
Tatsumi came to realize the hot tears running down his own face. The more he tried to blink them away, the more fresh tears escaped his burning eyes.
"No more..." He muttered and Lubbock stared up with shaking, watery green eyes.
"H-huh?"
"Don't talk like that about yourself anymore!" Tatsumi shouted, bringing a perplexed Lubbock into his arms. As though it was a never-ending waterfall, everything began to pour out, "I hate it when you're so quick to blame yourself. I hate it when you speak so lowly of yourself. Since the day we met again, I couldn't keep my eyes off you. You're so smart, and funny, and talented, and... pretty! It kills me that you can't even see that!" Tatsumi confessed. His arms wrapped tighter around Lubbock and rested a hand in the green hair he grew to love before continuing on.
"It has nothing to do with me not wanting to go further. I was worried. That we'd be seen as heartless, because we gave into our feelings. But you know what... fuck that! Your mother wouldn't blame us for being intimate, it's bullshit to curse us on simply being happy. Isn't that what she would want? Isn't that what everyone would want? Why would it be wrong for us to have feelings?"
Tatsumi then loosened his embrace and stared right into Lubbock's emerald eyes.
"Please don't cry like this because of me. I already want to stab myself for being the biggest idiot. This is painful. I just... want to see you smile again..." Tatsumi said as his tears fell. His mind begged for the rosy smile from earlier. He could not stand hurting Lubbock or himself.
"Tatsumi..." Lubbock leaned in and wiped the other boy's tears apologetically, but Tatsumi grabbed his wrist in favor of clasping their hands together and leaning Lubbock back against the rock. There, he leaned in while pressing his other hand against the granite surface beside the older teen's head.
With only a few centimeters' distance, an arm encircled Tatsumi's neck and their lips finally pressed softly in a sweet kiss. Nothing mattered anymore except their need to press closely against each other and kiss passionately under the blanket of white, glowing stars.
