A/N: FORTITUDE. I feel so lazy for doing it this way, but I'm over-worked, getting sick again. AU STORY! An exploration of what the Task Force might've been like in high school (and yes, I know, they're from all over the world. Deal with it. In two years of high school I met a boy born in Puerto Rico, dated a boy from Panama but also lived in Germany, a pair of twins from China, a girl born in Ireland, a boy from England, a girl from Nigeria, and worked for a guy from South Africa). Modeled after schools in the 'States because I've never been anywhere else. Got a problem? Fly me to another country and pay for everything while I'm there. :D Also, if it makes you feel any better, this chapter is super long to make up for my lack of updating sooner. :D
xGhostxStealth: I like to think that it's my job to doubt myself a little. Because if I ever start believing I'm perfect, there'll be no more room to learn and grow. :3 Ahh, jokes about children... I have a cousin who is eight years younger than me, and I was at a competition for my ROTC unit and she was following me around like little kids usually do (she was six or seven at the time) and I had a few people convinced she was my daughter. I'm a bad, bad person. XD
Arhani 'Hanni' Daforcena: Will do. :D
xStealthxSniperx: Yes, I give in to the fluff-demon sometimes. XD The first game? I beat it like three times and I go back from time to time and play around on it for a little bit, usually for research purposes. The games I play really kinda depends on the mood I'm in. I spent two weeks playing only Left 4 Dead games. I've spent most of my evening this evening playing the original Sonic the Hedgehog for the Sega Genesis. XD
duvalia: You and me are bad influences... I keep you from doing the work you're supposed to be doing, and you make me late to work. I think that evens us right the hell out. XD Bahaha! Yes. I would seriously kill someone, especially if Jon had done something stupid like get knocked up. X3 "Rainbow in my cloud"? I once had someone tell me I was the mean voice to their schizophrenia, does that count? Lol. Could Riley be an oleander? That's just as likely as anything else... Maybe we'll cover that betrayal in a different chapter. ;D
iTestedGarrussReach: Thank you. /blush. Haha. But you should see my reaction when I get a review. ^/^ I tend to play mix-and-match with my pairings, just because there are some characters that give you a little more room to toy with their personalities. It's also my personal motto that any pairing is cannon if you try hard enough, sooo... XD That song always makes me happy. :3
GranBoy: STALKER! No. I'm just kidding. :) I think that real-life experience is important to writing. It's like Stephen King once said, "write what you know". And if you've lived it, you know it. :D Of course Stephen King also said he was offended when people called him a monster because he had the heart of a little boy. In a jar. On his desk. So that's kind of a double-edge sword if you think about it hard enough. XD Soap/Ghost is still a good portion of my stories, because they're pretty damn perfect for one another. Sometimes though, you think of a scenario and a certain pairing just jumps out at you, no matter how random, you know? Haha.
Reeserella: Your improvisation made me giggle a little. Or a lot. XD This one is only fluffy in the relationship aspect. The rest of it is... Well... Not fluffy. Not at all. :O
ecto1B: Thanks, love. :) It means a lot when people tell me that they read something they wouldn't normally read because it was well-written. It seriously makes me smile. Hella much. :D
Alley-Oop: Preemptive conversion. :D I think I'm going to be writing for this fandom for quite some time yet... I'm glad you liked them this far. :)
Johnathan MacTavish was sitting on the top of a worn picnic table, smoking a cigarette even though you really weren't supposed to on school grounds. His blue eyes scanned the people coming up the walkway and towards the entrance of the school. Being a senior, there were plenty of faces he recognized, but the only ones he really bothered knowing were at the table with him. Sitting on the table top next to him, occasionally taking the cigarette from his hands for a pull, was his lover, Simon Riley. The Brit was similarly scanning the crowd of people from behind his sunglasses. The teachers had tried for years to force him to stop wearing them around, but it never worked. Lounging on one of the benches was Alexander Kennedy, Simon's foster brother, listening to music and generally exuding a persona of someone who couldn't care less about anything at that moment. Sitting on the other side of the table was Richard Vale, reading a Spanish novel with a bored expression.
"So've you heard?" Simon asked.
"Heard what?" John didn't look at him, choosing instead to keep an eye on the crowd.
"There's another transfer student. Gary Sanderson. Senior this year." Riley informed his lover. John just nodded.
"Know what he looks like?" Richard asked.
"Of course I know what he bloody looks like." Simon snapped.
Rather than respond in kind, Vale shrugged and went back to reading his book. Simon took the cigarette from John's hand and finished it before grinding it out on the wooden tabletop.
"There he is." Simon pointed.
Sanderson was struggling to read the map of the school while balancing his schedule, backpack, and a text book. His hazel-gold eyes were flicking between the two papers rapidly and he was shaking his messy, almost-black hair out of his eyes.
"What is he?" Richard asked.
"American." Simon murmured, knowing exactly what his friend was asking.
Stray, having heard the conversation over his music sat up and observed the new kid desperately trying to figure out the quickest way to get to his first class. The 141 (so called because that was the number of their favorite teacher's room where they were so commonly found), typically didn't interact with people if they didn't have to. John took note of the way he was determined to figure out where his classes were on his own, not even glancing around for someone else who might be able to help him. Simon noted the way he was still aware of the goings on around him, often moving out of the way of a potential collision without even glancing away from his paper. Alex noticed the way he favored his left side and what looked like a new scar cutting through his right eyebrow. Richard was reading his lips, watching the words flow from familiar English to something else and then back again. They all noticed when trouble began approaching the new kid.
"Vladimir, coming up on the new kid's blindside." Alex growled.
Vladimir Makarov was a noted bully, frequently causing fights with the 141, mostly on the grounds that John and Simon were in a relationship and he frequently told his little group of followers that he would have nothing to do with gays. Vladimir said something to the Gary that couldn't be heard across the distance and over the sound of the students. Gary folded up his papers, and tucked them into his back pocket before he shoved his text book into his bag and turned to face him.
"He's encountered the bastard before. He's not worried about being distracted because it's rude... Look at him! He's ready for a fucking fight." Alex murmured.
For the most part, they took their cues from John. He kept them out of trouble, did everything he could to help them, even going so far as to hunt down the president of the math club to tutor Kennedy when his grades in Trigonometry started dropping.
MacTavish didn't say anything. He just stood up and started walking. Simon ground out the cigarette and followed his lover. Alex paused his music and got off the bench. Richard sighed and stuck the paperback into his rear pocket.
"I told you that if you want to survive here, you will need friends." Makarov smiled.
"Why don't you take your offer and go terrify a freshman or something?" Gary snapped. The smile on Vladimir's face wavered. He apparently didn't notice the four friends standing so close, blending in with the flow of students around them.
"Oh, little Sanderson. You have already met the welcoming committee to the neighborhood, have you not?" Vladimir swatted at Gary's side and the newcomer bit back a wince.
"I'm not interested in joining your cult. And besides, where I come from, it stops being cool to bully kids out of their lunch money when you turn eleven. Or in Soviet Russia, does money steal you?" Gary sneered.
"He's either stupid or incredibly ballsy." Richard mused.
"Watch your words, Sanderson." Vladimir said lowly, danger outlining his words.
"Tell you what, Makarov, I'll fight you. But I want those trained fucking apes that jumped me last time to stay the hell out of it. I know kids make jokes about you for having one blue eye and one green one. How about I solve that problem by blacking both of them?"
Vladimir raised his hand to hit the new kid at the same time Gary readied himself to block it and retaliate. Before either of them were really aware of what was happening, Simon had pushed Vladimir back while Alex and Richard planted themselves in front of Makarov's "friends" that would only be too willing to hit Gary. John pulled Gary out of the way and planted the transfer student behind him.
"Piss of, Vlad." Simon growled.
"Now you turn into vigilantes trying to make a difference. You are no better than we are." Makarov hissed.
"You have fifteen seconds before I tell Chemo over there what you said about his cousin." Simon gestured to Richard.
"What?" Richard's calm voice was suddenly frigid and dangerous. He glared at Vladimir and the Russian almost looked nervous for a second.
"And three seconds after that, I'll give Stray leave to pick one of you and get even for two weeks ago." John said with a nod to Alex.
Alex smiled and shifted his stance.
"And then Ghost'll make sure there's enough confusion to give them time to do what they will." MacTavish continued.
"Which leaves Soap with enough time to beat the hell out of you personally." Simon smirked.
Vladimir gave an order in Russian and he and his two friends walked away with a few curses.
"Did he really say something about my cousin?" Richard asked as they left.
"I'm not going to confirm or deny anything." Simon shrugged.
"I didn't need you to interfere."
They paused their conversation and turned to Gary.
"I mean, thanks for your concern, but I can fight." He said bitterly.
"Wasn't an insult, Gary. We just have a personal bit with the ponce." Ghost said nonchalantly.
"How do you know me?" Sanderson demanded.
"Can we have this conversation back over that way?" Stray interrupted.
They led Sanderson back to their bench where they introduced themselves with their given names.
"That's great. Now I know who's stalking me. Now how in the fuck do you know me?" He demanded.
"I like to stay up to date with the student directories. Helps pass the time." Simon shrugged.
"And no one else finds this creepy at all?" Sanderson asked.
"You get used to it. Ghost's good with computers. Likes abusing that power from time to time." Richard shrugged.
"And another thing, the nicknames? No "Goose" or "Private Joker" or "Cowboy"? Lemme guess, "Spock" and "Checkov" moved, right? Or was that "Bleach" and "Specter"?"
"Balls to past his knees man. I like this kid." Chemo smiled.
"What's your first class?" John asked.
"Ancient history with Price. Why? Gonna follow me there?"
John laughed before asking Richard to tell Price that Gary was with them and was going to be a little late.
"He's just going to accept that as an answer?" Gary demanded.
"Price and us go way back. He'll cover us for just about anything. Always had our back, that one." Stray smiled.
"Well that's nice to know." Sanderson said with clearly fake enthusiasm.
"You're quickly deteriorating from being amusing to being plain obnoxious. We're only trying to be friendly." Soap admonished.
Gary had the sense to look appropriately abashed and ran a hand through his hair with a sigh.
"The first person I met when I moved here was that heterochromatic asshole and his two gorillas. He told me every new kid needs friends. I told him I was capable of making friends on my own. Didn't blow over too well. I'm used to fighting, and even getting my ass kicked, but not over being new." There was a bitterness to Gary's tone, but no one commented on it.
"Let's see your schedule." John said gently.
Gary pulled it from his back pocket and three of his new "friends" (a term he wasn't sure he'd be able to use for long) looked it over. They spoke quickly and almost cryptically before Stray announced that between the five of them, there was quite a bit of schedule overlapping, which wasn't all that uncommon, considering their school was a relatively small one. Richard returned just in time to be informed that he was going to be showing Sanderson from fourth period to the cafeteria, and then to lunch, and seventh period at the end of the day. He took it like most things, with a bored shrug that made you wonder if he was even listening.
"So why'd you guys single me out? I'm sure that doucher has plenty of other victims around here." Gary pointed out.
"Because you, unless most of the kids here, were willing to fight, even though you knew it was going to be dirty and you were probably going to lose. That kind of fortitude is rare around here. We like that." Alex explained.
"So, what, now I'm part of your gang or whatever?" Gary seemed to instinctively distrust most of what they were saying.
"We're just offering to be friends." Soap murmured. He stuck another cigarette between his lips and lit it. He only managed a single hit before Ghost took it from him and took a hit himself, who then had it stolen by Stray.
"You smoke?" Stray asked. Gary gave a curt nod and took the smoke from the Irishman without hesitation. While he pulled from the cigarette, Alex asked Ghost a question in what Gary recognized as Gaelic. They almost seemed to be debating something before an agreement was made, though Sanderson couldn't be sure what they were discussing, or what conclusion they'd come to. He took a final pull from the cigarette before he passed it back to John. He hadn't smoked in ages, but there was no denying the fact that the nicotine had a calming effect on him. He wondered if maybe that was his problem.
The bell announcing the start of first period sounded and Gary almost moved to head to class, but a dismissive wave from John told him that there was no problem in being a little late to class. If these guys were willing to arbitrarily pull strings to allow him to be late to first period, he figured he could trust them until he was given a reason to do otherwise.
"How was your first day?"
Gary looked up from his notebook and at his mother. She stood in the doorway of his room with a concerned expression. She had been the one to apply the butterfly stitches to his eyebrow and wrap up his ribs after his fight with Vladimir.
"I was fine, Mom. I made a few new friends today." He smiled.
"Oh?" Her dark brown eyes brightened at the prospect. Her son fluctuated between being disagreeable for his own reasons to being painfully quiet, making it difficult for him to find friends.
"Yeah. Four of them. Alexander Kennedy, Johnathan MacTavish, Simon Riley and Richard Vale." Gary smiled. His first day had gone well enough, even after he'd encountered Vladimir again. The Russian had always made sure to glare his hardest, though it had little effect on Gary.
"Did you say you were friends with a Riley?" His mother asked suddenly, interrupting his musings.
"Yeah. Simon. Why?"
"Is he British?"
"Yes. Are you planning on telling me why this makes a difference?" His words were harsh, but his tone was one of irritated indifference. Ordinarily, children would be punished for such an insolent tone, but she knew that was simply his way.
"I invited a Molly and Conner Riley to dinner this Saturday. I assume they'll be bringing Alex as well. Maybe you won't be so bored this time." She teased lightly.
Gary smiled at his mother and then returned his attention to his text book. He and his mother had moved a few times before, and she was well-known in every neighborhood they resided in for her ability to cook and throw wonderful dinner parties. There were usually not many people his age in attendance, leaving him to pretend he would rather be there than anywhere else on the planet.
Rather than wandering around, completely lost and alone as most new students were generally forced to do, he headed towards the picnic table where he new friends were sitting. Vladimir cut in front of him and he stumbled to a rough stop.
"Move." He growled. His night had been plagued by nightmares and strange dreams, as they generally and typically were, and he was in no mood to be encountering people at this hour, especially assholes.
"Those unnaturals will only save you as long as they deem you useful." Makarov said, his voice somewhere between a predatory growl and an admonishing purr. He circled around Gary, who remained still and stoic.
"Oh yeah? And how are they unnatural, exactly?"
"They lay only with each other, never an outsider of their group. Do not think you have not caught their eye. The small one, the Stray, he has been watching you since you arrived yesterday."
"I could say the same for you, Vlad. You sure there's nothing you want to tell me?" He smirked.
He was expecting retaliation for the comment. It was only natural. The retaliation came in the form of a swift jab to his damaged ribs. He swung back with a hiss and connected with the side of Vladimir's face. Before more blows could be exchanged, the 141 separated the two quickly. Their harsh and stoic presence deterred a second attack and Vladimir again turned away. Gary was pulled back to the bench and stuck between Ghost and Stray on the bench.
"He seems to hate you guys for being gay." Gary hissed as he felt his ribs to make sure his bandages hadn't come loose. Richard chuckled to himself and said the real reason he was so bitter was because he had a crush on Simon, who ended up going for John in the end.
"Says the only reason you guys are keeping me around is because Alex has a crush on me. Fuck all... That bastard did a number on my ribs, and won't let up with them either." He groaned. He either didn't notice or was just ignoring the faint blush that dusted Stray's cheeks, though Ghost sent him a knowing smile.
"And my mom said you," he nodded at Simon, "were coming over for dinner this weekend. Good Christ... Alex, could you fix this shit for me? Just help me tuck this edge of the wrap in." Alex nodded and helped fix the bandages with surprisingly steady hands.
"I do seem to remember Mum saying something about keeping the schedule open this Saturday night." Simon shrugged.
"I was supposed to have study group that night." Stray huffed.
"Well it looks like you're rescheduling." Riley slapped his adopted brother on the back of the head and the Irish stray bit at the retreating hand with an audible snapping of teeth.
"Well that's a botched fucking job you're doing." A female voice interrupted the conversation and Alex's hands were slapped away from the bindings. She was a tall and lanky girl, with long legs that track runners and supermodels alike would kill for. Her eyes were a deep, dark blue that appeared black around the edges of the iris, and her rust-colored hair was swept into a high ponytail.
"Hold your shirt up, kid." She ordered. Rather intrigued, Gary complied and her long fingers quickly began unwrapping his bandages.
"You're not very nice today, Talon. Skipping a hello to your boyfriend and going right to undressing a stranger." Ghost teased.
"Fuck off and use that smart mouth of yours to light me a cigarette." She snapped. Simon chuckled and complied.
"Morning, Kai." Richard murmured.
"Morning baby." She smiled. In a matter of seconds, she had completely unwrapped Sanderson's ribs and began winding the bandage around them in a much neater fashion. Riley passed her a lit cigarette and she clamped it between her lips as she finished the wrapping.
"Sorry for the rudeness. Ended up having a long night in the least pleasant of ways." She sighed. She took a long pull from the cigarette and handed it to John with a dismissive wave.
Chemo handed her his nearly lukewarm coffee and she smiled at him.
"I'm Kai Harper, Richard's girlfriend. The boys call me Talon. I suppose we'll have a nickname for you if you stick around much longer."
She was almost a complete opposite of the quiet Ricky, not afraid to speak her mind where her boyfriend weighed the outcome of his words. Where Ricky was quiet, contemplative, almost withdrawn, it was easy to see Kai was loud, boisterous, and not afraid to be spontaneous.
"So Vale tells me you got fucked up fighting the infamous Makarov." She smirked over the edge of her coffee cup.
"I wouldn't call it fucked up..." Gary muttered.
"All the same. You're the first new kid to pass through here that hasn't given in quicker than a strung-out hooker, and that's what makes a damn good bit of difference. See, we aren't a gang or a club or anything like that. It's more like family, held together by similar values, a good dose of rebellion, and enough balls to turn every girl in a 20-mile radius into a pissed off dike." Kai said. She had a no-nonsense kind of air about her and it was obvious she wasn't about to take shit from anyone. Before Gary could mention this to her, their conversation was interrupted.
"Well, isn't this a cute family?" Vlad sneered.
"Piss off." Ghost yawned.
"You seem to be interfering with my business more and more of late, Simon." Makarov said with a frown.
"If you want to conduct any business in the future, I suggest you walk away." John warned. The tension in the courtyard escalated and more than a few students vacated the area quickly. Sanderson figured the rivalry in play here would be well-known.
Three people walked up to the table behind Makarov and Gary recognized them immediately as the goons that had kicked his ass only a few ago. Kai reached into a pocket in the jacket that she wore despite the warm weather and clutched a small, soft, neon green ball in her right hand and she stood up. In less than an instant the entire table was standing and waiting for someone to make a move that would start the fight.
"I am just trying to do my civic duty and save little Sanderson a life of confusion and ridicule that undoubtedly comes from being near your lot." He cast a venomous glare at John, who remained still and stoic.
"Get bent." Stray hissed. There was a general snarl from the Russian's side of the invisible line that had been drawn and the 141 tensed and growled in return. The bell rang, and no one moved. Vladimir would undoubtedly have Zakhaev cover for himself and his cronies, just as John's crew would be aided by Price when they showed up tardy to first period.
"Let's all do ourselves a favor and finish this at another time." Chemo said coolly. Trust him to talk everyone out of a brawl.
"Life with them will not be easy for you." Vladimir warned Gary. The American told him to go fuck himself. Makarov seemed to take that as a personal challenge and flashed a dangerous smile his way before muttering something in Russian and walking towards the front door.
"Well that's no kind of good." Talon muttered. She rolled the little neon ball between her fingers and a razor blade, carefully jammed into the foam, swung up, catching the light at the very point of the blade. She set about fiddling with her nails using the razor as a tool.
"He'll be coming after you with a vengeance, you know." Alex almost whispered to his new friend.
"Fuck 'im." Gary shrugged. His eyes were the only part of him that betrayed his cool and nonchalant demeanor; they spoke of an almost irrational determination to fight back.
The two weeks and the following Monday and Tuesday passed without incident. Wednesday was a different matter. Gary had stayed a little after school to cover a math assignment with Stray and had promised the infectiously happy boy a ride home. They were almost to the dented little Honda Sanderson affectionately called "Elaine" when something caused black spots to dance in front of his vision. He whipped around and was unsurprised to see Ivan and Yuri, Vladimir's dearest delivery boys, on the offensive. He ignored the throbbing in the back of his head and swung back. He heard yelping and curses from his left, but he trusted Stray to be able to take care of himself. The fight was actually going in his favor until a swift kick to his already damaged ribs made him choke on a scream and made his knees buckle. He staggered backwards, away from his attacker, until his back hit his car. He held his side tightly and took a shaky breath to even himself out before he pushed himself upright and lashed out again. He smiled when he heard his knuckles connect with Yuri's jaw.
"Come on!" He yelled. The adrenaline had hit his system and there was no turning back now. His pain was dulled and his heart was racing, thudding erratically against his chest. Yuri stood upright, and the red splotch blossoming across the side of the Russian's face gave him immeasurable satisfaction and he readied himself for another attack. He heard a particularly pained cry from Alex and couldn't help a glance in that direction. He never got to see how his friend was faring; Yuri had hit him and wouldn't stop. He dropped instinctively and curled in on himself, trying to guard his head and damaged ribs from the onslaught. Yuri paused for a moment to yell at what he was sure was a vanquished foe and Sanderson struggled to his feet. Blood leaked from the corner of his mouth and from his nose. He wiped absently at his face with the back of his hand and he glared at the Russian.
"I can do this all fucking day. You want to know why I left the last place I lived? So the cops couldn't pin the murder on me. I'm not afraid to kill again." He growled.
Yuri tried to find a lie in his eyes, but found none. He whistled sharply before walking away and Ivan followed him closely. Sanderson turned to Kennedy and saw the Irishman dabbing at a split lip. He heaved a sigh of relief when he saw his friend had fared better than he hoped. Unfortunately, the sigh made him acutely aware of how much it really felt like there was broken glass in his lungs. He coughed violently as his breath hitched unexpectedly. Every subsequent cough hurt him a little more than the previous and he found his throat raw and aching. Alex cursed and helped his American friend up and into the passenger's seat of the car. He turned the ignition over and started driving.
"Where are we headed?" Gary asked with a wince.
"My house. It's closer and Talon should still be there working on her joint sociology project with Ghost. She can patch you up better than most people and she won't ask as many questions."
"What about your parents? They won't freak out?" Gary wiped at his nose again and cringed when it still came away bloody.
"They both work. Simon and I take care of each other while they're gone. Always have. We'll have you cleaned up before they have time to freak out and try to smother you with overly affectionate ways." Kennedy teased. Gary forced a smile and he knew he must've been a bloody mess. Alex looked worse for the wear and he hadn't been beaten as brutally as Gary himself had been.
"So how's your ma gonna react when we cart you home covered in blood and bruises?" Alex asked tensely.
"Probably the same way she reacted last time. She's going to get all concerned, make sure I'm patched up, and ask me what happened. Mom and I have a strange relationship. I've always done my own thing and she's always respected that. I'm a good kid, I just need my space." Sanderson shrugged and then winced immediately after the action.
"You sound like Chemo." Stray laughed.
"Okay. Really. What's up with the nicknames?"
"Well... John's a bit of a neat-freak; he cleans everything, makes sure all of his stuff is in order... He's had his car for two years now and I swear it still has new car smell. Always had soap in his hands. So it stuck.
"Simon's always been the stealthy one. One second he's there, the next he isn't and you've got no clear where he went. He could walk through an empty concert hall with tap shoes on and you'd never hear him. Like a ghost.
"I'm sure you've figured out why they call me Stray. Simon was my best friend when... Well let's just say shit happened and I was damn close to being pushed into foster care when his parents took me in. Simon called me his 'stray brother', and it stuck.
"Chemo's a little easier to explain. When you have cancer, you go through chemotherapy to kill it all off. But if you don't keep it in check, it kills just as much good as bad. His temper's the same way. That's why Simon threatened to tell Rich what Makarov said about his cousin, to piss him off enough to snap. He doesn't look it, but he can fight better than just about anyone else I know.
"Talon... Well, Kai can use a blade like it's attached to her, no matter what kind it is. Like a talon, like an extension of herself." Alex smiled.
Stray parked the car and helped Gary limp up to the door.
"Kai! Kai are you here?" He yelled.
Almost instantly her footsteps could be heard coming down the steps.
"What happened?" She demanded. Simon appeared silently behind her, surveying the damage done to his brother and his brother's crush.
"Yuri the bear and Ivan the gorilla. Can we get him upstairs and bandaged up or do you want to explain to Ma why there's blood on her carpet?" Alex snapped.
"Fuck dude. Sorry." Gary wiped at his face again.
"Don't listen to him being a prat. Come on." Simon beckoned the American boy to follow him up the stairs.
He leaned rather heavily on Stray as he limped up the stairs with the occasional wince and groan. They set him on the edge of the bathtub and he rather reluctantly removed his arm from around Alex's shoulders.
"Shirt off," Kai said to Gary before turning to stray and ordering, "Ace wraps, gauze pads, medical tape, betadine, bandages and a flashlight, preferably with LED lights."
Sanderson winced as he pulled his shirt over his head. Talon removed the disheveled bandages that he had wrapped tightly around his torso. She sucked a hissing breath through her teeth at the vivid purple that stained his skin.
"You're gonna hate me for this." She warned.
"Unlikely. Takes more than a little ache to kill me." He winked playfully despite his rapidly swelling eye.
Kai shrugged and began pressing on his ribs, checking for breaks. It didn't hurt Gary anymore than he was used to, though he winced on occasion.
"Feels like four cracks, but nothing cleanly broken..."
Alex returned with the required supplies and handed them to Kai. Her first order of business was to bandage up his ribs to restrict his movement as much as possible to avoid aggravating the cracks in the future. She then clicked on the light and flashed his eyes, checking his pupil response times.
"Little sluggish... They hit you in the head, didn't they?" She sighed.
"First hit was to the back of the dome-piece." Gary nodded.
Kai muttered under her breath and set about cleaning and patching up his various scrapes and cuts.
"I gotta hand it to you, you're tough as hell, kid." She smiled.
"Practically immortal." He smirked.
"Like a cockroach, completely unstoppable, no matter the ass-kicking..."
"Damn straight."
"Hm... Well, I promised Vale I'd meet him for dinner tonight, so I'm expected to go home and do my hair and shit... Ghost, don't forget to finish writing up those index cards for the report. Stray, keep an eye on our new patient. Roach, it's up to you to try and avoid the fights until you heal up some." Talon turned quickly and was down the stairs before Gary realized he'd been given a nickname.
The musing was interrupted by Sanderson's cell phone ringing.
"Hello? Hi, Mom. No, things are fine. I got a little side-tracked when I was taking Alex home. Yeah, I did. Mom, I'm fine. Ricky's girlfriend's here, and she's a med student. No. Doesn't feel like it. I'll be okay. Yeah. Well, actually, I'm not sure. I'll let you know how it pans out. Okay. Yeah. Love you too, Mom. Bye." He shoved the phone back into his pocket with an almost silent sigh.
Stray knelt in front of him with a damp washcloth in his hand and set about wiping the dried blood away from his friend's face. He was very steadfastly avoiding Roach's eyes and he was blushing lightly. Sanderson watched him closely, trying to silently will Kennedy to make eye contact. When that didn't work, his hand curled around Alex's wrist.
"Thank you." He murmured.
"It's... No big deal. Really." His blush heightened and he shrugged again. He tried moving away, but the grip tightened.
"I mean it."
"So do I." Alex finally gave the newly-dubbed Roach the eye contact he was waiting for.
Gary smiled, a soft quirking of his lips that that was charming despite his battered state. Kennedy smiled as well, albeit nervously, and he licked at his own blood-stained lips. Roach jerked on the wrist in his grasp and Stray fell forward and into the injured American on the edge of his bathtub. The pain of an abrupt contact with his bruises was negligible and Gary wasted no time pressing his lips to Stray's. He meant it to be a quick, there-and-gone contact, but he found enthusiastic hands tangled in his hair and they ended up toppled over in the bathtub. Gary hissed at the sudden pressure on his cracked ribs and the jolt of landing on the unforgiving surface under him.
"Shit, fuck. Sorry, sorry." Alex was quickly gone and helping him up, babbling nonsense about being over-zealous. Roach slammed him against the wall and kissed him again, his tongue licking at the foreign lips, waiting for permission to slide beyond the seam. Stray obliged him. They were both fighters, both used to the taste of blood, and neither cringed away from it.
"Well isn't this cute." Ghost cooed teasingly. Roach pulled away with a low growl that made even Simon pause.
"You mind taking your comments elsewhere?" Gary challenged. He glanced over his shoulder and fixed the Brit with a cool glare.
"You mind vacating the bathroom to snog?" Riley returned.
Gary turned away from the blushing Alex long enough to grab his shirt off the edge of the sink before he grabbed Kennedy's wrist again. He muttered something at Simon in what sounded German. Simon laughed and playfully flicked the tip of his nose. Stray yelled something in Gaelic and Ghost disappeared inside the bathroom with another laugh.
"Come on." Alex murmured. He laced his fingers with Gary's and led him down the hall to a bedroom painted in various shades of blue. The walls were almost more band, movie and video game posters than paint. There was a slightly cluttered desk, a bed, a guitar in the corner, a small entertainment unit housing a television and DVD player... It was lived-in, comfortable, homey.
"Can I ask you a stupid question?" Kennedy asked almost nervously from the doorway.
"Sure." Gary shrugged.
"Why'd you kiss me?"
"Because I like you. I'm pretty sure that would've been obvious by this point."
Stray just muttered to himself in Gaelic before shaking his head.
"So, what? You want a relationship now?" He eventually asked.
"Well that was the original plan. Of course if you're not interested I could-"
"No! No. I mean, I'm interested, sure. But if Vladimir catches wind of a relationship between the two of us, things are only going to get worse for you." Alex frowned.
"So?"
"What?"
"Alex, I'm not scared of them. I will fight them until one of us ends up dead if that's what it takes. I'm not backing down. And I'm sure as hell not going to give you up because they're idiots."
"You've known me for less than a month. Are you sure you want to deal with what comes down the line from Makarov over a spastic Irish boy that you hardly know?"
"I know that I'm willing to fight for the chance to get to know you. In every way possible." His final four words were a seductive purr that demanded attention and wrought a shudder from Alex. Stray seemed torn for a moment, but he soon made up his mind and strode towards Gary and kissed him again.
A smug, "Told ya so", came from the doorway and and Stray jumped away from Roach to glare at his brother and his brother's lover. Sanderson again regarded them coolly.
"Boys! Who've you invited over this time? I don't recognize the black Honda." A female voice floated up the stairs. No one said anything for a moment.
"Simon James Riley, Alexander Liam Kennedy, Jonathan Andrew MacTavish and the guest! Downstairs! The lot of you!"
There was no hesitation this time, and the four of them trudged down the stairs into the living room where Gary recognized the frowning face of Molly Riley.
"Hi Mrs. Riley." He waved.
"Gary Sanderson? What's happened to you? You boys didn't hurt him did you? Oh I swear..." She hurried over to the injured American and began fussing over his injuries.
"I'm fine Mrs. Riley. Just had a bit of a misunderstanding with some kids at school." He shrugged.
"Does your mother know you're here?"
"Yes ma'am."
"Is that your car in the driveway? I wish I'd known you were coming over."
"Expect to be seeing him a lot more, Mum. Stray's got himself a boyfriend." Ghost teased.
"Piss off, will ya? You've got a boyfriend too." Alex snapped.
"Alex, language! Simon, play nice. I'm assuming John's staying for dinner. What about you, Gary?"
"I'd hate to be a burden, Mrs. Riley-" Roach was cut off.
"Nonsense! I'll invite your mum over too! We'll just make it a family affair."
"I don't suppose I can complain about that, ma'am."
"Oh, look at how polite! You boys could learn something from Gary Sanderson." She huffed at her sons and John.
"David." He murmured.
"Beg pardon?" Mrs. Riley seemed taken aback.
"My middle name is David, in case you ever need to use my full name." He smiled.
Molly smiled again and bustled off to the kitchen to call Andrea Sanderson and tell her how well-mannered her only son was.
"You are such a bloody kiss-ass." Simon smirked.
"Jealous that your mom likes me more than you?" Roach teased in return.
"Lord no. This means that while she's distracted with you, I can sneak off whenever I choose."
As if to prove a point, Simon turned and walked back up the stairs, a chuckling John trailing after him. Gary smiled deviously and advanced on Alex, who predictably backed up until he was pinned between Roach and the wall. Sanderson kissed him quickly, nipping at Stray's lower lip playfully.
"You know it's only a matter of time before Vlad finds out about this. And once he does, he's going to try harder to hurt you." Alex murmured.
"Well he'll just have to get over himself, because I'm not going anywhere. No matter what he comes up with."
Stray couldn't stop his smile. Like Chemo had said, balls past his knees, and that was something he could admire in a man.