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"Boot Camp"Written By: Snowdragonct Disclaimer: Don't own any part of Gundam Wing or the characters, more's the pity. This is for fun...no profit involved. Warnings: AU (sort of), yaoi, swearing (lots), some OOC (probably), some violence, references to NCS (especially in later chapters) Pairings: 1+2, 3+4 (to start with) A/N: This is the first time I'm getting up the nerve to post a story...hope it's not too similar to anyone else's (haven't seen one just like it). Candid, kindly-delivered critiques will be greatly appreciated...please don't rip my head off too much? Um, and the old "don't like, don't read" phrase holds true. Oh, and it's fiction, and I don't have a law degree, so there's sure to be some inaccuracies...can we just pretend, please? Thanks in advance. Rating: NC 17 Summary: Four boys in the juvenile justice system
receive a last chance to make something of their futures. Will boot
camp make or break them? And can they ever learn to be a team? "Boot Camp"
Heero and Duo headed straight to the kennels, and were allowed in by the handler on duty. As they walked down the corridor to the dog runs, they were talking quietly about how they’d handle the upcoming competition. But just as Duo reached a hand to the doorknob, he heard a throaty groan on the other side. He froze at once, feeling a rush of deja vu, and glanced at Heero in alarm. “Did you hear--?” Then a voice carried clearly, even through the closed door…a breathless, ecstasy-filled voice. “Oh—Trowa—don’t stop--.” Duo stepped back as if stung, turning wide eyes to Heero. As the team leader reached for the door, Duo batted his hand away. “Are you fucking nuts, Yuy?” he hissed in a whisper. “Aw, c’mon, Maxwell! You aren’t going to start jumping to conclusions again…” Duo hesitated, clearly torn. “I don’t think it’s a misunderstanding this time.” “Well let’s find out.” Heero threw the door open, and Duo clapped both hands over his eyes. “Yuy—no!” gasped the braided boy. The sound of laughter made him peek cautiously through his fingers. Quatre and Trowa were leaning on the kennel wall; with Nanashi enjoying the ear-scratching Trowa was giving him. Both boys wore mischievous expressions. Duo rolled his eyes. “Very funny. How’d you know we were here?” Trowa wordlessly pointed to the security monitor up in one corner, clearly showing the outer entrance to the kennels. “Assholes,” Duo muttered, blushing. Heero was grinning at his embarrassment. “You can’t say you didn’t deserve that.” Duo ducked his head. “Okay—yeah.” Quatre chuckled at him. “If you could have seen your face when Heero opened the door--!” “Priceless!” Trowa asserted, grinning madly. “Aw, hell, Maxwell—you were so asking for that!” Duo nodded. “I know…I know.” He gave Trowa a sheepish look. “I’m sorry I’ve been a jackass this week.” “Just this week?” teased Trowa, letting Duo know he wasn’t seriously mad. He shrugged slightly. “Apology accepted.” He gave Heero a sly glance. “Sorry you didn’t lose that bet, now aren’t you?” “Bet?” Duo asked suspiciously. “Barton!” Heero’s voice was dangerous. “I bet Yuy his acupressure wouldn’t help my shoulder that much.” Trowa still wore a smirk. “But he was right. It felt great.” “It sounded like it felt great,” Duo admitted, a little wistfully. “What were the stakes?” Quatre wondered. Trowa laughed, shaking his head. “Yuy’d kill me if I told.” “Damn straight.” Heero kept his gaze on the floor, knowing Duo would be looking at him curiously, and that if he blundered into the indigo eyes, his blush would give him away. “Isn’t it about time for lunch?” he asked brusquely, eager to change the subject. “Nice dodge, Yuy,” Duo said with an audible smirk. “Hey, Tro’—you and I need to talk.” Trowa shook his head. “Sorry, Maxwell. No can do.” “Hey…gimme a chance. I’m sure I could come up with a bribe.” “Yeah, and Yuy could snap me in half like a twig,” Trowa replied evenly. “His secret’s safe with me.” “Brown-noser,” Duo grumbled, as they put the dogs away, and headed out of the kennel. They made their way across the compound in companionable silence, though some puzzled glances were cast their way at the sight of Duo and Heero at peace. Duo glanced aside at his team leader, who had gotten over the fear that Trowa might reveal their little wager, and was his usual taciturn self. “Wow…have I really been that bad?” he asked in an undertone. “Why?” “Cuz I heard someone comment about our team getting along for a change,” Duo said with a faint scowl. Heero fought back a smirk. “I guess you’ve really been that bad, Maxwell.” “Hmph.” Quatre chuckled, glad that Duo’s annoyance was clearly feigned. When they got to the mess hall, the braided boy looked for Jason, hoping to apologize for the earlier outburst, but the other boy from L2 wasn’t there. Instead, Duo approached two of his teammates. “Hey, Ben…Jase around?” “Doc wanted him to keep the knee elevated as much as possible. He’s back at the barracks with Adam.” He eyed Duo speculatively. “How’re things?” “Fine,” Duo said with a sheepish half-smile. “I sort of owe Jase an apology for snapping at him before.” He shrugged a little. “Got off to a bad start this morning.” “Stop by the barracks if you like.” “Maybe. I don’t know the rest of the day’s schedule yet. Would you tell him I’d like a chance to apologize? Maybe later?” Ben smirked. “Like you need to,” he drawled sarcastically. “Trust me. I need to,” Duo asserted. He saw that his teammates were already in the food line, so he excused himself and joined them. “Everything okay?” Heero asked, trying not to sound jealous. “Yeah. I guess Jase has to stay off the leg. Doctor’s orders.” Duo looked at his team leader with a steady gaze. “Maybe we could stop by their barracks later, so I could apologize?” Heero hesitated a split-second that told Duo he wasn’t entirely happy about that idea. But he nodded. “Of course.” Duo’s eyes narrowed. “And you’re not going to be jealous, right? Cuz I told you he’s just a friend, and I don’t lie, ever.” Heero looked away, forcing a casual shrug. “Why would I be jealous?” he said coolly. Duo edged a little closer to the team leader. “Maybe because I’m irresistibly attractive?” The team leader gave a skeptical snort, picking up a little dish of dessert for his tray. “Conceited much?” he teased, keeping his face impassive. “Smugly confident,” Duo smirked back. “Like I was on visiting day.” Yeah, he liked thinking back to that day…and Heero’s lap. Heero forced a scowl that didn’t look quite real, and picked up his tray, heading for a table. “Less talking, Maxwell. More eating.” “Sir, yes sir,” grinned the boy from L2. With their misunderstanding resolved, the four boys in Team Wing were finally able to achieve a more relaxed relationship. They decided to skip the weekend ballgame, in favor of planning how they’d achieve their best performance ever in the upcoming competition. So, after finishing laundry and barracks cleanup, they spent what was left of the afternoon in the barracks, discussing each other’s strengths and weaknesses, with a minimum of sniping and teasing. After taking a brief break for dinner, they resumed their studies and turned in early, all needing a good night’s rest after the emotional day.
“Hey, Quatre, you want to come?” he asked hopefully. Quatre glanced at Duo. “Okay with you, buddy?” he asked with a smirk. Duo glared. “Oh for fuck’s sake, I was trying to protect you, Quat. Can’t you just let it go?” Quatre actually smiled warmly at that. “Yes, I can. And, by the way, I might not have thanked you, but I do appreciate the gesture.” “Just trying to look out for a teammate,” Duo said, looking away in embarrassment. “Well, I’ll take over from here,” Trowa assured him, walking over beside Quatre. “C’mon. We can talk to K. and then when we go to the visitor center, you can meet my sister, too.” The blonde nodded. “Sounds great. Later, Duo…Heero.” As he and Trowa walked out, he called back over his shoulder. “Don’t do anything we wouldn’t do!” Duo blushed brightly at that, deliberately burying his face in a comic book, and hoping Heero wouldn’t notice. But, of course, his ever-observant team leader would. “What, Maxwell? No smug confidence today?” Somehow, once they were alone, Duo found his nerve faltering. He couldn’t quite bring himself to flirt with the object of his affections when there was no one around to hide behind. “I’m reading,” he said lamely, knowing it was a piss-poor comeback. Heero chuckled quietly, sitting down at the laptop. “Well, I’m sure my ‘sweetheart’ here can keep me occupied.” He ran his fingers lightly over the keyboard. Duo glanced up briefly, sighing very quietly. God, he’d love to trade places with that damned machine!
Heero looked up sharply from the laptop, and shook his head in confusion. “Come!” Captain Chang walked in, closing the door behind him. “I swear to God, Chang, if Relena’s at the visitor center again…” Duo laughed. “Aw, don’t sweat it, Yuy,” he teased. “I’ll help you get rid of her again.” He leaned over the edge of his bunk, giving Heero an enticing smirk. “We could put on a show she’d never forget.” And neither would I… Heero blushed at that, opening his mouth to retort. “Relena’s not here,” Wufei said firmly, his tone very serious. “Ah. I take it there’s another reason for this visit,” Heero guessed. “Actually, I came to see Maxwell, mostly.” “Should I leave?” Heero asked with a scowl, wondering what Wufei was up to. “Not necessary,” Wufei said shortly, waving a hand dismissively and walking over to sit on the edge of the desk, facing Duo. Duo studied the scowl on the Chinese officer’s face. “Am I in trouble, sir?” “Not at all,” Wufei assured him. “What is wrong, Chang?” Heero asked firmly, closing the laptop and fixing a stern gaze on his long-time friend. “Carroll is in the infirmary.” Wufei said carefully, his dark eyes on Duo’s face. “What?” Duo sat up sharply, eyes intent. “Why? What happened to him?” “Apparently he was rather severely beaten up last night.” The dark scowl on Wufei’s face betrayed his anger. “Apparently?” Duo asked suspiciously. “Can’t he tell you what happened?” A wild look entered the indigo eyes. “He’s—he’s not--?” “No, just unconscious,” Wufei hastened to reassured the worried teen. “Fortunately, when he was gone for over an hour, two of his teammates decided to go check on him.” “Where was he? What the hell happened?” Duo sat rigidly upright, hands fisted in the edges of the blanket he was sitting on. “It’s hard to tell,” shrugged the Captain. “And I’m not sure he’ll come to before the medivac shuttle arrives.” “Medivac? How bad is he?” Duo gasped, not even noticing Heero had walked over and put a comforting hand on one of his. “At this point, Doctor Po isn’t sure,” admitted the officer. “She thinks there are at least some internal injuries—so getting him to an off-base hospital for surgery is the safest course of action.” Heero’s face darkened. “I suppose you don’t know who did it.” “Aw—fuck that, Yuy!” Duo exploded. “You know it was Norton and his gang!” He jumped down off the bunk, pacing restlessly across the room. Captain Chang sighed. “We’re still investigating.” He held out a slip of paper to Duo. “We found this in his pocket.” Duo took it, his jaw dropping in shock as he read it. “I didn’t write this, Chang.” Heero took the paper from Duo’s nerveless fingers, and read it aloud. “‘Jase—please can we talk? Alone. Behind the showers, 9:00 p.m. –Duo.’” Heero looked up at Wufei, blue eyes somber. “Duo didn’t leave the barracks last night, and we were all still awake at nine.” Duo looked sick to his stomach. “Shit. They knew.” “Knew what?” asked Wufei carefully. “They knew Jase—liked me. And that I snapped at him yesterday in the mess hall.” Duo closed his eyes, putting a hand over his face. “The bastards knew that note would make him come running.” His voice cracked slightly. “The fuckers used me to get to him.” “Actually, I think they’re using him to get to you,” Heero said quietly. “Norton knows you two are—close.” “Aw—fuck this!” Duo snarled, turning a furious gaze to Captain Chang. “Can’t you send Norton to prison for this?” “If I can prove he did it, of course,” Wufei asserted. “But he was on KP until nearly nine himself. There’s no way he delivered the note. Jason’s teammates found it slipped under the door when they got back from supper. It would have had to be one of Norton’s teammates, rather than their ringleader.” “Then squeeze them until one of them rolls over on him!” Duo said hotly. Wufei shrugged slightly. “I’ve been trying, Maxwell. Why do you think it’s taken me this long to come tell you? I was grilling Norton’s entire team half the night. They swore they were at the library, and there are witnesses who agree.” Duo eyed the officer, seeing for the first time the dark circles under the eyes, and the tired lines around his mouth. “Let me grill them,” he suggested. “Give me fifteen minutes alone in a room with any one of ‘em…” A fleeting smile tugged at Wufei’s lips. “Then I’d have to send you off to L2, wouldn’t I?” “Probably,” shrugged the boy. “But it might be worth it--.” “No. I’ll find another way,” Wufei said firmly. “Their mutual hatred was well-established. I’ll keep trying to prove Norton’s team carried out the attack, with or without him.” He sighed in frustration. “In the meantime, did Carroll have any other enemies?” “No!” Duo said firmly. “And stop using the past tense. He’s not--.” His voice broke at that, and he turned his back, trying to compose himself. ‘According to what he said in one psych interview, he’s lost everyone he ever loved.’ Wufei’s words echoed in Heero’s head, and he reached to put a comforting hand on Duo’s shoulder. “He’ll be okay--.” But the braided boy slapped his hand away. “Don’t touch me, Yuy!” he snapped. Don’t care about me, or you’ll die, too—just like all the others. “Duo—Jason will be okay,” Heero said firmly. “You won’t lose him. He won’t die just because he cares about you.” Duo looked sharply over his shoulder, amazed at how close the team leader had come to reading his thoughts. “The medivac is just a precaution, right Chang?” Heero added. “At this point, Doctor Po is cautiously optimistic,” came the vague reply. Wufei sighed. “Perhaps I should leave you two alone. I have an investigation to conduct.” Duo caught his eyes. “Could I see Jase before they take him?” “He’s unconscious, Maxwell--.” “I don’t care,” Duo insisted. “I just want to see him.” “I’ll ask the doctor. If she allows it, I’ll send Carter to get you.” Chang left then, closing the door quietly. Duo sighed deeply, and then cursed under his breath. “This isn’t your fault, Duo,” Heero said firmly. “Yes, it is. If I’d left Jase alone--.” “First off—he made the first move, not you,” Heero reminded him. “Secondly, Norton only started hating you after I struck him out during the ball game. So it’s as much my fault as it is yours.” Duo gave a wry snort. “His brand of hate doesn’t start overnight, Yuy. He might dislike you for striking him out, but his hatred of homosexuals runs a lot deeper and darker.” The indigo eyes turned an appraising look to the team leader. “I don’t think he realizes you’re gay, too, or more of his violence would be focused on you.” Heero couldn’t resist a smirk. “Maybe I should just kiss you tomorrow morning at calisthenics, so he gets the picture,” he suggested casually, moving closer to the braided boy. Duo’s jaw dropped, and a definite blush crept up his cheeks. “Y-you wouldn’t--?” he stuttered, fumbling for a coherent thought. But all he came up with was something along the lines of oh please, oh please, oh please… Heero’s smirk widened into a smile. “No—I wouldn’t.” He reached a hand to Duo’s cheek, his thumb gently tracing those perfect lips. “A first kiss isn’t something you share with a bunch of strangers…” He started to lean in, his gaze focused on Duo’s lips. And then a sharp rap on the door made both boys jerk back just before Carter walked in. The corporal glanced between them questioningly. “Am I interrupting something?” “No—not at all,” Heero said smoothly, turning away and walking over to the desk to reopen the laptop. “Chang said you can come to the infirmary, Maxwell…but we’ve got to hurry…the shuttle’s already landed in town, and they’re almost ready to load Carroll into the ambulance.” Duo struggled to catch the breath he’d lost when he was drowning in Heero’s blue eyes, and forcefully drew his attention away from the feel of the team leader’s warm breath on his lips. “Uh…yeah…fine,” he stammered out, pasting his trademark smile on, and turning to follow the officer. He glanced over his shoulder as he left, and Heero looked up from the laptop with a smirk and a reassuring wink. With that small gesture to lift his spirits, Duo was able to force down his worries as he followed Carter to the infirmary. “Did the Captain say how Jase is doing?” he asked. “The same,” replied Carter. “Whoever roughed him up did a fair job of it.” He saw the boy’s face tighten, and reached over to put a hand on his shoulder as they walked. “Don’t worry. If anyone can find out who did this, Chang can. You just keep thinking good thoughts that Carroll will be okay.” Duo nodded, unconvinced. He wasn’t sure he had enough good thoughts to be much help. All he could think was that once again someone close to him had been hurt; and this time he felt even more to blame. Doctor Po was bustling around the infirmary when they got there, instructing orderlies on moving the patient safely onto a gurney. She glanced up as Carter arrived with his young charge. “Maxwell!” her tone was polite, but a little curt. “I can only give you a minute or two…I really want this boy on his way as quickly as possible.” Duo nodded. “Thanks for letting me see him.” He walked over and looked down at Jason’s bruised face, wincing in sympathy, and gently running his hand over the other boy’s cheek. “Ah, shit, Jase. This wasn’t supposed to happen. I’m so sorry,” he murmured. His glance traveled up the i.v. tubes to the hanging bags on the gurney, and then back to the bandaged figure. “You get better, damn it—y’hear me? Us street rats are tough—so don’t you dare die on me!” Jason didn’t stir, and his breathing remained slow and steady. Duo leaned closer, to whisper in the other boy’s ear. “Don’t worry, Jase—I’ll find a way to prove Norton did this! Fuck, I’ll just beat a confession out of him, if I have to!” Perhaps it was his imagination, but Duo thought he saw a hint of a smirk touch one side of Jason’s mouth. “And you—get better and get your ass back here. I’m gonna miss you.” Duo stepped back, looking up to find Doctor Po at his side, as the gurney was wheeled out to the ambulance. “Don’t worry,” she said gently. “He’s in excellent health, and stable for now. They should be able to get him to the hospital without any further trauma.” Duo nodded miserably. Boys don’t cry! He drew a shaky breath, and ran a hand across his eyes. “Thanks for letting me see him off,” he told the doctor. “Captain Chang said you two are—close,” replied the doctor. “Jase is another L2 orphan like me,” Duo shrugged. “We hit it off right away.” He gave the physician a sidelong look, frowning slightly. “They’ll take good care of him, right?” “Of course.” She saw the trace of doubt in his eyes. “You don’t believe me.” “I--.” He paused, shrugging slightly. “When you’ve been in a system that ignores people with no money, you learn to expect second-rate treatment—or none at all.” “You mean the clinics on L2?” Doctor Po asked, scowling. “I’ve heard about them…turning away those who need their care the most.” She shook her head. “It’s not like that here. He’ll be going to a private hospital at the taxpayers’ expense—and he’ll get all the care he needs. I promise!” Duo smiled at her, and she marveled at the brilliance of those wide, indigo eyes. “Ready to go, kid?” asked Carter, gesturing back towards the barracks. “I can walk myself…” Duo began. Carter cut him off quickly. “Captain Chang wanted me to make sure you didn’t take any detours, Maxwell.” He gave a brief, feral grin. “He seemed to think you might get lost and end up at Team Faction’s barracks by mistake.” Duo managed a wry smile. Busted! That was almost exactly what he’d planned. It was a very subdued boy who followed Corporal Carter back to Team Wing’s barracks.
He never expected to see the boy sauntering out of the warden’s office, looking extraordinarily pleased with himself. Heero stopped in the shadow of a building, watching Kyle walk purposefully across the compound towards the barracks. A scowl darkened his face. Why had Kyle gone to Kushrenada’s office? The first reason that came to mind was that Kyle was somehow in league with Kushrenada, probably informing on fellow inmates. A cold smile crossed Heero’s face; wouldn’t Kyle’s teammates just love to know their leader was feeding information to the warden? That was a sure way to end up ostracized by other inmates…if it was discovered. Heero waited to step in front of him until the last possible moment, and the startled reaction was very gratifying. “Norton, we need to talk.” Kyle caught his breath quickly, glancing past the other boy to see if he was alone. “What d’you want, Yuy?” “I told you…to talk. The fighting amongst teams has got to stop.” The other boy looked at him in surprise, and then shook his head, sneering. “You’ve got to be shitting me. You think we’ll have a little chat and make nice?” His face darkened. “Forget it, Yuy.” “You came after Maxwell and me with a baseball bat…and now you’ve put Carroll in the hospital.” “Wasn’t me, Yuy. I was on KP. Just ask Chang,” smirked Kyle. He shrugged elaborately. “For that matter, my whole team had an alibi for last night. They were at the library, and there are two guards who can back that up.” Guards? Prison guards? Was Kushrenada behind the whole thing? Pieces began to fall into place for Heero, and he started to guess at the dynamics of Kyle’s relationship with the cruel warden. The other team leader must be an informant…letting the warden know who Duo’s friends were, and how best to get at them, in order to push the boy from L2 into doing something foolish that could get him sent to prison. Gods, Yuy! You’re getting as paranoid as Maxwell now. There’s no reason to think Kushrenada would go so far to set him up…is there? Temporarily abandoning that train of thought, Heero decided to remain focused on the issue at hand. “I’m just letting you know up front, Norton…the next time you so much as look cross-eyed at Duo…” “You gonna tell Chang?” scoffed the other boy. “Go ahead. Be a little squealer, and run crying to Chang. As if I give a shit…” “I won’t go to Chang,” Heero said calmly. “I’ll come to you…some night…when you least expect it.” His deep blue eyes were lit with an unholy light as he glared at the bully. “And don’t bother thinking you can hide. Because I will find you. I’ll find you by the smell of fear that hangs off you.” He smiled, showing two rows of even white teeth. “And I’ll make you sorry you were ever born…before I kill you.” Kyle gaped at him. “Y-you can’t threaten me!” “I just did.” “I’ll tell Kushrenada!” “Now who’s the squealer?” Heero sneered. “I’ll bet your teammates would like to know where you spend your time.” He knew that anyone too chummy with the warden was liable to be ostracized by other inmates, if not outright harassed for it. Kyle glared, but with more dread than defiance. “Why d’you want to protect a couple of queers anyway, Yuy? What’s it to you what happens to them?” “Duo’s my teammate; Jason was a friend,” Heero replied vaguely, almost wincing at his own use of the past tense. “And you’re a narrow-minded, malicious little homophobe. You need to get over it.” The other boy scowled at him. “I think you’re the one who needs to get over it, Yuy. Mind your own business, and stop trying to coddle the little L2 fag. He’ll get what’s coming to him sooner or later anyway.” “So will you,” promised Heero calmly. “Remember
that when you turn out the lights tonight.” He turned and walked
away, while Kyle stood uneasily shifting from foot to foot, hesitating
before finally deeming it safe to return to his barracks.
tbc... |
