think... there's a fireplace. There's wood. You can start a fire. With what? Rubbing two sticks together? Ngah!" He pulled frustratedly at his hair, a worrisome gesture considering how much hair there was. "Don't panic. Shit. Don't panic. You'll think of something... you've gotta..." He did, in the end, although it involved cannibalizing the detonator that he'd stuffed thoughtlessly in his pocket after the last mission. But a great deal of effort, several tense moments, and a lot of cursing later, there was a little fire going in the fireplace. Despite the frost on the floor, the wood was dry, and there was a lot of it. Enough to last them until the storm blew out, at least, if he didn't pile it too high. Once he had established a source of heat, Duo wasted no time in stripping both himself and his partner of their ice-stiff, freezing, sopping wet clothes. The still-freezing air in the little cabin bit at his bare skin, and blood oozed from the places where ice had cut the skin, but at least the soaking fabric wasn't drawing any more heat away from his chilled flesh. His own warmth, though, was the last thing on Duo's mind. He had managed to work the wet, heavy jeans off his partner, and was now frantically rubbing at Heero's skin in an attempt to create some warmth by friction. It was useless. Wing's pilot just wasn't producing enough heat on his own, and the small fire's heat diffused too quickly into the rest of the room. Heero's eyes were closed now, and the shivering had almost stilled. Duo was in a panic. What he needed, the one thing that might mean the difference between life and death for Heero, was a blanket. But there was none. Which meant there was really only one thing to do. All Duo had to do was nerve himself up to do it. 'If he wakes up, he'll kill me, he'll really kill me,' he thought, as he moved Heero as close to the fire as he safely could. 'God, please don't let him wake up.' After a moment, he amended his prayer. 'Except that he has to wake up, every hour or so... with a concussion on top of everything else... Ah crap! You know what I mean, God. Don't let him see. Please, please, don't let him see.' He was only delaying, and every second let a little more of Heero's life slip away. Duo took a deep breath, and slowly pulled away the final stopguard; the wire-and-elastic tie that kept in his braid. He had learned a long time that he couldn't do this with the braid still in. Feeling unaccountably shy, although there were no eyes in the tiny cabin to see, Duo unraveled his long hair. Finally, with everything done that he could do, Duo lowered himself to the floor behind Heero... and changed.
Re: Warm Fuzzies
Date: 2006-02-21 04:55 am (UTC)He did, in the end, although it involved cannibalizing the detonator that he'd stuffed thoughtlessly in his pocket after the last mission. But a great deal of effort, several tense moments, and a lot of cursing later, there was a little fire going in the fireplace. Despite the frost on the floor, the wood was dry, and there was a lot of it. Enough to last them until the storm blew out, at least, if he didn't pile it too high.
Once he had established a source of heat, Duo wasted no time in stripping both himself and his partner of their ice-stiff, freezing, sopping wet clothes. The still-freezing air in the little cabin bit at his bare skin, and blood oozed from the places where ice had cut the skin, but at least the soaking fabric wasn't drawing any more heat away from his chilled flesh.
His own warmth, though, was the last thing on Duo's mind. He had managed to work the wet, heavy jeans off his partner, and was now frantically rubbing at Heero's skin in an attempt to create some warmth by friction. It was useless. Wing's pilot just wasn't producing enough heat on his own, and the small fire's heat diffused too quickly into the rest of the room. Heero's eyes were closed now, and the shivering had almost stilled. Duo was in a panic. What he needed, the one thing that might mean the difference between life and death for Heero, was a blanket. But there was none.
Which meant there was really only one thing to do. All Duo had to do was nerve himself up to do it.
'If he wakes up, he'll kill me, he'll really kill me,' he thought, as he moved Heero as close to the fire as he safely could. 'God, please don't let him wake up.' After a moment, he amended his prayer. 'Except that he has to wake up, every hour or so... with a concussion on top of everything else... Ah crap! You know what I mean, God. Don't let him see. Please, please, don't let him see.'
He was only delaying, and every second let a little more of Heero's life slip away. Duo took a deep breath, and slowly pulled away the final stopguard; the wire-and-elastic tie that kept in his braid. He had learned a long time that he couldn't do this with the braid still in. Feeling unaccountably shy, although there were no eyes in the tiny cabin to see, Duo unraveled his long hair. Finally, with everything done that he could do, Duo lowered himself to the floor behind Heero... and changed.