gw500 ficlet "Frozen"
Title: Frozen
Author: Elsie
Pairing: past 1+2
Rating: PG13
Word count: 513
Challenge: around the bend
Sequel to Belgian Waffles.
It was too cold out and the rain from the night before had probably frozen, leaving a sheet of black ice on the roads, but Duo didn’t care. The holidays had hit him harder than he’d expected and he pulled his bicycle out of the shed almost savagely, knocking over a rake and a spade. He kicked them out of the way but didn’t pick them up.
He enjoyed the ache in his lungs from drawing deep breaths of cold air, followed by puffs of white each time he exhaled. He pushed himself to go up the hill, legs protesting all the way.
Up the hill, past the school, and around the bend.
The park should have been deserted. It was early; the sun had barely broken through the cover of clouds overhead, and Duo resented those who had the same idea, most of them joggers, some with dogs, some of them showing how much they worked up a sweat by coming out in a sweatshirt and shorts.
“Hope you fall on your ass,” he muttered as one of them ran by.
He got off his bike and began walking, wheeling the bike alongside him. It was just a little further to the tree.
It had been a stupid thing to do, carving their initials into the tree, but they’d done it anyway. Heero had been the one who brought it up first. He’d run his fingers over the bark and said it seemed like the type of tree young sweethearts would put their mark on, and they’d both laughed and ridiculed the notion.
The next time they were at the park Duo had thought about what Heero had said and he’d found himself looking at the tree and pressing his fingers against the bark. He was sure they’d get wood chips in their eyes if they tried it and he’d mentioned it almost too casually to Heero, who had nodded.
It was their third time there when Heero had shown Duo the teak colored handle. The blade was short but sharp and when the coast was clear, Heero placed the tip against the bark. “Sometimes a little pain is necessary,” he said, “but if we believe the reward is great enough, we’ll hardly notice.”
Duo had placed his hand over Heero’s and together they carved their initials, interlocked and crudely drawn.
After that day, each time they’d come to the park and walked past the tree they’d shared a smile with each other, and if no one was around one of them would sneak around the side to see if they were still there. Duo pushed his bike faster when he approached the tree, but he found his steps slowing before he could get too far past it, and finally he gave up and turned around, propping the bike up against the tree and going around the other side.
They were still there, frozen under a sheet of ice and invisible if you weren’t looking for them, but still there.
It gave Duo a lot to think about on the ride home.
Part 5: Ante Up
Author: Elsie
Pairing: past 1+2
Rating: PG13
Word count: 513
Challenge: around the bend
Sequel to Belgian Waffles.
It was too cold out and the rain from the night before had probably frozen, leaving a sheet of black ice on the roads, but Duo didn’t care. The holidays had hit him harder than he’d expected and he pulled his bicycle out of the shed almost savagely, knocking over a rake and a spade. He kicked them out of the way but didn’t pick them up.
He enjoyed the ache in his lungs from drawing deep breaths of cold air, followed by puffs of white each time he exhaled. He pushed himself to go up the hill, legs protesting all the way.
Up the hill, past the school, and around the bend.
The park should have been deserted. It was early; the sun had barely broken through the cover of clouds overhead, and Duo resented those who had the same idea, most of them joggers, some with dogs, some of them showing how much they worked up a sweat by coming out in a sweatshirt and shorts.
“Hope you fall on your ass,” he muttered as one of them ran by.
He got off his bike and began walking, wheeling the bike alongside him. It was just a little further to the tree.
It had been a stupid thing to do, carving their initials into the tree, but they’d done it anyway. Heero had been the one who brought it up first. He’d run his fingers over the bark and said it seemed like the type of tree young sweethearts would put their mark on, and they’d both laughed and ridiculed the notion.
The next time they were at the park Duo had thought about what Heero had said and he’d found himself looking at the tree and pressing his fingers against the bark. He was sure they’d get wood chips in their eyes if they tried it and he’d mentioned it almost too casually to Heero, who had nodded.
It was their third time there when Heero had shown Duo the teak colored handle. The blade was short but sharp and when the coast was clear, Heero placed the tip against the bark. “Sometimes a little pain is necessary,” he said, “but if we believe the reward is great enough, we’ll hardly notice.”
Duo had placed his hand over Heero’s and together they carved their initials, interlocked and crudely drawn.
After that day, each time they’d come to the park and walked past the tree they’d shared a smile with each other, and if no one was around one of them would sneak around the side to see if they were still there. Duo pushed his bike faster when he approached the tree, but he found his steps slowing before he could get too far past it, and finally he gave up and turned around, propping the bike up against the tree and going around the other side.
They were still there, frozen under a sheet of ice and invisible if you weren’t looking for them, but still there.
It gave Duo a lot to think about on the ride home.
Part 5: Ante Up