Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Wilderness ❯ Cold, Hard, Bitch ( Chapter 4 )

 

Wilderness

By Dentelle_Noir

 

Disclaimer: I do not own Gundam Wing, duh. Don't you find this as redundant as I? I hope so.

 

Warning: Eventual yaoi. Man bashing.

 

NOTE: I'm giving Wilderness a bit of a re-haul and edit! Mostly from the middle on arethe larger changes, but the earlier chapters have more format and minor wording changes. Look for new chapters soon, though!

 

 

 

 

Chapter Four: “Cold, Hard, Bitch”

 

Hot, near scalding chlorinated water fell to the tile in the cabin shower stall around Quatre's pinked skin. They were going out on the trail tomorrow, rafting, and then staying overnight under the stars, without even tents, until they hit the ranger station three days later, where they were to participate in climbing of rocks and hiking of hills followed by more outdoor living. After the first twenty minutes in the shower, he decided to spend more, he wasn't sure when the next time he would be able to get hot water!

 

And already, the conditions were less that adequate.

 

They had their things dropped off to the big cabin for about 18, the twelve of them fitting with plenty of room to spare, then they were left to cook hot dogs and have merriment before they left. Quatre couldn't stand it.

 

His first hot dog was so cold he thought he bit into ice in the middle, then the second one he roasted caught on fire. He had to step it into the dirt and kick at it for a while before it stopped flaming.

 

And the worst part was that one of the girls had done the same damn thing a few minutes earlier and nobody paid one ounce of mind to it!

 

He did it, and all eyes in the group were rolling. They were watching him after that, just waiting for him to slip up. Well, they shouldn't have to wait long; he figured he was certain to do something equally embarrassing soon, considering his track record. Why did he even bother?

 

Then his father just glared at him as if he hoped the smoldering hot dog would catch him on fire and burn him to death so he wouldn't have to deal with him.

 

Where was a rock to crawl under and die when you needed one, Eh?

 

His father just pointed a look, then purposely moved his glare over to Wufei, leaning against a thick tree, sweater encased arms crossed over his chest moodily and eyes glaring. He knew what his father meant. Wufei = manly. You = loser. He got it, loud and clear.

 

That was when he had excused himself quietly to go shower before everyone else got there. He had gotten a look at the conditions before.

 

Four curtained off sections, three hanging curtains separating one from the other, only going up to Quatre's neck level; and he was short! It would just barley cover anything a lady would need covered! And he could see everything going on, and everyone could see him! At least not all of him, but he liked to bathe in privacy! At least the toilets were stalled.

 

While his eyes were pinched together to stop rouge shampoo suds from attacking, he heard the door open and someone walk in.

 

But once the irritating suds were washed under the hot spray, Quatre was able to just peek to see who it was.

 

Wufei stood by the mirror, shoes off and working on his socks. He stood and pulled the large, worn sweater up and over his head. Quatre's jaw dropped.

 

Wufei's white pants, hidden previously by the edge of the sweater were purposely rolled at the waist to hang low on his hips, just below his bellybutton, showing his shapely sides. And a good look he did get, because his shirt underneath stopped short enough to allow not a peek, but a freaking soft porn-style showing, and was incredibly fitting to the boys lean torso. The damn thing was clinging all over and showing off Wufei's thin athletic build. Well, what he could see from his back anyway. Wufei wasn't facing him.

 

He felt like a heel, just kinda starring at him. He didn't want to go out with him or anything, and we wasn't really attracted to him as anything more than a friend, but damn. He had to admit. He was hot. Was manly supposed to equal hot?

 

Wufei turned, looking straight at Quatre, but Quatre wasn't looking at his face. He was starring at the bright yellow letters scrawled across the front of Wufei's shirt, one word on top to the other, glaring at him to ignore their warning:

 

"Cold, Hard, Bitch."

 

Quatre blinked to clear his face, then he looked again. Yeah, that was still the words across Wufei's chest. Was that manly? Quatre had to admit he knew little about manliness, but that was a definite 'no' if he ever saw one.

 

"I didn't think my shirt would bother you so much." Wufei said coldly, catching Quatre's eyes and glaring for all he was worth. "I just figured I'd get a shower in before the group started to descend en masse." Wufei finished, still watching Quatre almost angrily.

 

That's when Quatre realized what Wufei had said. The shirt bothering him. "No, no, no, Wufei. The shirt is cool. I like it. I just wasn't expecting it, that's all. Sorry for starring like that. That was horribly rude of me. I'm sorry."

 

Wufei stepped into the shower at the far end, the same as Quatre had, opting for at least two real walls. So there they were on opposite sides of the bathroom, only the sound of water between them.

 

Once in, Wufei stripped down, throwing his clothes to the pile he had by the mirror. "It suits me, though, doesn't it?" Wufei said with a taunting smile, turning the taps and pulling loose his hair tie, the black strands falling in his face and immediately soaking up the liquid and plastering to his slim face.

 

Turning from the rather nice view his friend was giving him, he just chuckled. It really was suiting. Although the "cold" part was debatable. So far, Wufei was the only one who even tried to talk to him since the first climbing incident, so as far as he was concerned, Wufei was as warm and fuzzy as a caterpiller.

 

"I promised I'd wear it here. Not willingly, though. My boyfriend got it for me before I left and made me promise I'd wear it. So I did." Wufei continued as he lathered shampoo through his hair.

 

"I didn't think anyone could make you, of all people, promise something you didn't want to do." Quatre replied, rinsing once more.

 

Wufei smiled genuinely at Quatre, eyes twinkling. "He's very, persuasive." He said, a little waggle of his eyebrows to demonstrate just what kind of persuasion it took for the promise. "And I am a man of my word."

 

Quatre chuckled and tried not to imagine just what type of persuasion his boyfriend- Whoa! boyfriend., not girlfriend. Boy. Wufei was gay!

 

That certainly did NOT equal manly!!

 

He got over it quickly, figuring that was why they got along so well. Wufei was the same as Quatre in a lot of ways, then.

 

Turning off the shower, Quatre grabbed his towel and began to dry himself in the stall. He didn't want to risk getting in some weird situation with him naked in front of the entire group. And hell, the way things were going for him, it was better to play it really safe than sorry.

 

Scampering out, Quatre grabbed his nightclothes and made it to a bathroom stall and locked the door. Pulling on pants immediately (those were the most important to have in bad luck situations) he then began to dry off his hair and the rest of himself casually. The other shower turned off soon after.

 

As Quatre brushed his teeth in the mirror, Wufei walked out, towel around his waist and hair dripping and did the same thing Quatre had: Dress in the stalls.

 

"Quatre?" Wufei's voice lifted from over the stall. "Don't go spreading that around or anything, Okay? I'm not in the closet or anything; my family and friends know about my preferences, but the whole world and their dog doesn't need to know. People tend to prejudge, and I find the stereotypes dishonorable and inapt. I figured you would understand."

 

Quatre smiled and spit out the toothpaste, "Am I that obvious?"

 

Wufei laughed out loud at that one, coming out of the stall with long gray workout pants and an equally gray T-shirt. "Quat, you're more flaming than Maxwell. And believe me, that's saying something."

 

“My dad hasn't figured it out yet.” Quatre said, pinching Wufei's shirt from under the stall door just to throw it over at him and let it land on his head.

 

Before Wufei could retort, the sounds of people came wafting in to the previously silent cabin, and within minutes they were ransacked by women vying for first place in the showers.

 

 

 

 

Fresh and as pleasant as he could possibly muster at 7 O'clock in the morning, the group proceeded into the lodge that was almost shimmering from the early sunlight behind its rustic walls. After being laden down with equipment and a rousing speech on paddle safety, they were told to make their way for breakfast then to meet out front.

 

Not too bad. Quatre was at least still happy because of Wufei's friendship. At least he wasn't completely alone here. The rest of the group expected little, save amusement, from him, but he would prove them all wrong!

 

Hopefully.

 

Walking with the group, he paused to see what all the commotion was in the hallway. One woman gasped, then turned and the rest followed like a shadow to the first, clearing past a small wide-open office door. Curiosity was known to kill the cat, but he had to at least grab a little peek.

 

There in the office was one madly embarrassed blushing man; a tall aristocratic looking guy with roan hair, cut short and swept back off his face save a few stray whips. But what was embarrassing was not the man. He was looking frozen-shocked in a rather suggestive position on top and between the open legs of one professionally dressed, yet dazed looking woman, hair twisted into duel buns.

 

Quatre took it all in for only seconds before dashing off with the rest of the gawkers and following silently to their lesson on paddling.

 

 

 

 

Quatre stood watching the buzzards descend onto the pile of paddles. They had already been told that a proper paddle had to fit under your chin in height. No one, except maybe Wufei, was even near his height, so he wasn't worried about getting one right away. Once the dust cleared a bit, he struggled into the pile of incredibly long and incredibly short paddles left, he grabbed a nice short one and tried it. Perfect.

 

Now they were to climb in to what the adventure people had deemed a raft.

 

It was an incredibly paper looking balloon sided so-called boat.

 

He didn't think it would hold any more than two people up with the ballast, let alone the eight it was supposed to!

 

Sure there was sitting room for eight, and they had room for the supplies they had to bring, but seeing more and more pilled in, he was sure some law of physics was crying at the fact it hadn't sunk yet.

 

But finally he decided to comply with the exhausted looks of the group, realizing he was the last on land, save Milly, who was tying the last of the medical supplies to the sweep boat. (That was a two-person canoe that followed behind the two big rafts with safety stuff and extra supplies in case anything unfortunate happened. Knowing his own luck, he had made sure to remember what they called the boat.)

 

Being the last, he took the last available inch in his group's boat, thankfully that was the one spot he would've chose if he could've. Right at the back (The front was were all the "action" was most felt) with Milly behind him in the middle steering the raft, a stack of supplies in front he could tuck his feet beneath and Wufei on the opposite side. Trying to catch a reassuring smile from his friend, he couldn't, since Fei seemed too engrossed in the scenery and his own thoughts.

 

Oh well, he was going to try his best to enjoy this. It was a new experience and it wouldn't be that bad. It really wouldn't. He continued his mantra trying to brighten his spirits.

 

Well, he had to conclude that the raft wasn't as paper as it looked. The bottom was some sort of plastic felt that sunk in as he walked, but didn't twist or anything. The sides were supposedly under pressurized inflation to make them hard and strong enough to stand on. Heck, Milly was sitting on the back of the floats steering. They had little benches to sit on and tuck their feet under; they were supposed to help keep you in the boat over tough rapids. Quatre liked the heavy wet-bags better; they kept his feet warmer than open benches, and protected his shoes from the hungry river.

 

With a push from the other guide, there was two in each boat, one steering at the back and one strokemaster at the front who kept them all in time with the paddling, they were off and into the cold water floating harmlessly and calmly.

 

Quatre opened his tight-shut eyes and let out his painful breath. He was almost expecting to be immediately swept away when the boat was off the dirt. But that was silly of him. He was calmer now, noticing that a few people were just settling in and getting ready. Dipping his paddle blade into the water like everyone else, he heard Milly shout the "forward Paddle" command they were taught and they started. Dip in and pull. Not too difficult.

 

He was insanely glad they had better life jackets at the main lodge. He needent wear the god awful pink one, just a standard orange and red vest with specially designed thinner straps to allow more arm room for paddling. Added with the beautiful yellow helmet, he was stylin'. Well, he looked like everyone else anyway, and that was all he wanted.

 

With a few more strokes, the boat was into the current, the water pushing the raft faster and faster down the run, their paddles only light and keeping them straight while the vacationers got used to the pull of the water. Quatre tried too, knowing he had no choice but to get used to it, because they had the entire vacation of it. Eleven more days. The river was actually one of the longest in the country. They would do rafting for half of the day, then camp out at night or do special activities in the afternoons or morning all along the way.

 

The schedule was different, depending on how far they got, but there was cave exploring, yip, wall climbing, double yip, outdoor cooking lessons, whoo hoo, outdoor games when they were at the half way lodge (they also got to sleep in real beds that night!! A true Thank-God) not to mention the nature hike that Quatre was SOOOO looking forward to, (he still was traumatized by the squirrel incident) and all along the way the oh-so-joyful necessities of ghost stories, s'mores, foraging and fishing. Yeah!! Foraging! Note the immense sarcasm.

 

And the very best part was they were actually only near enough civilization 5 out of the 11 days that if anything really bad happened they could get a jeep there in less than an hour. For the most part, all you could do it was stay in for the ride to the next available spot, or in extreme, emergencies-- like mauled by a bear and bleeding to death in the next two seconds-- they could get a helicopter there. Within the hour. If you could make it to a clearing in time.

 

This was WAY more fun than a beach or cruise. Really. He couldn't wait to be in that first window.

 

But they made it to lunch in one piece. They fought rapids, Quatre was soaked to the bones and he lost his paddle twice. Thankfully Milly grabbed it before it was completely gone and was able to give it back.

 

The boat was pulled up to another clearing, a "Take-out" as they called them, and they pulled the raft into the dirt.

 

Waiting was a shinny red jeep with no doors bearing the `Wilderness Adventures' logo. In the back was a nice hot-looking vat that reeked of baked beans. But for once, Quatre was just too damn hungry to care what it was and dug in as heartily as everyone else. Except maybe Wufei, he dug in all right, but after a couple greedy mouthfuls he calmed down. He looked kind of upset, maybe. He had said he was used to this sort of thing, doing this outdoor stuff before, he must've been used to the work and all that.

 

Finishing his, Quatre decided to walk over and chat, when Milly started hollering. People were looking at him as if he were nuts when he told them to get back in the boat so soon, even the guides were perplexed. They had been twenty minutes, IF that!

 

"Look group. The clouds are not looking good right now, " Milly explained while standing in the middle of the group.

 

"You really don't want to be paddling in the rain, especially how it's going to be with our Spring weather. You'll all thank me when we make it to the camp point dry if we leave now." And with that, he began to make sure everything was still set up as the guides gulped the last of their food down.

 

Now he was immensely happy he hadn't taken his time to eat.

 

The rain did come, but as Milly had said, they were immensely thankful. Because when it did decide to unleash the torrent down on them, they had gotten their tent/tarp thingy up. It was a big, angled blue tarp they slung up between trees that spanned almost three quarters of the clearing. Under it, everyone laid out their sleeping bags and gulped down their diner, curtsy of the handy dandy jeep that magically showed up again.

 

But Quatre was no fool, he knew it was only so long before the lack of civilization thing would come into play and there would be no more jeeps bringing meals.

 

He figured they were just softening up the people with the meals on wheels. After the day after tomorrow there were a lot of afternoon fishing booked, and he knew it was for their supper.

 

Completely exhausted from the day's events as were a lot of people, he was out like a light the second he was wrapped in the warm down filled bag.