Title: Fighting
Author: Lisa M
Pairing: Hawkeye/BJ
Rating: G - maybe borderline PG, but I doubt it.
Disclaimer: Nope, don't own anything. Don't sue ... no money.
Archive: Anywhere, just let me know.
Feedback: Would be appreciated.
Spoilers: Yes, for Commander Pierce. I took one of the final scenes from the ep - word for word - and used it for this fic.
Summary: "It's my job to make the decisions ..." "Was your job ..."
A/N: This is basically a continuation of Commander Pierce. This scene is at the very end, and I basically just added a little at the end - this is what I'd love to see happen. It's not one of my best fic efforts ever, but hey, I tried.
Dedicated to Robin and Jaime - our newest buds on mash-slash! I only wish I had something better to offer you, but alas, my muses aren't cooperating right now. But still ... welcome!
"Hi, Hunnicutt. I'm home," Colonel Potter greets my bunkmate as he and I enter the Swamp. I wince at the sound of BJ's name. After the past few days, I haven't been too thrilled to be in the company of my friend.
"Colonel, come on in." BJ sits on his cot, darning a sock. I look on as Potter hands him a shot glass.
"Brought you a snort," the older doctor holds out the bottle of liquor.
"Heeeey, thanks."
It's really too bad my dear friend wasn't this easy going while I was in charge. Damn him for being back to this version of BJ! I find it almost impossible to stay angry with him when he's like this. And I want to stay angry.
"Little change from Uncle Ben's perverted rice juice," Potter says jokingly and fills the three shot glasses. His eyes wearily pass over each of us. "You two do know each other, doncha?"
BJ glances at me and quickly looks away.
"Oh, yeah," he says quietly.
"Yeah, we've met, yeah," I respond in a similar tone.
"Colonel, I'm glad you're back." I see BJ roll his eyes. "I can't tell you how glad I am you're back."
"What's that supposed to mean?" I ask angrily and walk over to my friend. As I lean over him, I realize that if BJ had been anyone else, they may have been intimidated by the action. But BJ definitely isn't intimidated by me - which makes me even angrier.
"It means I'm glad he's back," BJ snaps at me. I take a seat directly across from him.
"Down the hatch!" Potter toasts and the three of us down our shots. The colonel doesn't miss a beat and refills the glasses.
"You just won't admit that going out there without telling me was the wrong thing to do," I say. My voice, unfortunately holds almost no conviction.
"I did what I thought was right. You're only angry because somebody else made a decision."
He's right. I know he is. I also know that I would've done the same thing if I had been in his shoes. But my pride can't let me admit that. Especially to him.
"It's my job to make the decisions ..."
"Was your job." BJ scores a direct hit with that one and I wince inwardly.
"Up the Rebels!" Potter toasts again. We do the shots and he quickly refills them.
"I think the real reason you did it was to spite me," I snap and the sound of my own petty arrogance makes me cringe.
"Spite you? I don't believe this! How do you get your head through doorways with that ego? You just won't admit you couldn't handle it."
"You see? You see what I've been putting up with?" I turn to Colonel Potter for reinforcement, and get none.
"Do you have any idea what he's been like the last couple of days. Gengis Khan was bigger laughs."
"In your eye!" Potter toasts cheerily. He is obviously ignoring us.
"Considering what I had to work with, I think I did a damn good job."
"Well, that makes one of you," BJ replies snidely.
"Oh yeah? If you weren't so busy trying to undermine my authority ..."
"Ha ha!"
"Why aren't you helping me?" I look pleadingly at Potter. "You should be right in the middle of this. You're the commander!"
"And I'm acting like one. Staying out of it 'til I'm needed. It's all in the timing, son. There's a time to step in and a time to back off. Pull the reins too tight and the horse'll buck. You had good people under you. You shoulda let 'em go through their paces."
He pauses and looks us over. A grin begins to grow on his face.
"You know, this is pretty good. Someone should be writing this down. To my golden tongue!"
He and BJ do the shots and Potter refills their glasses.
"Okay, okay. Let's say I overreacted ... a little."
"Let's say a lot." The old man knows me too well.
"Amen!" BJ shouts in agreement.
"And you," Potter turns toward BJ and gestures at him with his shot glass.
"Yeah!" I respond cheerily.
"You're lucky you didn't run off when I was here, or your fanny'd be hanging from the flag pole. Well, don't sit there like a coupla moon calves ... drink up and shake hands already." When neither of us budges an inch, he glares at BJ, then me. "That's an order, boys." We do our shots and shake hands quickly, but it's obvious that we aren't quite ready to make up. "You know how ridiculous you two look?"
"You wanna make nice?" I ask. BJ laughs and nods slightly. "Well, next time, I'll know what to do."
"Hopefully, there won't be a next time."
"What's that supposed to mean?" My blood pressure begins to rise again and the temperature within the Swamp is rising rapidly. I can feel the static building between BJ and I. It's crackling in the air like a live wire.
"Oh no ..." Potter sighs as he stands and heads for the door.
"Oh come on! Will you get off it?" BJ shouts at me.
"No, no, no, no, no. You meant something by that." I say as Potter glances back at us. "What was it?" I stand. "Come on, what was it?"
"Nothing, for crying out loud!" BJ stands up, too. Now we are face to face. "You really are a pip, you know that?"
Potter looks down at the liquor bottle in his hand and shakes his head back and forth.
"All that good whisky, shot to hell."
BJ and I watch our friend leave then quickly turn back on each other. It's almost like Potter had never even been in here with us to begin with.
"I'm a pip?"
"You are a pip."
"Because I don't want you to talk to me like ..."
"Generalisimo Benjamin Franklin Pierce!"
"Just a minute, just a minute! Do you realize what you ..."
Our words are overlapping each other and, in a moment of clarity, I realize how truly stupid we're being. This is my best friend and here we are, acting like children! I stand and watch him carry on for a minute or two. His face is flushed bright red and he's sweating. A surprisingly pleasant thought pops into my mind ...
BJ is extremely attractive when he's pissed off and ranting at me.
I risk a glance down his body and notice that the front of his pants are tented slightly. He is getting - no, has - an erection. And he's not trying to hide it from me. I feel my own greens begin to tighten in the front-most section.
"Hawkeye!" his voice snaps me to attention. I raise my eyes and meet his. They continue to sparkle with anger, but I can see something else behind that. Something that I can't quite read. "Are you even listening to me?"
I make a decision to do something that will probably get me punched, but I have to do it anyway. I reach out and grab him by the front of his shirt. A quick jerk forward and BJ's lips connect with mine. I expect him to shove me away, but that doesn't happen. Instead, BJ's formerly tense body begins to relax and his lips move against mine. I feel his arms slide around me. They close in snugly and one hand finds its way into my hair. He grips it tightly and deepens the kiss. When his tongue enters my mouth, I gasp and he breaks away.
"What?"
"I expected a punch," I say and brush my fingers over my lips.
"You need to learn to expect the unexpected, Hawk."
"Maybe. But Potter was here. We were fighting. He left. You were so ticked off at me. And then I ..."
"You kissed me."
"You," I jab my finger at his chest. "Kissed me back, Beej."
"Did you not want me to?"
"No! I mean, yes! I mean ... damnit!"
"Hawk?"
"What?"
"Just shut up and kiss me again." He pauses and grabs my shirt this time. "We can finish fighting later, if you'd like. There's something else I'd rather do right now."
I smile as he pulls me to him.
The End