Birch '03: Strays

JD threw the pan onto the countertop as hard as he could and cursed. The metal clattered and chattered as it tumbled to land, the wreck of his efforts crumbling and spreading when the pan smacked onto the hardwood floor. He kicked it for good measure, watching with hollow satisfaction when it all went slamming into the cabinet then banged back onto the floor.

He stood for a long time surveying the kitchen. It wasn't so bad really. He was a neat cook even if what he made hadn't turned out right. He kept up with the dishes. The long counter that separated the galley style kitchen from the living space was all cluttered with ingredients and utensils but it wasn't exactly dirty. The floor was all littered with small spills... and the crap from the oven that had caught fire... and the pan and the crumbs... and the shards of the wooden spoon he'd snapped into bits in disgust... JD balled his fists and muttered to himself. He could hack into a high security infrastructure in minutes. He could certainly damn well bake a chocolate cake.

He huffed and set his jaw then marched to the counter and grabbed up the cookbook, brown eyes narrow as he read the recipe accusingly. JD was so intent he didn't hear anything, the light touch on his shoulder making him start with a jolt. He turned swiftly, left hand dropping the cookbook, right reaching instinctively for his hip where his holster normally lived.

Buck's smiling face greeted him, his bunkmate's hands up, palms facing him and open. The blue eyes were twinkling but laced with concern. "Everything okay?"

JD looked away and lied tightly. "Got everything under control, Buck. Thanks."

His friend was still mussed from sleep, hair in a few different directions, old white tshirt stretching over the muscled chest that was pulled on over gray sweats, feet bare. When he looked back blue eyes were gentle in disbelief, a brow quirked. The taller man yawned unapologetically.

He grimaced. "Sorry for waking you up."

They'd had a long time of it lately, out on a mission then another immediately following. They were now in the few days newly returned where they all worked to settle back into their lives. It was nice to have Camp AWOL to come back to, relax with the boys and cool down from the stress and adrenaline that pounded through them all after every job. It was as close to normal and family and permanent all of them had known for a long time – for some this was the first they'd had of it.

Buck dropped the raised hands and smiled softly. "Nah, nothing to worry about. Was awake anyway, just putting off actually getting out of bed." A blue eye winked and the man started to shuffle around the small kitchen.

JD watched Buck do a quick survey of the room. The oven was closed back up and locked. Buttons were pushed until the digital read "self-clean." The appliance beeped a few times then started on its chore.

"Let it do its thing and we can clean up and start over." The mustached face nodded towards the oven. "So, what are you making?" Buck grinned.

It was JD's habit to make something when they all got back from a mission. The first time he'd just made some rice krispie treats because the whole job he'd thought about them and couldn't get away from the want of the taste of them. He'd brought the results of his overestimated triple batch to the common bunk and they'd been snarfed down in a flash, grins and thanks and hopes the offering would be repeated thrown at him. From there it just stuck. He liked it. It was nice and comfortingly normal to share the banal little traditions like that.

He rolled his eyes. "An 'easy' chocolate cake."

Buck's brows waggled. "Ooohh... chocolate cake. You do know my weaknesses."

The bright, toothy grin flashed at him and a stray spike of heat jabbed up his groin into his gut. JD shook his head and blinked twice then bent to retrieve the cookbook. When he stood back up he looked around experimentally. Okay. Everything was still normal. He sighed and found the recipe again.

A firm finger swept up his cheek in a long caress and his brown eyes snapped up to meet blue. Buck was standing very close, hovering and smiling. The finger was pushed into a wet mouth and tasted. Internally he shuddered, that stray feeling of heat and want rising again from the touch, the sight of that digit being cleaned by a pink tongue.

"Mmmm... batter's good at least." Again that grin teased.

JD's mouth dried out and he twisted so he could toss the cookbook away. He ducked his head and scrubbed at the cheek while he strode for the sink. He threw on the tap and stuck his head under, cupping the hot water and laving it over his face again and again. He fumbled for the valve and shut off the water, leaving his head inside the stainless steel bin for a moment. That had never happened before – never with Buck, never with any other man either. JD wasn't ashamed or disgusted or anything. More like definitely surprised. And definitely confident it needn't be any more – nothing was likely to come of it anyway... and it wasn't exactly like this was a full-fledged, desperate crush. Just a few strays.

He stepped away and reached for the towel next to the sink and rubbed his face dry. When he resurfaced he looked down where Buck was squatting over the mess of his first attempt, the broad hands busy picking up very hard crumbs and throwing them back into the pan with the balance of the cake that had been baked to a nice crisp. JD sighed shrugged. It wasn't any big deal. It was just a cake. He'd just try again.

Instead of bothering with a double boiler he'd melted the chocolate squares in their small microwave. JD found the still chocolately pyrex measuring cup and threw another four squares in it then put it in the nuker to cook. He walked back to the counter, grabbing his favorite mixing bowl from the drying rack as he went. He measured out the flour, scooping and dumping almost amounts into the bowl.

JD was not a perfectionist. He just threw stuff together and usually it worked just fine. He never sifted the damn flour, never put the dry ingredients in another stupid bowl only to be dumped into the big one a minute later. Seemed like a waste of time to him.

So far he'd had good results. He didn't know what about this time that had caused the baking cake to bubble up several times its pan size then explode then catch fire, but he still wasn't going to sift. It was just one of those anomalies that probably happened to anyone who tried their hand at baking on a regular basis. No reason to start getting all galloping gourmet anal because of one flop.

He tapped an egg against the side of the bowl once. Twice. It was stubborn so he rapped a little harder. The third strike it burst in his hand, shell and yolk and white oozing everywhere. JD's newfound balance went up in a quick flare. He cursed and stomped a foot and almost spit at the damn egg.

Buck's warm laugh sounded behind him. He turned and scowled. The older man was holding a washrag, wiping down the counters and stove to dump everything on the floor so it could all be swept up. He suppressed another tiny, flitting stray at the lean, long body curled over, the tshirt stretching and revealing when it pulled away from the sweats, a peek of bronze flesh. JD shook his head and easily squelched the follow-up stray. The lanky form straightened to stand, blue eyes merry with friendly amusement. Before he could talk himself out of it JD lifted his hand and hurled the yolk resting cupped in his fingers at his bunkmate.

The wet yellow globe splatted against the man's cheek, spraying to land in colorful droplets in the spiked hair, a single heavy drop trailing down the stubbled cheek. Buck's eyes narrowed then lit with devilment.

JD uttered a low, "Shit," then dove for cover.

A long time later both men were laughing, collapsed on the filthy hardwood floor, completely out of ammo and forced to offer mutual surrender. JD was covered with flour, melted chocolate, eggs, butter... hell, he didn't even know what all he was covered with. Buck was in no better shape, the handsome face looking like it was stage painted on one side where it was completely caked with flour, the other streaks of chocolate and egg and the sticky condensed milk JD had smeared on. He held his belly and continued to laugh, rolling over to flop on his back. Buck stared down at him and their laughter slowed then died. Blue eyes were suddenly sober.

Strong arms hooked under his arms and drug him to sitting, then kept dragging until JD was tucked between the bent legs, body pulled so his back rested against Buck's chest. A firm chin pressed into the crown of his head, hands spanning to hold his torso. He closed his eyes and for several silent minutes they sat; Buck leaning back against the cabinet, JD cradled against him.

"This last one was too close JD."

The normally jovial voice was quiet, pensive. The hands about him tightened, a small tremor passing through Buck.

He nodded. "I know. I know."

It had been too close. His staying the minute longer it required to lock out the computer systems so the security measures couldn't continue tracking them at the foreign military compound they'd been paid to infiltrate. The minute longer meaning he'd barely made it out of the window before the stray grenade went off. The window that was just a bit too far off the ground so he'd landed painfully, crunching some before stumbling to stand and running off the join the others.

When he'd met up with them again it had been a half-second of group relief before they'd again focused on getting themselves and the rescued hostages from the local mission out alive. Later it had been a lot of relief and congratulations. No warnings not to be so stupid, because what he'd done wasn't. It had been a calculated risk – a necessary one. If he hadn't stayed that minute longer, crippled the guerrilla's abilities and gotten a few bruised ribs and small shrapnel wounds for the effort it was possible none of them would have made it.

The arms tightened further. "Let's see if we can avoid getting that close in the future. Okay?"

"Okay."

He tremored in response, swallowing once and taking in a deep, shaky breath. Without thinking on it he snuggled into the broad chest, head turning so he could rest his cheek over Buck's heart, his eyes closing and mind soothed at the steady beat resounding under him. They all knew the risks. They all accepted them. But they also accepted that they worried and losing one of them would be the unacceptable.

A very soft okay was his answer, then JD swore a kiss was pressed into his hair, the hands dusting in a bare caress before stilling and just holding again.

He smiled and just held fast. It was probably just a stray.

His smile warmed. He wouldn't mind so much if he found himself proven wrong.

End