It’s A Complicated Thing

Summary: Given enough time, a lot of wounds can heal
Warning(s): Spanking; strong, bloody violence; swearing; AU; makeout scenes between two men
Pairing: Chase/Ford

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A hand, streaked with blood, reached through the rubble.

Ford couldn't see anything in front of his eyes. The only light came from the hole above through which the hand came. His breath came in harsh, sharp wheezes...just like Chase's had. Just like the breathing from Chloe's aunt.

Why wasn't he dead yet?

The hand withdrew and the tiny spot of light grew bigger as rubble was pulled away. Stones rolled down with crashes and creaks, accompanied by grunts and harsh breaths.

Ford blinked and squinted in the bright sunlight. How could he still be alive? Fire was supposed to kill them; that's what Boyce had said. Of course, this was so far out of anything any of them had dealt with before...could he really trust anything they'd seen?

A heavy weight rested on Ford's chest and he tilted his head down, but could only see a vaguely dark shape. He lifted his hands and shoved at the object, grunting as it began to slide off him. He ground his teeth and bit back louder sounds as bones cracked and broke as he finally got the weight off him.

“Hey, Ford?”

At the hissed words, Ford tilted his head back, staring into the eyes who were peering through the hole at him. “Chase?” He shook his head and winced at the pain the movement caused. “If I wasn't in so much fucking pain, I'd think I was already dead,” he muttered.

Chase's face disappeared from the hole and the next moment, his hands reached through the hole and grasped hold of Ford's shoulders.

Trying to help as much as possible (the serum might have made Chase so much stronger, but Ford had also seen him with his head pounded in and his brains showing through), Ford winced as the exposed skin on his arms and face was scratched. He heard grunts and wheezing huffs of air as he was finally dragged out into the cold air, where he lay shivering on his back.

Chase loomed over him, clutching that damn camera in his hand. “How are you feeling?”

“Pretty fucking awful.” Ford forced himself up into a sitting position, using that time to rake his eyes over the other man's body. “You don't look like you got the back of your head pounded in.”

“I felt it.” Chase dropped to his knees next to Ford, running a hand down over his chest and setting the camera down. “It won't take you long to heal, but I want to clean out those wounds first.”

Ford placed his hand over the other man's. “Are you going to turn?”

Chase looked down at their clasped hands and slowly, almost achingly so, turned his hand over to grasp Ford's. “I don't think so,” he answered. “Do I look like I'll turn into a hostile?”

“You look like Chase.” Ford let his eyes rake over the other man and then he leaned forward and pressed their lips hard together, pushing his tongue into Chase's mouth. His whole body ached, but something settled deep inside him at the contact.

Chase's hands ran over Ford's body as he returned the kiss and while there was no healing ability in his touch, Ford's body relaxed everywhere Chase's fingers ran over. When they separated from the kiss, he felt the first real smile in what felt like years curve his lips.

“That's good to see.” Chase stood up and held his hand out. When Ford took it, Chase pulled him to his feet and wrapped an arm around his waist to support his weight. “Give it enough time and you'll heal. You already look much better than when I first pulled you out.”

Ford grunted as he did his best to support as much of his own weight as possible. He stumbled alongside Chase as the other man led him past the ruins, walking further into the undergrowth. “Where are we going?” His voice was gruff and barely recognisable to his own ears. Then again, he hadn't recognised himself in a long time.

“I don't want to go back into the town,” Chase said. “No one we know is there and I get the idea no one really wants to see anymore soldiers.” He glanced sideways at Ford. “What did I miss?”

While each step he took caused pain to shoot through his whole body, it wasn't quite as white-hot as the pain when he'd first woken. He drew in a deep, ragged breath as he answered. “Apart from blowing up the tower? We went in underneath. Chloe's brother got taken into the church. The others decided we could take care of two things at once.” He cocked his head to one side as the sound of running water reached his ears. “You found water?”

“Not sure I could really call it water. It sounds a lot bigger than it is. I think my hearing got messed with. Took me a while to get everything straight when I woke up.” Chase was quiet for a few more steps before he added, “You don't seem to be having any trouble.”

Ford merely grunted as Chase guided him between two trees and into a small area with a tiny stream; barely more than a trickle. Chase helped him to settle down on the grass and while he wouldn't admit the weakness out loud, not even to Chase, a faint stab of relief went through Ford at being off his feet.

“You've still got a pack on.” Chase gently pushed on Ford's shoulder, encouraging him to shuffle forward, so he could pull the pack off and open it, beginning to root around inside.

“You looking for something to eat?” Ford remembered how thirsty Chase had been when the serum had brought him back. He didn't feel anything other than pain himself, even if it had faded enough that now he just felt a dull ache that was more annoying than anything else. “You won't find anything in there.”

“I'm not looking for food.” Chase pulled out some rather dirty-looking cloth. With a grimace and a muttered, “I guess it'll do,” he dipped the cloth into the water, rinsing it off, and then moved back to Ford's side.

If there'd been anyone else there with them, Ford would never have let Chase that close to him. As it was, his body betrayed him as Chase pulled his uniform free.

The wounds were healing, but his clothes were stuck to his skin with dried blood enough to cause him to hiss in pain; and in some places, Chase had to cut the material free.

By the time he was fully unclothed, blood was trickling from several wounds once more. The copper tang of blood filled Ford's mouth and he clenched his fists tightly on the grass and soil as Chase cleaned each of the wounds.

“At least the pain means you're still alive,” Chase muttered, spreading the remnants of the uniform on the ground.

Ford shook his head and gave a quiet snort. “Am I?” he replied. “That stuff brought people back from the dead. Turned them into monsters.”

Chase's fingers drifted over the blood-stained camera dangling from his neck. “Am I a monster?”

How could he answer that? Ford looked away, his mind casting about for something to say. “I tossed your camera,” he finally settled on.

“What? You feeling guilty about that?”

The question startled Ford into a laugh. “Not even a little. I see you didn't learn anything.” He reached out and hooked a finger in the dangling strap. “Even asked for the damned camera as you lay there dying.” His smile faded at the memory.

Chase raised his hand and threaded his fingers between Ford's. “We're not dead now.”

Ford's eyes slanted towards the camera. “It's taken quite a battering. Is it still working?”

“I fell for that ploy once already. I'm not giving you the camera.”

Ford made a point of looking around the area. “Why? It's not as if there are any soldiers coming for us.” He settled his hand at the back of Chase's neck, taking a firm grip.

The moment the other man relaxed and slanted towards him, Ford pulled Chase closer, stretching his legs across the ground and draping the other man across them.

As soon as Chase had landed with a startled, “Oomph,” as the air rushed out of him, Ford lifted his hand and brought it down in a firm smack on Chase's right cheek. The dull thwack echoed in the silence and Ford delivered a matching one to Chase's left cheek and then two more just below the first.

The last time they'd done this, it hadn't taken long for Chase to start grunting and squirming; biting back cries in the hope the rest of the squad wouldn't overhear them.

This time, no sound escaped Chase; even when Ford delivered a hard pair of swats to each sit spot and thigh. Pausing, resting his hand on the other man's backside, Ford asked, “You're not really feeling this, are you?”

“No, sir.” Chase wriggled a bit before adding, “Might help if you let me know why you're pissed at me.”

“How did he get hold of your gun to shoot you with it?”

“Oh.” Chase's whole body vibrated with his wince. In a small voice, he continued, “He tricked me. I thought he was dead. I did yell for one of you. But I guess I got too close to the body.” His whole body tensed up. “I know you've warned me about paying attention before....”

Ford gave a sharp tug to the other man's pants, tugging them down to bare Chase's backside. He rested his palm on one cheek, giving a few gentle pats before he directed, “Cut me a switch.”

A heavy sigh escaped the other man and Chase slowly pushed himself up, bracing one palm flat on the ground to support himself. He didn't pull his pants up as he retrieved his knife and then stumbled over to one of the trees.

Ford watched as the other man cut a thin, sturdy branch from one of the trees. He then cut off the twigs, leaves and anything else sticking off. When he gently swung it through the air, there was a soft swish; and taking a deep breath, he walked back to Ford and held out the switch. “Do you want me to lean against a tree?”

“No.” Ford closed his hand around the switch and patted his lap with his other one. “Back over.”

Chase knelt and slowly leaned over Ford's lap once more. He then reached his hands behind his back, crossing one over the top of the other.

Taking hold of Chase's wrists, Ford lifted the switch and brought it down at the crest of the other man's bottom. Ignoring the hiss of pain, he brought the switch down a little bit lower, watching the second red line form.

A few more strokes and Chase's bottom had a set of red stripes down to his thighs. Chase was beginning to squirm and shift. A quiet whimper escaped from his lips and he started to try and pull his hands free of Ford's grip.

Chase was stronger now; but so was Ford, so he had no trouble holding the other man still as he lashed the switch down several more times, careful to hold back his strength so he didn't risk breaking the skin.

By the time the second circuit of stripes had been given, Chase's breath was hitching and he was gripping tightly to Ford's hands. His breaths came in sharp, ragged pants that sounded just a bit too much like his death wheeze for Ford's comfort.

Placing the switch on the ground, Ford began to swat with his hand, the slaps echoing louder now. Chase's whimpering became louder and his tears just a bit more intense. He heard them flowing faster as his hand landed in random patterns all over the other man's bottom and thighs. “How many times have we talked about this, Chase?” he demanded. “We might have had to hide everything from the rest of the squad, but we talked about you focusing more on your camera than on the danger you could be in repeatedly.”

“I know. I'm sorry.” Chase began to sob.

Ford stopped the spanking, resting his hand on the other man's bright red bottom. “You should never have taken your eyes off an enemy, whether you believed he was dead or not. You might be stronger now, but you can still be hurt. You did get hurt.”

“It's okay,” Chase whispered through his tears. “I know. I don't want to lose you either.”

Ford rubbed his hand gently over the other man's bottom and then he helped Chase into a sitting position, ignoring the wince as he dragged Chase into a tight embrace and pressed a hard kiss to his lips.

Chase wrapped his arms fiercely around Ford's waist and let his head drop gently to Ford's shoulder, returning the kiss with strength and enthusiasm. “So what now?” he asked, when they finally separated.

Ford looked into the other man's eyes and rubbed his knuckles over Chase's cheek. “Now? We still have a war to fight before we have any chance of peace. We can have a couple of hours to rest, but then we're going to check in with the army.”

“Hardass,” Chase muttered; but he was smiling as he leaned up and kissed Ford again. “A couple of hours, huh? I think that's long enough to take advantage of finally being alone....”

The End