A New Adventure (a Fiddauthor Fanfiction)

>>Three<<

     Fiddleford and Stanford sat close on the log in front of the roaring fire, watching the meteors rain down from the obsidian sky. Ford had always dreamed of seeing a real meteor shower, but always missed it somehow. He gaped in awe at the flurry of meteors that rained down upon them.

     Fidds thought the view to be quite beautiful, but now he was a bit preoccupied. He wondered what had come upon him all of the sudden. He folded his hands together, attempting to calm himself down. He glanced over at Ford and saw him, gazing up at the sky with a glint of child-like wonder in his eyes. Fidds' heart thumped harder. His breath became shaky and shallow. What was going on?

     Ford stood to his feet, approaching the edge of the cliff. "Are you seeing this, Fiddleford? What an amazing occurrence! In all my life, I have never seen anything quite as amazing as this!"

     Fidds smirked at his roommate, standing from his seat, "No, I suppose I haven't seen anything quite like this."

     Ford turned around, smiling widely. "I'm so glad you are here with me."

     The two stood together, admiring their gorgeous view. After an hour or so, they decided to head inside their tent to prevent the frostbite from encapsulating their fingers. They set up their sleeping bags close together, trying to conserve their heat. Fidds laid down on his back, staring up at the roof of their tent. He sighed heavily.

      Ford noticed, "Something wrong, buddy?"

     Fidds smiled weakly, "Y'know when you see somethin' ya know ya can't have?"

     Ford twisted his head to read his friend, "I'm not sure I understand."

     Fidds turned onto his side, "I didn't expect ya to."

*  *  *  *  *

     The next morning, Fidds was feeling much better. He was not the first to wake up, since Ford was known as an early riser, and the sun was already far up in the sky. He rubbed his eyes sleepily, yawning and stretching as he sat up in his sleeping bag. He stood, folded his bag neatly, and exited the tent. Outside, Ford was sitting at the fire pit, reading a book he had brought along.

     "Nice to see that you're awake," Ford said with a grin as he twisted around to see his roommate.

     Fidds yawned again, "What time is it? Must be nearly noon by now."

     Ford chuckled, "Its past noon, actually. I thought about waking you, but I didn't want to disturb you. You looked so peaceful."

     Fidds face grew warm, "Well, I suppose I ought t' thank ya for that, but now we've wasted half the day."

     Ford made a grunt of dismissal. "Don't be ridiculous; this trip was all about relaxing, and you sure relaxed in there."

     Fidds shrugged, then shuffled over to sit by Ford, scooting in close next to him. "Sorry, but it's frightfully cold out here. Don't know how ya stand it with just that jacket."

     A light blush appeared on Ford's cheeks and ears, "I-I suppose I'm just a bit more w-warm blooded then most?"

     Fidds loved the reaction he was pulling from his roommate. He leaned his head upon his shoulder, humming a tune from the radio. "Mmm...perhaps you are."

     Ford's stomach was filled with butterflies. He tried to focus on his book, but he was always acutely aware of the slight movements Fiddleford made. Fidds adjusted his glasses. He breathed deeper than normal. He rubbed his hands together. He glanced up at him.

     "Ford, are you okay?" Fidds said, sitting back up. "Ya seem awfully tense."

     Ford nodded his head. His face was burning up. The only time that happened was when he was really embarrassed or when...

     Oh no.  He couldn't have a crush on his roommate... could he?

     Preposterous, Ford thought, trying his best to shrug off the idea. A crush on another man? What a ridiculous thought. And yet, Ford couldn't stop thinking about Fidds. He couldn't stop looking at him. He couldn't stop the urge for closeness between them.

     Ford placed his arm around Fiddleford and continued trying to read. "It is kind of cold out here," he admitted, trying to find a reason for this strange motion.

     Fidds' face was blood red, and he knew he was in trouble.

*  *  *  *  *

      The two packed their things and prepared to leave the campsite. They had to be back to their dorms by nightfall so they could get in some last minute studying and a good night sleep before the exams began. Ford and Fiddleford knelt on the ground across from each other, stuffing their backpacks full of the various items left lying around. Ford had packed a lot more than Fidds, including what seemed to be an entire library of sorts. Fidds had laughed at this, teasing him about mistaking the length of their trip.

      Fidds stood up, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. "Aren't ya done yet? It'll be days 'fore we make it back to campus!" he chuckled lightly.

      Ford's face shifted into a smile, "Sorry. I've almost got everything packed."

      Fidds folded his arms, "Well, I'll be outside if'n ya need me."

      Ford suddenly jumped up, grabbing the sleeve of Fidds' coat. "Wait...I need to tell you something."

      The other man turned around, his face going red. "Y-yes, Ford?"

      Ford stood in silence for a few seconds before opening his mouth, then shutting it once more. "C'mon, Ford. Spit it out," Fiddleford whispered anxiously.

      "I...really enjoyed spending this time with you. It was nice," Ford finally said, but internally he was smacking his forehead. Why can't I say what I mean?

      Fidds smiled, "I enjoyed this lil' trip, too. We should camp more often."

      The expedition back to the campus was a long and tiring one. It seemed to grow colder by the minute, and when they got back to the town, thermometers on the outsides of houses read the temperature was nearly in the negatives. The two trucked on, however, though Fiddleford could no longer feel his fingers.

      Upon arriving at their dorms, both men were frozen to the bone and tired from their long walk. Ford dropped his heavy bag onto the floor, shed his winter garb, and flung himself onto his bed. Fidds smirked at his childish behavior, and begun unpacking their things. He straightened the shoes, hung up the coats, and put away all the camping gear and leftover food in their rightful places. After cleaning, he threw on a dry, warm sweater with the Star Trek logo on the shirt pocket.

     "Can...I sit next to you? It might be warmer if we combine our body head," Fidds mumbled, standing next to Ford's bed.

     His roommate nodded, removing the blanket to let Fidds in. The two snuggled in close together.

     Ford's eyelids began drifting shut, and his head leaned onto Fidds' shoulder.

     Fiddleford smiled down at him. "I think I love you..." he whispered as the two fell asleep together.