Lee's foot was bothering him. His bad foot. He had broken it years ago and it had healed wrong, so extensive trekking made it send burning shots of pain up his leg, and that forced him to limp to try to keep as much weight off of it as possible. He gritted his teeth to make himself walk with an average gait. His arms were clasped over his chest, and his head was bowed to watch the grass and earth they would soon be treading on. His head snapped up when Dustin finally spoke. He'd been worried for a moment that he'd never be spoken to again.

"Um... soon." He said. "I think about half a mile left now, not... not too far." He blinked, not realizing how tired he was until just then. Being pulled out of his trance had reminded him of how little sleep he had gotten when they were hiding from the patrols.

"Still...?" Dustin chewed on his his lip. He didn't get much for an answer and he really did think they were closer. He turned his head up to watch one cloud make a lazy line across the sky. There must have been a breeze, but they couldn't feel it much because of the trees. Suddenly he couldn't take it anymore. He opened his mouth and just started spewing nonsense. "Apple for a ape, Bagel for a beagle, cantaloupe for the camel, dango for a dingo, eggplant for...for a...ostrich...." he stumbled in his words when he couldn't think of an animal that started with an 'e' and glanced over at Lee. "What?! Feel feel to join in."

Lee shrugged. He thought they were making rather good time. Especially with both of them possibly a bit slower than either would want to admit. When Dustin seemed to suffer a mental break, however he paused and glanced back, until he recognized what was going on. "Oh, we're doing that then?" He laughed. "How about eggplant for an emu? And... fig for a falcon? Grapes for geese... Really, why are we going on about food when we're hungry?" He switched the bag from his back to under his arm, unzipping it and moving the mountain of supplies to sift through. "I think... ah..." He wriggled a thick pack out from between a rifle and a plastic bag of antibiotics. "Here, this should help. I think it's some kind of meat... probably something that can pass for a steak." There was nothing discernible written on the outside of the pack, beyond letting the reader understand if the contents were meant for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and usually the vegetarian packs were brown instead of the usual tin-foil silver.

Dustin chuckled when Lee really did join in. He played games like that with himself whenever he had to sit for a long time watching or when he was hungry. Apparently he'd gone on like this in Lee's presence before. Either that or he was just that used to Dustin's bored states. "Why would you play the game when you're not hungry? I'd never be able to think up food names otherwise..." he complained. "Hell, I'd eat hummus right now and I hate it! Hm...that's a good h." He shook his head at his own strangeness and watched curiously until Lee produced the strange meat package. He took it and opened the thing to sniff. Mostly scentless, but there was the faint aroma of beef jerky and if it smelled like jerky, then it was fine.

"Ew, hummus." Lee made a face and shook his head. "I'd starve first." He snickered, digging back in the bag for another pack, which was apparently a sweet item because of the pink packaging. Returning the bag to his back, Lee tore the top off and pocketed the top instead of dropping it. He smelled cherries, and reached in, finding dried cherries in a red liquid that was most likely cherry juice. It was better than nothing else, at least, and they would soon be able to sit down to rest after crossing the border.

"Probably another fourth of a mile now." Lee said after a time. He was limping noticeably now, and could almost feel the bone grinding in his ankle.

"Ah, so you hate hummus too? It's really strange stuff..." Dustin said. He wrinkled his nose thinking about when his parents decided it was brilliant and made him try it. It never sat right with him or his stomach which was normally okay with anything. He was walking right next to Lee at that point and stole a glance very now and then. He noticed Lee limping and he suspected he must have looked much the same consider how stiff he leg had gotten. He didn't want to say anything, but walking was getting to be too much of a hassle for both of them. "Can't we just stop now before I start singing national anthems for five different countries? 'Cause I will. This walking is miserable. What's a fourth mile in the grand scheme of things anyway?" Borders were vague gray areas anyway.

Lee sighed, but complied, stopping and crossing his arms at Dustin. "Well a few feet would mean the distance between China and Russia. Which means safety and danger. But they don't often patrol the border, they prefer to take out enemies near the bases..." He sighed, having firmly stowed his own foot in his mouth. "Fine, fine, here..." He looked around and urged Dustin forward, coming to find a very small pool of water among a sunny little area. "Not bad, eh?" He set the bag down on a flat section of the ground and allowed himself to collapse in the sun, massaging his ankle until the pain became a very slight ache, and flopped back onto his back. "Ah... Nice... I'll admit, it's nice to take a break." He closed his eyes, immediately dozing off. "S... sorry, jus... just tired..."

Dustin rolled his eyes when Lee crossed his arms, but at least the guy gave in. Or else Dustin would just be stubborn. He'd decided no one cared exactly where the border was and that was enough for him. Thankfully he didn't have to be stubborn though. He eyed the sunshine and flopped onto his stomach in the grass. It gave his skin a warm tickle and he let his eyes close for a second. "See, I told you it was a good time for a break. There's even this bit of water to make it scenic," he said. Since he lay close enough, he stretched out his hand to trail fingers in the cool water. He grinned as a thought occurred to him. "Although the pool is tiny, it's a bit like old times."

Lee opened his eyes and rolled over, fighting sleep to crawl up to where Dustin was. "Yeah, it's nice... like a little piece of memory. Kind of transplanted here." He chuckled, dipping his hand into the water. "It's a spring. See the bubbles? Means the water's constantly cycling out so it's safe to drink." He pointed out where the bubbles were drifting up from somewhere down below. "Aha... I think I'll rest my eyes a bit... I haven't slept in..." Lee folded his arms under his head and buried his eyes away from the sun. "... a while..." He dozed again, this time slipping into a light sleep.

Dustin nodded his head and turned so he could look at Lee as the other man drifted into sleep. With the quiet air and their patch of sunshine, he felt at peace. He took a drink from the spring, but mostly he watched Lee. He felt strange staring normally, but there was no one to call him out on it, so Dustin stared freely. He had a strange feeling like he was watching over Lee. Was that normal for them? Sighing, he reached out and touched a strand of the other man's hair, twirling it with his fingers. The feeling was familiar, but not. He couldn't explain it even to himself. He wanted to feel more of this familiarity, but he couldn't bring himself to do anything about it.

It took a bit longer than usual, but he fell into a deeper sleep under what felt like a warm and unblinking gaze. Vaguely, he felt the ground soften and lose its earthy scent, become more floral, and cottony, warmer, absorbing his body heat. His face was damp, and after a moment he realized they were tears, and didn't question them. It grew clearer why he was crying silently, and it was because of the hole in his chest, the sense of loss acute and painful. Someone was beside him, sitting with legs folded, running a hand over his hair gently. Not insistent, but in a way that let him understand that he wasn't alone. His clothes were uncomfortable, and it took a slight shift to remind him that he was still in all black from the funeral he had gone to just that afternoon. He closed his eyes and let sleep overtake him again. But this time he knew he wasn't alone, because that touch was still there.

Dustin didn't know how long he sat watching Lee. He shifted so he was laying on his side with his head pillowed on one arm. The other stayed near Lee's hair though he felt too mellow to move. I want to love you like I used to. The words echoed loudly in his mind. For a second he thought he spoke them aloud, but he realized his eyes had slid closed. Even if Lee was sleeping, Dustin was glad. He didn't want to say such a thing out loud. Maybe because it was sappy, but mostly because like wishing on a star, he thought it might null the wish. With the peaceful mood, he allowed himself to rest without sleeping himself. He was content to let Lee sleep as long as he liked.

He opened his eyes now and then, feeling someone near. So close he couldn't move, not that he wanted to. A body pressed against his, behind him with an arm wrapped tightly around his shoulder. But it was a limp hold. A sleepy hold. And the breath that tickled his ear was gentle, long sighs. "Du...stin..." Lee shifted slightly and he heard a light, whining moan behind him. His body felt heavy, exhausted despite having slept. A loud, sharp thump startled him into opening his eyes, then bringing up a hand to shield them from the glare of the sun. They were streaming, but not from the sudden transition from dark to light. Where was that thump? It sounded hollow, like a bang on a closed door. He reached around, feeling about for something, but he didn't know what.

A wind picked up, throwing leaves down on them with decent force. Dustin cracked his eyes open when he heard his name. He hummed slightly as he tried to figure out why he was being called to attention. He looked at Lee, frowning slightly. Was he awake or sleeping? Dustin's little bubble of peace had broken though and he frowned more. "Hey...Lee?" He shook the other man's arm lightly, but he didn't let go even after he stopped shaking. He shifted onto his knees and leaned over Lee to look down at his face. "Are you awake? Are you dreaming?" he asked. He decided it was worth waking Lee after all.

Lee had shut his eyes again, and was back in his bed. The knocking had ended and it was rather quiet, until the bed shifted and he saw a shadow above him. A voice he only vaguely wanted to acknowledge. "Lee." The voice was insistent, and he was shaken slightly. "Lee, I gotta go, it's morning. Gonna kiss me goodbye?"

He nodded and reached up, blinking his eyes open as he grasped Dustin's shirt to pull him down. He shook his head and gasped when the sunlight returned and startled him from his dream---or memory? He sat up quickly, putting a hand over his chest. "S-sorry... sorry D-Dustin, I..." He didn't have an excuse. But damn it... so close to that kiss.

Dustin was about to pull away when Lee grabbed his shirt and suddenly their faces were inches apart. He let out a small noise of surprise as his eyes went wide. U-uh...uh....what?" he asked, barely able to form thoughts let alone words. His mind got stuck seconds earlier and refused to catch up with him even as he sat back down and dropped his hands into his lap. He still stared at Lee, but at least he blinked a few times. Suddenly he ducked his head and shook a hand through his hair as he chuckled. "You seemed like you were dreaming and you...called my name..." What was he expecting? He closed his mouth to stop himself from rambling uselessly. But that moment felt like Lee would kiss him and yet...

Lee nodded, shifting so he was sitting with crossed legs. "Yeah, I... was." He sighed. "Memory. I was dreaming about the aftermath of my aunt's funeral. You didn't leave me all night after I came back. So when morning came your mother got to my house because she was looking for you, so you had to go..." He bit his lip and shrugged. "Well, yeah, I guess it felt like it was really happening. So... sorry if I... crossed a line." He jumped onto his knees and started rummaging in the bag he'd set aside before falling asleep. "We can, ah, stay here for another hour, then we'll have to get going..."

Dustin took his time replying. Surprisingly, he calmed quickly. Besides the initial surprise, he wasn't much bothered. He half smiled as he stretched out his legs more comfortably. "Oh...I see. So it was that kind of memory. That's well, I don't think you crossed a line," he said as he looked away, musing his hair again. A part of him said he should be more uncomfortable, but he just wasn't. He smiled a bit more, trying to dispel the awkward air that settled over them. "How long ago was that memory? I want to try remembering it because it all sounds so important."

Lee stopped messing around in the bag, sitting back on his legs, then falling backward, onto his back. "Hmm... Well, we were teenagers, still, of course... A while, but not too long. You were sweet enough not to push me to get over it. You were patient with me. Hell, I guess... that's how I knew you were the best thing in my life at the time... probably ever. You didn't want to leave me. Hell, Dustin, you... sat beside me and watched me go to sleep. You waited just so you knew I'd be okay. I never forgot that." He blinked and closed his eyes to the sunlight.

Dustin's eyes fluttered closed. He didn't try to force himself to remember, rather just sat and breathed. He loved the feel Lee's story gave him...no, the memory. It sounded fictional because of the sweetness so he had to remind himself it was real even if he didn't remember it. And just as he was thinking that, he saw a dark room behind his eyelids. A window to the side let in the faint light of a crescent moon. He sat crosslegged on a bed, looking down at a head of black hair. "Lee, are you asleep yet?" When he got no response, he laid down next to the other.

The memory vanished there and Dustin blinked his eyes open. "Oh..." He glanced over at Lee, his face still full of wonder. "I remember."

Lee gasped, sitting up so quickly his head began to spin, and he had to lie back to wait for that to pass. "Really...?" He asked, getting up onto his knees. "You remember... that?" He looked up, as if praising whatever entity was watching them for Dustin's sudden clarity. "I can't believe it... I didn't think it'd make me this happy, but... damn, I am..." He laughed, falling back and rolling onto his side in front of Dustin. "It feels like there's this huge... breakthrough. Like there's another little silver lining here. Can you remember... anything else about that night? Or the morning?"

Dustin bit his lip, hearing how excited Lee was. It was just a little thing. It wasn't little though. Dustin felt the same way except his awe and surprise left him quiet. Dustin shook his head a little. "I remembering watching you, then falling asleep. And everything was so beautiful in an odd way like the moonlight...and your hair." The memory stopped short there, but already it was a big moment between him and Lee. He didn't have many and most of them were when they were kids. This was indeed, a breakthrough. "I'm really happy to remember something like this. I was searching for that kind of memory."

Lee nodded slowly, blinking rapidly until his vision completely cleared. "Ah... I'm so glad you remember that one... It was really important. Well, important to me... It meant a lot that you stayed with me all night. I was just useless that night, and you dealt with it..." He sat upright and shook his head. "I had shorter hair then." The thought came to him quickly, and Lee jumped onto his knees, grabbing a pocket knife from his pocket and flicking it open.

He didn't slice short, but cut the hair that he'd grown since leaving the States. It was a straight slice, and once he cut it off, Lee shook his head. Now it was above the shoulders, the way it always was. "There... Like a weight's being taken away." He tossed the hair into the grass and stomped it down into the soft earth. Normally he would never have cut his hair, but this was his past, and the hair he'd grown since leaving Dustin was a hook onto his sadistic position he wanted to be gone.

Smiling, Dustin nodded his head. He felt sure the memory was important to him too. If it hadn't been before, it certainly was now, hearing how Lee felt about it. He had been that kind of person. He was that kind of person again. Dustin looked in surprise when Lee pulled out a knife. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but he didn't until after the hair had been cut. He found himself blinking furiously at the shorter haired image in front of him.

Dustin lifted his hand and lightly touched Lee's hair. "Yes...like this," he said softly. "That's how your hair was." He dropped his hand and pulled on his own hair. It didn't even cover his ears properly although it was starting to since he hadn't cut it in a while. "I'm pretty sure my hair was longer then, though it's a little hard to tell from my own hodge-podge memories. It's grown out a bit though. I only cut it this way because it was in the way."

Lee grinned, running a hand through his hair and mussing it up. It was straight and plain black, but that was his Chinese heritage coming out. He sat back on his legs and pulled a hand through Dustin's own dark hair, ruffling it up a little and tugging gently where he hoped was still the right location. "I remember it longer. Back then it seemed... darker. Darker brown. Maybe it's just my own memories making it that way. But I used to loooove it... longer. I like it now too, it kind of... sticks up." He laughed, sitting back and watching the strands shift in a stiff breeze, then go forward over Dustin's eyes when the wind shifted to his back.