Chapter Text
The sun was barely rising, the birds were just beginning to sing and the weather was looking good. It was promising to be a beautiful day out and Dusty couldn’t help but smile at the sight that greeted him when he left his hangar.
Well, it’s not Piston Peak, but it sure is something…
He still couldn’t wrap his mind around everything that had happened. It seemed like only yesterday that Dottie had told him about his gearbox and now he was standing here, repaired and a whole new person. He wasn’t as naïve anymore, nearly dying and almost losing his mentor had taught him that much. And that wasn’t the only change. Looking back at his past self he could only shake his head. Blade had been right, he had been one of those stereotypical famous people, even if not to the extent as some others were. He had clung to his achievements in racing, had made sure to always be modest about it, yet always looking for a way to present what he had done. Even if it had been subconscious, at the time his racing had mattered to him more than anything else and he’d let that influence his behavior. Considering that that attitude had gotten him to where he was now, it hadn’t necessarily been a bad thing.
Either way, it’s in the past now. Time to move forward.
Stretching his wings a little he exited his hangar and made his way to the runway, savoring the fresh morning air. For being a farmers village, most of the inhabitants liked to sleep in quite late so it was peacefully quiet when Dusty reached the Fill n’ Fly to silently grab some coffee. It was weird to have free access to the fuel supply and to actually have options to choose from. He had gotten used to the standard fast refuel oil they’d had on base and having to ask Maru every time he wanted some. A small smile formed on his lips as he slowly began sipping the drink, still lost in his thoughts. He missed having the team around. At this time the Jumpers would already be causing some kind of chaos. Cabbie would listen to his military communication and in the background, Windlifter’s weightlifting would create a steady rhythm of wood against the ground. Maru would probably be rebuilding something while cursing violently when it didn’t work. And Blade…
‘Come on Champ. Time for some training.’
The smile on his face grew. He really missed them.
“Heya Dusty. What’s got you up and smiling this early in the morning?”
The question pulled him out of his daydreaming and before really registered what he had been asked, he felt his cheeks heat.
“Blushing, eh? What’s brought this on?”
The tone turned slightly teasing and Dusty’s blush only intensified.
“Not going to talk about it, Skipper.”
“Suit yourself. Still, what are you doing up this early? You usually spend every spare minute I give you on your sleeping mat. I mean, not that I’m complaining, but why?”
The blush slowly ebbed away as the memory brought another to Dusty’s lips.
“Force of habit. Blade deemed it unfit for a firefighter to sleep in, so he dragged me out for training pretty early all the time. Now I’m just used to it.”
“Guess I should have tried that years ago.”
“Yeah, you probably should have. Would have saved both of us some trouble.”
Skipper chuckled, regarding Dusty with a look of fond exasperation as he reached for a can of oil to drink. They stayed silent while sipping their oil, enjoying the comfort it brought and allowoing their bodies the time to properly wake up. It had always been like this. They didn’t need to be talking to the other, simply enjoying each others company was enough. If the need arose, they were usually able to read the other’s every little move. Dusty sighed as his thoughts strayed back to the Air Attack, feeling restless with the sudden calm that had been forced on him. It’s no good.
“If it’s not too much trouble, could we go out for a bit of training? I mean it’s not like I really need the exercise, I got plenty of that at Piston Peak, but then again, fighting fires and racing isn’t really comparable, so if you don’t mind, how about the usual round? Just the basics, nothing complicated…”
Skipper only smiled and shook his head. Dusty felt his cheeks starting to heat up again and lowered his head. He’d always been an eager student, but this was new, even for him. Chrysler, I miss it even more than I thought… He hastily gulped down the rest of his fuel. I need a distraction.
“Did I ever say no to you Dusty?”
That made him chuckle. He could think of at least at least a dozen times were Skipper had done just that immediately. Grinning he started rolling towards the runway, Skipper following like he always did and soon they were up in the air. The fresh breeze that swirled around his nose and propeller made him feel free in a way that almost felt foreign, new.
Guess a few near-death experiences do that to you. Blade would probably like this.
And there it was again. He just couldn’t seem to get the helicopter out of his mind. It was mostly random thoughts but still, they were currently occupying the majority of his thinking process, leaving little room for anything else. He absentmindedly headed for the trees, flying through them in more or less complicated patterns and automatically comparing them to Augerin Canyon. Not half bad, but not even close to having the rapids underneath you. He almost hit a few trees when he made a too wide turn, too lost in his thoughts to even realize his mistake until he felt Skipper’s sharp gaze on him. It wasn’t his best performance, not by a long shot, but he wasn’t about to let it go. I need to train! Deep down he knew it was futile, but he refused to acknowledge it, stubbornly turning in a half loop and heading for the silos to do a few radial G’s. I can do those in the middle of the night with my eyes closed. Shouldn’t be too-
“Watch out!”
Dusty’s eyes snapped open, revealing the silo only meters away from his nose. He instinctively pulled up, going straight into a climb and trying his best not to topple over while keeping an eye on any obstacles in the air. With his concentration already divided he nearly missed Skipper coming after him, only realizing he had when they nearly crashed midair. Amidst all the chaos he had completely forgotten to keep an eye on his balance and before he knew it he was falling downwards, spiraling at a rate that made it nearly impossible to restart his engine and get back in the air.
“Dusty!”
‘Champ!’
That snapped him out of it. Maneuvering himself into a few barrel rolls, Dusty managed to counter the spiraling, correcting his flight path and climbing back up. That was close… What the heck is wrong with me? His breath was ragged and by the time Skipper caught up to him, his core beat hard enough that he was sure it could be heard for a mile.
“Dusty, are you alright? You didn’t injure yourself, did you? How’s your gearbox, do you need to see Dottie?”
Guilt hit him. Dusty had never meant to make his coach worry. Skipper had seen his fair share of crashes, he didn’t need to add Dusty to that list as well. Averting his gaze and slowly turning away he answered quietly.
“I’m fine Skipper. Nothing that Dottie could fix. I was just… distracted.”
“You sure Dusty?”
“Yeah. I’m sorry Skipper.”
“It’s alright. Everyone has these days. How about we just go for a flight. Maybe relaxing a little will help your concentration.”
I doubt it, but it’s not like training in this condition is going to get us anywhere. I’d probably just end up hurting myself.
“Why not. Who knows, it might help.”
Skipper just nodded and took the lead, leading Dusty away from Propwash and out into the wild. The sun was shining with its full force by now, warming his plating and the winds had picked up a bit, making it comfortable to glide on them. Dusty found himself unconsciously keeping an eye out for spotfires. All clear.
“So, want to tell me what’s wrong?”
“What?”
“Dusty, I’m your coach and I’d like to think that the two of us are friends. I know you well enough to see when something’s not okay. You desperately wanting to train and then having no concentration and nearly crashing? You can’t say that’s your everyday behavior. So, do you want to tell me what’s eating at you?”
Why am I surprised? It’s not like it’s news that he cares…
“We are friends…”
“Then tell me.”
“Well, it’s kind of a long story.”
“I’ve got time.”
Sighing, Dusty resigned himself to his fate. Maybe talking about it would help. Apart from the fact that he had wasn’t really what the problem actually was, he had yet to tell his friends about the events of the past weeks that had changed his life so fundamentally. Somehow it had felt like something intimate, something between him and the team and of no one else’s concern.
“Well, as you probably figured out already, this has something to do with Piston Peak.”
Taking another deep breath and realizing that Skipper was likely to be less than thrilled to hear what he was about to say, he sped up a bit to fly ahead. Not out of audial range, but far enough to not look Skipper into the eyes.
“When I first came there, Blade was out scouting. I had just landed and kind of gotten to know the rest of the crew when suddenly the alarm went off. They all headed out of course and for some reason I was dumb enough to follow them. I ended up nearly crashing into Blade and then flew right into the retardant. Our first impressions weren’t the best and when he found out I was more or less a celebrity, he was less than thrilled.
Long story short, we got off from a rocky start. During the training, my gearbox was causing some troubles and I almost crashed in the process. The other lectures I did more or less well with, though I never exactly lived up to his standards. Then, at one point he took me out scouting and we kind of melted the ice. He even gave me a nickname. And then there was my first fire, where I still wasn’t quite good enough and the Jumpers got trapped. I saved them with a drop, that was actually the first one that I got right. I guess that was enough to get Blade to trust me. Then the Park Superintendent showed up, a real jerk who only cares about money. When he found out who I was he invited me to the reopening party of the Lodge. The planes that came there flew in too low and spread all the embers from the fire we had just extinguished.
The next day we had bad weather conditions and the fire had split in two. We had to split up, and so it was just me and Blade. That was the day you told me no one had my gearbox, so when Blade explained the strategy I was too deep in thought and didn’t listen. I dropped my entire load and that was a bad mistake. I went to go to the lake to refill, Blade told me not to, to return to base, but I thought he just wanted to get rid of me so I didn’t listen. There were pretty strong crosswinds and when I tried to refill on the lake I got pushed underwater. It stalled my engine and I was swept away down the rapids. Blade panicked, at least I think he did, and I almost crashed down the waterfalls but he managed to catch me in time.
He put me down on the ground but the fire was right there, so he led me to an old mine where we would be safe. I was so terrified that I refused to go in and during that fight, I accidentally told him about my gearbox. He never stopped believing in me. Then in the mine, he shielded me from the flames. The burns were so bad, he must have gone through hell enduring that, and even with that much pain, he still tried to comfort me. He crashed as soon as we tried to take off. He nearly died because of me.
Chrysler, you should have seen him. I’ve never seen a stronger person in my entire life. He doesn’t care what happens to him as long as he’s able to save someone. He cares about everyone and he’s so smart when he makes plans to extinguish a fire. The team’s safety comes before everything else and he still manages to get the fires out. He flies beautifully, he can even do loops and…”
Realizing he had somehow trailed off to only talking about Blade he blushed once again, thankful that Skipper couldn’t see it.
“Oh Skipper, I miss them. It’s nothing against you, I mean you’re great, but it’s just not...”
He didn’t know how to go on from that point so he left the sentence unfinished, hoping that Skipper would understand. The corsair looked thoughtful as they continued flying in silence for a short while.
“Sounds like he is a great guy, that Blade of yours.”
“Yeah, he is.”
One of the greatest people I know. The smile that slowly spread on Dusty’s face at that thought just felt so right. Thinking about Blade felt right. It warmed his tanks.
“Have you ever thought about how you feel about Blade?”
“Feel about? As in…“
“From the way you talk about him and that smile you’re wearing just now, it looks to me like you have a crush on him.”
“What? N- no, I don’t…, it’s not like... Blade?”
Skipper’s warm smile at his stuttered reply only added to his emotional mess that the statement had procured out of nowhere.
No, it’s not like that… Is it?
His expression must have been one of complete horror because the next thing he knew was that Skipper was trying, and failing, to stifle a laugh.
“Oh, Dusty. You act like having a crush on someone is the end of the world. It’s not that bad. In fact, it’s quite wonderful. And most importantly, it’s only natural. There’s no harm in enjoying it. Besides, the way you described Blade, he doesn’t seem to be too adverse.”
Yeah right…
“You really think that I… have a crush on him?”
“Affirmative.”
With that Skipper flew closer, giving him a careful wingbump and chuckling at Dusty’s startled yelp. Come to think of it, my core does race when I’m thinking about him. He’s beautiful too… Chrysler!
“I got a crush on Blade…”
At first, it was nothing more than a whisper.
“I really have a crush on him.”
The more often he said it, the more right the words felt.
“I, Dusty Crophopper, have a crush on Blade Ranger.”
Before he knew it he was laughing, slightly hysterically at first, but gradually more and more relieved. He was repeating the phrase over and over again, releasing a long built up tension that he hadn’t even known was there. It felt good to let it all out. Next to him, Skipper gave up on hiding his laughter, giving him another wingbump and a beaming smile.
“There you go Dust. So, when is the wedding going to be?”
It was meant as a joke, Dusty knew that. Still, that thought erased all the happy feelings that he had felt only seconds ago and left him with a dull numbness mixed with a hint of sadness. It’s not going to be at all.
“Dusty?”
“There’s not going to be a wedding or a relationship at that. I’m his trainee Skipper. We haven’t exactly had the best start and I caused trouble during pretty much my entire stay. It’s a miracle he even considers me a friend. Besides, he had a lover, long ago, that died from an accident. He was the reason Blade joined the rescue force. I can’t compete with that.”
“Dusty, listen. First, you might not have had the best start, but you seemed pretty close to me at the cornfestival. And in case you’ve forgotten, you’re certified now. You’re not his trainee anymore, and as far as I recall, he made you an official member of his team. Second, I don’t know how he feels about that lover of his, but if it really was that long ago, he has probably moved on by now. And even if not, you can help him do so. I can’t promise you that it will work, but I can promise you that you’ll regret it if you don’t try.”
“Even if what you said was true, our friendship is still so fresh. We’ve barely known each other for two weeks. How am I supposed to try and pursue a relationship with him without spending any time with him, without getting to know him? At this rate I’ll never have a chance.”
Dusty’s head slumped and he let himself drop a few meters before absentmindedly climbing up next to Skipper again. It’s not like Blade would ever be interested in me that way anyway. Not after everything that happened.
“And when did you become this unwilling to risk something? I’m sure you’ll find plenty of reasons for the two of you to meet up. If only because you miss them.”
Dusty stayed silent. I wish I could believe you Skip. It’s just not that easy…
As if he read his thoughts, Skipper flew closer, brushing Dusty’s nose with his wing and smiling at him reassuringly.
“It never is Dusty. What makes the difference is whether or not you let that stop you. You proved to the entire world that you are fit to race. You proved to Piston Peak and to us that you can be a firefighter. Now go and show Blade that you can be a lover, a partner, and if you only use a spark of the willpower you used for the other two, things will work out for you two just fine.”
“You can’t know that…”
“You can’t know either unless you try.”
Even if his mind still couldn’t quite believe him, Dusty’s core latched onto Skipper’s words and clung to the hope that they spread. Maybe you’re right. I can’t know unless I try. His core had already made the decision for him. I’ll try. It’s the least I can do. And who knows. It would be nice if I succeeded… The hope slowly grew, pushing the doubt and worries aside to a corner at the very back of his mind. A small smile spread on his lips as he let out a shaky breath.
“Thanks Skip.”
“What are friends for Dusty? I’m happy to help.”
Skipper smiled in return and slowly brought a small distance between them.
“Now that you’ve talked about it, do you think you’re up for some training? Without almost crashing?”
Dusty’s smile grew at the familiar tone. He was slowly beginning to accept what their little talk had revealed to him.
“Absolutely Skipper.”
“Then what are you waiting for?”
And with that, Skipper made a sharp turn and headed back to Propwash Junction full throttle.
“Hey, no fair. That’s cheating!”
Laughing, Dusty sped up and raced after his friend. With the wind passing by, his worries seemed to be carried away, one by one and he slowly found himself relaxing, settling into the familiar thinking process of racing.
Thank you, Skip. I needed that.