Partners In Crime (lietpol/Poliet)

Chapter 8

"You want to be friends with me?"

Ivan was so excited he forgot to add on his signature da?.

Feliks shifted nervously. He looked terrified of the taller Russia. Toris nudged the Pole harshly. Feliks managed to choke out, "Uh, yeah. Like, totally."

Ivan smiled happily, disbelief crossing his features. Toris forced a half smile. He was scared of what Ivan was going to do, but he needed that video.

"Um, Ivan," Toris started his proposal. "Feliks brought over some recording stuff. We thought it would be fun if we could maybe, you know, record us playing a game or something."

Ivan nodded. "Ok. What game will we play?"

Toris let out the breath he'd been holding. At least part of his plan had already worked out. "Why don't you make up a game for us?" Toris suggested.

A thrilled look crossed Ivan's round face. "Yeah..." He looked up at the sky, as if contemplating possible games. "Ooh! Why don't we stretch a long cord between two trees, and then we be tightrope walkers, da?"

Feliks nodded awkwardly. Toris prodded his lips into a fake-smile. "Sounds great! Do we have a cord?"

Ivan nodded, saying he had one in his garage.

...

The three set up the "tightrope". Well, Toris did; he was the one to climb the trees and secure the cord. Feliks set up his video camera and Ivan suggested Toris try out their game first. Perfect. Just as planned.

Toris was already standing on a branch when Feliks starting rolling the camera. "Lights, Camera, Action!" The Pole shouted.

Toris started along the cord, arms outstretched for balance. He was at least twice as high up as he'd been for the previous "fail" videos.

The cord creaked against Toris's weight, but held. Ever so slowly the Lithuanian lifted a foot and slowly raised it in front of the other. The cord groaned, but held. Ivan watched from down below with a childish fascination plastered on his face.

Toris made it about a fourth of the way when the cord started to sag, but held. His breath caught in the back of his throat. If he fell now he wouldn't land on the soft grass as before, but on the hard rock lining the pond instead.

Still Toris continued onward. The only way this would end was if he fell or made it to the other end. Suddenly he began to think this was a bad idea. Hell, of course this was a bad idea!

The rope was clattering beneath Toris's shaking legs, but held. Baby steps, Toris told himself. Baby steps. He was approaching the midpoint. The cord was sweeping dangerously, but held.

Toris was halfway across! He couldn't believe it. He wondered if the video would be as popular if actually made it to the other end.

Suddenly, Toris lost his footing. One foot slipped from the rope. Then another. He fell forward, his legs subconsciously straddling the cord to prevent from falling.

Toris opened his mouth to scream, but no sound could come out. All his weight was being carried between his legs. The corners of his vision became fuzzy and sharp sparks of pain crawled through him. Tears squeezed out of the corner of his eyes.

The rope crepitated. It didn't hold.

To be perfectly honest, Toris was relieved when the rope gave way. It saved his poor, poor nuts.

Luckily for him, Toris had made it onto a stretch of sand, narrowly missing the stony outcrop by the corner of the lake.

That's not to say it didn't hurt. It did. Everywhere hurt. Especially down under.

Toris cradled himself into a fetal position, groaning. Ivan's giggles rang through the cold Autumn air, but the Lithuanian was too baffled to notice.

Feliks abandoned his camera and ran to Toris's side. The Pole cradled his friend's head in his warm, callused hands.

"A-are you okay, Liet?" Feliks had been afraid of Ivan, but that fear was nothing like what he was feeling now. Toris was too out-of-it to respond, but had he looked at Feliks, he would've noticed the desperation in the Pole's eyes. The flat-out distress of seeing someone you care about get hurt.

Toris came around a few second later. "D-did you get it?"

"I got it, Liet. I totally got that damned video."

A/N: Please vote if you enjoyed! Sorry for the short, kind of crappy chapter. I'll be posting more over the weekend. Just a word of info: the next chapter is going to have a surprise that should send all fangirls into squeals 😉