Someday, by Tyen

Someday

by Tyen

Pairing: Tom McLaren

Disclaimer: Belonds to Sony/Columbia

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

It was mornings like this that made it all worth it. All the politics, all the headaches of guiding half-skilled clients, it all melted once the early morning sun hit the snow and turned the world into a sea of glittering color. With one more swing, his axe arced into the ice with a satisfying solidity that he tested with a tug before hauling himself over the crux of the shelf. Sitting finally, his boots dangling over the edge, he twisted a long, sharp screw into place and clipped in the last bit of rope.

"It's in!" He yelled to his partner below, and settled back to take in the view. As the pain of standing so long on the front tips of his crampons receded from his legs, he smiled to the mountain crowding his vision - and his mind. K2. Tom felt she had been watching him ever since he'd set up camp on the glacier below, doing her best to seduce him. She wouldn't have to try hard; he'd thought more about her on this trip, than the mountain he was actually climbing - not that Broad Peak wasn't a healthy prize by any means. But to him, all it offered was a spectacular front-row seat to the real reason for being here. As his eyes snaked up the prominent shoulder of her Abruzzi Ridge, he could almost hear her whispering to him. Calling him. Like the siren song of the mermaids luring sailors to their deaths in darkend seas.

"Put it back'n yer pants, McLaren, she's out'a yer league." Andy Bettman called from below, leaning back on his axes to grin at his partner. Tom snickered and helped his friend over the last bit of ice to sit beside him, snorting softly as the brash Australian shoved at him with his shoulder.

"You've been eyeing 'er like you've a death wish, boy. Best to keep yer mind on the climbin' done today than tomorrow."

Tom unzipped his parka and fished under his layers of Gore-Tex and fleece for his water bottle, eyes still on the mountain beyond.

"I'm gonna have her someday, Andy," he smiled,green eyes glittering in the bright morning sun. "Sure as I'm sitting here."

"You 'an what army? Takes a big chunk'o change to dance with Miss K. You'd be doin' good ta get on as camp cheerleader with that pretty face'a yours."

Tom shook his head as the other man fell into loud laughter, hauling himself up onto the sharp points of his crampons and starting for the next wall of ice.

"Come on, Loverboy, we got two more pitches'a rope to fix before the clients get outa their bags this 'morn. You can make kissy-face with yer miss after we get the next camp set."

With another tug on the rope next to him, just for a double check, he scrambled to his feet and took one more look out at K2.

Someday, he told himself silently.

Someday.

The End

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

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