tenel_ka | LONG WALK SLASH?

Alright, there was always the subtle Garraty/McVries vibe in The Long Walk, it couldn't be ignored. I know there's actually squealing fangirls out there who are all over Garraty/McVries -- but these parts do nothing to help the two of them get away from this. Somewhere inside of me there is a little voice absolutely squealing for Garraty/McVries = OTP too. For real.

They fight like a married couple -- it's like they heart each other, but bitch and snipe ALL THE EFFING TIME.

(This is one of my absolute favorite passages from any book EVER. It's so Peter. I also adore Ray's: "With a face like mine? I thought you perverts liked the willowy type." OH MY GOD PLEASE MAKE THE SCRIPT OF THE MOVIE AS CLOSE TO THE BOOK AS POSSIBLE. PLEASE.)

"You're all crazy," Parker said amiably. "I'm getting out of here." He put on a little speed and had soon nearly disappeared into the blinking shadows.
"He thinks we're queer for each other," McVries said, amused.
"He what?" Garraty's head snapped up.
"He's not such a bad guy," McVries said thoughtfully. He cocked a humorous eye at Garraty. "Maybe he's even half right. Maybe that's why I saved your ass. Maybe I'm queer for you."
"With a face like mine? I thought you perverts liked the willowy type." Still, he was suddenly uneasy.
Suddenly, shockingly, McVries said: "Would you let me jerk you off?"
Garraty hissed in breath. "What the hell--"
"Oh, shut up," McVries said crossly. "Where do you get off with all this self-righteous shit? I'm not even going to make it any easier by letting you know if I'm joking. What say?"
Garraty felt a sticky dryness in his throat. The thing was, he wanted to be touched. Queer, not queer, that didn't seem to matter now that they were all busy dying. All that mattered was McVries. He didn't want McVries to touch him, not that way.
"Well, I suppose you did save my life--" Garraty let it hang.
McVries laughed. "I'm supposed to feel like a heel because you owe me something and I'm taking advantage? Is that it?"
"Do what you want," Garraty said shortly. "But quit playing games."
"Does that mean yes?"
"Whatever you want!" Garraty yelled. Pearson, who had been staring, nearly hypnotized, at his feet, looked up, startled. "Whatever you goddam want!" Garraty yelled.
McVries laughed again. "You're all right, Ray. Never doubt it." He clapped Garraty's shoulder and dropped back.
Garraty stared after him, mystified.
"He just can't get enough," Pearson said tiredly.
"Huh?"
"Almost two hundred and fifty miles," Pearson groaned. "My feet are like lead with poison inside them. My back's burning. And that screwed up McVries doesn't have enough yet. He's like a starving man gobbling up laxatives."
"He wants to be hurt, do you think?"
"Jesus, what do you think? He ought to be wearing a BEAT ME HARD sign. I wonder what he's trying to make up for."
"I don't know," Garraty said. He was going to add something else, but saw Pearson wasn't listening anymore. He was watching his feet again, his weary features drawn in lines of horror. He had lost his shoes. The dirty white athletic socks on his feet made gray white arcs in the darkness.

(BEAT ME HARD. XD)

And when Garrarty mentions something that happened when he was younger, something a teenage boy would probably be like, "OKAY WAIT WHAT?" at -- he doesn't balk at it one bit. And sure, Garraty could just be talking shit and going crazy, but what he says doesn't faze Peter for a second cause he's too busy worried about HIS BABY.

The event:

Garraty's head dropped and he dozed again.
His mind began to drift clear of his body, a huge sightless camera full of unexposed film snapping shuttershots of everything and anything, running freely, painlessly, without friction. He thought of his father striding off big in green rubber boots. He thought of Jimmy Owens, he had hit Jimmy with the barrel of his air rifle, and yes he had meant to, because it had been Jimmy's idea, taking off their clothes and touching each other had been Jimmy's idea, it had been Jimmy's idea. The gun swinging in a glittering arc, a glittering purposeful arc, the splash of blood ("I'm sorry Jim oh jeez you need a bandaid") across Jimmy's chin, helping him into the house... Jimmy hollering... hollering.

And the ramble:

"You can just cram your fucking platitudes!" Garraty shouted. He licked his lips and put a shaky hand to his face. "I... I'm sorry. That was uncalled for. Stebbins also said I really only wanted to see my mother anyway."
"Don't you want to see her?"
"Of course I want to see her! What the hell do you think I-no-yes-I don't know. I had a friend once. And he and I-we-we took off our clothes and she-she--"
"Garraty," McVries said, and put out a hand to touch his shoulder. "You're falling apart, Garraty. Settle down. Don't blow it."
"Get off my back! " Garraty screamed. He crammed one fist against his lips and bit down on it. After a second he said, "Just get off me. "
"Okay. Sure."
McVries strode away. Garraty wanted to call him back but couldn't.

And I love this:

"Maybe I owe McVries a couple." McVries was still close by, but it was impossible to tell if he could hear their conversation over the din of the crowd. Come on, McVries, he thought. Tell him I don't owe you anything. Come on, you son of a bitch. But McVries said nothing.

And:

At twenty of two Baker fell down and hit his head on the paving. Garraty started to go to him without even thinking. A hand, still strong, clamped on his arm. It was McVries. Of course it would have to be McVries.
"No," he said. "No more musketeers. And now it's real."

MAKEOUT, Y/N? WHAT DO YOU CALL IT? McArraty? GaVries? Reter? Pay? I'm kind of a fan of McArraty.

And when Peter's little sister is all, "PETIE'S GOING ON AN ADVENTURE~!" Petie. Petie. My heart totally broke for that little girl cause she had no idea Petie's adventure had a 99% chance of her brother getting a bullet to the brain.

I feel a fanfiction coming on. D:

(WHEN DID DRAGON*CON GET TO BE 29 DAYS AWAY? OH MY SHIT, I HAVE WORK TO DO.)