Rob Laird

For sixwordstories

2010-07-13T01:19:34Z

LINK: Cars backfiring. Bad for soldiers' nerves.

For sixwordstories

2010-05-21T01:25:41Z

LINK: Live military, breathe military, die military?

musebyrp | Oh my GOD

2010-05-19T12:02:00Z

LINK: Telling my folks that they're gonna be grandparents should never, EVER lead to my Mom showing my new wife my own baby photos.

Cameras should be illegal when you have kids.

For sixwordstories

2010-05-19T08:12:27Z

LINK: I ain't wearing no cowboy hat.

RP | Breaking the news

2010-05-14T11:04:31Z

[With doesntwaltz, a68whiskey, nevergonnamiss]

Rob was awed. And shocked, and ecstatic, and just plain dumbfounded. It was really difficult to navigate all of those emotions at once, and because of this, he was just walking around with this goofy smile on his face, eyes planted on the ultrasound photo as much as it could be. In fact, even now, as they walked up the hall of the Austin home, Rob had the photo held up to his face, same smile locked in place and proceeding to bang - hand - right into a cabinet filled with china, only just managing not to break anything when Leila, with her impressive reflexes, reached out and caught a teacup before it hit the polished wooden floor.

"It has a nose," Rob said in amazement when he paused and turned to look at her, the smile turning into yet another grin. They had opted on not finding out the sex. They had debated it, and even though the sonographer told them she could see what it was, they didn't want to know. It wasn't like they had long to wait to find out, was it? "Look." He held the photo up for her to see, as if she hadn't already seen it as much as he had. They had been wrestling it off each other since they left the clinic, and even ended up in a minor argument about who would drive, neither wanting to so they could hold the photo on the way home.

NEW HOME | Long Branch, New Jersey

2010-05-14T10:48:08Z

musebysentence | 77.10. Miracle

2010-05-14T02:22:54Z

LINK: Rob knew it technically wasn't a miracle to make a baby, but when the doctor confirmed that Leila was not only pregnant, but eighteen weeks pregnant, all he could do was give a disbelieving laugh and gape at the screen with a strange sensation that someone was about to tell him it was all just a huge joke.

[picture link]

RP LOG with doesntwaltz | Hopes up

2010-05-11T11:34:34Z

[Follows THIS | Backdated to Mother's Day]

Rob tossed his car keys onto the bed and then up-ended the paper bag from the pharmacy he had just arrived back at the Austin home with, tipping out no less than six different pregnancy tests. No two boxes looked alike and he turned to Leila sheepishly. "I didn't know which one to get!" he said, already on the defense of his clearly dorky behaviour. One test they needed, but he ended up coming home with six... and a bag of black jelly beans just because he felt like them. He had stood in the pharmacy for close to an half an hour trying to figure out what one he needed, reading over all the boxes until his head started to spin with potential pregnancy facts. The reading didn't even help in his decision, so he just bought the six most expensive ones, figuring they must be the better options. If he brought them all home, then Leila could figure out which one was the one to go for, but he had to admit, the one with the little screen and not blue lines was kind of cool.

Getting to the checkouts had been a whole other story, too. Taking each test from his basket and lining them up on the counter neatly for the checkout girl, all he earned was a weird, questioning look for her, leading Rob to stretch his truth a little, telling her he was a solider who had just come home from a long deployment... and that he had a lot of girlfriends. She didn't seem overly impressed, but it's all he could come up with at the time before he proceeding to clear his throat and start innocently whistling 'Always Look on the Bright Side of Life' while he waited for her to ring up the purchase. His credit card was offered over and then he bid a hasty retreat from the store, making a note to never go back to that one again. Now he was back in the guestroom they were occupying while they hung around in the wake of Mike's accident. He was anxiously trying to wrestle open the bag of jelly beans, even if it wasn't the best idea for breakfast. "There was like a whole aisle of them and not even any instructions on what to look for. Why do they all seem to be blue, anyway? It ain't like a baby is born blue, is it? Your belly ain't gonna go blue when it hits a certain level. The dude doesn't even shoot blue sperm. You don't pee blue. It's just a conspiracy, meant to confuse us poor dudes trying to look inconspicuous and only managing to make a complete dork of themselves," he insisted just as he got the bag split open abruptly with a rough tug and the jelly beans went flying all over the bed.

Leila looked down at the explosion of black jelly beans with a scrunch of her nose. She hated the bloody things. She hated anything to do with licorice - even remotely. She did start to pick them up, though. Gathering them for Rob so he could put them back in the packet and be able to eat them. She didn't really understand the fetish for blue boxes either when it came to pregnancy tests. When she'd poured the escaped candy back into the bag she eased off the bed and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. She'd managed to pull on one of his shirts as a compromise with clothing. "You gonna be okay, baby?"

Rob nodded as he hugged her back and then rubbed his hands over his face when the hug eased off. "Yeah, it's all good, right? I mean, even if it's not, we're still trying. By the way, the pharmacist thinks I'm an adulterer and Mikey thinks I'm mental with a jelly bean fetish. I told him that's what was in the bag. I nearly bowled him over in the hall, and that's all I could think of to say was in there. He just looked at me like I was mental. Who has a desperate need to get jelly beans from a pharmacy at eight in the morning? No one."

"A pregnant woman?" Leila suggested with a slight smirk. She kept her hand on Rob's back as she rubbed it soothingly, her eyes on his face. He was more nervous than she was, but Leila just couldn't bring herself to start freaking out until she'd actually peed on the stick. The wait was going to be agonising. She glanced down at the array of packages and finally leaned forward to pick up the one with the electronic display. "I feel like I'm about to piss on a remote. I'm surprised they haven't come up with an app for your iPhone so that you can just piss on that, and it'll automatically tell you if you're pregnant, or not. I'm sure Mikey will get it, and the pharmacist can just spend the rest of her life wondering about the man with... six girlfriends."

Rob scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I tried to explain that I was a soldier and had been away a long time, but I think it just more dropped her notion of soldiers in her mind down about ten slots of respect. Which sucks, because it's the pharmacy Mikey's family goes to, and this ain't a huge town. Plus, Mikey ain't going to jump to the pregnant conclusion. I don't think he thought it was jelly beans in there, but god only knows what else his brain will come up with. But better they think I'm a nutcase when I already have the history of it, right? As much as I love you, babe, I ain't letting you piss on my phone."

Leila kissed his cheek, and let go of him so she could rip open the packaging and get the test out. "Hey, I won't piss on your phone. And you are a soldier that's been away for a long time, you just happen to fuck one very special lady instead of several in different ports. Really, who has the energy for that kind of crap, anyway? There's the travel time, the lying, the fucking, the everything... Pfft. Casual lays are casual lays, but keeping up with six girlfriends? Surely she has to realise you're lying. Eventually. Otherwise Mikey's gonna be getting a few funny looks." Leila didn't think pissing on a stick really needed instructions, but she skimmed over them anyway. "Two minute wait... Does that seem long enough to you?"

"I think she thought I was serious, in which case, Mikey's going to get funny looks. I better give him a heads-up, once we know the lay of the land. I just didn't want to say anything to anyone, you know? Felt like I was going to jinx it if I did. I know it sounds stupid, but I feel like I'm preparing for a battle and I'm trying to make sure everything is all in the right place, and we know the lay of the land before we go in," Rob explained, emphasising with his hand. "That even sounded stupid coming out of my mouth. It sounded a lot better in my head. I can do battles! This is just... uncharted territory. Yes, it seems like too long."

Leila tucked the stick into the pocket of the shirt she was wearing and took Rob's face between her hands as she kissed him softly. "This isn't a battle, as much as I know you would love to just be able to strategise for it like one. I love you, Little Rock, but I need you to just take a deep breath for me because I'm about to have to pee on command, and I can't do it if I know you're getting nervous. If you want I'll go into that pharmacy and set her straight. We don't have to say anything, not until we know for sure. But if it's true... we're past the jinx period. I'll be five fucking months along... Okay, now I am going to piss myself. I need to get to the toilet."

"Unless you've just been getting a bit extra cuddly around the middle from burgers and we only just hit the jackpot," Rob pointed out as he nodded, tugging her over towards the bedroom door to hold it open for her. "In which case, if it's positive, I might need to have a chat to Mrs Austin about doctors around here so we can see what's going on. But I'm not going to get ahead of myself. I'm cool, totally chilled," he said, trying desperately to look chilled, even if he was feeling anything but inside and only managed to shoot her a goofy looking smile.

Leila just grinned back at him before she kissed his forehead and disappeared into the bathroom. In the end of the actual peeing was the easy part. She realised now just how much she'd actually been going to the toilet lately. That was a pregnant thing, wasn't it? Women were always going on about their bladders and pissing up a storm while pregnant. She wrapped the stick up in toilet paper and washed her hands after flushing and came back out to Rob. "So now we wait. And I'll try not to get touchy about the burger comment."

Rob dropped down onto the edge of the bed, his leg bouncing anxiously as he started to play with the jelly bean packet, almost to annoyance. "I hate waiting," he admitted. "I meant it in a good way! I actually really love you with some extra cuddly bits. I like you all ways. But it's just..." He set the jelly beans aside so he could tug the shirt up that she was wearing. Standing there in front of him, he had a better view and he brushed his hands over her stomach. "It feels different, looks a lil more... hm... smooth. Does that make sense?"

Leila nodded as she pushed her fingers through his hair and bit her lip. She wasn't opposed to Rob touching her in any way, but the way he was touching her belly with even just the idea of her being pregnant was something new, and something she could definitely get used to. She bent forward as she covered his hand with hers, and kissed him. "It makes sense. Even if it's not... you know what, I'll keep the cuddly bits. Okay?"

"I wonder what it feels like to be pregnant. Not that I'll ever know or anything, but it's a person in there. Moving and growing. I mean, it even feels weird when you eat too much. I wonder how much you're aware of it, or if it just feels weird from the outside," Rob mused quietly, never actually really letting himself think like this in the past. He had never gotten to this point, not even remotely close. "Some people seem to hate it and have a bad time of it, others really love it and think it's the best experience ever."

Leila's hips moved forward a little and she stayed standing as she watched Rob's face. "I don't know, maybe it depends on just how much you wanted to be pregnant in the first place. No doubt there's downsides, and there's uncomfortable parts... I just... I don't know. I haven't really felt different. Not consciously. But that doesn't mean anything... Shit, I won't be able to believe it if I am pregnant. I always thought it was bullshit how you get those chicks on the news that have no idea they were pregnant and then all of a sudden they're popping a kid out."

"You've gotta wonder how they didn't know, though. Like right through, I mean. There has to be a point where you just know something is going on, that you feel sort of different. In saying that, we've been on the road. There's been different feeling all over the place, there's been a lot of sitting and eating different food. Worry about Mikey, even. We've all felt different, so maybe you just missed any of the usual signs you might have picked up if we were rolling with things as usual. I remember Andrew telling me that Ali started to act different, maybe you have too, but you haven't felt it because we've been chilling out?" Rob suggested with a small shrug. "We've been doing a lot of soul-searching."

Leila nodded as she hummed in agreement. "Absolutely. None of what we've been through has been normal lately. We've been in different environments, living very much a life of leisure. There's been no stress. It's been great." She winked at Rob. "Mikey will be okay. We'll keep worrying over him, but he'll be okay. So will Charlie. You're all home safe and sound for a little while, it's time to enjoy it. I happen to be grateful for the time to soul-search. Maybe this is the right time to have a kid if it happens."

"I should start trawling the net for some homes in that Jersey area. Maybe talk to my commanding officers about that job, too," Rob decided, suddenly feeling like everything was very real and maybe even now on a timer, if their suspicions turned out correct. There was a slim chance they might. "I wanted to talk to you about that, actually. How would you feel about inviting Mikey and Charlie along for the rest of the trip? Maybe we could all hit Vegas and just live it up a lil?"

"That sounds like a really good idea, baby. I'm glad that you're finally feeling like you can make some of these moves." She glanced at the clock. Surely the two minutes had to be up, but now she couldn't really remember how long ago they started. There was also a slight fear of what the answer might be. She wasn't sure if she could actually handle it being negative. Her gaze snapped back to Rob's and she smiled. "I think that would be an awesome idea. Plus Vegas means getting to revisit the place we got married. We can actually see some of the sights."

Rob nodded slowly, biting down on his lip. "Mikey'll have to go back to Jersey anyway, so this is one way for it. I don't know when he'll head back to work. But just after that night with him on the bathroom floor, I could see he just needs a break. It's all catching up with him. We just need to figure out if his leg will be okay on the trip, if he thinks he'll handle it. We can stop a lot, stay in more guest houses if he needs sleep in a bed, but it's not entirely implausible. They'd have their own car, ours isn't big enough."

Leila ducked her head as she smirked. "And they probably wouldn't want to be trapped in a car with us, anyway. We can always rotate if Mike needs some time with you, or Charlie." Leila touched his face, her thumb tracing his lip. "I think it's maybe time to check. What do you think?"

Rob smirked. "What, you mean the 'debates' about which road we should take or what to eat for lunch?" he asked with a laugh. They'd had some firey shouting matches occasionally throughout their trip, showing that both could be quite indignant and stubborn when they wanted to be. Probably why they worked so well together. He glanced over at where she had left the test and sucked in a sharp breath, nodding. "May as well get it done, like ripping off a band-aid, yeah?"

Leila laughed as she leaned in to kiss his forehead. "Yeah, those. Alright, here we go. Shit, I'm really nervous, Rob," she admitted as her face suddenly changed to reflect it. She sucked on her bottom lip and was tempted to stay between Rob's legs and ignore the test but she took a deep breath and pulled away to go pick up the test. She came back with it clutched in her hand, and sat next to her husband. "On three?"

Rob wrapped both his arms around her and squeezed her softly. "It's gonna be okay, whatever it says. We're still cool, we still have each other. If it ain't positive, then we just keep trying with the baby-making, yeah? Still got a few weeks of that bet under our belts," he reminded her with a wink and then kissed her temple reassuringly. His own stomach was fluttering nervously, though. He told himself not to get his hopes up, but somewhere between standing in the pharmacy aisle with all the tests in front of him, and now, they had gotten up subconsciously. He was going to be pretty bummed if it wasn't positive. They might not have been trying for long, but they had been trying pretty fucking hard, to the point he was wondering if his whole getting blown up thing might have fucked with his functioning, or maybe stress had lowered his sperm count. "On three."

Leila gave a nod, leaning against him as she tucked her legs up under herself and used Rob as a human cushion. "One... two... three..." She unfolded the toilet paper keeping the stick safe, and looked at the digital read out. Leila sucked in a breath as she just stared at it, really not sure she was reading right. Or even sure she could speak English anymore. "Do you see what I see?" she finally asked Rob in a whisper, still just staring at the word 'positive' on the little screen.

Rob grabbed the stick off her and held it up close to his face so he could get a better view. Then he stopped, squeezing his eyes shut and counting to ten before he looked at it again. Positive. As opposed to negative, because negative would be, well, negative. He could feel his heart start to beat in his chest and it felt like everything rush to the forefront. It was only a moment or two more that he blinked hesitantly at the screen, absorbing it and then he jumped up with a loud shout, waving the stick in the air and doing a happy dance. But only before he pulled her up, wrapping his arms around her and spinning her around. "Positive!" he shouted.

Leila honestly couldn't believe it, but as Rob spun her around and she watched him do the happy dance she started to laugh with joy and wrapped her arms around his neck as she kissed his face all over. "Positive! Oh my god... Oh shit, we're pregnant! We're having a baby. I have to tell Andy. And Luke. Shit. We should tell Mikey." She pulled back to look at his face. "Or should we get the scan first. We should get the scan first. We need to know the details. Like, how long... and everything. Don't we? Are there even scans when you're first pregnant?"

"I don't care, we're having a baby!" Rob cried happily. He caught her lips in a bruising kiss, feeling like he just wanted to stand there and laugh he was so happy. His face was already hurting from smiling more than he had in a long time and it was taking all his effort not to run to the door and shout to everyone in the house that he was going to be a daddy. He stopped, giving a breathless laugh of relief as he lowered her back down to look at the reading again. It was real, he wasn't dreaming it. No one dreaming would feel like they wanted to pee this bad from excitement. He danced on the spot again and then did a victory lap of the room, holding the stick up in the air. He came to stop in front of Leila again, crouching down in front of her and resting his hands on her stomach. "I don't know if you have ears yet, but I just have to tell you that you're the best thing I ever did. Fuck winning and fuck medals, this is it. Right here."

Leila could feel tears pricking the backs of her eyes and she pushed her glasses up into her forehead so she could try and brush the tears away. She was still grinning hard, but there was just a sudden surge of emotion at seeing the way Rob reacted. She really hadn't seen him smile that in months. She sniffed as she laughed off the tears, and combed her fingers through his hair as she looked down at him. "I love you, Rob. So much. And I'm just... We're having a baby! Shit."

Rob rose up again, cupping her face in his hands and kissing all over her face. "You are amazing, darlin'. We made a baby, and we didn't even know it. I don't deserve you, I don't. But I'm glad you came into my life and gave me the world." He bounced up and down on the balls of his feet, almost squealing in excitement as he continued to grin until his whole face hurt. "Can I tell Mikey? Please, please, please?"

Leila cupped his face in return, and leaned in to kiss the tip of his nose. "You deserve me, you just don't realise it. You look like the biggest kid in a candy store right now. Of course you can tell Mikey. I might see if I can call Luke and Andy. The should know."

Rob really did make a squeaking sound of excitement this time and was about to turn away, but then he was back, kissing her again and then breaking it as quick as it started. He beamed at her, with a happy shrug. "Happy Mother's Day, darlin'," he told her and then bolted for the door, flinging it open. "MIKEY! I'M PREGNANT!"

Word Count | 3,674

RP LOG with doesntwaltz | Miscalculations?

2010-05-09T04:58:05Z

It was one of those days Rob just really didn't want to get out of bed. Not so much a bad day, but just a day he didn't really want to face anyone but his wife. He had them occasionally, where he was content to stick out the daylight hours in an oblivious coocoon just with Leila. They were still stopped at Mike's family home, and probably would be until he got back on his feet a little easier. Now that he was taking the prescribed medication, he seemed to be coping a bit better. But the post-deployment funk had set in a little, and it did have Rob wondering how Leila would feel if he suggested Mike, and maybe even Charlie too, tag along on their road trip. They could get a car and just convoy their way through the rest of the trip. It could be a lot of fun, and maybe what the doctors ordered.

Rob, however, had other things to think about that morning. He was maybe in just a small sulk that Leila still wasn't pregnant yet. No symptoms at all and he was starting to wonder if he was maybe not aiming right or something. Did you have to aim to hit the jackpot. He was still in bed under the mound of covers, the top of his head, one eye, and his nose the only thing visible from under them where he lay on his stomach. He watched Leila by the dresser digging around for something in her bag, perving on her bare butt but actually feeling just a tiny bit too tired for a fuck after going four rounds the night before. "Is it possible to out-fuck yourself?" he asked, the question muffled against the pillow. "I don't even have morning wood. I think something's wrong."

Leila turned to smirk at him over her shoulder, wearing her glasses despite the fact she was still naked. She always kept them by the bed in case she needed to actually focus on something, and right now she was glad of it. At least she could find her glasses even if she couldn't find a pair of pants that would apparently fit. She'd never once had a problem pulling on her jeans, but this morning when she went to get dressed to grab some breakfast to bring back to Rob, she just couldn't get the fucking things on. "Out-fuck yourself? Baby, you've been out-fucking yourself since I met you. Just when I think the sex can't get any better - it does. Except for that one time when we tried that whole rolling in the sand with the waves crashing over us. Fuck that for a joke. I still had sand in my crack two days after, and I think I snorted a litre of sea water." She huffed out a frustrated breath as she tossed the bag on the floor in disgust and pressed her lips together as she faced Rob. "Maybe you're just tired, Little Rock. Or maybe it's a side effect? Do I look fat to you?"

"A side effect of what? I ain't started any new meds, and I ain't been pinching Mikey's either." Rob pushed the covers away from his face and rose up on an elbow with a snort. "What? Fat? Are you serious? Did you just ask me if you look fat? No you don't look-" But he paused, pulling his lips to the side a little. "We have been eating an awful lot of burgers," he pointed out with a shrug. "But that doesn't mean I think you look fat, otherwise I'd be looking fat too. Why the hell do you think that? Why are you all... thingy? I dunno. Huffy." He reached under the blankets and gave himself a lethargic scratch as he yawned widely.

Leila turned to the side as she looked at him, rubbing her hand over her stomach as she tried to work out if it was bigger, or not. "I don't know, maybe it's a delayed reaction from the meds you are taking? Or maybe you really are just exhausted. And yes, I just asked if I looked fat. I can't fit into my jeans. My jeans, Rob!" She walked over to the bed, and reached for his free hand as she held it flat against her stomach. Rob's fingers almost spanned the width of her abdomen, so really it was ludicrous for her to think she was getting fat. "I don't even get this bloated when it's my period. I don't feel fat, but something must have fucking changed."

Rob just blinked, watching his hand on her belly. He was clueless to women's thingies. He was sympathetic and caring at the right times usually, so he wasn't a complete bloke all the time. He was capable of being sensitive, and it had never been an issue with Leila. They just did their thing and he hoped he didn't rub her up the wrong way when she had PMS and find himself with a camera up his ass sideways. He made a small 'I dunno' sound and shrugged, but then after a moment, his features changed and he brushed his fingers back and forth across her flat stomach. "Awww," he murmured with a wistful smile and then sighed.

Leila was still frowning but as she watched Rob stroke her belly she couldn't help but get a smile of her own and stick her stomach out a little as she thought about what it would be like to be pregnant. She really did just want to be pregnant. She was finding herself more and more desperate to just wake up and suddenly want to puke her guts up, or to be late with her period. But it never happened. She ran her fingers through his hair before she bent forward to kiss his temple. "I know, sweetheart."

Rob squeezed his hands around her waist and the rolled onto his back, pulling her with him so she had no choice but to follow and sit straddled over him. In the new position, he started to gently feel around her waist and her belly to understand what she was on about and then he hummed in thought. "It feels a little different," he admitted her and then brushed his thumbs up past her hips. "Only here, it feels not as boney," he told her with a cheeky grin.

"Mm..." Leila couldn't help but enjoy the feel of straddling him again, and purposefully wriggled and rubbed against him as she got comfortable. She still had her fingers in his hair, rubbing the tips against his scalp as she looked down at his hands on her body. "Not as boney? Maybe because your morning wood isn't inches deep inside me for a change," she said as she grinned back. Leila tilted her head in thought and then her hands went to her breasts as she felt them. Her forehead creased with a frown. "I think... my boobs are bigger. And they kinda feel sore." Considering the fact that she and Rob spent most of the time fucking, or in the car she'd barely bothered with a bra the whole road trip but now she had her breasts held firmly in her hands she really was starting to wonder about them.

"Is it that time of the month?" Rob asked her, raising his eyebrows as he looked up at her. Now he was purposefully staying well away from her boobs. "Actually, come to think of it, I've totally lost track. When was your last time of the month? Feels like ages now. All this fucking is frying my brain cells. Back home, I used to know what you had that lil pink dot thing on the calendar that it was going to be hands off for a week. We ain't got that calendar out here." His hands went from her hips around to her ass, and he squeezed it, pulling her against him. No morning wood didn't mean he couldn't appreciate the fact she was sitting in his lap naked. Something was definitely stirring.

Leila started to shake her head before she stilled and just stared at Rob as she tried to do the maths in her head. She pictured the calendar and started to count days. Her period had been light for a while now, but she'd just assumed it was because most of the stress had been taken away now she had Rob back safe and sound. She ran the palm of her other hand down his chest, and moaned softly as he squeezed her arse. "I don't know," she admitted. "I was thinking that maybe it was, but I can't actually remember what state we were last in when I had my period. It had to have been before Maine."

Rob stilled, looking up at her with wide eyes. "You don't think..." But he shook his head. "Nah. Even I know you wouldn't be showing this soon." He rested his head back against the pillow, hating how much even for a couple of seconds his gut had leapt up into his throat in excitement of the prospect. He didn't know what was wrong with his cock, but he did know Leila had absolutely no pregnancy symptoms and it felt like they had been trying for ages now.

Leila ran her tongue over her lips as she kept looking at Rob, her eyes searching over his face as the cogs turned in her mind. She had both hands running over his torso now, enjoying the feel of his body under her touch as the arousal started building inside her. She'd always been attracted to Rob, always been more than reactive to him, but she couldn't remember ever being horny this much before. The babymaking had just seemed to have flicked a switch inside her and she wanted him all the time. She rocked her hips in a steady rhythm as she stayed sitting on top of him. "Unless it happened earlier..." she murmured, finally voicing where her thoughts had been going.

"What? No. We only stopped with the pill and condoms a few weeks ago. And wouldn't you know? I thought there was supposed to be all throwing up and mood swings and, I dunno, bloating?" Rob offered cluelessly. He looked up at her sheepishly. "I Googled and just found all these blogs with girls complaining about spewing, flatulence and constipation. Not that I'm saying you don't have any of that! Maybe you do, it's not something you would announce, is it? You haven't been feeling sick, have you?"

Leila shook her head. "No, not really. Maybe a bit of extra wind compared to normal, but nothing gross or embarrassing. I just figured it was the hamburgers. Sometimes you get the rare pregnancy where the woman escapes relatively scot free. I Googled too. I'm just trying to think if there's a time I forgot my pill, but the only one springing to mind is New Year's, but was months ago. It's such a drunken hangover blur that I really can't be sure if I took it, or not. I don't even know if we used condoms in our attempt to fuck the pain away. You took a few days to calm down and I remember the healing sex. I just... I can't remember that far back. Not when it comes to taking my pill."

Rob shook his head too, though slowly as he was frowning a little, trying to wrap his head around it. "We didn't. Use condoms, I mean. It was probably three days where I hardly left the bedroom, we just didn't use them. It actually didn't even cross my mind, but I guess it was already clogged with other shit. I just needed to get close to you. You really think you missed a pill? All the way back then? Five months?" He looked over her body and her stomach, wondering if it was possible for a five month baby to be in there somewhere and then he looked up at her again. "And what about that morning in Michigan when we were starting to head to Little Rock? You were sick, we had to stop. It was before we decided to stop with the condoms."

Leila slowly nodded as she listened, agreeing with everything he said. "I hadn't even eaten anything strange, and I never get motion sickness. It was just... sudden. I thought my insides were going to crawl out my throat. Shit..." She was staring at him now, her eyes wide behind the glasses. "Five months, Rob! Five fucking months... I could be pregnant. I'm not fat! I'm... fuck. Shit. No! It can't be... But then how do you... And there wasn't--Oh my god."

"Wait, wait. Don't go freaking out on me. We can't be sure! It's just speculation. I mean, look at you. There's nothing of you! How is a baby that's five months along even fit in there? If you're five months, that means we'd only have, like, sixteen weeks before you give birth and that's just... that can't be right! No way can it be right. You were just feeling rough that day, it was probably a bug. It's only been once. It's only been once, right? Right?! And it ain't like you've been gassing me out in bed or getting sore feet or anything!" Rob had managed to sit up a little underneath her and was now waiting for her to confirm everything. No way were they having a baby in sixteen weeks.

Leila was could only stare before she looked down at her stomach again as if she would suddenly have x-ray vision and could tell if she was pregnant. "I don't know," she finally whispered. "I just don't know. Maybe we should at least get a test? I pee on the stick, and everything's cool. It'll be like a practice run for the real deal. Or it might actually be the real deal and we're about to have the biggest fucking surprise ever."

"Maybe you just need the bathroom? Maybe that's why the jeans don't fit?" Rob asked, his voice a little higher than it normally was as some strange emotion had started flipping over in his gut. "Maybe it's Mrs Austin's cooking? It's really awesome cooking. She thinks we all need to put on weight, maybe she's just been spiking the cookies with lard or something? Maybe I should check my jeans? They might not fit either. Because five months is just..." He started to laugh, shaking his head.

"I know," Leila replied as she started to laugh herself. It really was ludicrous. She couldn't be pregnant. There was just no way. "Fat cookies. No wonder they taste so delicious." She leaned forward to kiss Rob softly. "I don't think you need to check your jeans just yet, Sergeant."

But Rob had paused again and when the kissed eased off he was looking at her with wide eyes. "We could could be pregnant," he whispered and swallowed nervously.

Leila pressed her lips together as she looked back at him. "I know," she whispered. "But I just... I don't want to get too excited in case it's not that."

Rob patted her ass and went to sit up in the bed. "I can't wait. I can't, I'll go mental and I don't want to go mental again. I'll get dressed and go out to get a test. Why wait, huh? If we do, everyone will think something is up because we're acting weirdly. 'Least if we find out, we'll know for sure and we can stop dwelling on it, yeah?"

Leila reluctantly slid off her husband and tried not to pout when she was clearly intent on other things occurring right then. Only Rob had a point, and she couldn't really fault him. "Yeah, okay. Are you sure you want to go alone, though? Just be quick! I miss my human seat."

"I would go with a whole orchestra and a chorus of dancing girls if I had to. But you stay here, I'll be quick. I know the town like the back of my hand, and I'll be back before you know it, babe. Promise," Rob added with a smile and sat forward to give her a kiss. "In the meantime, I better take a wiz, or I'll wet myself from nerves before I even get to my car."

"Well, I don't want you wetting yourself," Leila replied before she pulled him back for another kiss and finally let him go as she flopped back on the bed, her hands automatically moving to her stomach as she rubbed it. She might really be pregnant, and the thought wasn't as scary as she had expected.

Word Count | 2,802

musebysentence | 72.13. Up the duff

2010-04-28T08:39:18Z

LINK: Rob could only smile at Leila sheepishly when she caught him staring at her belly as if she was about to sprout a pregnancy bump before his eyes if he willed it hard enough.

RP LOG with a68whiskey | Returning the favour

2010-04-26T04:20:31Z

[Follows THIS]

For as long as he could remember, Rob had been a light sleeper. A lot of it was probably born of being a soldier, but it never took much to wake him up. It had been a pain in the ass when he had been recuperating from the whole getting blown up thing. He had been a cranky bastard more often than not both from pain and lack of sleep, but again, he had been infinitely lucky to have Leila by his side putting up with it and learning how to handle him at his worst as well as his best. That was what marriage was all about at the end of the day, the vows just said it in a much more fancier way.

Tonight, it was a strange noise out in the hallway that had him woken abruptly, ears straining to listen for what it was. He had woken earlier with an urge to use the bathroom, but must have rolled over and gotten comfortable spooned up behind Leila and gone back to sleep. He was still in that same position now, both of them naked and cuddled under the covers again. There had been the hot wall sex earlier out in the backyard, but when they came to bed after taking a shower, they just seemed ready for another round. This time, however, it was much slower and intimate, wrapped around each other under the covers and after, they just fell asleep in much the same embrace. Rob didn't know what time it was now, but he knew he had definitely heard a noise. He carefully slipped out from under the covers so he didn't wake Leila and then pulled on his t-shirt and trackpants that had been draped over their bag near the dresser. The house was cosy, so there was no need for socks, and even though he was cautious and wary, uncertain to what the noise could be, he didn't hesitate heading out into the hall to see what was going on. He just didn't really expect to find what he did.

"Mikey?" he said in a hushed voice, hurrying over to where his friend was up on the crutches but slumped against the wall shaking and sweating heavily. When he reached his side, he realised in concern that Mike wasn't well, in fact he vomited down the front of his shirt, though only a little.

Mike was panting heavily from exertion, tears trickling down his face as it just got too much to bear. "Pain... it hurts..." he got out hoarsely. He rested his head against the wall as a small sob caught in his throat, but he swallowed it back. "Can you help me to the bathroom?"

Rob was already taking one of the crutches from Mike to drape his arm around his shoulders. It was a miracle Mike was even upright on his own, but he had the upper body strength to pull it off, but in his weakened state, it wouldn't last. "What are you doing up and around on your own anyway, buddy? You should've called for help, someone would have come. Lean on me, okay? It's okay, I got you." He left the crutch leaning against the wall and wrapped his arm around Mike's waist to take his weight. "That's it, good lad. We'll take it slow, it's okay. We'll get you cleaned up too. Is it the pain, or were you feeling sick before? I ain't gonna preach at you, but you can't survive a bullet in the leg and an op to fix it on Tylenol."

"Probably the pain," Mike conceded weakly, leaning on Rob gratefully and thankful he didn't have to grip hold of one of the crutches now. The bathroom wasn't far away, but it felt like a miles. It wasn't lost on him how ironics this was, their positions in the reverse just a few months prior. Rob had promised endlessly he would return the favour one day and Mike couldn't be more relieved that it was now. He had been about ready to break down in a sobbing mess of agony. He had tried to get to the bathroom alone so he wouldn't need to wake anyone up, but as soon as he got out into the hall that short distance, he had known it was a mistake. The pain had been unbearable and he soon found himself giving into the burning nausea in his gut. He had the crutches there for very short distances and to use once he healed a little more. But he knew now it was still too soon to be moving alone. Doctor's orders were there for a reason, funnily enough. "This is... it's just my leg... how did ya' do it... for months... all over?"

Rob bit down on his lip, shaking his head. "Dunno, buddy. I really dunno. Can't remember a lot of it. It's a haze. I think my brain blocked it because I just couldn't tolerate it, and I was on shit loads of painkillers and meds. Maybe that's why, but I don't care. I wouldn't have survived it otherwise. You ain't gonna get hooked if you need it, okay? What have you been prescribed?" They reached the bathroom door and Rob carefully pushed it open as he kept a hold on Mike, and then reached in to flick the light on. He squinted in the brightness of it with a small grunt. He must have been in a pretty content sleep because his eyes felt scratchy and puffy now with the bright onslaught. "Okay, do you need a slash, or were you just trying to get here because you felt sick?"

Mike gave a small, tired laugh and shook his head. "I can't even remember, on both counts. My brain feels like mush. Still reelin' from Charlie bein' here." But he paused with a small frown. "She is here, right? I ain't imagined it, I ain't going crazy? I still ain't feelin' so hot. I just needa sit down. Just help me sit on the floor where it's cool. I'll worry 'bout gettin' back up later."

"She's here," Rob confirmed and had no intentions of arguing with what Mike wanted, even if sitting on tiles with a fucked up leg might be a bad move. He still remembered the weird and fucked up things he felt like he needed when he was recovering, and there was even a couple of nights he spent sleeping on the bathroom floor when he felt like he wasn't ever going to shake the nausea. He held his friend up and took the other crutch, gradually and carefully easing Mike down onto the floor by the toilet once he threw a bath towel down so neither of them would get cold butts. He was going to sit there as long as Mike needed to, no arguments. "Give me two seconds, I'll be right back, dude." It was probably a bit longer than that, but he quickly went to Mike's room and collected a fresh t-shirt and a bathrobe in case he wanted it, and then was back a few moments later to hand Mike the glass of water he picked up from the nightstand on the way out of the bedroom.

Mike gratefully accepted the water and took a long drink from the glass, feeling more parched than he realised. It washed the horrible taste from his mouth and then he just set the glass down to start pulling the soiled t-shirt off. "I feel like crap," he admitted and tossed the shirt aside with a sigh. "I told her I was fine, and I ain't even sure why. I'm in agony and I'm so tired. I just ain't exactly sure how I'm 'sposed to deal with her bein' here. It was awesome to see her, but beyond that, I dunno if I have the energy to deal with it right now. I just... it just... feels too much. Not Charlie, the pain. It's too much," he added in a whisper as emotions built up in him and he felt more tears drip down his cheeks.

Rob watched his friend sympathetically and crouched down in front of him. He took Mike's forearm softly. "I'm gonna help you get the clean shirt on, buddy. Just relax and chill, I got it," he assured him. It was a little awkward, but he eventually got there and was soon sitting beside Mike, their backs resting against the bath tub. He rested his hand on Mike's shoulder and gave it a squeeze. "It's okay to have a good cry, dude. Helps a lil bit. Ain't taking nothing away, but it seems to release some of the tension. We thought it might be nice for you to have a surprise with her coming home. It's a lot to take, for sure, but you should let her help you, man. She's back now and she's gonna be back for at least a lil while. I know I sound like a broken record when I say this, but I wouldn't have survived none of it without Leila. She helped me feel alive, even just a lil tiny bit on those bad days. Feeling her hand in mine, feeling her stroke my hair when I was in head-to-toe agony, it just gave me something to lean on."

"She's got her own shit to deal with, just comin' home and all," Mike replied through gritted teeth when the pain shot through his leg. He tried to massage out it out, but there was no easing it and he was soon cursing colourfully through the tears. But they subsided, even if he was left breathless and sweaty all over again. "Fuck it. Fuck it to hell. I just wanna be able to get more than a coupla hours sleep without wakin' up feelin' like my leg is on fire. I feel sick, I can't think straight. I know I gotta all rely on people right now, but the middle of the night is bullshit when everyone else is tryin' to sleep? It ain't fair. Fuck!" he growled in frustration, banging his fist against the tiles to try and force the adrenaline away from pulsing through his wound.

"Where's the pills? Did you get pills or just a script? Mikey, you know what's bullshit? This. You trying to outdo the pain. It doesn't work. Trust me, it just doesn't work. Even if you just take the does to help you sleep and not any other time. Come on, dude. Tell me where they are and I'll go and get them, yeah?" Rob urged, patting Mike on the back. "Biggest lesson I had to learn was the body ain't gonna get better when it's too weak to fight anything. You can take the pills and I'll stay with you until they start to kick, then help you back to bed. Deal? Mikey?"

Mike sighed, drawing his good knee up and draping his arm across it to rest his head on his elbow. "Kitchen," he finally conceded hoarsely. "Near a pile of discharge papers and dressin's and shit. Don't happen to wanna get me a beer while ya' out there, do ya'?" He was only half joking from where his face was buried in his arm. He didn't have the energy to fight his friend, and he hadn't been lying when he had told Charlie about Rob's potential Drill Sergeant lurking in there. Rob could out-argue him at ten paces.

Rob was already up and heading out to the kitchen, though. He was quiet, feeling his way up the hall with just a tiny bit of light coming in through the windows of the front door from the street lamps. When he got to the kitchen, he only turned on the stove light so he could see around the large room. It was a huge country oak kitchen with expensive fixtures and a large island in the middle. A lot like you might see in the a home and garden magazine. Mrs Austin had always loved cooking, so the awesome kitchen wasn't surprising. Rob still had memories of sitting around that kitchen island in his cadet training days stuffing himself on cakes and cookies. He looked around for any pill bottles or piles of papers and found what Mike was talking about near the kettle beside a pile of recipe books. he was relieved to see four pill bottles there and not just scripts, so he picked them up to see what had been prescribed. Mike had Oxycodone for the pain, and the same post-op antibiotics Rob had taken indicating he might have an infection that he had failed to mention. The antibiotic bottle was half-full, showing that Mike had been taking those, but the Oxycodone looked untouched, as expected. The third bottle was a mild sedative that Rob also recognised and he sighed, realising how easy it should have been for Mike to get pain relief and help to sleep. It was the fourth bottle that had Rob intrigued, though, and he looked at the bottle label with slight confusion. Lexapro. An antidepressant. He didn't snoop any further, he just picked up the painkillers and sedatives, switched the light off and quietly padded back up the hall to the bathroom. He handed the two bottles to Mike and refilled the glass of water for him. It was only when he was sat back down beside him did he plant him with a questioning gaze. "Lexapro, dude?" he finally asked quietly. "I thought it was an accident?"

"It was," Mike murmured as he uncapped the painkillers and poured two of the pills into his palm. He tipped them into his mouth and then washed them down with a sip of water. "It was just a reckless one. Have you taken sleepin' pills before? They kinda worry me. I ain't ever taken much stronger than Tylenol before. 'Sposed to have funky side effects."

Rob was looking at Mike, his mouth hanging open slightly. "I, uh..." He wet his lips. "The painkillers will have worse side effects if you're gonna get them. Nausea, lightheadedness, dry mouth, constipation... nothing serious. Nothing worse than having a bullet in your leg, anyway. Sleeping pills probably ain't gonna bother you much at all. Reckless? What ain't you telling me, dude? I've had a weird sick feeling in my gut for days that you might done this deliberately... or something. Something wasn't sitting right with the story."

Mike was quiet for a long time, staring at the pill bottle in his hand, but he soon reached up to swipe a thick layer of sweat off his forehead with the back of his wrist. "I panicked. First time in a long, long time that I ever did that. Somethin' just snapped in my head when I got out there and I was... was seein' ya' lyin' there. I know I wasn't the one to pull ya' out after the explosion, but when I got out there to the dude, it was just like it ya' lyin' there and I had to save ya'. We were in suspected landmine territory. I rushed in without waitin' for a clear. Dude's rifle was still in his hand without the safety on, obviously. He had a seizure, pulled the trigger. Got me in the leg."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Rob asked hoarsely, his eyes locked on Mike's face in disbelief. He had suspected something along those lines, but to hear it had floored him.

"Baby makin'," Mike replied with a hint of a smirk at his friend. He sipped the water, his hands even tremoring now from the pain. It was strange, because he remembered the exact same symptoms in Rob when he was first home after the whole ordeal, just more in the extreme. Right now, Mike could understand on some level how bad his mate must have been feeling back then. "I ain't sayin' ya' didn't have time for me, because ya' did and it's been awesome havin' y'all here. Nice surprise to come home to. I just didn't wanna dump none of it on ya' when ya' actually lookin' happy and relaxed for the first time since ya' got back home. I slipped, dude. My subconscious got the better of me. Guess it really was time overdue for my R and R."

Rob pushed his fingers through his hair and then rubbed his hand over his face for it to finally rest over his mouth as he let out a rough, heavy breath. He couldn't help feeling responsible, and guilty, about Mike's revelation. The thing was, he could understand. Subconscious was a horrible thing that could betray you in the blink of an eye. After a moment, he got up and went to the sink to wet a face cloth, bringing it back so Mike could wipe his face. "The antidepressants... they're...?"

"Precaution," Mike explained, taking the cloth gratefully and wiping his face with a relieved and heavy sigh of pleasure at the coolness against his heated and flushed skin. "They're there if I need them. The shrink in my debrief told me I was in a risk category for, surprise surprise, PTSD. I'm okay, I ain't so much lyin' 'bout that. In my head, I'm okay, just exhausted. Physically, I'm fucked up. But maybe ya' right, it ain't gonna hurt to just try the pills. 'Specially now I'm in so much agony I threw up all over myself and can't even remember if I was tryin' to get outta bed for a piss or not. Just... bein' there and helpin' Leila take care of ya' after ya' injuries, nearly losin' ya', seein' ya' tryin' to claw ya' life back, I guess it stuck with me a lot more than I thought. None of that is ya' fault, dude. None of it. It's just... family. When ya' family hurts, ya' hurt with them. I'm gonna be okay. I just need time. Right now, I ain't doin' so good, but I'm doin' better because I'm home."

Rob picked up the bottle of sedatives and opened it, taking one of the pills out and holding it up for Mike pointedly. "That means family gets to be a nagging pain in the ass when it's necessary," he said quietly and handed the pill over. "Has the guilt set in yet? Wondering if your panic might've put the injured dude at risk? Wondering if you might've cracked with some of your other patients? Because you know, lack of sleep ain't gonna help any of that. It makes it worse and that's whan you start thinking you're going mental."

Mike met Rob's eyes, but took the pill and swallowed that one too. He nodded and wet his dry lips. "Yeah, it has a lil bit. I'm just glad the bullet got me and not him or my colleagues. Ya' know what it's like, though. Gotta live with it now."

Rob raised his eyebrows a little at this reply. "The pills. That's why you ain't been taking them. You're trying to punish yourself because you think you should live with the pain because you fucked up," he guessed and then sighed. "Mikey, it's war. Why're punishing yourself for trying to save a dude's life? One error, buddy, when you were running on empty at the end of a long group of deployments. You ain't Superman, you're a combat medic, who is human under the camos. To tip the scales, how many lives have you saved over your years as a 68W? Here, under this roof, you've already got two. You don't deserve the pain, dude. No soldier does."

After watching him closely, listening to him talk, Mike held Rob's gaze. "How long did it take ya' to learn that lesson?"

"Can I get back to you on that one?" Rob asked sheepishly with a hint of a smirk. "Didn't say I practiced what I preached, but I'm fucked in the head. Rationality takes a lot of work. What I can tell you though is this. Learn by my mistakes. Stop, rest, heal... let yourself be taken care of, even if you ain't wanting to be a burden. It took me far too long to learn that lesson and people I loved got hurt from it. Maybe still are some days. None of us want to see you suffering like this when you don't have to."

Mike nodded and then smiled weakly at his friend when he could feel his eyes getting heavy like he was slightly drunk. "Thanks, dude. I needed the proverbial boot up the ass. Now go back to ya' gorgeous wife, make lotsa babies so Uncle Mikey can spoil them rotten. I'll... be okay."

"Bullshit," Rob murmured, feeling sleepy just watching Mike's pale face and drooping eyes. "But that's okay. Just chill and not be okay for a few days. We'll have your back, buddy. Starting now, when I help you back to bed just like I promised. I'll even tuck you in," he added with a smirk.

Mike huffed a slight laugh. "Need practice for your bubs?"

Rob smiled to himself and glanced over at Mike again. "Here's hoping, dude. Here's hoping."

Word Count | 3,548

[NSFW] RP LOG with doesntwaltz | Baby Making

2010-04-26T02:59:58Z

After leaving Mike's room, Leila had ducked to the bathroom and Rob had stepped out onto the back porch of the Austin home. The air was cool and crisp, but not exactly cold. Fine enough for Rob to be standing out there in a short-sleeved button up shirt. He was standing on the back steps, looking up at the stars in the clear Texas sky, a pensive and strangely calm expression on his face considering the tension he had managed to build in the car ride back from Houston. He was such a rollercoaster of emotions these days that he sometimes wondered why the fuck Leila still wanted to put up with him. He could go from fine to a crying mess in the blink of an eye. He could also go from quiet to yelling at her just as quick. It wasn't like it was all the time. He didn't come across as completely screwed in the head... not quite. Just now and again, he had these bursts of emotion he couldn't really control. She just took it all in her stride, though. He just didn't know if he would ever fully understood why she wanted to deal with that in her life. He was just glad she did. Now, he wasn't sure he could live without her. In fact, he was certain he couldn't. He wouldn't have lived through the tragedy in Afghanistan and survived out there as long as he did without drawing on her for strength, even if it was just memories of her.

His thumbs were hooked into the pockets of his jeans as he just continued to take in the view of the starry sky. He was lucky to be alive, and he knew that every minute his heart kept beating. Everything with Mike had really sliced open some wounds for Rob, and he was dealing the best he could. He was still a little fragile from the fact he had literally broken down in uncontrollable sobbing when he had seen his folks in Little Rock. It had taken a good hour and a half for him to try and pull his compsure back, and he looked like he was half drunk, half hungover and a tiny bit stoned by the time the crying stopped. His Dad gave him a beer and one of his Mom's homebaked brownies, and things seemed a little better after that. Then it had been on to Lakewood, Texas to be there when Mike got flown in after his surgery. It had just been an emotional week and this was the first time Rob had let himself stop and just feel that serene solitude of fresh air, clear skys, and being alive on home soil.

Leila slipped out onto the back porch, her arms once again around Rob as she slid her hands up under his shirt, her fingers exploring the dips and curves of his abdomen. Rob still had a pretty amazing six pack, and she couldn't deny she loved touching it. She kissed the back of his neck before she rest her chin on his shoulder as she glanced up at the night sky herself. "This really is one thing I miss in New York. I miss just being able to see the sky, see the stars..." She fell quiet again for a moment as she rubbed his stomach. "I don't know how I ever thought I could do without it. I don't know how anyone does without it."

Rob wrapped his arms around hers, holding them against his stomach. He brushed his fingers along her forearm and nodded slowly. "Yeah, it's... I ain't real sure how I got on so long in New York, darlin'," he admitted to her quietly. "I was wondering if that might've been part of the reason I wasn't just automatically better with the whole PTSD. Felt like I was failing psych sessions or something. Things were starting to get more clarity out on the road, where it's green and fresh. Then Mike and Charlie come home, and my brain turns into a gigantic pile of crap again. I'm just gonna have to apologise in advance to you if I start being a bastard all over again. It's weird. I ain't even realising I'm doing it until I'm stopping and realising, hey, you're talking shit." He reached behind her and rubbed his hand over her hip, leaning his face in close to hers. "Just keep me away from Scotch and Vodka. Still, I... ain't sure I want to stay living in the city," he added softly.

Leila couldn't help it as she hummed contentedly at feeling his hand on her hip. If she had been capable of purring she probably would have been making that noise. Any touch from Luke right now seemed to have her shivering with pleasure. She turned her face to meet his and kissed his lips as she smiled a little. "I know you don't mean it, Little Rock. Probably why I don't really take offence. Trust me though, you push me too far, and I'll yell back. I don't have a problem with that. And I know, I do, trust me. I know now the city's never gonna really be your home. I just want you happy, and I want you healthy. I don't care where we live so long as it's you and me. Mike could always take our place if he wants in the city." She nuzzled in against his cheek. "We don't need to live in the city. I don't need to live in the city. Priorities shift."

"First time Charlie has copped it. She actually looked like she wanted to deck me for a minute there," Rob sniggered and bit down on his lip. "I tried to warn her online now and again but it ain't quite coming off in words than getting hit in the face with it. I actually asked my psych once if it was worth me walking around with a warning sign on my head. That was early on, though. Things ain't as bad now as they were. The trip's been good. I thought it would just make it easier to head back to New York and be okay with that, but I think it's just making me feel more like I want a house, some grass, air... clear, open sky that looks like it could have anything underneath it if you just looked hard enough. Ain't sure Mikey would want it. He wasn't really a fan when he was staying there, he was just sticking around for us." He finally turned around and wrapped his arms around her waist, smiling softly at her in the dim light as he eyes swept over her face, taking in every inch of her features.

Leila found herself grinning under his gaze and reached up to brush her fingers over his cheek. "Hi," she said with a soft laugh. "Maybe he can still come with us? Or do his own thing. Whatever it is he wants to do. She did admirably to avoid decking you. I still can't quite believe we survived that car trip without a little bloodshed. It probably helped in its own strange little way to clear the air a little."

Rob had the decency to actually look sheepish at her comment. "I ain't got the best deep-n-meaningful revelations timing, have I? It's like I get verbal diarrhoea once the brain hits that shaky patch and everything is just pouring out before I can stop it. Next thing I know, I've said some really far out things I didn't even realise I wanted to say or were hovering that close to the surface. I didn't mean to point any fingers at Mikey, I just... he isn't quite right. I'm worried he mighta done it deliberately or made a mistake, and just hasn't been ready to offload it yet. I never meant to reveal that to Charlie. I had meant to just sit on it myself and stew on it in my own time, but clearly my brain is like a fucked up sieve..." His tongue came to rest between his lips and after a couple of moments, he led her off the back steps and down into the darkened backyard. The light wasn't on, and there was only the moon for light. It was romantic, in an odd countryish way. They were out of sight of any windows now and he brushed his hands over her back. Of course, that meant he was immediately horny and hard, just from the vision of her and he pulled her closer so they were pressed together. "Hi."

Leila smirked at him as she ruffled his hair in response to his brain comment before she caught his lips in a hungry kiss. The second she'd felt him hard against her it was all on, she couldn't help it. She'd been holding herself back since they'd been in Mike's room, and now she just wanted him. She wanted to make babies. She wanted it all, fucked up sieve brain, or not. "I know you don't mean it," she said breathlessly in between kisses, "I really do. I know you can't always control your reactions, and I'm okay with that. I think Mike will get it, too. And Charlie. You're lucky you have friends that can identify with how you're feeling. And I want to be able to know what it's like, but all I can do is stay by your side and give you anything I can to make it better for you. Fuck, you're hot."

There was a light around the corner from the kitchen, and Rob leaned back to try and survey the back of the house. Any window that could be seen from where he was standing had the blinds drawn. Mike's room was on the other side of the house and his parents were in the living room at the front. Rob had been feeling like a horny school kid since they made the bet, and sometimes it was like he had no control over his cock. Coupled with the fact that when his brain fired up it seemed to want to focus that energy on fucking his wife beyond anything else, he wasn't left thinking many innocent thoughts. When he looked back to her, he had a cheeky smirk on his lips. "Think we could get away with a quickie right here?" he asked her, breathless himself in the wake of the hungry kissing. He was already working on undoing the button on his jeans. "Ain't sure I can be satisfied with a quiet ninja fuck in the guest room tonight... Charlie's gonna be right next door. At least, so Mrs Austin thinks. Ain't sure Mikey told her the news because she made the second room up."

She nodded, her eyes on his lips in the dim light before she was starting to undo her own fly, and silently wishing she'd had the foresight to wear a skirt. It was possible that Leila needed to convert to skirts full time, but she wasn't sure Rob would let her. He really did go crazy for her in jeans. She grabbed at his collar again, the kiss searing and passionate as her free hand finished what he'd started with his fly and she slipped her hand inside. "News?" Leila asked quietly as she frowned a little. "She's staying the night, isn't she? She'd have to. Definitely no ninja fuck tonight. Or maybe we can have one later. Mm... I love your cock."

Rob exhaled sharply when her familiar fingers wrapped around his cock again. He was never, ever going to get sick of feeling that first touch that never failed to send bolts of electricity through every inch of his body. He couldn't deny that he was frustrated when they were both in jeans. It restricted movements and it never lasted very long because of that. With the road trip, it had been a luxury with them. They had either the tent or the car and usually enough privacy to at least get one of them completely out of pants to get the deed done. He had lost count of how many days they had wasted away just lying around the tent naked. But this wasn't a tent or the car, it was Mike's backyard and they needed to employ just a little bit of discretion. Once her fly was open, Rob slipped his hand into her jeans and panties, his fingers already expertly seeking out her clit. He kissed her lips eagerly again and then dipped his head to nuzzle her throat below her ear. "As far as I know. It's 'bout four hours drive to her place. She needs to rest or she'll start getting sick from lack of sleep. Fuck, baby..." he cursed softly with a hiss, pushing his hips forward against her hand. "Let me take you from behind."

"Mm..." Leila had meant to reply to him, but she just moaned instead as her head fell to the side at the feel of his fingers stroking against her clit. He always knew just what to do. Although these days she just had to look at him, or smell him, and it was on. She was like a dog in heat, and she just didn't care. She moaned again as she sucked on his tongue, and stroked her hand along his cock more firmly before pulling back to give him a consenting nod. "I was just thinking about you doing that... Charlie should rest. Lots of rest," she finally added after a moment of just looking at Rob while she licked her lips. "I want your babies," she breathed out.

"I fucking hope so, or we could be in a lotta trouble," Rob drawled in a husky voice against her ear. He had her turned and pushed up against the wall without even needing to remove his hand from between her legs. He was panting softly, his breath coming out in short, aroused bursts against the back of her neck when he swept her hair to the side with his free hand. He probably couldn't be more melted against her if he tried, and he rocked forward, rubbing his cock against her delicious ass. There was no point even trying to stifle the hungry moan that fell from his lips and he continued to stroke her rhythmically when his other arm wrapped around her waist in a possessive embrace. "You have the most tasty lil ass, darlin'... if my cock wasn't so eager, I'd be wanting to lick you all over right now," he purred and trailed his tongue over the curve of her neck.

Leila gripped at the wall with one hand as her other one went behind her back to grab onto some part of Rob. She hooked her fingers into his belt loops as she tried to stifle a moan, and failed. His name slipped from her lips and her breathing started to become shallow. She gave a shiver as she felt him rub against her ass, and felt his breath against the back of her neck. Her eyes slipped closed briefly, and she grinned as she turned her head towards his mouth. "And if I wasn't so desperate to have your sperm impregnate me, I might just let you take it, and not just lick it."

Rob cursed softly, his breath tickling the wet trail over her skin. He continued to stroke her clit, letting his fingers slide in and out of her, but his other hand got busy tugging her jeans down over her hips to her thighs before he moved on to shove his own down a lot less gently. He kissed her cheek, coaxing her to turn her head and then caught her lips in another hungry kiss. He was indulging on the feeling of her rocking against his fingers, absorbing her actions and the sounds she was making to spur him on. He was sure he had never known another woman's body as much as he had come to know Leila's and he just felt like he could never get enough of her. They had this chemistry he thrived on and he didn't want it to ever end. The baby making had just laid the challenge down, but truthfully, they had been this passionate with each other from day one. He positioned himself carefully and then with a smooth thrust, took her deeply from behind, unable to get the thought of doing those glorius things with her butt next time they were in private.

She clawed at the wall of the house as she sucked in a breath and squeezed her inner muscles around him to keep him inside her for a moment. His fingers were still circling her clit, and she would have been in danger of turning into a puddle of goo if he didn't have her held tightly against him. Leila was in no danger of ever getting sick of being with Rob like this, or in any danger of denying him not so sneaky ninja fucks in someone else's backyard. In fact, there was a small part of her that was getting even more turned on in the current setting. When they were alone they were free to do whatever they wanted to each other, but now there was the added element of possibly being caught. Leila shifted her hand to grab the back of Rob's neck as she turned her head to kiss him again, a low moan lost in his mouth.

Rob knew they were on the clock this time. Mike's folks could come looking for them or calling for them for whatever reason, hell someone could even come outside. He knew it wouldn't be Mike, because he was mostly confined to bed, and probably not Charlie because she would be wanting to stick around with Mike for as long as she could. But as much as Rob loved them, he wasn't sure he could take either Mr or Mrs Austin catching him fucking his wife against a wall in their backyard. He would be mortified. Still, it was only just a tiny hint of a thought at the back of his head. All-encompassing was Leila in his arms and her wet heat wrapped around his cock. He was already taking it fast, setting a quick and even rhythm of thrusts, trying to take her deeply each time. His other arm left her waist so he could slide his hand up under her shirt, brushing his fingertips over her breast. Oh hell, she had no bra on it felt like his cock got just that tiny bit harder at the realisation. He cupped the mound of flesh in his palm, massaging it softly and giving her nipple a soft pinch to feel it harden. He couldn't believe how lucky he was to have her as his wife.

Leila arched back against her husband and rest the back of her head against his shoulder as her fingers gripped tighter at what little hair he did have. It had been growing out since he'd been back from Afghanistan, and she'd be lying if she didn't admit to liking it longer. This way she had more to grab onto. Her decision not to wear a bra that day had apparently been win. She didn't often go without, just the days when the idea of putting one on caused her pain. Since they were on the road she couldn't exactly indulge in pyjama days, so she just went with braless ones. It probably didn't help with the fact she was getting more and more used to spending her time naked. Her breath came out in heated pants, and she moaned at the delicious sensations Rob had buzzing through her body. She was already starting to shudder in warning, the stroking of her clit doing more than enough to push her towards the edge rapidly. "Jesus, Rob..."

As far as Rob was concerned, he could be up for more of this. Anyway, Google had told them that lots of different positions was a good thing when trying for a baby. At least, some of the more theoretical ones did, anyway. The scientific ones went into too much detail about sperm and eggs, and Rob had lost attention of it, inside having a covert window open under the browser with their homemade porn pictures. Of course, Leila had caught him and it had led to some pretty awesome sex in the front seat of the car with her riding him in the passenger's seat. If sexual positions was one of the answers, then they were well on it. He just refused to wear briefs and eat brussel sprouts for better sperm productions. He had to put his foot down somewhere. No way could brussel sprouts lead to anything good, let alone any good romance. He also didn't like how briefs gave him wedgies, so that was out the window too. If his balls needed support, it was going to be Leila's hands. Another string of expletives fell from his lips with a small grunted warning that he was close. He sucked on her throat, nipping at it and marking her. It wasn't the first time and it wouldn't be the last.

Leila growled softly at the feel of him marking her. She really was proud to wear any mark he gave her. She belonged to no one but her husband, and she didn't want to. No guys had ever held her interest like Rob did. Their chemistry really was something else, and while she might have been terrified in the beginning at the idea of them realising their marriage was maybe a mistake after spending time together, that really was gone now. She had no idea what she had been so worried about. She pushed against the wall as she started to rock her hips back against him, her toes curling in her shoes just before she moaned out his name and bucked and trembled against him. She let go of the wall to clutch at his hand through her shirt, keeping his hand on her breast as the orgasm tore through her.

Rob would be lying if he didn't admit to having a fetish of getting Leila off before him. It might even be just a slightly bit selfish because inevitably feeling her tip over the edge never failed to take him down with her. He got off on feeling her come, clenching around him and shuddering against him. Second only to them coming simultaneously, but that was a little awkward while they were fucking up against a wall. It was better in bed where they could see each others faces and there was no risk of getting scratched to bits on bricks. He held off for just a few moments longer and then thrust deeply inside her with a hoarse groan, dropping his head down onto her shoulder as he climaxed forcefully, his grip around her waist tightening so he didn't force her too roughly up against the wall and hurt her. There was now always a tiny thought flickering in his mind after each orgasm wondering if that was the time they hit the jackpot. So far, though, it was too early for pregnancy symptoms of any sort, so they just continued to persist. As if it was an effort anyway. He brushed his lips against her throat. "I love you," he murmured huskily, trying to catch his breath.

She let out a breathy laugh as her grip loosened on his hair and she ruffled it affectionately. She wanted to be pregnant. Each time she was hoping it would be The Time, but she knew as well as he did that it was too early to tell. "I love you too, Little Rock," she replied softly as she smiled. "I've also decided that we're never using condoms again. Even if the eight weeks are up and there's no baby. Or even if it means we wind up with twelve kids."

"Twelves kids and the fact I've put Jamie's diaper on backwards three times?" Rob laughed as he still held her close, his chin resting on her shoulder as he cuddled her. "Think we can put in an order to have them come out toilet trained? You know, if we decide how many we want and hit that goal, I can always get the snip, then we wouldn't have to worry about any of that anymore. Like, down the track of course. It's an option, though. I'm still finding it hard to believe we're even trying. It feels too good to be true."

"Even if you've put Jamie's diaper on backwards three times," Leila replied as she grinned at the memories. The frenzy of the heated sex was over, and Leila relaxed against Rob as she brushed her fingers against his arm. She didn't want to be separated from him just yet. Even if both their jeans were still pushed down past their hips. "I think we can try, but we might have to be prepared for the fact that it probably won't happen. The snip? Well, I guess it really is an option. Are you sure you'd want to? I love that we're trying. I love that you're basically my sex slave no matter what."

Rob let out a slow breath and nodded against her shoulder. "If we had everything we wanted, sure, I'd get it. Sure, the thought of scalpels in that general vicinity of my body makes me nervous, and I might need a lot of TLC, but the thing is... this not worrying thing is addictive. And I'm prepared... I think. I might have gotten my hopes up a lil bit. Is that a bad thing? If it doesn't happen, I'm gonna be disappointed, I guess. I didn't mean to, but things lately just made me want it more."

"I think I'm going to be, too. It's the first bet I've wanted to lose. I guess we're just going to have to try and toughen up a little bit. If it doesn't happen now, it will happen sometime. I'll be more than happy to kick in with the TLC. That part of you has always taken care of me, so I'll take care of it." Leila turned her head to nuzzle against him, and sighed. "It's not a bad thing, by the way. It's just where we're at. How many babies do you want?"

Rob was still snuggling her close, indulging in the quiet moment they had together. It wasn't like they didn't get a lot of quiet time together, especially on the road trip, but this was just nice. "Hmm... I thought two or three, but I think I'd even be happy with one. I think if we get one though, I might love it so much and want more. I ain't wanting to be impractical, though. Three might be too much if I ever have to go away again. Still, if I don't go away, maybe not. Welcome to my brain of the last few weeks," he joked, laughing.

Leila patted his hand before she linked their fingers as she kept his arms around her. "Mm, well, who can blame you? You're still uncertain of how things are going to play out. If you don't know what's going to happen in a month, a year, five years... how are you going to be able to decide anything? We'll just play it by ear, and see how we go. One's a good start. Not like we're in any rush, is it?"

Rob hummed in agreement. "Yeah, for sure. But you know what? Feel like I should just take the training position and be done with it. It ain't gonna be so bad, and I can chill out, spend time with my family, even if we ain't successful on the knocking up front. I've been watching Mikey, and even Charlie. Talking to them. Thinking about the whole shipping out and fighting thing right now just makes me feel real tired, like I wanna curl up in a ball at the bottom of the bed and not come out. I know a lot of that is just the PTSD, and with the therapy, it'll get better. But I think by the time it gets better, I wanna have a shot at being a daddy and doing normal things like mowing the grass of our house and cooking dinner. I've done four terms over there. Well, three and a half. Maybe something's just trying to tell me I've reached my quota. It ain't like the job they're offering me is gonna pay less, it won't. I'm still gonna be a soldier. My feet will just stay grounded."

Leila started to shift slowly so that she could turn around in his arms, careful not to do anything to hurt him. She tugged both their jeans up before she looped her arms around his neck and kissed him softly, letting it linger as she smiled against his mouth. "I think you're doing the right thing. I would have backed you regardless of which path you chose, but this one... I like this one. It gives you time to heal, time to go through the therapy. Gives you time to be normal, and I don't think there's anything wrong with that for a little while. Plus Mikey tells me you'd be quite the Drill Sergeant."

"Only problem is, I ain't sure I remember how to be normal," Rob admitted sheepishly, pressed his lips together as he looked at her. But he soon smiled and shrugged. "Did he just? Lies, all lies! I'm perfectly sweet and... whatever else Drill Sergeants ain't. Truth of it is, though, I'm hoping I can have a chance to put the cadets on the right path so they ain't gonna make the mistakes that my Private did out in the field and get themselves recklessly blown up. Maybe I can make a difference at base level where it counts more than most realise. I still remember every minute of my training, all stored up in my head somewhere. I remember all the moves those Drill Sergeants made to drive the messages home. It's what gave me what I needed to be a soldier."

"Of course you can make a difference. I know you will, you believe in what you're doing, and you care about the soldiers and their lives. That's not something a lot of Drill Sergeants probably have. I think they'd just get off on the power plays." She stroked her fingers against his cheek, and sighed quietly. "You'll just have to be abnormal and mow the lawn, and do the daddy and husband things. No shame in that. I won't tell anyone otherwise."

Rob had to laugh. "Like the time I went and did the grocery shopping when you were working at the pub and I lined everything up in the cart with the labels out in order of where they went on our shelves back home and this little old lady stopped me and struck up a conversation about how her son had OCD too and it was a horrible thing to have to live with? I seriously understood right then what you meant when you told me I needed to be ruffled," he said with a smirk. "The next time I did it, it seriously bugged me to just chuck it in all messily, though. I'm too set in my ways. Not everything needs to be structured. Chilling out ain't gonna hurt me, hopefully."

"It hasn't hurt you so far," Leila replied with a grin. "But yeah, that's what I mean. I can't help it if you just had this... look when I first met you. You definitely don't have it now. Now you just look well and truly shagged, and sexy, and ruffled, and mine." She kissed him again, a little more heated this time. "I really do love you, Rob Laird."

Word Count | 5,354

RP LOG with doesntwaltz & nevergonnamiss | Home Sweet Home

2010-04-24T14:01:14Z

[Follows THIS]

It was true that Rob had been a little distracted since Mike had fleetingly revealed that he had been shot in the leg. He wasn't brooding on it or anything, especially not since they had reached Texas and saw with their own eyes that Mike was as okay as someone who nearly had their foot blown off could be. It just seemed to tug them back down to reality a little again, and it was a reminder of how dangerous their job was. Mike, an army medic who didn't even fight on the frontline, had come home with a war injury. It didn't seem right. Their choice to bypass their current road trip route and go to Texas was a no-brainer. As soon as they knew Mike was heading home to see his folks to recuperate, they changed course immediately. It wasn't like they had anything specifically planned anyway. They were just rolling with it, taking each day, seeing where the road took them. They camped a lot, balancing it out with some nights in hotels or guest houses so they could get a long shower and a proper bed to sleep in. They had been gone a few weeks now and as far as Rob was concerned, they were just scratching the surface.

But there was now another unexpected turn, and as they sat in the car park of the bus station that night, Rob drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, his blue eyes trawling back and forth over the scene beyond the car window. He laughed softly and then pressed his lips together. "Brings back memories..." he admitted quietly. "Usually on the other side of the fence with this type of thing. It feels strange. Ain't missing it, though. The bus ride at the end here is the worst leg of the journey home. Seems so long, like you'll never quite reach the destination, and all the views outside feeling like someone's running some boring film strip of the same few trees and rocks over and over. You keep thinking how everyone will look, if anyone's changed. Wondering if you'll tap into the stamina to celebrate being home with them." He narrowed his eyes just a little in thought and cleared his throat. "I used to be so excited about seeing her... like it would all be worth it and she would want to spend time with me and be with me, hug me like she never wanted to let go. Never happened. Hell, the last time she even whined about how I had to come home on a Thursday night and was making her miss Grey's Anatomy on the TV." He gave another tiny snort of a laugh. "I'd been out there so long, I didn't even know what Grey's Anatomy was."

Leila's eyes were on Rob's face, and not on the scene outside. She knew the bus would arrive soon, but right then she didn't have eyes for anything but her husband. She reached out to rest her hand on his leg, and gave it a gentle squeeze. "You weren't missing much, trust me. I never could watch that show, and now I really don't want to bloody watch that show. You deserved better. You deserve the best. I just want to be able to give it to you. Fuck TV. If you're coming home, there's nowhere else I want to be other than waiting to greet you. I flew to Germany to be with you." She gave his leg another squeeze, her gaze finally leaving his face when she heard the sound of a low rumble and looked out of the window to see the huge bus rolling in. "His glass is home," she murmured cryptically as thoughts of Mike popped into her head. For all his doubts, it seemed like the universe had other plans for the wounded medic.

Outside, the bus rolled to a stop, the engine rattling as it became idle. There was a loud hiss as the doors were open, and people started to pile out. Charlie waited until she could move freely. She knew she was home even if her head felt like it was swamped in marshmallow. Everything seemed like it was happening to someone else, and not to her. She'd slept all the way on the flight over, then she'd slept for most of the bus trip. She'd only woken up about twenty minutes ago, the sight of Texas outside her window bringing tears to her eyes. And now it smelled like Texas, too.

Well, it smelled like an oily bus station but she didn't care. She slowly dragged herself up onto her feet and trudged down the steps onto the concrete. It wasn't sand, so it was a start. Her folks hadn't been able to meet her, but she didn't mind. Truth was she thought it was safer if she was alone with her thoughts for a while. She reached up to rub her fingers against her eyes and waited once again for the throng of people to dissipate so she could get to her duffel bag. Just as she picked it up she glanced across the terminal and froze at the sight of an all too familiar car.

Rob shot Leila a look and then did a double-take at the glass comment. He had no idea what she was on about, and sometimes he still got a sense he wasn't privy to some sort of Aussie slang that if he asked for an explanation, he would end up with some questionable explanation. He had come to learn what the Aussie sense of humour was like, and even though his own was right up there, that didn't mean he always understood what Leila and her cousins were on about when they got together sometimes. He laughed and shook his head, holding his hand up as he took his seatbelt off. "I ain't asking," he decided in amusement. "I don't want any weird visuals that's gonna all give me more performance anxiety. Speaking of, I think I'm getting chafing," he added with a smirk and opened the door, stepping out.

As soon as he did, he managed to catch sight of Charlie amongst the rest of cammo haze. He stood there for a moment, watching to see how she would react and then stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans and sauntered over to her. "Think ya' can help me, ma'am?" he drawled, glancing around covertly. "I'm lookin' for a gal who might be interested in a threesome. Only, she's gotta come with some interestin' skills there." He dropped his voice. "I gotta fetish for flexible chicks."

Leila just grinned. She had yet to share all the details of her conversation with Mike. Not since Rob had been a little quiet about his shooting. Not that she could blame him. Mike had reacted the same way when Rob was first missing, and then injured. She climbed out of the car a few moments after, letting Rob find Charlie first. She still had no idea what the woman looked like. When Rob had found who she was looking for, Leila hung back for a moment and lifted up the camera she'd been nursing in the car to take a photo.

Charlie blinked as a flash went off behind Rob, her mind taking a moment to first process his questionable pick up line, and then to process the blonde woman. His wife, the photographer. Once that clicked into place, she looked at Rob. She started to smile like she was going to reply, but then all of a sudden the floodgates opened and she threw her arms around him in a tight hug. It was her friend. He was here. She had someone to greet her, and to bring her back down to Earth. Only right then all she could manage was sobbing. He was alive, and he was here. She could hug him. "You're real," she choked out.

Rob was nearly knocked off his feet by the force of the hug, but he managed to catch his balance without falling on his ass in the gutter. That really wasn't the look he was aiming for in any situation, especially not in front of a bunch of soldiers. He hugged her tightly and rubbed her back. "Well, yeah, I think my wife can vouch for that one. Ain't any fake dude who'd get a floppy dick in the middle of the most important sex of his life," he joked, keeping a hold of her for as long as she needed it. "It's okay, darlin'. Yeah? It's gonna be okay. You're home now. All done. Time to chill out and relax," he murmured close to her ear, feeling himself well up unexpectedly as the familiar feelings shadowed inside him. He knew what she was feeling.

Leila slipped the camera strap around her shoulder, and let the camera rest at her side as she just watched. She had no idea how either of them would really feel, but she knew what it was like to be the person welcoming a soldier home, and she knew what it was like to watch them readjust. She blinked back sudden tears, and gave Charlie a small smile when the woman's eyes opened again. "Definitely real, but the floppy dick's probably a story for another time."

Charlie snorted a little with amusement, only a tiny bit aware of the fact she was making a mess of Rob's jacket. She couldn't help it, she was just so relieved to see him. She buried her face back in against his shoulder for a long moment as the sobs returned again, her body shaking and trembling from the force of the emotional onslaught. She didn't care if everyone was looking at her, she just needed to let it out. When she felt like the crying had stopped for at least the time being, Charlie lifted her head and gave Rob a watery smile. "She's really pretty. Lord only knows what she's doing with your ugly mug."

"Pretty?" Rob returned, glancing back at Leila with a cheeky grin. "Pretty? She ain't pretty. What are you on about? She's fucking gorgeous!" he insisted, his eyes sweeping over his wife's body before he met her eyes again with a wink. He was still rubbing his hand up and down Charlie's arm, maintaining some contact, knowing that some familiar human touch could make all the difference. It was always going to be a shock to the system trying to adjust back to a normal life. Some just rolled back in like a duck to water, but Rob had never been on of those. It always took time. Just lately, he was more shellshocked than usual.

Leila smirked at her husband as she winked back. She was trying not to think of the next time they'd try making a baby again, not sure Charlie really needed to witness them get down and dirty when she'd only just got back home. She moved closer, and took her husband's free hand as she linked their fingers together. "He's being far too biased. I think all this fresh air has gone to his head. I'm Leila, and it's a real pleasure to meet you. Rob and Mike have told me quite a bit about you."

Charlie's smile faltered as she watched the interaction between Rob and his wife. She wanted it. She wanted someone to look at her like that. And deep down she knew she wanted it to be Mike. "Is he okay?" she found herself asking, only remembering after a moment to hold her hand out to shake Leila's. "Nice to meet you, too. But is he okay? Mike. Is he here? Did he make it back?"

Rob draped his arm around Charlie's shoulders and started to slowly lead her in the direction of his car. At first, he was quiet for a few moments, trying to figure out if he was supposed to fill in all the gaps for her or wait and let Mike do it for her. "I think he's just real tired, darlin'," he finally settled on, but then pulled his lips to the side. She wouldn't be satisfied with that, he realised. If someone had told Leila that he, himself, was 'just real tired' when she asked about him when he was hurt, she would probably have decked them for being a pain in the ass. "We ain't told him you were on your way home. Thought it might be a nice surprise."

Leila reached across Rob as they walked to give Charlie's hand a soft squeeze. "I think he needs the good kind of surprises now." She couldn't wait to see what would happen when Mike realised he had his glass right there in front of him. She was trying not to bounce as they walked, and moved to take the back seat of the car so that Charlie could sit in the front with Rob. She gave her husband a kiss on the cheek as she rubbed his chest."

Charlie let out a sigh, realising she'd been hanging out to hear news about Mike. She'd heard nothing since the note. She'd had no idea if the surgery had gone well, or if he had made it back home. She didn't even know if he'd got the photos her Mom had sent through. She wiped the drying tears from her cheeks, and gave her duffel to Leila when she held her hands out for it. She looked back at Rob and nodded. "Okay, yeah. Surprise. I miss him, Robbo. I miss him a lot. He's all I could think about. I didn't want to... I know it's not... I know it's hard when we're both... I just want to see him." She shrugged. "Want to see you too, of course. I missed you a lot. What are you even doing here, anyway? I didn't think you were near Texas. What about your road trip?"

When Rob sat back in his car, he leaned over and started digging around in his glove compartment, soon yanking out a large brown paper bag and dropping it into Charlie's lap. "Courtesy of my Mom. Care package. I ain't even sure what's in there. She told me not to look 'cause it was girls' business, so I'm guessing it ain't socks and jocks like she sends me over there," he said with a smirk and flipped the compartment shut again, but not until a packet of condoms accidentally came flying out too. He gave a small snort and wound down his window, tossing them outside before starting up the engine. "Alright... okay. He got home okay. The operation repaired some of the tendons in his knee and it sounds like it was a freaky entrance through his thigh. No exit, though, so they had to dig the bullet out. We were almost at Little Rock to see my folks, so we hung around there for a few days til we moved on to Texas to Mike's family. We were there when he was brought home, private chauffeur and all. Still, since he's been back, he's just... well, the only way I can describe it is tired. He doesn't seem much of anything either way. Sleeps a lot. He's only been back about four days."

Leila laughed softly in the back seat as she watched the condoms get tossed, sharing a glance with Rob when he looked at her from the rearview mirror. Truth was she'd be happy to go without condoms for the rest of their marriage. It would be like one constant trying for a child. And if she got knocked up, then they still wouldn't need them. Hell, they'd probably wind up with a little army of their own. She wondered how Luke and Andy would react to seeing her surrounded by kids. "Doesn't mean he won't wanna see you though," she felt the need to add. "Just means you might have to spend some quiet time together."

"I know how he feels, so it's fine," Charlie admitted. "I haven't really stopped sleeping since I got on the plane. I just... I feel like I'm moving through everything slower than usual. I just keep waiting for the next moment I'm going to be asleep again. I can't help it. As soon as they told me I was coming home, that was it. I just felt like I'd let go of this huge weight, and I could just finally rest."

Rob fell silent, even if he didn't mean to. He got into the line of cars to wait their turn to exit the bus station and his fingers curled and uncurled around the steering wheel. Between Arkansas and Texas, he had encountered quite a few people who were seeing him for the first time since the news came that he had been AWOL in Afghanistan. He had dealt with it pretty well, politely answered any questions, but it was all being brought back home and he was processing it a lot slower than he probably normally would. Although Mike's injuries hadn't been extensive and had been corrected by surgery that would soon heal, Rob had thrown up after receiving the news his friend had been shot out in the field. His brain dragged him back to a strange dejavu place that he only started to absorb after he took some time after the initial shock. He was on medication, too. Anti-anxiety meds and anti-depressants the Army psych had given him to help it after his first assessment. He might have managed to get back up, but he was still a fallen soldier somewhere in his psyche. The tiredness Charlie was describing still plagued him some days, even months after he had been pulled from Afghanistan. He remembered the conversation he had with Mike that first night his friend was home in Texas. Mike admitted to him that he would have died to save the young soldier's life he had been trying to help. He also admitted to feeling weak for the first time in his life, but had jokingly asked Rob not to tell anyone. Rob had smirked back, but to him it wasn't a joke. He understood the truth behind the jest. Weakness was one of the hardest things for a soldier to admit to. The only thing was, it was for the soldier to admit, not anyone else, and Rob knew he couldn't tell Charlie what Mike had said. It had to be something that Mike revealed to her himself, because it was an intimacy and vulnerability that should be chosen to be shared. He turned the car out onto the main road and put his foot down on the accelerator to pick up the speed right to the limit, winding down the window to feel the air on his face a little. "Lucky it's only his leg. 'Least you can still ride him," he finally offered and threw her a small smirk before his eyes were locked back on the road ahead. "A good hard fuck, good stress relief."

Leila was still watching what she could see of her husband's face in the mirror and leaned forward to give his shoulder a squeeze as she slipped her hand down the side of the seat. Her gaze shifted to Charlie, and she smiled. "A lot to be said for sexual healing."

Charlie nodded absent-mindedly as she looked outside the window. It was still hitting her that she was surrounded by cars, and life. By people that weren't completely in cammo, or Arab dress. She was still getting used to the fact that it wasn't just desert outside, either. Or that there wasn't the sound of gunfire, or yelling. Her ears felt like they were ringing with the sudden change in sounds. She bit her lip and looked back at Rob and his wife. "I'm not sure I have the energy," she admitted with a shaky smile. "I just want to see him... touch him. Maybe just curl up against him. Weird, huh? Couple months ago I wouldn't have even believed I'd see him again after all these years, let alone be falling for him again. I didn't even think I'd be coming home."

Rob was frowning a little, silent yet again. He seemed intent on the road, but there was more to it than that. He glanced briefly at Charlie and cleared his throat. "I wouldn't count your chickens, Charlie," he murmured, wondering if his mom had put any booze in that care package, because he could use a quick shot or five. "I ain't sure he's gonna get into anything if you don't get a transfer out East. Distance is... he ain't seeming so confident about it. I know him, I've been talking to him. I just know in my gut he'll be thinking the only reason you're even in the same place right now is because he's injured."

Charlie was still listening, but she had finally started to open the care package from Rob's mom. She felt the tears well again as she caught sight of the dark chocolate, perfume, and other little knick-knacks. She blinked her eyes rapidly as she sniffed, and reached into the bag to fish out one of the chocolates. "I know, I think that's part of why I'm so pissed at myself. I knew about the distance and everything... But I'm home. His leg didn't have anything to do with that, it was just time. I guess he'd be in New York though if he wasn't hurt, right? Shit. Can I at least just give him a damn hug?"

"Hope so," was Rob's reply and he met Leila's gaze in the rearview mirror. "There were some days I tried to push Leila away. I ain't really sure where Mike's head is right now. Probably just relieved to be outta there. Still, heart might be home but the head can stay over there, you know? I just know it's different for him, he ain't a fighter, he's a medic. We see bad things, but he's gotta get in there and try to pluck out the shreds that can be saved. It isn't like this was a battle where you're fighting to get ahead, it was the aftermath of that. Some lads' last chances out there. Gotta be a mind fuck sometimes. We come home to get away from fighting, but he comes home to get away from helping people?" He gave his head a small shake. "Ignore me, I tend to ramble these days. Brain gets away from me. Thankfully not during sex," he had to joke.

"Oh, I don't know," Leila murmured as she smirked and winked at him in the mirror. "I'm sure your mind does go somewhere while we have sex. It's just beneficial to the act. You did try and push me away, but lucky for you us Aussies are made of tough stuff, we don't take shit from anyone. Mike will probably try, but you know what?" Leila asked Charlie as she looked at the other woman. "It helps them to know that you aren't going anywhere. Even when they are being stubborn pricks. They don't want to be seen as weak, or hurting, or whatever... but the whole thing of it is that they still need someone to take care of them, comfort them. And there's no shame in that. Just takes their brain a little while to catch up."

Charlie nodded slowly, and bit down on the bittersweet chocolate. She let out a sigh as her head fell back against the headrest. "Of course it's a headfuck. It's a huge one. Just like for us it takes some adjustment to not be waiting for someone to give us orders to kill, or do whatever. I can't imagine what it's like for him... If there's any guilt at play for being back here when he probably feels like he's still needed over there. That more soldiers could be saved if he was."

"It ain't about being seen as weak," Rob mumbled and put a hand up to scratch the back of his head. He didn't want to get aggravated. Once that set it, it was hard to shake, and he would inevitably feel the urge to just get blind drunk again, which was a bad idea considering Mike let him in on the secret that he was rather loose-lipped when he was boozed up. "It's about knowing you are," he finally added quietly.

Leila fell quiet in the back seat as her gaze dropped to the camera now sitting in her lap. She fingered the shutter release before she sat forward again, and slipped her hand down the side of Rob's seat to rest her hand on his arm.

"We're not invincible," Charlie murmured. "I wish we were. It would make it so much easier. I just... It would make us machines."

Rob shifted his arm so he could give Leila's hand a squeeze, still driving easily with one hand on the wheel. "He just..." He paused and sighed heavily. "He coulda lost a leg. And I know, I know. He didn't, he's lucky. He's alive. All that. You still can't switch the what-ifs off in your mind. They still plague you at night when you're trying to sleep and you feel the pain settling in the weak parts of you. You can still feel the tiredness when you shouldn't be tired at all. He ain't be ready to talk a whole lot yet. I let him know I was there if he needed to, but when he's sleeping, we know he needs it. He's in surprisingly good spirits. Guess that's why I'm sorta nervous," he admitted.

Leila frowned a little as she looked between the backs of Rob's and Charlie's heads. "Why is the good spirits making you nervous?"

Charlie cleared her throat after swallowing a bite of chocolate and glanced behind her at Leila. "Higher the spirits, harder the crash. He's been out there a long while with not much down time between it. Being out there just messes with your head. Sometimes we react in different ways. One moment we'll be fine the next... not so much."

"Or no crash at all, just loads of pretending there ain't anything wrong until you wake up one day and realise you've lost yourself..." Rob added quietly and then reached over to put the radio on low when the dull silence of the car started to shit him. "It's my fault Mikey didn't get to switch off last time. He didn't have a chance."

"Rob," Leila started quietly as she looked at him in the mirror. "It's not your fault at all. You didn't plan getting hurt. You didn't plan needing everyone around you like that. Don't blame yourself. And Mike never would have let you go through that without him."

Charlie closed her eyes for a moment as she focused on the radio, grateful that Rob had done something to kill the silence. It had been getting on her nerves too, the ringing still present in her ears. "We all need anchors. Someone that makes sure we don't get lost... To give us a reason not to."

Rob gripped the steering wheel again and then forced himself to loosen up a little, drawing in a deep breath and then letting it out slowly. "Mikey made an error. Or at least someone in his unit did. The rifle should've been checked and a clear called before anyone approached the solider. He ain't talking about it, so I don't know what went down out there. I'm just scared it was him, and maybe because he was tired and... felt like he had to get the guy outta danger. Someone made a mistake. Ain't no random accidents happening out on the frontline. They're intended or they're errors."

Leila drew her eyebrows together before she lifted her glasses to rub at her her eyes briefly. "He only said that the rifle went off for no real reason. Well, not no reason. Just an accidental pulling of the trigger, I guess. He was more in love with the morphine than the finer details. Just kept trying to tell me he was okay. And that he didn't want to hope for a glass."

"Rob's right," Charlie murmured. "Ain't no accidents on the front-line. We can't afford 'em. Something always makes a dude's finger pull the trigger, even if it's stress, or fear. Mikey was just in the right place at the wrong time. We can't blame him for wanting to help the guy when he was wounded. It's what he does. Still, the clear should've been called, but maybe no one was around to call it. Glass?"

Rob swore softly under his breath, not exactly sure why he was even getting pissed off. Hopefully Mike's Dad had a six pack in the fridge when he got home. "Medic's don't go out alone. Ever. No matter what. They'd be fucking targets if they did, they're unarmed. He's telling the same monotonous story over and over. I'd say he'll have to talk about it sooner or later, but it ain't the truth. He might not ever want to." He glanced at Leila in the rearview mirror with a small frown. The glass thing was starting to get to him too. When a Lady GaGa song came on the radio, he flicked the switch to another station, putting something on that was probably way less popular but he didn't want to try and tolerate crap music too.

Leila raised an eyebrow at him questioningly, trying to read his mind from the back seat of the car. She realised just how much she didn't like not being able to see his whole expression. As much as his eyes gave away, the little twitches of his mouth did, too.

Charlie shrugged a shoulder as she turned back to look out the window. "We all got things none of us wanna talk about it. Even if it would help us too, sometimes it's easier just not to relive it. Or to keep it in our nightmares, and not force it on anyone else." She let out a heavy sigh and a tired laugh. "Fuck, would you listen to us? I either need a huge drink, or I just need to cheer the fuck up."

Rob looked over at Charlie before he had to turn his eyes back to the road. Truth was, he was just finding it hard to think like her. Something was going on with Mike and it was niggling away in his gut. "Go ahead," he murmured with a small shrug, indicating she was more than welcome to cheer the fuck up if she wanted to. "I'll just put Lady GaGa back on, shall I? At least it can be a distraction for not talking about things." He looked back at Leila. "Or you could explain to her about the glass metaphor. I'll fight the urge to drive to the nearest pub."

Leila held up her hand. "Hey, I don't want Lady GaGa. I don't think anyone in this car wants Lady GaGa. And if you want to drive to the nearest pub there's nothing stopping you. Luckily I get to remain the designated driver no matter what since I'm also the designated baby incubator. I'm not chancing a drink. The glass thing is just... Mike can't see the romantic glass as half full. His optimism's gone. Especially where, ah... certain soldiers are concerned."

Charlie frowned and twisted in her seat to look at Leila. "You mean me?"

Leila gave a nod.

Charlie stared at the other woman for a long moment. "Shit. It's the fucking distance thing again... Chickens and glasses. My love life has turned into a fucked up magic trick. I think I've changed my mind, and second the bar idea."

"I ain't going to no fucking bar. Besides Mrs Austin being worried we ain't home when she expects, booze fucks with my already fucked brain and I say stupid friggen things," Rob said with a small snort. His phone buzzed with a text message and he picked it up from the compartment under his radio to get it. It was from Mike. "Speak of the devil, and to make a point here, he ain't ever been a glass is half full dude when it comes to relationships. The optimism ain't gone, it hasn't been there since he enlisted."

"Is he alright?" Charlie asked just as Leila leaned forward to try and look at Rob's phone.

Rob glanced over at her, eyebrow raised. "He's fine. But that just must mean he's optimistic, right?" he asked with a hint of challenge to her in his tone. He didn't let her see the screen and typed in a quick response so he could go back to focusing on the driving. "He's asking me if I'm okay. His Mom told him I needed fresh air."

"No," Charlie responded as she glared at him slightly. "I wasn't the one talking about optimism. I mean, I might still have a little, doesn't mean he has to. Just means I have to sit on eggs and glasses, and chickens, and whatever."

Rob shrugged again. "Maybe not, but you don't want to believe he made a mistake... or maybe even purposefully caused the accident," he threw back. There was tension, and he did feel guilty that Leila was going to get caught in the crossfire of it, but it was the downside of marrying into military. Rob didn't even know why he was feeling like he was on edge right now. It wasn't his end of deployment.

Charlie's eyebrows went up as she looked at Rob. "What? Where the fuck did that even come from? I thought we were talking about his romantic life, not the accident. Do you really... you think he purposefully caused the accident?"

Leila just stayed quiet in the back seat, not sure she was ever going to be able to come up something to say to diffuse the situation. She just wanted to know what was making Rob act this way because when they'd gone to pick up Charlie he had been fine, just quiet. Then she let out a rush of air as she ran over that thought again. He'd seemed fine. She made a mental note to try and get him to talk to her about it later.

Rob's eyes remained locked on the road, hands on the wheel. Driving always kept him grounded, even if there had been the odd weird moment on the road trip when he remembered back to just how fucked up the scenario with the stupid race had been that led to his court-martial. It still pissed him off. "Why not? Soliders contemplate doing it all the time to get outta there..." he said calmly.

"Did you?" Leila asked as she finally found her voice.

"Yeah, I did," Rob said and cleared his throat as he had to slow down at an entrace to town they had to pass by. She had arrived in Houston, and it was over an hour drive to Mike's home town. He hadn't meant for things to take this turn, but Charlie's presence was probably inevitably going to dredge up things Mike's presence already was scratching the surface of. He met Leila's eyes in the rearview mirror. "After we got married."

This time it was Charlie's turn to play awkward spectator as she tried not to make a sound. Truth was she got what Rob was talking about even if she wasn't sure she'd ever truly hurt herself to get home. Even the cut she'd had nearly a couple months ago hadn't been enough to get her home. She didn't actually like the thought of what wound would be enough to get her home.

Leila's lips formed a thin line as she fought the sudden well of tears in her eyes as she held Rob's gaze until he had to concentrate on the road again. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Sometimes you just... have enough. Once you start thinking about home, it can make or break you." It was times like this that Rob wished he was a smoker to give him something to do with his hands as a distraction. He took his hand from the wheel just briefly so he could adjust his wedding ring with his thumb absentmindedly. "Once you start thinking you have a reason to... not live to serve. You have nothing to be sorry about, darlin'. It's just one of those things. But I ain't gonna lie. I was thinking about how I could manage it when I... it... was taken outta my hands. Maybe punishment by Karma does exist. It's just stupid, though. Thinking back on it, I don't even know what to think anymore."

They pulled up at a set of lights and Leila lifted herself out of her seat to press her lips to the side of Rob's face as she nuzzled his cheek briefly. "I love you," she murmured against his ear. "More than I could ever really get you to understand, and I'm still sorry you were ever in a position to need to consider that kind of... exit strategy. Maybe Karma was just trying to make sure you didn't live to regret anything."

Rob's nose scrunched up and he pulled his lips to the side. "It did a pretty fucked up job of it, then," he said with a small snort as his phone buzzed again. "Jesus, he better not start pumping me for details, I'm too tired to lie. Can't he play solitaire on his laptop or something?" He picked up his phone again and read Mike's message that was along the lines of wanting to know where he got fresh air at this time of night and why wasn't he invited along for the ride. "Aw, jeez. He's asking why we didn't ask him to come along." Rob quickly punched in 'baby making' and hit send. Hopefully it would placate his friend for a little while longer until they made it home.

Leila caught a glimpse of what he'd sent back and kissed his cheek again. If she had any say about it, there was definitely going to be baby making later, but she realised the mood for Rob might have been killed. She just needed that connection with him again, and maybe a chance to remind him he was safe home. She dropped back into her seat as the lights changed and smiled a little. "Best laid plans, Little Rock."

Charlie was actually in danger of smiling for the first time since she'd got off the bus. "He's always been like that. Remember the surprise party we tried to throw him years ago? Mike's never going to let anyone have secrets. He doesn't even do it on purpose. Just has this way."

Rob shook his head in amusement. "Pointless, the whole thing. He was always going to find out about it. He's never one to push for information, but he worries if he thinks we're hiding something wrong with us. Then we start getting panicky about the covert lying to keep the secret and start fucking up until the secret just comes out anyway. Still, he was sleeping when we left, so he must be bored now. His mom will have to entertain him for a lil while." He knew right then baby making was something he definitely needed later, and a baby had nothing to do with it. He realised he had let himself get worked up again before he could halt it. It didn't happen as often these days as it did when he first got home, but it could still creep up on him and take him down before he knew what was happened. He also knew that if he let go of the steering wheel, his hands would be shaking. Baby making would help ground him again, focus those adrenaline rushes that, according to the psych, caused the anxiety and anger fits from the PTSD. Sex was a much better outlet, as far as Rob was concerned, and it didn't leave him feel like he was teetering on a scary edge all over again.

Charlie started to take down her hair now she was getting more used to the idea she was home, and not still on duty. Her teeth caught her bottom lip for a moment, and she tried to ignore the clench of her stomach as the nerves started to set in at seeing Mike. Neither of them were probably in the greatest of head spaces right at this moment, Charlie just hoped that somehow they'd find their way onto the same page, or at least the same book. "I just hope that this time he really doesn't mind the surprise."

Word Count | 6,832

musebysentence | 74.5. Comfort

2010-04-21T07:15:36Z

LINK: Rob only realised he had been subconsciously expecting his friend to be in much worse condition on his return from Afghanistan when he felt strangely sick with overwhelming relief to see with his own eyes that it wasn't the case.

For sixwordstories

2010-04-15T13:33:36Z

LINK: Stayin' Alive ain't a bad anthem.

musebysentence | 73.10. After dark

2010-04-15T08:56:25Z

LINK: Tent sex by candlight really should have been awesome, but when Rob realised this was the first time he was about to have sex with his wife without birth control, it suddenly had his anatomy at, er, ease with performance anxiety.

RP LOG with doesntwaltz | Choices & Decisions

2010-03-31T01:53:34Z

[Follows all recent events posted @ sexyinscrubs, pullmysteth & randbyname]

The phone call came through around four o'clock, Luke delivering the news about Aiden and Patrick to Leila who had just paled as she listened, nodding, even if her cousin couldn't see her. The road trip had gone without a hitch until then, and they had taken their time, only making it to Maine so far but deciding to stick here for a few days when they found a gorgeous little camping place with cabins. They didn't need a cabin, though. They found a secluded place by the sprawling lake not far from a small fishing wharf and set the tent up there. There was a town close by for supplies if they needed it and the place just had an addictive tranquillity about it that they weren't ready to move on from yet.

Rob found Leila sitting down on a soft grassy patch by the lake, watching the sun set over the water. He came up behind her and sat down quietly, wrapping his legs around each side of her and hugging his arms around her waist. He rested his chin on her shoulder and softly kissed her neck just below her ear. "You okay, darlin'?" he murmured and started to rub his hand soothing across her stomach. "We can go home if you want, if you think Luke will need you there. It's okay, you know. We've had a lil bit of time away."

Leila leaned back against Rob as she covered his arms with hers, and smiled softly. Truth was after the phone call from Luke she was just suddenly feeling exhausted. Everything seemed to come slamming home again, and she realised just how quickly she could lose someone she cared about. Luke was closer to Aiden and Pat for obvious reasons, but they were still part of the extended family she'd suddenly found herself with, and one of the reasons she hadn't wanted to move back away from Luke, and Andy. She glanced down at her wedding band, and turned her head a little into Rob's kiss.

That was the other thing, she was left with the same cold feeling she'd had the whole time Rob had been gone, and the same unsettled feeling she'd had as soon as she knew he'd been hurt. She gripped his arms a little tighter and let out a shuddering sigh. "No, not really... I don't know. He didn't really say, he just... I don't know. Part of me wants to be selfish and stay away. How horrible is that? I can't even believe I'm even thinking it."

"Well," Rob began, still keeping his arms tucked securely around her, "maybe he just wanted to let you know. I mean, it's a huge thing. You should know about it. Aiden's one of Luke's closest friends, and that just seems to be how the group is. It's better you know than not in case... things took a turn for the worst. I'd wanna know if it was one of my mates, or even a mate of a mate. I don't think it's horrible that you want to stay away. We've had some shit to deal with too, and sometimes you just need to get away. He probably just needed someone to talk to, especially when he said Riley was having a tough time too. He'll be worried about Tab. It's just a domino effect. Did he tell you he wanted you to come home?" he asked, watching the gorgeous view of the lake over her shoulder.

Leila sucked on her bottom lip briefly before she released it with another exhale of breath. "I know. I do. I'd rather know than go home and find out all this shit happened, and we had stayed clueless. I just can't believe it... I thought things were going okay, you know? None of us are ever allowed to be happy for too long. No, he didn't say he wanted me to come home. But I don't know, maybe I should? It sounds like they might be lacking babysitters for the twins, even if I'm still finding my feet with babies. Jamie's been the only one we've really had any exposure to. I know he's worried about Aiden, and Tab. He's got help at the bar, so it's not like that's his main concern."

If Rob had to be entirely honest with himself, it was still too soon after his own accident to want to be hanging around more hospitals. He didn't say that, though. He wanted to support Leila in whatever she needed to do, even if the thought of going back to New York right now set a strange sort of panic thrumming in his gut. But he stayed calm, drawing as much out of the embrace as he was hopefully giving her. "Accidents happen, though. You said Luke mentioned that there was a chance it was the MS, so it was just one of those things. Pat's illness took a sudden turn, and it just turned out badly. I don't know if there is any real answer here, to know what to do or what not to do. Ali and Andrew are there, they'll have help. I ain't trying to talk you out of going back, I'm just saying that they all know why we had to get away and I just... I ain't sure I can go back yet."

Leila shifted a little in the embrace, wanting to curl up against Rob's chest. She could still watch the sun set, she'd just rather lose herself in her husband's comforting arms as well. Her glasses were hooked into the front of her top so she could give her eyes a rest, so all the colours were still blurred anyway. She shut her eyes, and rest her head against Rob's shoulder for a moment. "I'm not asking you to go back. I don't think I can go back. I just... I want time with you. I want it to just be you and me for a while. It's not like we're not here for them. We are, just not in New York, or Princeton." She wrapped her arms around him again, her fingers gripping the back of his shoulder. "I need it to just be us."

Rob nodded slowly and rested his head against hers. He was quiet for a long few moments, lost in his thoughts without his mind really staying in one particular place. "I know you weren't asking, darlin'. I was just trying to think of solutions. But to be honest, I ain't sure Luke was calling you to look for solutions. I think he was just calling you because he's upset and you're his cousin. Sometimes hearing someone's voice is all you need. Just keeping a link. Trust me, I know as well as anyone that sometimes, family just can't always be together. Aiden and Pat both have huge families, and we're part of it now, for sure. I don't think them, or Luke, or anyone would deny us the need to just be doing this right now..." He waved his hand in the direction of the lake, remembering how he was telling Charlie about it and admitting to her he could happily live in a place like this, open with fresh air. "I know there ain't hospitals or life support involved with us no more, but as much as I hate to admit it, I gotta heal too or I'm going to mental. New York ain't a place a guy like me can get better."

Leila lifted her head as she opened her eyes again, and brought her mouth to Rob's to kiss him softly. She couldn't deny that he definitely had a way of keeping her grounded. He had this way of helping her see her own thoughts more clearly. As crazy as it had been to marry him two weeks after they'd met, she couldn't deny she was lucky to have just kept falling in love with him, and find that she was more suited to marriage than she thought. She'd read enough horror stories about quickie marriages, but theirs had worked out. Was still working out. She wouldn't have traded it for anything. "I think he knows he can always call whenever he needs to, that the link is still there, but I know what you mean. I'd rather you didn't go mental, so we're definitely staying out here. We'll go wherever you need to get better."

Rob kissed her back softly and then laughed, looking over her face affectionately. "I'm actually really starting to get used to this place. Crazy, huh? Hardly part way in to the road trip and a tiny part of me wants to just sit here on the edge of this lake forever, buy a fishing rod, lie looking at the stars at night, pretending all that non-happy stuff ain't existing. Shame we have to live in the real world," he joked. "Thinking about it just being us, nothing but the car and the tent and the sleeping bag, maybe a nice fire to sit by at night. Makes me stop and think about life, and how much I ain't ready to check out on it yet. Thinking about thing things I maybe want one day. Just ain't sure no more if the military factors into that. Especially realising a lil earlier that even Mikey might be finally getting his act together."

Leila nodded in agreement as she twisted back to sit between his legs and stare out at the body of water in front of them. "I could do it, too. Never thought I'd feel like just... staying, but here I could. I don't even miss New York. I don't miss the sounds of traffic, I don't miss the grime, I don't miss the buildings, I definitely don't miss the rush of people. Maybe if we win the Lotto or something we could buy a second place here... A getaway just for us," she suggested quietly. "Mike? What makes you think he's getting his act together?"

"I'd like that... wouldn't even need to win the lotto, either," Rob mused quietly. He couldn't believe how much he felt connected to this place. Maybe if they had somewhere to escape to, things might be easier to swallow with his work. "Kinda been thinking about how it would be to own a place with a garden, too. With a porch swing, maybe a big bedroom with huge windows let in the morning sunlight, to just lie there on a Sunday morning, breakfast in bed..." He trailed off and laughed. "Sounds like I got too much time on my hands lately. I was chatting to an old pal from my cadet days, Charlie. She's a sniper too, but she stayed to specialise there and I moved on to Artilliary Tactics, so got transferred to Fort Sill in Oklahama, while Mikey, who also trained with us, went on to the medical side of things. We were all just typical teenagers, grew up through training together. But yeah, she was telling me Mikey pulled her outta bad situation over there. It's been a long, long time since I spoke to her, so I didn't even know she was over there. Turns out, she's had a crush on him since we enlisted."

"Wouldn't?" Leila let her eyes fall closed again, and pictured the house that Rob was describing and let out a soft moan. She could picture every little detail, even how the rooms were decorated. "Always did want a porch swing," she revealed with a laugh. "Just never told anyone because I knew it wasn't possible. Figured porch swings and New York didn't exactly go together. Not to mention I didn't plan on stopping anywhere to buy a house with a porch swing. Things are different now. I want all that... It doesn't sound like you have too much time on your hands. Just sounds like your priorities shifted." She rubbed her hand against his leg. "Okay... so Charlie's been crushing on Mike, and Mike swooped in to be her knight in cammos, and... Did they get it on? Does he secretly love her, too? Is she okay now?"

Rob wet his lips and cleared his throat, clearly hesitating and debating over whether he wanted to say something else on his mind. "I was... thinking. Maybe if I took that training job, get transferred again to Monmouth in New Jersey, we could maybe buy a proper house with a garden. Maybe somewhere halfway between the base and New York where your family are. Then we could be closer to Luke in Princeton too, like a full circle. See, I Googled, Lils showed me Google Maps. It's only about an hour drive from the City to Fort Monmouth, and then an hour again from Princeton to Monmouth. And the base is near the water, we could get a place near water there. We could maybe even still afford a cabin here for holidays. It's just... you know, a thought... maybe." He cleared his throat again, chewing his lip as he drank in the sunset. "No, and Mike's doing his brooding thing. I think. But, I've been trying to get a hold of him and he ain't gotten back in touch, so he could just be well busy. She kissed him, and he kissed her back."

Leila was quiet for a moment as she tried to figure out what Rob's plan meant. "But that would mean an hour commuting for you, are you sure it's what you want? It would have to suck for those five o'clock starts wouldn't it? Are you sure you want to travel that much? I mean, I'm not saying no. Definitely not saying no... In fact, I think maybe I'd really love that. If you're sure. So does that mean you want to take the training job?" She was still wrapping her head around the logistics, but a huge part of her felt like letting out a sigh of relief at knowing that training meant he wasn't anywhere near the frontline. "There's been kissing? Wow... Mike really has been a busy boy. So the broody thing is because he didn't want the kissage?"

Rob shook his head. "No, no... I mean, we could maybe get a place in a town that's midway of them all. Thirty minutes to the base, thirty minutes to Princeton, thirty minutes to New York," he explained. "If you look at the map, all three places are like three points of a triangle. If we get somewhere around the middle, it'll only be a short drive to all of them. I ain't sure about the training job. I ain't real sure about a whole lot right now, but I'm trying to work it out. Right now, I just gotta come to terms with the fact I ain't fit for the frontline. I might not be for a year, two years, five... ever again. It's stupid to try and pretend that ain't happening. Delusion isn't gonna get me anywhere. All it'll do is make our life stuck and strained, and I don't want that. Not at all. But it's either take the training post, seeing to new recruits, or retire. And I like New York, I really do, but maybe in smaller doses. I'm still a country boy, I still need my greener pastures and fresh air. I need to be able to feel free." He gave her a small squeeze, hoping he was at least making some sense in the jumble of thoughts. "Nah, I ain't thinking so. Brooding is probably more needing to process it, and like I said, I think he's been in the thick of it. You ain't got a whole heap of time to brood over there before you're tossed into the next situation."

"Oh, okay. See, I understand now. For a moment I was worried... Thirty minutes isn't so bad, and I like the idea of being between all of it. It's okay if you're not sure about the job, just wanted to know. Can I just be a little bit selfish - again - and say that personally I like the idea of you not being back out on the frontline. I know you're a soldier, but I just... I can't go through what we just went through again. I can't watch you go through that because I'm really not ready to lose you. But if you ever go back... I'd stand by you. Of course I would. It's not the waiting that bothers me. It's the you getting hurt that does, the you getting nearly killed. Which I realise is part of the Army deal, but I never said I'd be logical while being selfish." Leila rubbed her hand over Rob's. He was making all kinds of sense even if she wasn't right then. "I want you to have your greener pastures. I want us both to have them. Besides, it'd be better if we ever got to the point where we were ready for kids. Give them some nature to lose themselves in, and not concrete and glass. Do you think they'll get together? Or as best as people out there can? What about back here on home soil? What's Charlie like?"

Rob fell quiet, taking in her words. When he spoke again, his voice was a little choked up and hoarse. "I'm a soldier, darlin'. That's what I do and I ain't going to promise you that I ain't gonna go back because the minute they give me the greenlight, I... I have to. I would still be there now if that all ain't happened. I..." This was the part where his sound reasoning started to slip and falter, words became harder to find as he struggled to explain it. He felt like he was split equally in two down the middle. Half of him still harboured the fierce loyalty to serve and protect his country, to fight for it, to die for it if that was what it came to. And then the other half of him was terrified. Terrified of losing his life, terrified of dying, terrified of going back there, and that had a yearning to just disappear into a quiet life where he had peace and safety. We're he was happy. It was impossible for his brain to function properly right now, which was a big portion of why he was out on medical leave anyway. At the moment, he was struggling to breach those two sides of him and make any sense of it in his mind. Before he knew what was happening, tears were welling up in his eyes and they spilled over silently. He just wet his lips and looked out at the soothing view. The whole Post-Traumatic thing was hard to live. His emotions would fray and peak at any minute, usually anger, just like when he had exploded at Charlie before he could stop it, or there was this other side where the cold helplessness and sense of loss sat in his gut and made him want to crawl into bed and hide under the covers. Either way, he knew in his heart, he couldn't be on the frontline right now. He was too damaged. He needed to heal. "She's, uh... she's real sweet. Typical country gal. Tough as nails though when she's fighting. You gotta be out there. We were close pals back then, but I didn't even see she was hooked on Mikey. She kept it to herself. But you sacrifice a lot when you're a soldier, and that even starts when you're a cadet. That mindset is pumped into you from day one, screamed in your face over and over until you just wake up one day thinking, living, breathing like a soldier. It's marked on your soul. But I ain't sure what they're gonna do. They might never be on the same home soil together. Charlie's based in Texas for one, Mikey's in Jersey. They ain't anywhere near in the same units, completely different specialties. Same as why I ain't seen either of them til I was moved to New York. I was in Sill at Oklahoma, different unit and specialty all over again. You don't cross paths much. It's why I was so suprised when she was there and I was talking to her, let alone her telling me she hooked up with Mikey."

Leila's fingers slipped in between his as she hugged his arms even tighter around her. Sometimes it didn't feel like she'd get enough of him, like she just needed to be embraced to the point where she was swallowed up by Rob. Especially now when they did have time together. She just wanted to utilise every moment. She heard him getting choked up, and noticed the change in his voice. She turned her head to rest her face against his chest, and breathed in his scent. "I know you're a soldier, I'm just having a stupid moment. I know I can't ask you to stop, and I won't. You just scare the shit out of me sometimes, that's all. I can get along with you gone so long as I just know somewhere deep down that you're as okay as you can be out there. No more explosions. Even if you can't ever promise me that." Leila raised his hand to her mouth and kissed his palm. "I love you. I just get selfish sometimes, that's all. I want as much as you as I can get when you're on home soil. You got ripped away too quickly last time. Doesn't it ever get to the point where you just want something for yourself? To stop sacrificing? Wow, it's like some kinda epic love story. It's just missing Ralph Fiennes, or maybe Henry Cavill as Mikey. But I thought it was just a kiss? Was there actual hooking up?"

Rob had to laugh, loving how Leila could just lift his spirits when he managed to lose a hold of them. "Mikey ain't British, love. Ain't sure they could really pull off his Southern drawl," he said in amusement. "Should I be worried about your fondness for hot English men?" he added teasingly and wrapped his arms more securely around her. "I just meant hooked up as in crossed paths again. It's really been a hell of a long time, I should have asked her what she thought when she first saw him. Mikey's grown up, a lot. He was a scrawny teenager back in those days. He's grown into himself, to say the least. You know the hard part of this all, darlin'? There is a big part of me right now that does just wanna do something for myself. A part of me wants to retire, stop it all, just relax and be me. I just ain't sure it's a bigger part than the soldier in me, and there is a chance that choice could get taken away from me. But if I retire, ain't no military no more. If I stay, take the training post, there still could be a chance they send me back when I'm better. My head feels like it's split into a bunch of different pieces, and that ain't even considering my heart."

"No, they're just usually the ones that wind up playing soldiers in those epic romances," Leila replied as she smiled. "You and your drawl will never have anything to worry about. Oh, that kind of hooked up. Well, now I get it. I still can't see him as a scrawny kid. Are you sure that's what he was? He's just so big... and... Mikey. Can't blame her for wanting to try it on, especially if she loved a scrawny kid and then he comes back as... that." Leila pressed her lips together, and gave a small nod. "I know, love. Just do whatever you think is right. I'll support you. I'll always be by your side."

Rob was quiet again. Doing what he thought was right indicated he had a clue of what was right, and he didn't. And the thinking was starting to make him feel tired again, like curling up in the tent and going to sleep would be a good idea. It was probably why stopping and retiring felt like such a good idea. The tiredness since his ordeal in Afghanistan wasn't easily shaken. It wasn't as bad as it was when he first got back when he would literally sleep away days at a time, but it was still there, and still constantly made itself known often. "He really was, but then... so was I. Now he still kinda makes me look like a scrawny teenager when I stand next to him," he laughed a little but it didn't last long. "I just hope he can find something to make him happy. I think Charlie could, she ain't had no one in awhile either. But I dunno. Mikey does a good job of sabotaging himself when he wants to. Have you spoken to him since he left?"

Leila gave a shake of her head. "No, I haven't. I meant to. Just our time seems to slip away from us even when we're just sitting here." As if to prove her point, the sun dipped below the horizon as the sunset started to come to a finish. "I miss him. He helped me so much while you were gone, I would have been so lost without him. I just wanted him to not feel like he had to be alone. He seems to have this idea that everyone else deserves to be happy before he does... That he shouldn't be with anyone. I don't think that's right. He's got just as much right to fall in love, to be loved, and missed, and cared for."

"I ain't been able to get in touch with him anyway. He's probably out on a tough assignment. You don't get a lot of time to yourself." Rob watched as the last of the sunset slipped away and it got just that little bit darker around them. "Yeah, I owe him. He was still helping me even when I was back and having that weird breakdown. I got used to having him there, so it was hard to say goodbye. Never thought I'd let something like that get to me, but I did. Another reason I was sort of needing to get away for a lil while. He's just a typical Southern guy next door. He ain't wanting to hurt anyone, he can't live with himself when he does. I don't think it helped with his whole outlook on long-distance relationships when he witnessed what you went through with my shit. We should maybe think about getting that fire lit. It's still cold at nights. Ain't gonna do either of us any good to catch a cold."

Leila ran her tongue over her lips before she gave a little shiver in anticipation of the coming cold night. It might have been spring, but the nights were still very cool, and Rob was right about needing the fire. She released his arms reluctantly and gave his leg a pat. "Then you better get moving Mr Army Man. I'm not the one with a billion Scout badges, or whatever the fuck you guys get when you do something awesome. Mike didn't mind helping you. He wanted to, he just felt for you the whole time. He felt like shit when he found out he had to go - he didn't want to abandon you when you did need him." She bit her lip briefly as she turned to look at him. "I know it probably didn't help, but I was hardly going to be able to hold myself together during all that. It helped having him, and it helped having my family. I was lucky."

"Medals..." Rob murmured quietly as he moved to stand up, brushing his jeans off. They wanted to give him medals for bravery in relation to the whole ordeal, but so far, he hadn't made any moves to accept them. He just left New York without giving them an answer. He didn't want to be decorated for it, or reminded of any of it. He moved over to the car and unlocked the trunk to get some things out for starting the fire and making dinner. "Of course he didn't mind. He would die for me if it came to that... I'd die for him. We all know when you get that call, it's just the way it rolls. I just hope they don't keep him too long. He needs rest, and a break. He wouldn't have stayed if he didn't wanna help you, darlin'. He'd die for you too. It just emphasised a lot of his fears. It emphasised all our fears. Until it happens, you ain't ever really stopping to think it could be you one day. Not really. You'd go crazy if you did." He tucked the supplies under his arms and then closed the trunk again.

Leila brought her knees up under her chin now she didn't have Rob to keep her warm, and watched him as she let out a heavy breath. It all reminded her that she did want to check in with Rob, Luke, and Andy. Luke might have called, but she was still thinking about him. She made a mental note to send emails in the morning. Rob had mentioned the medals to her briefly, and she knew better than to press him about that topic. "I don't need him dying for me, I need him coming home. I want to know my boys are safe. I feel like a mother hen who's chicks are suddenly sent off on scary chicken missions, and she doesn't know if they'll come back."

"He ain't coming home yet, love. No sense sticking on it, it'll only make it harder to deal with," Rob advised, as much as he was struggling to follow his own advice. "And that ain't all a safe mindset to be living in with a military family. At risk of sounding like a real prick, which isn't my intention, your family on home soil could use just as much of that motherly hen worry as we could out there. They ain't all having the best of times. Luke's just become an uncle again, too. Mikey's tough and he's amazing at what he does. He'll be fine. Us soldiers out there, we need him."

"I meant them as well," Leila replied as she pushed her fingers through her hair. "They just kinda got lumped into the metaphor. But I know what you mean, and I'm stopping. See? No more worrying. Well, about you two. I'll keep worrying about Luke and maybe Andy. He's all quiet at the moment, so that's either good, or bad. The twins sound like they're doing okay, though. I can't believe all the babies we're suddenly surrounded by. Just reminds you life keeps moving."

Rob nodded and crouched down by the fire that was mostly already built from the night before. He started neatly building more wood around it so he could get it lit again. "They could use some quiet. I'm sure you woulda heard if there was something up. Was he heading to Princeton to be with Luke? Two sets of twins was pretty full on... I think I might be kinda jealous," he murmured with a small laugh. "Despite the shit, they all seem fulfilled, content."

"You want to start a family?" Leila asked him quietly, taking her glasses out of her top now that it was dark so she could see better. Her gaze stayed on his face as she watched his reactions. "I don't know, neither of them said what Andy was doing, but I'm going to assume it's a possibility. The bunch seem pretty good at moving when they need to, and gathering everyone together."

"Isn't Andrew's best pal a paramedic in Princeton now? Evie's sister. If she was involved too, there's probably no question they'd all go to Princeton to help out where they can, even just to make sure things were okay. They're tight, it's how it works. Still means the world to me that Ali brought y'all to see me in the hospital on the day of her wedding." Rob realised he had outright avoided her question initially and he cleared his throat, glancing up at her briefly before he lit the twigs beneath the wood pile and the fire started to spread straight away, crackling softly. "I wouldn't mind, I just don't think it's the best time right now. Everything's so... uncertain."

Leila hummed quietly. "Still means the world to me that she brought me to see you, too. I thought I was going to burst into a puddle of tears. Still don't know that I'll ever repay her enough. She just knew." Leila unfolded so she could move over to Rob, staying on her knees as she kissed him. "I'm ready to have your babies whenever you're ready, Sergeant. My womb is yours. Never thought I'd be ready, but I want kids with you, Littlerock."

Rob rested his head against her forehead, feeling those niggles of emotions trying to rise in him again. "You don't know how much I would love to just say let's go for it right now. Part of that whole peace package, I guess. I just... having Jamie 'round and being involved with your family, it's been an honour to watch it, be part of it. Makes me wonder the what ifs a whole lot, you know?"

Leila kept her hand against his cheek, her thumb rubbing against his skin. "Yeah, I know. We'll just be sure to offer our babysitting services a lot. We'll just help them out, and keep our own kidmaking on the backburner. It's fine. Really. It's better you get the time to work out your head, and where you're at before we even try."

Rob shifted so he could sit down beside the fire, enjoying the warmth it was already affording. He loved camping, he loved watching the stars, feeling that freedom of the open spaces, the simplicity of it. It wasn't everyone's taste, and he was glad that Leila seemed to be enjoying it. She never complained about being uncomfortable, sleeping in a tent, eating boring food, being in the car for hours. It was just being together, and it was nice. They were really starting to make up for the time they hadn't had together, and even if they had done things a little skewed compared to normal, he didn't care. This was way better than conventional. "It doesn't need to completely go on the backburner," he told her with a smile. "We can talk about it, think about it. Other soldiers have children, they seem to make it work. It ain't something we really talked about before... It's nice."

Leila sat behind him this time, wrapping her arms around her soldier as she rest her chin on his shoulder, and watched the crackling fire as it started to build in intensity. She really didn't have a complaint about this trip. She'd never needed luxuries, and Luke and Andy had made sure she was well versed in camping and 'boy' activities. The stints in the car didn't bother her either, she just watched Rob enjoy being behind the wheel of his other girl. "Okay, so we'll talk. And it is nice. It's definitely nice. I love you."

Rob watched the fire and wet his lips. He glanced over his shoulder to see her face, forehead creased curiously. "Are you sure you would be ready for kids?" he asked her and couldn't help but smirk just a little. Her sitting up behind him like this was turning him on. Obviously, a male anatomy knew when its duties were being discussed. "What changed your feelings on it?"

Leila must have sensed a shift in Rob because her hand started to drift south without her even thinking about it, her fingers resting against the bulge in his pants. "I think I'd be ready for trying. It's not always going to happen instantaneously, is it? Andy and Ali are proof of that. And I think... I don't know. I think I'm just ready to finally give someone everything, including kids. You changed my feelings on it."

Rob shook his head. "No, it doesn't always come easy. Sometimes I assume it does, or the world wouldn't be in such a screwed place with all these teen pregnancies around the place. Then I guess there is always a chance either of us won't be top notch in that area. I mean, I wouldn't know. I've never been tested or anything. Ain't like having a good sperm count makes you a good fighter." He drew in a long breath at her touch. It didn't seem to take much for him to go from a little aroused to full force just knowing she was there. "It's a big thing. I mean, yeah, I'm out at the moment, might not ever go back. But wouldn't it be harder for you with a kid if I did at some point?"

"Definitely a big thing," Leila murmured as she kissed the back of his neck, and she started to rub her hand against his erection. "I don't know if I can have kids, either. Should we get tested, or just leave it? It's not like I've ever needed to try before. Harder? No, I don't think it would be. I'd have them to look after, to make sure they were okay. A piece of you always with me kinda deal."

Rob let his head fall back against her shoulder, exhaling softly when she started to rub him. He put his hand behind him and started to thread his fingers through her long hair. There really had to be something to be said for this sexual healing thing. Since they left on the road trip, they must be notching up a quota of having sex at least three or four times a day. They weren't beholding to anyone, and stopping on the side of the road or making the most of the tent had become second nature to them. He didn't always have the energy for hot, heavy sex, but that's what was nice about it. It didn't always have to be like that. Waking up spooning and then taking her from behind before they even contemplated getting out of bed was often what helped him have the strength to get up some mornings. "You know, knowing our luck, we'd make good on the first shot," he said with a small laugh. "A piece of me that cries, drools, pukes? Still, when you see the way Jamie looks at Ali and Andrew, there's gotta be something amazing in that."

Leila turned her head to press her lips against his throat as her other hand rest against his thigh. They'd managed to fall into an easy rhythm during the trip, and she loved it. She finally felt like they were getting their chance to work out just what their marriage was about. Her hand moved slowly, almost teasingly as she worked on creating friction. She wasn't going to snap open his fly just yet. Not that they were likely to get caught. The camping ground was relatively tired, and they'd had it mostly to themselves today. "We probably would. You are a sniper, after all. Yeah, that kind of a piece of you. Something wrong with that? I think there is. There really is. And when you listen to them talk about her..."

"Oh jeez, darlin'.... you trying to kill me?" Rob asked huskily, unable to fight the urge to push his hips forward and try to invite at least a tighter grip. The soft, teasing touches were driving him crazy. It was true, there wasn't anyone around in close distance to see them. In fact, they could probably fuck right beside the fire and not a single person would pass by. That notion alone piqued in his mind had Rob growling softly with arousal and feeling his dick twitch in his jeans. Sex by the fire, under the stars. It was more than appealing. "You've really been thinking about this, haven't you? It'd be a lot of change... naturally, I'd worry about y'all being alone when... if... I go away again. But you wouldn't be alone, and it ain't like they wouldn't have great aunts and uncles around. What about your work, though? You've already put it on the backburner. Don't you miss it?"

"My photography? Sure, but I could just change course with it. Harri was talking to me a little about some freelance work, and I could always just set up my own studio. Hell, we we buy a house with a garage, or something, and if you don't mind - I could just convert that into a workspace. Put up a cheap wall, paint it white, get some studio lights and stuff." Leila bit down softly on his throat, and flicked open his fly finally so she could slip her hand into his boxer-briefs and wrap her fingers around his cock to stroke him more firmly. "I don't want you dead, I just want you hard. And yeah, I've thought about it a little. Ever since all the babies started popping out amongst our family. Ever since I came back and Luke and Andy have been quizzing me. Ever since I came back and married you."

Rob scrunched his nose up just a little. "What do you mean, if I don't mind? You think I wouldn't? Why would I mind?" But his breath caught in his throat as soon as her fingers were around him and he groaned in pleasure, wondering if it was possible to actually be any harder than he was because when she had him like this, it felt like he never wanted to be satiated. He was selfishly glad that sex drive hadn't been overly affected by his injuries. There had been a possibility it could have, and in the early days it was on some level, but only because he was in too much pain. In fact, when he had spoken to the military psych, one of the first questions she had asked him was whether he was having any problems with sex. He had literally just blinked at her and laughed a little, answering in the negative. Getting blown up wouldn't be enough to stop him wanting his wife as much as he could have her. "You don't worry it might be hard with me all... screwed in the head? That might... there's a chance I'll always be screwed on some level. It's too soon to tell."

"You got your other baby to worry about," Leila murmured as she continued to pay attention to his throat and neck. It was amazing neither of them were permanently black and blue from all the marking. She rubbed her nose against his skin in an Eskimo kiss as she smiled. He always smelled good, tasted good, felt good. There was no way she was ever going to get enough of him, or be able to give him enough. She loved making him come almost as much as she loved sex with him. "You might want to use the garage for your car. Can't just keep it in the driveway, can you? We don't need to do it now. I'm talking about right now... And I know you might always be screwed, so if it's not an idea you're comfortable with then... I mean, not having kids won't be the end of the world. It's not a concrete thing. We just agree to keep talking about it whenever we want to."

"So we get a double garage," Rob murmured with a slight shrug. "I'm not leaving her parked outside. I'll buy an extra bedroom and keep her in there if that's what it comes to." His tongue darted out to wet his lips and he found himself pushing back against her so he could move with a little more ease. Some nights, he was just dumbfounded at how much he had sacrificed with his ex-wife. He had gone for so long without any sort of intimate affection or contact, despite being married. He had convinced himself she really was just tired, or whatever other excuses she fed him. He convinced himself it was him, and that she would want to touch him again at some point. With Leila, it wasn't even in the same realm. She made him realise he wasn't actually a leper in bed, that his cock wasn't so unpleasant to to go near. It seemed shallow, but everything Leila gave him helped him feel alive again and he couldn't help but thrive on it. He couldn't ever get enough. "Truth is, I ain't sure I'll be a good dad..." he told her quietly.

"Well, I could set up in a bedroom. Just figured we wouldn't want strangers tromping in and out... So maybe the car goes in a room. Or we get something with some kinda separate rumpus room. I don't know, let's just check for a house, and then we'll figure out who goes where." Leila tried to make sure her rhythm didn't falter with his last comment as she frowned a little. They'd had deep and meaningfuls while indulging in foreplay before, so it wasn't anything new. "Why not?"

After a moment of thought, Rob nudged his hand down his pants to tuck his fingers around her hand, giving it a small squeeze as he felt her working his cock expertly. He would return it all, without a doubt. He was already thinking of all the ways he wanted to kiss her, touch her. "I ain't real sure. I know that sounds like a cop out. I just look at all the others and ain't sure I got what it takes. I'm really a selfish prick deep down. This whole road trip is proof of that. When the going gets tough, I piss off. Get a lil worried I'll screw a kid up, you know?"

Leila rest her head against his as she moved her free hand to rub his stomach soothingly. "Here's the thing, Littlerock, it's okay being this kind of selfish. It gets you through, and it's about healing. It's also our Honeymoon, and a way for us to get our time together. And if we had a kid you wouldn't be screwing them up. We'd get it. They'd get it... They might even be able to come. I know you can't always plan when you need to get away, but maybe we just need to agree there should be family holidays regularly, and stuff... Whenever you're around to have them. Need them..."

Rob turned his head to look over her face. Some days, he was just still awed she wanted to be married to him, let alone that she was. He had no words to express to her how much it meant to him that she just got him, unconditionally. "I love you, darlin'," he murmured and then shifted a little, slipping his arm around her waist so he could start to kiss her deeply, trying to show her how much she meant to him. As much as sex under the stars by the fire sounded appealing, truth was, anything, anywhere with her would always make him feel like the luckiest guy on earth.

Word Count | 7,949

For musebyrp

2010-03-19T12:47:15Z

LINK: I want to meet the dude who invented line dancing and thump him.

Just saying.

musebysentence | 68.3. [ADULTS ONLY] Like it rough

2010-03-19T12:43:42Z

LINK: Spending all day in training, sweating, with adrenaline-fueled combat anger and shooting things, Rob couldn't help but return to his apartment and take Fox hard and fast from behind, bent over the kitchen counter until there were inevitable bruises and hints of blood from that delicious mix of pleasure and pain.

For musebyrp

2010-03-14T00:36:40Z

LINK: I wanna get laid on a waterbed.

[NSFW] musesandlyrics | 6.28. Black Eyed Peas lyrics

2010-03-10T03:54:25Z

6.28. I know that we'll have a ball
If we get down and go out and just lose it all
I feel stressed out, I wanna let it go
Let's go way out spaced out and losing all control
I Gotta Feeling - Black Eyed Peas

Co-written with shoothetarget

Fox had left Wesley back at their apartment while he whined about his sausage-less McMuffin. She hadn't wanted to put up with his pouting face on the drive to Fort Sam, even if he had helped her get the address out from the hotel people. Sometimes Wesley really did need a good smacking around, but she didn't have time. She wanted to find Rob as quickly as possible. She was wearing a white dress similar to the one she'd worn when she'd met Wesley the first time, her hair only partially pulled back. She slammed her heels down on the gas pedal of her classic Ford Mustang. The restored car one of the first things she bought after opening the tattoo parlour. When she had been in the Fraternity, they had taken pride in stealing whatever cars they needed, but Fox had to admit there was something nice about knowing it was hers.

The silver painted vehicle sped towards the army base, and she actually had to admit there were some nerves kicking into play. What if she found Rob, and he really was fucking some army chick? What if the pricks at the gate didn't let her in, even if she was dolled up and ready to play the crying fiancée card. She was still sure that sneaking onto the base was a more viable option, but Wesley insisted on the stupid fucking game of charades. If she failed, she wasn't going to hold back in beating the shit out of him.

She still had no idea if she could pull off a serious relationship, but at least some of the pressure was off with the knowledge that Rob would be shipped out again at some point. She could be here when he came back, and for now, but when he was away Fox could just be herself. She wasn't used to relying on anyone, and she had no idea if that's what he wanted. Did he want some goddamn useless damsel in distress, was he okay with an independent woman that would eat him alive if he did something to hurt her?

Fox was only a few miles away now, and she almost missed the Firebird on the side of the road. The white car triggered something in her mind, and she quickly pulled up off the road right behind it as she slammed on the brakes. Fox killed the engine of the Mustang, and for a moment just sat and stared out her windshield. Someone was sitting in the car in front of her, and she felt her heart skip a beat. No one had gotten under her skin like the soldier, and she had to wonder if it was really going to be as easy as finding him here in his car.

Fox got out, and came up by the driver's side window, her sunglasses still on as she leaned down and tapped on the window. It was Rob, no doubt about it. Her lips curved into a smile and she tilted her head as she looked at him questioningly.

Rob had just needed a break, some fresh air, some freedom. Any of it. All of it. He might not be in a warzone right now, but the barracks could feel claustrophobic post-deployment. There was always a yearning to just not be locked up behind walls of security and surrounded by people in camos. He just needed to get out and drive. Driving helped clear his head. He couldn't be sure if he felt guilty about sleeping with Charlie. No doubt about it, the sex had been awesome. It was hard, it was hot, it was rough. She took as much as he gave, and it was an act of just sheer arousal and tension on both their parts. By the time they were done, the muscles in his lower back were aching just from the sheer exertion of it. It had been a need, not a want. But he had been left slightly confused by it, wondering if he had used Charlie, even if she assured him it was fine and she didn't mind. So, there was sex, driving, and smoking. He used to smoke in his younger, more social days. But after everything, and the sexual overload coupled with the euphoria overload of being home and away from the risk of being shot at or blown up, Rob had been left thinking that he still did really need a smoke.

He had only gotten as far as buying a packet, though, which now sat on his dash board as he relaxed back in the driver's seat of his Firebird, dark aviator sunglasses on his face. He was just watching the sprawling greenery around him, enjoying the... nothing. He was enjoying the nothing. A can of Coke was in his hand, resting on his thigh and the knock on his window was the only thing that jolted him out of his daydream. He had been feeling slightly like he was in drugged haze, but not quite. It had just been the first moment in a long, long time he had finally let himself chill out, and it really was on par with taking a hit of weed. The thing was, when he looked to see who was knocking - wondering why anyone would be knocking in the first place, on account of the fact he was parked on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere - he really did think for a moment that he was maybe hallucinating. After a moment of frozen surprise, he pushed the sunglasses up onto his head and wound the window down, looking out up at her as his eyebrows rose. "What, you stalking me now, darlin'?" he joked in his Southern drawl, shooting her a smirk of amusement.

"I think maybe 'hunting' is more the word I'd use," Fox said as she pushed her own sunglasses up onto her head and rest her arms on the window. Her blue eyes searched over his face as she continued to smile, relief starting to flood through her at knowing she'd found him again. She ran her tongue over her top lip. "I forgot to give you something back at the hotel. You're actually a hard man to find, Rob Laird."

Rob looked at her curiously, tilting his head slightly. "Oh yeah? And there I was thinking our time had just come to an end," he told her, clearing his throat. He shifted in his seat, resting his elbow on the steering wheel so he could see her face a little more clearly. His stomach gave a little jump with a mix of nerves and excitement. Hopefully the thing she wanted to give him wasn't a knee in the nuts. This was weird, really weird. He couldn't tell if she was joking about the hunting thing or not. "You had three days to ask how to find me," he reminded her.

Fox ducked her head as she let out a husky laugh, and glanced back at him from under her dark lashes as she smiled wryly. "Apparently I'm a pussy when it comes to asking something like that. Figured I was saving us both some hassle, but it turns out that bullshit saying is true about knowing what you want once it's gone. I don't want our time to fucking end if it's alright with you. I wanted to give you my number. Make sure you had at least one way to find me, soldier." She shifted, and reached into the car to cup his face with her hand as she leaned in to kiss him hungrily. It might have been awkward as all fuck given she was half hanging out of the car, but she didn't give a shit. "I want you."

Rob was slightly breathless in the wake of the kiss. Any words he had been about to offer had died on his lips when she kissed him, and he had started to kiss back with as much hunger before she broke it again. He had to laugh, flicking the handle on the car door to open it and he stepped out, coming to stand right up close to her so their lips were only inches away and their bodies would be pressed together if he just breached that tiny gap. "I could have called you at the parlour," he pointed out, eyes sweeping over her face, coming to rest on her lips as he slowly licked his own. "I only needed to know you wanted me to."

Fox blinked, her hands sweeping over his chest before she grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him in nice and close. "I don't live there," she countered. "And I don't know about you, but how many times would you have needed a booty call at three in the afternoon? Home number's better, baby. Means we can have phone sex. You can tell me all your dirty little desires." Fox dropped one hand between their bodies, and cupped him through his jeans. "So, do you know now?"

Rob sniggered. "I'm a dude. You'd be surprised how often a booty call would be appreciatively answered at three in the afternoon," he replied. The phone sex he wasn't overly sure of. He'd never done it. It wasn't like his wife was going to cater to a little dirty talk when he was overseas. She hadn't even acknowledged his attempt to flirt with her via email. He was probably going to need a little guidance in that whole realm. "You seem so sure I ain't just a wholesome, traditional Southern guy..." His breath left him in a rush. He was already hard. His cock had sprung to action with it's only welcome as soon as she had kissed him. It had been thoughts of her touch that had gotten him a raging hard-on in the shower that night he and Charlie got it on. Raging almost to the point it was painful. He had sympathies for those blokes who had constant erections as a side effect of Viagra, only this wasn't chemically aided. Not at all. "I might need a lil more convincing."

"Then you'll just have to call me at the parlour as well as at home." Her hand rubbed against him as she used the heel of her palm to create friction. Fox's mouth slid over his jaw, and she sucked on it briefly before her mouth stopped next to his ear. Her breathing was already shallow, and she was wet. She could feel the slickness between her thighs. All it had taken was knowing it was him in the car. She hadn't had sex since their last encounter, and while she'd tried to beg Wesley to help her out, the little shit hadn't wanted to play. She'd been left with her thoughts and memories of Rob, and no outlet other than her own fingers. And they were nowhere near what she needed. She needed the real deal; she needed Rob. "I'm not wearing any underwear," she whispered, her hand still rubbing against him forcefully. "All I've been thinking about is you, and how much I want you, and need you. Do you understand just how wet you make me?"

There was a part of Rob's brain that was still trying to tell him this had to be a dream. With her hand doing that to his cock, he realised he hadn't been satiated at all. He just kept wanting more, and more. She was like a drug and he highly suspected she could literally fuck him to death if they had the opportunity. But what a hell of a way to die. She was wearing a dress, and no underwear. It was like all his Christmases had come at once and the only thing stopping him exploding and coming in his pants like a horny teeanger was the burning urge to be inside her and feel just how wet he made her. She was challenging him, and it was driving him wild. His skin felt like it was on fire and he grabbed her in a heated embrace, slamming their lips together in a bruising kiss as he pushed her up against the hood of his car. He hitched the hem of her dress up, pushing her legs open so he could just a little bit better access. When his fingers dipped between her legs, feeling the hot, damp arousal there, he gave a growling moan of impatience, wishing he was maybe Scottish in a kilt and not fucking wearing jeans.

Fox let out a moan at feeling his fingers against her. It was like there was already an explosion, tiny dots dancing at the edge of her vision. Just one touch from him was already more than anything she could achieve on her own. He really was addictive, and Fox was never going to be satiated enough. Not until he had her screaming over and over in ecstasy. Even then she'd still crave him. One arm looped around his neck as she wrapped a leg around his and lifted the other one up. Her other hand stopped squeezing his cock long enough to get his fly undone and started to push his jeans past his hips. Her teeth caught onto his bottom lip and she bit down until she tasted blood, lapping at it with her tongue. Once again the fact that they were out in public - even if it was the middle of nowhere - was way down her list of concerns. She managed to get his erection to spring free of his jeans and pulled him right up against her as she grabbed his ass. She had no idea what the fuck was happening between them, just that any time they were together it was like a fuse had been lit.

Rob could feel his heart pounding in his chest with anticipation. There was already a light sheen of perspiration prickling his skin and thoughts of literally everything else but taking her right here, right now, flew out of his mind. There wasn't even a concern that her squeezing his ass actually hurt from the healing tattoo. In fact, it was a bolt of pleasure mixed with the pain, and it caused his cock to jump as he anticipated driving deeply into her again. How did she manage to make him such a lost cause? How had he gone a year without sex? With Fox, it was like he could barely last a few days. Never in his life had someone matched him like this, spurred him on to the point of desperation. Little things like remembering condoms with her were completely lost. They did it once without, what was another time? He never thought he would be the sort of idiot to resort to the excuse that he wanted to feel a chick without a latex barrier, but he really fucking did. And besides, no way was he stopping to get a rubber on right now. Not when she was this close and all he had to do was thrust forward and bury himself balls-deep inside her. He growled against her lip, scraping the front of her dress down to gain access to her tits. He couldn't stop himself wondering what it would be like to bury his cock between them, and the thought alone winded him, catching his breath. There was no holding back now, he pushed her legs open further, grabbing her thigh to hitch her leg up around his waist and thrust forward sharply, taking her deeply with a grunt of determination.

Fox still gripped onto Rob's ass as he thrust inside her, her forehead pressed against his as she cried out just from feeling him deep inside her. Fuck the condoms, she needed to feel him just as much as he wanted to feel her. She wanted to feel every damn inch of him, and then when the time came she wanted to feel him blow his load deep inside her. She clenched her inner muscles tight around him as she panted his name, baring her teeth as she let out a growl of her own as he started to move. Her ass bumped against the hood of the car, but she didn't care. She didn't care about anything except having Rob fuck her. "One of these days you're going to bend me over, and really fuck me hard, Sergeant," she told him between pants, Fox's own imagination providing her with a few ideas. She wanted to be left bruised and sore whenever she was with him, be left with marks that belonged to Rob, and him alone. Her head fell back as she arched her back and brought his head down to press his face against her tits. A low moan punctuated his every thrust, and she let go of his ass to push her hand up under his shirt and scrape her nails over his back.

All Rob's brain seemed to have the rationality to offer was a string of colourful expletives, probably repeated over and over. As soon as she told him what she wanted, the expletives were gone in favour of images of her bent over... anything... everything... while he pounded her like there was no tomorrow. It was a sensory overload, but he didn't want it to stop. Tough fucking shit if any cars drove by and saw this. Served them right for not taking the main road. His lips pressed against the soft flesh of her breasts. He was pretty sure he could happily walk around his his face there twenty-four-seven. She smelt amazing, a mix of vanilla and something else he couldn't put his finger on. It was uniquely Fox, though, and it drove him wild. He traced his tongue around the curve of her boobs, working his way towards her nipple with some soft pants that cooled the damp trail his tongue left. He sucked on her nipple, brushing his teeth across the hardened flesh in warning before taking it just that step further, biting down to offer her a burst of pain as he pushed the swell of flesh up with his hand, taking in every inch of her body. There was a tiny voice in his head asking him how he was ever going survive if suddenly Fox disappeared again, but he didn't want to think about that. He just wanted to keep pounding his eager cock inside her, trying to take her deeper and deeper with every stroke.

Fox let out a string of expletives of her own, and her hand smacked against his ass in a well-placed slap. The pleasure-pain managed to push her even more towards the edge, and she gripped at his hair as her fingers thread through the short strands. She didn't seem to be able to take him deeply enough, or touch him enough. She was working on pushing her hand back up under his shirt, and yanked his head away from her chest as she captured his mouth in a harsh kiss. Her tongue pushed into his mouth as she worked on drawing his out, their tongues now mimicking the pounding rhythm he'd created that she also matched as she lifted her hips up off the hood of the car. The heel of her shoe dug into the back of his leg, and Fox pulled back to look at Rob as she licked her lips and already started to feel the warning tingles of the orgasm start. "Fuck, Rob..."

Rob was close himself, really, really close. With a slight burst of keen smugness, he realised he knew the signs that she was about to come. They had fucked enough, he knew the tone of her voice, the way she tried to force her hips forward, but lost the smooth rhythm as she did, and the almost pleading edge to her words that seemed to be both desperation and an order for him to keep going or she would kill him all at the same time. He couldn't deny it, he loved it. It kicked his own desire into overdrive, his cock starting with the little pulses of warning. His knee had come to rest on the side of the car now, and it was almost like he was half knelt over her as he used the position to brace them through some final hard and probably bruising thrusts. He wanted to touch her all over, claim her and mark her like he had been too hesitant to do when he thought it was just a fling. But his pre-orgasmic brain was one-tracked. Do her, hard and fast, get her off like there was no tomorrow. He could do that. "Gonna come," he grunted out in warning against her mouth, just a tiny hint to her that he could send them both over the edge simultaneously if she wanted. They had done it before, he wanted it again. Fuck did he want it again.

"Wait," Fox growled as she tilted her hips so his cock stroked against her clit on the next thrust. She wanted them to both go over the edge together, and it was entirely possible she really would kill him if he came first. She gripped the back of his neck as she kissed him again, sucking on his bottom lip until it swelled up, and she could still taste a hint of his blood. Her breasts were still exposed, and she grabbed his hand to bring it back up against them. She held it in place, their hands joined as they groped at her body and her thighs squeezed around his hips as she started to tremble and buck with the building climax. "Now," she moaned, her head falling back as she cried out. The orgasm ripped through her and left her feeling shattered as every nerve in her body seemed to explode from pleasure.

It was lucky she gave him the command, because anymore trying to hold off and he might have exploded his prostate or something else just as vital. If he exploded his cock, and not in a good way, they might have some issues at hand. He really wanted to have the ability to just pause and indulge soley in feeling her climax, but he wanted to ride it out right along with her too. The latter, of course, won out. He pushed forward roughly, pinning her against the hood of the car as he groaned out her name, fingers tightening around her breast as he tried to draw every last bolt of pleasure possible out of it. His cock pulsed and exploded inside her just as he felt the orgasm scream through her, her inner muscles clenching sharply around him. When it eased off, not even reaching the post-coital glow phase yet, stars danced in his peripheral vision, feeling much like you would right before you passed out. The intensity of it was almost unbearable. Had he really thought he could just soundly let her walk away without feeling this again?

Fox lay there pinned under his weight, letting her head fall back against the hood of the car as she held him close. There was no thought to pushing him off, or walking away. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she struggled to catch her breath. Nothing she had ever done had ever felt like this, even all those times she'd had the adrenaline pulsing through her while she went for a kill. She also had no idea how she had actually thought she could have fucked Wesley after fucking Rob. She loved Wes, but he didn't make her feel like this, he didn't drive her to the brink of insanity just by kissing her. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, not even noticing when her sunglasses finally fell off the top of her head and went sliding down the hood of Rob's Firebird. She felt limp, like it would be a miracle if she could actually move again. Her hands took Rob's face brought his lips to hers in a soft kiss, the exact opposite of everything that had just happened.

Rob reflexively reached and snapped up the sunglasses before they fell. He couldn't help it, he was a solider with a sniper's eye. They were still tucked safely in the palm of his hand as the kiss eased off and he smiled down at her, only a flicker of amusement in his eyes. He wasn't smirking at her, he was just really awed that this wasn't a dream. If it was a dream, he probably wouldn't have a small, stinging slice on his knee from the decorative trim on the edge of the car. He was still buried inside her, feeling the warmth of their connection and really not ready for that to end again yet. He wet his lips, tasting her there, and swallowed, feeling parched from the exertion. "Okay... so what now?" he finally asked, resting his elbow on the hood so he could softly stroke his fingertips across her cheek, his thumb touching her lips.

Fox's eyes shone, and she nipped at his thumb, catching it between her teeth as she bit down gently. She released it as she turned her cheek into his touch and let out a contented sigh. "I don't know. I guess I still need to give you my number. Not like I can just come back to the barracks with you, is it? This isn't really the part where we ride off into the fucking sunset happily ever after. This is just the part where we agree that we're..." she trailed off, her nose scrunching up as she tried to think of a phrase that didn't make her sick, "... together."

Rob laughed, letting his head drop just a little as he felt the cosy, post-coital lethargy trying to stake it's claim. "Of course you can. I don't live in the barracks. I live in the on-base housing, where a lot of other soldiers live, with their non-military wives, like a lil suburb, only on-base. Lap of luxury compared to the tent barracks and stretchers I've been seeing through in the Sand Pit. You can come back to my place... if you want to, of course." He was watching her closely, following her words. "... together? Can I buy a vowel? Together as in...?"

Fox cleared her throat as she pushed against him lightly, not really wanting to shove Rob off even if the conversation was taking an uncomfortable turn for her. "I want to. And together as in... fuck, don't make me say it! Can't you just read my mind, or something? Use some of those tactical skills to figure it the fuck out? I hunted you down to give you my fucking number. We have... amazing sex, and I crave you like a goddamn drug. I'm not sharing you with anyone after this." She bit back a smirk as a thought just occurred to her. "Outside of a foursome I owe Wesley."

"Say it," Rob teased with a laugh, leaning in so he could press some soft kisses to the corner of her mouth. "It won't make you shrivel up and die, I promise." He paused, pulling back again so he could see her face and meet her gaze. "We need to talk to logistics, but we can do it later. And I have a confession to make. You probably ain't gonna like it, but you need to hear it. Wait, foursome? Who's Wesley?" he asked, feeling a burst of what could only be jealously bolt up inside him.

Fox made a face again before she huffed out a breath, and tugged on his hair in retaliation for the teasing. "Together as in... dating. Fuck, are you happy now? I hate that word. It's such a bullshit word." She stopped lamenting on having finally said it as she saw the look on his face, and stilled under him, her hand braced against his hip. "Confession? What confession? And yeah, Wesley. I told you about him. My best friend... roommate. Bane of my existence. I rescued him from the pathetic drudgery of an office job, and taught him how to take his balls in hand. He's why I'm in Texas in the first place." She wet her lips, and frowned as she started to sense the jealously. "But it's not like that. We're friends, and there was some fucking to start with, but I cut him off when I met you. I... I tried to talk him into fucking me when I thought you were gone, but he refused. He knew I wanted you too much, and he's been fucked around on before. He knows how much it sucks. The foursome was just a thing... I had to find out if you knew any hot chicks, then we could all get it on."

Rob fought an internal battle for a moment and then exhaled slowly. If this dude was just a best friend type dude, he could swallow that. Hopefully. What a hypocrite he was. He gave himself an internal slap and looked over her face again. "Okay, it's like this," he began. "I didn't know you wanted me. I thought when you left the hotel, that was just it. I ran up my quota. But I got a friend, she's in my new unit, only we have a history from way back. We trained together when I first enlisted. We've been friends for a long time. We kinda made a deal before we hit Houston that if neither of us got fucked, we help each other out. Only, it kinda got defunct when I met you. She had a crappy half-hearted encounter with a gay dude. We got back to my place, I was still kinda riled from being with you and I just... we just still helped each other out. If I'd have known you were gonna come, I wouldn't have done it."

This time Fox really did want to push Rob away, but instead she thumped him on the shoulder as she bared her teeth in anger. She knew she had no right to be jealous, or pissed off, but she couldn't help it. Rob had assumed she'd fucked off on him, and it hadn't really been the case. "I went back," she told him, trying to keep her tone low. "I went back! I know it took me a while, but I went back to fucking find you, and you'd already gone. I had no other way to get in touch. Fuck!" She turned her head away as she squinted against the sunlight. "Son of a bitch."

"Oh come on!" Rob immediately protested with a small frown. "You just told me you wanted to fuck your best friend when you thought I was gone, would have fucked him if he hadn't refused. How is it a different rule book for you than it is for me?" Rocking back, he pulled out of her and then put her sunglasses back on. "You didn't ask when I was going, made no noise about wanting my address before then. You can't be pissed off at me for this. She's my friend. It ain't like I was gonna trust no one else to help me out, and it was your fault I even needed help in the first place." He couldn't help being pissed off if she was. It wasn't like he even had any clue she wanted him more than a few quick fucks.

Fox pulled her dress down back over her legs enough to keep her decent as she reached out to grab Rob's hips and tug him back in between her legs as she wrapped them around him again. She tucked him back into his jeans for him as she started to do them back up, and kissed the underside of his jaw. "I'm sorry, but you can't deny you would have been pissed off if I'd slept with Wesley. You made no noise about wanting me to know your address. You didn't have to take my disappearing bullshit if you wanted more." Her expression softened and she pulled him in for another kiss. "I really am sorry, Rob. And that's not something I say often. I get you wanting to help your friend out, I really do."

Rob looked her, lips pressed together. "I wasn't exactly in the mood for another rejection. The ego has taken about all it can tolerate for at least, oh, ten years. I couldn't chase you, I didn't know how no more. Which sounds stupid, I know. I knew where you worked, but I wouldn't have just rocked up there without you wanting me to. I just..." He paused, letting out a small sigh of annoyance at himself at what he was about to admit to her. "I lost my fight for that side of things when I heard my wife cheated on me. You ain't the only one who's so challenged in the dating arena. I knew when we were driving outta Houston that something had passed me by, that I slipped up on some level and missed something, let it fall through my fingers, but at the same time, wasn't sure I had the energy to figure out what it was. Then I couldn't get you outta my mind, and it was driving me insane. I got riled up in the shower, let myself indulge in it. Couldn't even get no damn relief from jerking off. Charlie was staying the night so neither of us had to be alone. Coming home from war, it ain't such an easy adjustment. Nights are the worst. I didn't let you see it," he admitted, holding her gaze. Then he cleared his throat, looking down at the tips of the eagle wings on the hood beneath her, the blue a stark contrast to the white of her dress. "Yeah, I woulda been pissed off if you fucked him when you had intentions of chasing me, that woulda hurt. But if you didn't have those intentions, didn't know, like I didn't, I woulda got it."

"I was just pissed off, and I think part of me wanted to take it out on Wesley. I figured I'd let myself miss out on something, and I was just... angry." Fox rubbed her hands over his chest before slipping them around his waist as she engulfed him in an embrace. Her head rest against him, and she listened to the sound of his heart echo the same fast beat that hers was still experiencing. Neither of them down from the high yet despite the dramatic switch in moods. "I've killed a lot of people, Rob. I've watched my father burn in front of my eyes because some sadistic prick was sent to kill him over a court case. I'm permanently scarred with his initials... I nearly succeeded in killing myself because I believed in a Code so much that I thought I deserved to die." She pulled back again to meet his gaze. "You don't need to hide your nightmares from me. I can take them."

Rob didn't want to point out that his killing quota was probably a lot higher than hers, considering things like bombs and AK47's were at their disposal. He rubbed a hand over his mouth, knowing that in whatever they were attempting to launch here, there would be teething problems. "I'm sorry about your father. I really am. And I'm sorry some asshole led you into a scenario where you believed you had to try and take your own life. But I know what it's like to have a loyalty, and a faith. To be prepared to give your life for a cause. I get it," he told her with a small nod. He rubbed his hands up her arms, falling into silence for a few moments as he watched his fingers brush over her skin. "You just got me in a real weird time. It takes a few weeks for me to come down. And when I say come down, it actually sorta means the opposite. Go up? Doesn't sound quite right. You just go from being in war surrounded by death and destruction feeling somewhere down here," he tried to explain, dipping his hand to down below his waist, "to coming home with a weight off your shoulders and a sense of euphoric freedom and relief up here," he moved his hand above his head. "Then you gotta contend with that when the exhaustion kicks in. The adrenaline stops. It all collides when you try to sleep at night, when your brain won't switch off from what you left behind over there. I thought we were just in for a bit of fun... a fling. I didn't think you needed to bother with the downside of fucking a soldier."

"Do you still just want us for a fling, and some fun?" Fox asked, her eyes on his face as she rubbed her hand against his back. "If we're in this, then we're fucking in this. I don't believe in only doing things by halves. I might be commitment challenged, but I'm still diving into whatever it is we have head first. I'm in this all the way, Rob. Down of fucking a soldier and all. Just help me understand the weird time, and then I'll get better at it. I don't want to ask you for anything you can't give me."

"No, no. No," Rob responded, shaking his head. He slipped his arms around her waist, enjoying the embrace for a few moments before he continued. "It ain't that I can't it. I guess you'll learn about me that I ain't all that much of a complicated guy. I'm just me, want all the usual things most people want. Tried to get it right a few times, and luck just wasn't on my side. To be completely honest, I ain't sure I'm the fling type. We had fun, it was awesome and you got no idea how much I needed it. But I was an inch away from pulling outta that whole Houston trip. I wasn't gonna go. Charlie talked me into it because she thought I was such a fucking sad sack that I needed something. Something she knew she really couldn't give me, not how I needed it. But if we're gonna do this, then no, I ain't wanting just a fling. I ain't sure exactly completely what it is I do want, but it's gotta be more than that. I need to be with someone I can switch off with, not think with. But at the same time, she's gotta understand that I ain't always gonna be around. I thought my ex got that. Turns out she was just counting on it so she could fuck who she pleased when I wasn't home. And I ain't for a second saying you're anything like her. I'm just saying I need the opposite to what I had with her, if I'm gonna risk getting back on the dating horse at all."

"Can we not talk about it as a horse," Fox murmured as she made a face. Then she reached up to stroke Rob's cheek. "I'm not her, I won't fuck around. I had a weak, stupid moment. And you had a need that your friend helped you with, just like you helped her out. And if you're both away, and have needs... then I'd get that, too. Just so long as you don't declare your undying love for each other, and fucking forget about me. I'm not someone's fall back bitch. Just like you don't deserve to be either. And I'm also glad Charlie talked you into it, just like Wesley talked me into coming after you." Fox tilted her head as her eyebrow crept up. She had never once considered playing Cupid, and didn't particularly want to start, but she couldn't stop an idea from popping into her head. "Do you think they'd like each other? And I don't mean the foursome. I just mean in general. Wesley needs a hand with his balls no matter what he says. I'd get the absences, and I promise I won't fool around. I'll save it all up for when you're back on home soil."

Rob laughed. "Okay, no horses. What am I supposed to call it, a bull?" He rested his forehead against hers and then started to kiss her softly, slowly, letting it linger for a few moments. The relationship thing meant you could have both ends of the extreme; hot, sweaty, rough sex, and then the slower, softer moments, that were sometimes just as awesome. He leaned in close to her, kissing her deeply until it eased off and he smiled again. "I know you wouldn't be like her. You're nothing like her, and that's really healing for me. I just... sure you can deal with going without while I'm away. It can be months on end, a long time." He paused for a moment, his head tilting in thought when Charlie came up in conversation. "Well, I don't know him. What's he like? She... likes it rough, won't take any shit, is a bit of a ball-breaker, though you wouldn't know it to first look at her. She and I were only ever friends with benefits. In another lifetime past, maybe something could've been there, but I moved bases after training and we lost touch. That's just how it goes in the Army. I promise, I ain't gonna hook up with her, anything like that. She's just a really good friend that I need right now."

Fox licked her lips after the slower kisses, and let out a noise in contentment. Her hand rubbed against the side of Rob's neck and she closed her eyes briefly. She could take the slow stuff. At least with him she could. It didn't feel so weird letting her guard down for the moment and just being with someone. Talking about the serious shit, and indulging in caresses and kisses that were for more than just getting off - they were for expressing how you felt about someone. She had never professed to be a cuddly person, but Fox was affectionate with the right person. It was lucky for Rob that he was that person. Wesley had been on some level, but not completely. "I'll be fine. I'll just get something battery operated and watch a lot of porn," she told him with a smirk. "He's the opposite of me, and yet similar. I know it doesn't really make much sense, but I shaped him while we were in the Fraternity. I like to think he doesn't take shit any more, but he's also more inclined to not be such a bastard. Unless of course he's angry, or horny. I think he'd really like a ballbreaker. He just doesn't need me. We'd kill each other before we were ever capable of a stable relationship." She pulled him in for another long, lingering kiss, her tongue slowly dancing with his. "Not like us."

"We could always make our own porn," Rob murmured huskily against her lips, his hands sneaking down to her hips as he caressed her body attentively. "Plus, I can talk on the phone, talk online, write. Sometimes I might get completely cut off, but it's usually only temporarily. Then, you know, maybe some absences ain't gonna be so bad. You won't feel so pressured into the whole til death us do part committment shit. I figure we can work out our own rules on that. It just, well, it means a lot that you even wanna try. But you gotta know, if it ain't your thing, just tell me. I'll get it. Ain't sure I'll take it well knowing we're gonna walk out of each other's lives, but I'd rather that than you feeling stuck in something you don't want." His lips pulled to the side in thought. "You could be onto something there, darlin'. You never know. Ain't gonna til they meet. What I can say is she does need someone to challenge her, she wants someone to come home to at night. She's always been like that."

"I like the way you think, soldier..." Fox replied as she let out a quiet moan. Making their own porn was definitely an idea she liked. She wriggled slightly on the hood of the car, her arousal starting to kick back into gear again. Her hand rubbed against the inside of his thigh, her smile as innocent as any of her smiles were capable of being. "I like the idea of not feeling pressured into that bullshit, even if I probably would kill any woman that laid a hand on you. I promise to let you know. And you need to promise to let me know if I'm being too... independent. Too prickly." She nodded. "I think Wesley wants the same thing. His ex was a total fucking bitch. Probably from the same whorish gene pool as yours. Did his best friend, and kept him out in the fucking cold. They should meet."

Rob could have easily fucked her again right there on the hood of his car. He just wasn't sure he wanted to. Even though his apartment on base was about the size of a shoe box and nothing that would end up in House & Home magazine, he had an urge to just chill out there with her, much like they had done at the hotel. Only, the apartment was his space, his home for the moment. "You had a four hour drive here... wanna stay? Or do you have something to get back for?" he asked her, his hand slipping under her dress again to smooth his palm over her thigh. "I ain't gonna pressure you, I promise. If you're prickly, I'll probably just get shitty, maybe stomp around a bit and slam the fridge for emphasis. But I'll tell you," he promised with a laugh. "Alright, we can set it up. She isn't gonna turn the chance down. Like I said, her options are a gay guy. She doesn't trust easily. Could be interesting if they both don't."

"It's not as if we trust easily either," Fox pointed out as she flicked open a couple of buttons on his shirt and tugged the collar back so she could suck on his collarbone. "And yes, I would very much like to stay. I don't much like the idea of getting back into my car, but I can't leave it here. And if I get prickly, and you get shitty, then we'll just have to have some angry sex to get it out of our systems. Not like we're strangers to bruises, or drawing blood." She slowly moved off the hood of car, keeping her body pressed up against his as she managed to stay on her feet. Fox kissed him as she grinned. "I missed you."

Rob was already getting aroused again. Luckily they were on this side of the journey to Fort Sam. It was on the outskirts of San Antonio, and he had only driven about forty five minutes from base to find this place where he had stopped because, if no other reason, he needed to take a slash. "And it wouldn't be our problem if they wanted to fight it out, either. Ain't sure my cupid arrow would be reliable, but I empathetically sympathise with the dude's situation and Charlie is a good sort. It's not gonna hurt if they meet. After that, ball's in their court." He wrapped his fingers around her wrist and tucked her hand against the bulge in his jeans with a smirk as he brushed his lips against hers again. "Small apartment, but really, really big... shower. I missed you too, clearly."

"Then you better drive fast, because we need in that shower now, and I'm not going to be in that Firebird to give you a helping hand, or tongue," Fox growled as she gave his cock a firm squeeze and moved past him to climb back into her Mustang.

Word Count | 8,062

musebysentence | 62.3. Vehicle

2010-03-05T23:51:22Z

LINK: Rob knew that, after sex, the best form of stress relief was getting in his car and just driving wherever the hell the road took him.

For musebyrp

2010-03-04T04:58:39Z

LINK: Dude, a Smurfs movie?

My life is complete.

For musebyrp

2010-02-27T05:18:25Z

LINK: Testosterone does not make us idiots, it just makes us idiotically horny.

musebysentence | 59.7. Simple

2010-02-24T10:02:21Z

LINK: When something as simple as taking a shower had Rob thinking more impure thoughts about what he left in Houston, he was pretty sure he had no choice but to greet Charlie in his tiny living room still wet and in nothing but a towel to inevitably call in on their deal.