An
Occurrence at FSB Romeo
Title: An Occurrence at FSB Romeo
Author: Cathay
(c) 2001
Archive: please
Rating: R
Disclaimer: I don't own them. Not clear who
does, but I don't.
Warning: m/m consensual sex, men in paint
Author Notes: No apologies to Ambrose Bierce; he
was an angry man. I'm sure he just hadn't read enough slash. :)
Dedication: Happiest of birthdays to Kristy. You
wanted frustration and sex in one story. Your wish was my command.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
An Occurrence at FSB Romeo
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Face checked over his equipment, getting ready
to go out in the jungle surrounding FSB Romeo for the day. It was a daily struggle,
keeping the area around the base free from the enemy, and Hannibal's men took a
rotation at it about once a week. Mainly these were short patrol missions,
expected back after a few hours; help was close at hand if they encountered
anything suspicious.
"You ready, B.A.?" Face asked the big
sergeant who was going through his own checks.
They were near the base LZ, not far from the
watch tower and the showers. An open area near the center of the base, the
command post. SF command was just a few feet off to the right and Face
could see Hannibal at his desk through the open
door. A couple of guys were playing catch in the open area.
"Yeah." B.A. looked at Face with a
critical eye. "Need more of that stuff, L.T. You too white."
Face scowled at him, but he smeared more of the
paint on his cheeks. Hated the stuff; it was hot and itchy. Sometimes he envied
B.A. his skin color. Didn't seem to need as much to camouflage it in the
jungle.
"Nah, not there. Here, let me," B.A.
took the paint stick.
Face held still as the sergeant applied the
thick gunk carefully under his eyes and across his forehead.
"That better," B.A. grunted, handing
the stick back and wiping his hands on a towel.
Face stowed the paint back in his pack. B.A. was
carrying the radio and his rifle. Face had most of the other things they would need
and half their emergency gear in the pack at his feet.
This morning was hot. No surprise there, but it
was going to make the sweat roll down between his shoulder blades under the
pack. Nice thing about SF was that they didn't carry a lot of extra crap; SF
lived off the land. LRRPs would hump 70 pounds for days on end. Face couldn't
imagine how hot they must get.
The sound of a Huey became louder and louder as
it raced along the treeline from the north, toward Romeo.
Face looked up hopefully. For weeks, Murdock had
been flying out of FSB Sierra and Face hadn't seen him. For weeks. Damn the
army! They were perfectly happy at Romeo. Well, as happy as anyone could be in
the middle of combat. Then, this happened. There was some kind of epidemic over
at Sierra that had taken out most of the pilots, and Murdock had been
temporarily reassigned over there.
They had exchanged a couple of cryptical notes
and radio calls but there wasn't any way Face could ask what he really wanted
to know. 'Do you miss me? Do you need me as much as I need you? Why did this
happen to us?'
Every time a helicopter touched skids on the LZ,
Face glanced over to see if his favorite pilot was flying the thing.
Today, the sunlight from the front window on the
chopper blinded Face for a moment, and a sharp pain hit him right between his eyes.
He had to shake his head a bit to concentrate above the noise.
The chopper set down amidst the usual cloud of
red dust and noise, disgorging its burden of grunts out the side doors. Romeo's
regular army guys, back from patrol.
But Face's eyes went quickly to the pilot's
seat, following long legs up and over the torso to see that confirming warm
smile. Yep, it was Murdock, even if Face couldn't see the brown eyes behind the
sunglasses.
Face's heart suddenly started beating double
time. Would Murdock be staying, or did he have to take off again immediately?
Usually he dropped the grunts and headed out again, whether to another LZ or
back to Sierra, Face never knew. The slowing of the helicopter rotor blade
answered that question.
The whup-whup wound down and Face could make out
Murdock's voice above the diminishing sound.
"Hi, honey, I'm home!"
Face looked around quickly, smiling. Hoping that
no one had overheard. He loved Murdock more than he had ever loved anyone in his
entire life. There hadn't been anyone to love or to be loved by before Murdock.
He wanted to tell everyone, to show everyone, that he and Murdock were a
couple. That they belonged together.
But the truth was that they couldn't afford to
have anyone overhear that kind of talk, even with everyone knowing Murdock's sense
of humor. The guys might think it was funny, but they might speculate too.
So, Face glanced around the firebase. Where had
B.A. gone? He wasn't here now and must have gone back to the hooch for some piece
of equipment he had forgotten. Funny that he hadn't said anything before going.
The grunts were still playing catch, the
sentries were at their posts, Hannibal wasn't rushing out in shock and disgust.
No, everyone seemed to be ignoring the two of them; the sound of the helicopter
was drowning them out. Face sighed with relief.
Murdock loped over in that combination of grace
and awkwardness that was his hallmark. Face never tired of looking at Murdock, although
he preferred the close-up view. As close up as they could get.
Murdock didn't stop when he reached Face, but
threw himself into Face's arms, gripping him close. Suddenly, Face's pulse was speeding,
but not all from his lover's nearness.
"Murdock," Face gasped, keeping lips
from connecting by ducking his head against a totally comfortable chest. No!
"Not here!" Face tried to pull away, tried to see who else was
around. They might not have noticed when Murdock was talking, but how could they
miss this display?
But the guys playing catch were gone, and
Hannibal had disappeared from his desk. The chopper crew and grunts were heading
toward the mess, their backs turned to the two of them and their embrace.
It was only him and Murdock out here.
Together.
For the first time in weeks.
But still. . .
They shouldn't risk this, couldn't. Couldn't
risk being found in each other's arms. Certainly not in the middle of
Romeo. A fire support base, for
godsake. In the dirt and dust and with discovery imminent. . .
It made him so. . . so. . . hot.
But it was wrong.
Face tried to resist as Murdock pulled him
impossibly closer. Chest to chest, belly to belly. Murdock's hands were
everywhere. A knee nudged between Face's legs and he had to widen his stance to
keep his balance. Any closer and they'd be. . .
Murdock pressed closer.
Face gasped and Murdock's mouth was suddenly on
his, taking advantage. Taking advantage? Face felt a welcome tongue run along his
lips, dip into his mouth softly, and rub against teeth, palate, and tongue.
Over and over. Long gone were any thoughts of where they were and who might be
watching. Murdock's hands were snaking up his back, one in his hair, pulling
his head back. He felt the tug and yielded to it. The angle of the kiss changed
and deepened.
Face moaned, more than meeting Murdock, wanting
more as the kiss went on and on. He pushed up against Murdock now, feeling the pressure
against his groin, in his mouth. Pushing into Murdock. Wanting to be one. Now.
Now. The pulse beat in him.
He had never understood before Murdock. Didn't
understand why the other boys would sneak out, risking endless Hail Marys, to
see their girlfriends. Not for some relief that he could give himself. But this
was. . . different. So different, so much better with Murdock. Worlds apart
from. . .
"Whoa, muchacho!" Murdock pulled his
mouth away, moving a hand around to trace Face's lips. Press against them
gently.
"You started it," Face gasped, taking
Murdock's fingers in his mouth. Sucking on them. Grinding into Murdock's body
with his own. Needing Murdock.
"God, yes!" Murdock moved his fingers
in and out of Face's mouth, finally replacing them with his tongue. His body
moving against Face urgently.
This kiss was more desperate than the first.
Face was no longer reluctant, no longer cared who saw them. He had frequently thought
that he was at that point of no return, that place where he'd risk anything to
kiss Murdock, to be with him. Even out here on the firebase. Not caring what it
all meant, what the bigger picture was. But he had always known he didn't mean
it, that he wouldn't take that risk for Murdock's career. But, confronted with
this touching and kissing, he knew better. Nothing mattered anymore but being
close to Murdock. Murdock being even closer to him.
Murdock pulled away again, despite Face's best
efforts to keep him where he was.
"Too many clothes, baby, too many
clothes," Murdock whispered against his lips, peeling Face's cami-shirt
off and running his fingers up under the t-shirt to pull it off too.
Face thought he would pass out when he felt
Murdock's skin on his. Amazing how simple touches from Murdock were so
different from touches from other people. Face felt the air momentarily cooling
his hot body before Murdock's warm hands were back, pulling him close again to
kiss.
Face's own hands were tugging at Murdock's
clothing and Murdock pulled his own shirts off in one swift movement, hardly
breaking their kiss.
Both of Murdock's hands were running down Face's
back, slipping under the waistband of his pants. Caressing all the way down, cupping
him and pulling him firmly against Murdock's hard body.
"Murdock," Face gasped. But he
couldn't make any further coherent sound, just knowing that to get what he
wanted he had to be horizontal. Had to have even fewer clothes on.
But Murdock was taking care of that last,
pushing Face's fatigues down to gather around his jungle boots. Kisses trailed
down his chest now, Murdock's tongue stopping only a second to dart into his
navel and out again before continuing to an even more pleasurable goal.
Face groaned, his fingers moving through
Murdock's hair, pulling him closer. The warm feel of Murdock taking him in,
welcome even in this heat. Gliding smoothness, the feel of sheathed teeth as Murdock
playfully nipped. Face was going to lose it right here, in front of anyone who
wanted to see. God, that tongue that could make his entire body tighten and his
body and mind. . .
Suddenly, the explosion of one of the howitzers
flashed in his ears and in his eyes, a shock to his senses. Then everything was
light, and noise was everywhere as he opened his eyes.
"You okay, Faceman?" B.A. stood over
him, clasping a baseball.
Face nodded wordlessly, trying to make sense of
what had just happened.
"Rodriguez and Tyler!" B.A. shouted.
"You sorry-asses just hit you an L.T. And not just any L.T., but MY L.T.
You just lucky I gotta help 'im. Might not be so lucky, it 'appen agin."
Face shuddered; Romeo truly was a hellhole.
The End