Fly Away - a fighter pilot story

Chapter 16 - I'll Be There For You

"Make this noise stop", I say only half awake. I don't know what time it is, and I don't give a fuck about it. I'm exhausted. I want to snuggle against these soft sheets and that wonderful mattress and just sleep. Having Dave's chest pressed against my back is an added bonus, that I don't want to miss.

"It's the fourth time that you have said that.", Dave laughs behind me, kisses my shoulder that is still covered by one of his shirt and then I can feel him move to hit the snooze button yet again.

"We don't need to work today." I turn around to face him. He looks at me as he is struggling with himself. Sighing, he pulls me against him and puts one hand onto my cheek to caress it with his thumb.

During the night I woke up so many times that I lost count. Every single time I woke up gasping for air and sweat running down my body and it definitely wasn't because of Dave's body heat. Having someone sleeping next to me reminded me of the nights I spent with Liam, and it made my nightmares worse. Even now I have fragments of what happened six months ago playing through my mind.

"But we can't let this beautiful day go to waste just to stay in bed. I mean it's tempting." He moves his hand from my cheek to my waste and then underneath the shirt, but removes it rather quickly, kisses my forehead and then gets out of bed with a sigh. I watch him as he walks into his bathroom and can hear him starting to brush his teeth.

I look out of his floor to ceiling windows from my spot on the bed and it's beautiful. Even though it is September the mountains in the background are already covered with snow. I could imagine myself waking up with a view like that every day. But that's not in the cards for me.

This night has shown me how much I missed being close to someone. The way he comforted me, when I started to cry after I had woken up. He held me and moved his hands in soothing motions over my back and through my hair. And I know that he couldn't fall asleep until I was sleeping, because I remember his fingers caressing my back.

The feeling that someone just takes care of me by not asking questions and just holding me, is insane. So insane, that I am some sort of scared of it, because I know that it will have to come to an end at some point and then I am back at where I started.

Sighing I get out of his very comfortable bed and walk to his bathroom. He has already finished brushing his teeth and is now shaving.

"You can it let it slide for one day.", I tell him and lean against the doorframe to watch him move the razor over his chin in precise movements.

"I don't like my beard and it's already like second nature to me to get up, brush my teeth, shave and then get a workout in."

"So, you are a person that follows a strict daily schedule", I conclude and let my eyes wander over his broad shoulders and his trained back.

"Kind of. I like to have the things I want to do for the day planned out, so I can be as proficient as possible, but I don't mind if something else comes up or my plans get diverted." I look into the mirror and notice that his eyes are set on me. A smirk adorns his lips. He knows that I checked him out.

"I see. I can just hope that I don't interfere with your plans."

"Well as I said, I don't mind when my planes get diverted. I mean, I planned on getting up earlier. This has been the longest that I have been in bed since I joined the Navy. Normally I would be finished with getting ready and my daily chores by this time of the day.", he explains, and I want to apologize for it, but he shakes his head.

"Before you say anything, it's not your fault. I could have gotten up earlier if I wanted to, but I wanted to stay in bed with you. And my plans for the rest of the day are rather open. This weekend is the Reno Air Race and I kind of wanted to check that out.", he continues and shaves the last patch of skin on his face.