Mexican after work y/y? — G.
Gabe texted Natalia. It was the last day before school let out for Thanksgiving break. He had a real hankering for tacos, and felt bad that Natalia seemed to do all the cooking for them in the last two weeks. He had to admit, it was nice to come home to a hot meal waiting, it spoke to the knuckle-dragger in him but he wasn't a completely unevolved asshole. They had the same 24 hours in the day, it was unfair that she spent more than her fair share cooking.
Got a GP appointment after work, take Lima I'll meet you guys after — N.
GP? — G.
Doctor's appointment, sorry I was speaking English again :s — N.
He smiled at his phone at her shady comment about their differences in lexicon, despite the burgeoning panic building in his belly. Why was she going to see a doctor? She had been fine that morning when they drove to work together. She would have told him if something was wrong, he hoped. He tried to not to let his thoughts spiral. There could be a million perfectly normal and healthy reasons to go to the doctor's.
Lol. Everything okay? — G.
Yes — N.
Can you elaborate? — G.
He felt himself getting frustrated with her vague answers. Perhaps text wasn't the best medium to have this discussion. Especially the argument they had at the weekend, things were still tender and raw between them. She had been sleeping in her own bed the past couple of days, claiming that she wanted to spend some time with her friend before she left. He respected that, if that was the case, but he couldn't help the feeling that she was trying to enforce some sort of emotional distance between them, again.
??? — N.
He locked his cell off in anger. There was something about her sending three consecutive question marks that made him want to wring her pretty little neck. He placed his cell on the desk next to him and resumed his work on reconciling the monthly spend on the team, so accounts could pay off some invoices they had received. But he couldn't concentrate. He picked up his phone and shot off a text without pausing to think it through.
So being open and honest is only for me? Got it. — G.
It was petty and he felt like shit as soon as he sent it. Being passive-aggressive always made him feel emasculated, he was a Marine. He dealt in direct words and actions not in petty one-upmanship.
He found her waiting in his office at the end of the teaching day. She was sitting on the chair at his desk, looking at the papers strewn around his computer. He hadn't finished his admin work, mainly because he had been distracted by her.
"Hi," she said with a timid smile. Her brown eyes were soft and contrite. She chewed on her bottom lip, thoughtfully.
"Hey." Gabe crossed his arms over his chest. He held himself away from her, waiting for her to speak.
"I'm sorry, I know I was being a massive shit earlier," she apologised, and Gabe didn't actually think she'd ever apologised to him. He felt his anger suddenly ebb like the foamy suds of a beach wave.
"Well, I don't know about a massive shit, maybe a little one," he offered, smiling. She gave him a relieved smile.
"Are we good?"
"Yes — actually..." He sighed, turning his body sideways, so she couldn't see the expression on his face. He didn't want her pity, the thought of being pitied and thought of less than the strong man he was made his hands clammy with anxiety. But he had promised he'd be more open and honest. That involved letting her see broken parts of him, that he had hastily put back together. Still jagged, still raw.
"What is it Gabe?" Her voice strained with worry and she rose from the chair.
"You should know, my wife...when she was diagnosed, she didn't tell me. She kept it to herself until I returned from deployment and by that time it was too late."
"Oh, Gabs." She rubbed his arm. "I'm so sorry."
"That's the context — "
"— Thank you for telling me." When he looked into her eyes there was no pity. There was just understanding. Her eyes told him that he didn't need to explain any further. She got it.
"Do you think you can give me a ride to the doctor's? I was going to take an Uber but..."
"Of course." He knew what she was doing. She was placating him and showing him there was nothing to worry about, he was grateful for her generosity. Her appointments were none of his business, truly but she was indulging him.
"I'm going for a checkup and to get a prescription for birth control, I was embarrassed, especially since we haven't discussed it..."
"There's nothing to be embarrassed about, I'm sorry that I pried, you didn't have to tell me that."
"It's okay, I wanted to, it would have come up anyway when we..." her cheeks were tinged red and she stared at the floor.
Gabe pinched her cheek and then drew his knuckles down the soft skin, he couldn't help himself, she was a seductress and sweeter than a pen of kittens at the same time.
"We can talk about it whenever you're comfortable."
Gabe waited in the car park as Natalia went to her appointment. He hated doctor's offices, clinics and hospitals. He tried to avoid them as much as he could and he was sure she would want privacy anyway.
"Can we get some food now? I'm wasting away," Natalia announced when she was back in the truck. Gabe involuntarily found himself perusing her entire body head to toe. She wore a plain black T-shirt with tailored trousers, she somehow managed to be demure and sexy at the same time.
"How did it go?"
"Fit as a fiddle."
Gabe shook his head. "Too easy," he said at all the possible dirty jokes he could make. "Hey, where's Lima? Should we go pick her up before we eat?"
"She ditched us."
"For who?"
Natalia raised an eyebrow in answer, and Gabe knew she meant Ty.
"I feel like I've acquired a wayward teenage daughter."
"That's funny, the other day she said she wanted to be adopted by us," Natalia giggled.
Gabe froze. Until then he had never considered the prospect of having children, he always thought he'd missed his chance when his wife died. That was before his world had collided with Nat's. The deeper their forged bond grew, the more possible things he had closed himself off from became, like falling in love and having children .
"He took her to the gun range. Isn't that wild?" Natalia chatter broke him out of his thoughts. "She's deffo gonna have her US visa revoked after this."
Gabe wheezed out a laugh. "What?"
Natalia pulled out her cell phone, showing him the Snaps Lima had sent of her throwing North West London gang signs at the gun range with an amused Ty in the background. Gabe laughed long and hard.
"She's on that CIA most wanted list for sure."
Natalia gave him a haughty look. Her curved eyes narrowing even more.
"Relax, they don't have the resources to watch everyone."
"Nah, I don't want to know anymore about the Surveillance State or I'll never go outside again."
They pulled up to the restaurant, it was a nondescript building but the food was anything but.
"Ugh, no guac for me."
"Who doesn't like guacamole?" Gabe was actually offended.
"I think I'm allergic, I can't tell if it's to the chilli or the avocado and I'm too scared to try it again, last time I did it didn't work out so well."
"What happened?"
"I had tons of gauc the day before my oral dissertation exam and I woke up in hives, swollen eyes, massive tongue...everything! I was actually swigging straight from the Benadryl bottle on my way to the exam because I couldn't miss it. I was delirious but they must have felt real pity for me because I didn't fail. Don't laugh!"
In all fairness, Gabe tried really hard not to laugh, but the more he pictured the scene, the harder it got to keep a straight face. His lips twitched under the strain.
"You can tell me everythang, Natty Baby," she mimicked his accent in her version of a deep voice. Her lips were curving into a smile too despite her faux outrage.
"I hate you," she threw a piece of cucumber at his face as he leaned back and let loose with a laugh, but she missed her target completely.
"Oh honey, don't start a food fight with me. You'll lose."
"No, I won't," she insisted belligerently.
"You wanna go up against a scout sniper?"
"Nope." She shook her head backtracking, her eyes going wide. "No, I don't Captain."
He was happy to see her retreat. She was strong-willed and fiesty, but she also let him win a lot of their battles. He would be lying if he said that didn't turn him inside out.
He signalled for the waiter to bring the check. He was ready to get out of there.
"What's the hurry?" She run-walked behind him, her short gait having to keep up with his long strides to the truck.
She knew exactly what she did to him. He was craving her like an addict, they hadn't been alone in days. He needed a fix. He needed her under him, with her almond shaped, dark and glittering eyes staring back at him in complete lust and surrender.
He pushed her up against the passenger door, caging her between his hands either side of her head. He leaned in to capture her lips with his, but she turned her head.
"Not with all that guac you had."
Gabe grunted in annoyance but kissed up her neck instead, rubbing his bristly cheek on her sensitive skin. She traipsed her fingers into the small, soft hairs of his nape, shuddering into him. She was always so susceptible to his touch and attention.
Pulling away, he helped her into the cab of the truck and prayed to every deity that there was no one to interrupt them at home.
Except he found Lima and Ty in Natalia's living room, the best laid plans of men and all that. He had seen more of Ty in the last few days than he had in the last four years.
Natalia smirked at the look of pure irritation on his face, she was finding this way too amusing for his liking.
"Ay, wagwaan my drilla." She greeted her friend, leading her onto the couch so they could recount their day.
Gabe and Ty gravitated to the kitchen. The fridge was stocked with his favourite beer, another little thoughtful thing that Natalia did, she was simply beyond words, beyond his wildest expectations.
"Ty, I seem to remember a certain conversation we had a few days ago..."
"Mm, don't get your fancy officer panties in a bunch, we're just friends."
"I've never known you to have female friends," Gabe pointed out.
"Well, it isn't for lack of trying, I can tell you that much."
Gabe almost choked on his beer. "You've been friendzoned?" His respect for Lima had skyrocketed. As long as he knew him, Ty had been able to bag any woman in a bar with a mere look.
Ty took a sip of beer and Gabe decided if he wasn't going to get laid he might as well have a few with his friend.
"How's your prep going?"
"Yeah, Dan and I hit it off so, at least I got that slot filled in the team but our trip's been brought forward. They need headcounts immediately, so we leave Monday."
"Monday? Shit. You got everything ready?"
"Just doing some paperwork for Dan. We're Oscar Mike otherwise."
If he had agreed, that would be him on a plane on Monday. Another desert landscape crunching under his boots. Though he had considered, he knew that he had made the right decision in not going. But he couldn't help wondering about the safety of this mission.
It seemed to be hastily put together, not well resourced and with new team members that have hardly met let alone operated together before. It could get ugly. Gabe tried to warn Ty, but his friend was having none of it.
He had always been the positive one in their team, whereas Gabe's role as Tactical Lead made him more of a realist. But they were Marines first and foremost and Marines overcame and adapted. Gabe hoped that it would turn out well.
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