Before you knew it, the noises stopped, but that didn't make you feel safe and your many thoughts throbbed just like your heartbeats, thinking about your next move; so, you grabbed the towel you had hung in the shower and wrapped it around your body. Of course, you didn't bring a gun with you and the only weapons around were the bottles of liquid soaps.

Heck, is that déjà vu or what!?

With slow movements, you went to peek over the wall that separated your shower from the others and from a central corridor...apart from you, there seemed to be no one else and, except for running water on the bathroom tiles, you hadn't heard other disturbing sounds.

You let out a sigh of relief to see it was all right and that you were just wrong to believe that one of those crappy things was there! Sure, what you went through wasn't going to be easy to forget, but that didn't mean letting it affect your life afterwards and you absolutely had to do something about it, before that could happen again.

Anyway, as you made your way to the changing room, you stopped abruptly when heard another jet of water coming from one of the showers located ahead of you and this time, you were sure it wasn't your imagination...apparently, there was really someone else with you and, whoever it was, hadn't noticed your presence.

But there, you heard the intruder whistling carelessly under the water. You had left your stuff in the locker and that was the only bathroom with unisex showers inside the camp, so you couldn't know if there was a man or a woman...well, you would've found out soon, since you were forced to go in that direction to get out of there.

Fortunately, the man in question was facing the wall, busy rubbing the shampoo on his short, brown hair; you couldn't help but look at that lean but tall build, with his broad shoulders and back arching every time he had to rinse himself under hot water, to remove the rest of the soap...your gaze fell on his lower body and on that perfect, tight pack of buttocks.

You didn't know why, but you felt like you had seen it before, definitely somewhere else...but the problem was, you thought about it too much and didn't realize that the water was turned off almost suddenly.

Sure, you were lucky to survive in the temple. But now, you just wanted to die of shame when you crossed the brown eyes of the one, and only First Lieutenant in the Camp Slayer, who you couldn't stop thinking about all this time, but that you weren't hoping to meet right there and completely naked!

You covered your eyes at the same time Jason grabbed his towel to wrap it around his waist.

《Y-Y/n?!? What—》

《I–I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYTHING!!!》

You just ran away from the bathroom with a tremendous blush on every inch of your face, leaving a completely wordless Jason Kolchek. Of course, he was also embarrassed to find you a few meters from him, staring at him with those doe eyes of yours and with just a mere towel to cover most of your curves. Even if briefly, he had seen clearly your bare and still wet skin, especially that of your perfect thighs...definitely, if he hadn't stopped thinking about it, something else would've awakened just beneath him.

God, she was so fuckin' beautiful...

Jason sighed in frustration as he pressed his fingers against the temples, attempting to calm down, but he just burned more every time he thought of you.

He hoped to see you again later...

• • •

You closed the door behind you and buried your face on the bed, ignoring the fact that you were still wearing the towel and without stopping to think about what had just happened, more than sure that was all true!

Not only you were spying on Lieutenant Kolchek in the shower, but you also got caught by him and it was literally what made you run in that way, totally embarrassed...you had always believed he was well-built and now that you had the certainty, you couldn't help but admit he was too good and tempting to just watch him.

Gosh, I wanted him to touch me in that fucking moment...

Suddenly, you sat on the edge of the bed and, as you tried to ignore your dangerous thoughts and the sudden heat all over your body, you went to change and wore an ordinary black short-sleeved T-shirt, a pair of blue jeans with cuffs around the ankles and black boots; unlike last time, you let your wavy hair free to fall over your shoulders and then used some foundation on your face, in addition to your usual makeup around the eyes just to cover the purple spots. When you looked at yourself in the mirror, you could see another Y/n, definitely different from the one you used to be before...

And right now, you saw a more strong and confident young woman, as well as more in love than ever.

Just then, someone knocked on your door and you went to open it almost immediately, hoping to find your long-awaited marine on the other side...

But it was just Rachel King, instead.

《Were you waiting for someone else, by chance?》  She asked with a slight smile, waiting for your answer.

《Not really, I just got back here anyway.》  You lied and just opened the door to let her in.  《By the way, how are you doing ma'am?》

Once again, the caramel woman wrinkled her nose at hearing you call her in that way again.

《Pff, are you seriously asking me that after all the shit we've been through? You are so nice, Miss Hale...》  She snorted and crossed her arms in front of the chest as if she were offended by that  《But yes, I think I'm just fine now. What about you?》

When she asked you the same thing, you didn't know where to start...after escaping from that terrible place, you were placed in solitary confinement for three days, subjected to various tests and medical treatments regarding your state of health, before you could get out of there. And once outside, the last picture that had stuck in your mind was Lieutenant's butt...definitely, you felt worse than before.

《Oh I'm fine as well! The wounds are healing and I just took a good shower, I was really tired of smelling of dust and vampires...》  You chuckled nervously as you put your hands in the pockets and looked around the room; of course, Rachel stared at you doubtfully and even if you pretended, none of you could have ignored that you weren't the same as when you left for the fucking raid.

《...I'm tired of all this too. Can't wait to go back to America.》  Rachel added slowly as she leaned against your desk  《Right now, I'm done talking to one of the agents. He told me we'll leave soon, maybe in a couple of days. They finished playing with us.》  The CIA woman giggled when she said the last sentence, albeit until recently she was as pissed at them as you were...but now that she knew it was all over, she could finally let out a sigh of relief.

《That's good news.》  You cracked a smile in her direction; of course, you were relieved to see her so calm and wondered if she was going to talk with Eric, or with Nick later, leaving you alone on your own....

Until you heard her unexpected offer.

《What about a drink together before departure?》

You looked up at her with a surprised expression.

《Uhm, shouldn't we do this with others too? I mean, you...》  At that moment, Rachel realized what you were referring to. However, she didn't seem to give a shit about that now, especially about those two guys.

《Nah, it's just you and me...》  Rachel grimaced as she headed for your door  《Unless you have other things to do, maybe with Lieut—》

《Beer is fine for me.》  You cut her off right away, trying to hide the fact that you wanted to see Jason, but it was also evident that Rachel needed you and you thought that, for this time, spending a girls' night wouldn't be so bad at all...

...right?

• • •

By now, you had lost count of how many glasses you had drunk and that Rachel had filled for you every time you emptied it; honestly, you weren't a heavy drinker, because you just reached the bare minimum to enjoy the taste of the drink...but now, you were doing it without even noticing and the more you continued, the more your mind forgot about any other thing, including how you would have been able to get back into your barrack later.

But there was no one around who would disturb you two so fuck it, you thought, when would you ever do that again??

《...for being so young, you can put it all down in that small body of yours, huh?》  After swallowing her beer, the caramel woman placed her glass on the table looking straight into the balls of your eyes.  《Not to mention the stuff that you've there...you're such a lucky bitch, no doubts you had fun before coming here!》

You raised both eyebrows at her comment, obviously conditioned mostly by alcohol and without stopping grinning at you the whole time. For you, it wasn't the first time that another woman envied you for your body, catching the attention of a lot of guys when you were still in the academy, but you had always ignored them, as focused as you were on your military career...

And on the other hand, you felt guilty for not doing what Rachel had just told you, which was "have fun", maybe because you didn't know the full meaning of that word.

《Well, I had to clean the toilets of the fucking dorms while the others were having fun as you mean...so, tell me now where the fuck I'd be lucky at that.》

When you replied in a serious tone, Rachel laughed and nearly fell backwards from her own chair because of that, but you managed to grab her just in time as she was sitting next to you.

《Pfff, that's nothing to what I did. You've no idea of the shit-hill I've climbed and look where the fuck I'm now! You better get ready Y/n, because the best is yet to come...》

Despite her warning, you couldn't help but grin, still sipping the drink between your lips.

《Oh don't worry for that ma'am, definitely I won't let you down.》

After that, Rachel wrapped her arm around your shoulders, now sure you could be the next "Queen Bitch" someday and she couldn't hold back a satisfied smile.

《You may think I'm crazy right now, but believe me that's not the case...not after what happened to us.》  Rachel started again, this time with her head bowed to look at the empty glass.

《I didn't want to admit it at first, but after a year apart, during that I was seeing someone else, I still couldn't forget Eric. And just when he came back into my life, I realized I've done a big mistake...isn't that stupid?》

As you guessed, her thoughts revolved around her husband; although you were half dizzy, it was perfectly clear to you that she still loved him and maybe more than Nick; anyway, you weren't anyone to judge her and just gave her a slight smile.

《Sure, but you have the chance to fix your marriage now so don't miss it...》  You answered her sincerely, ignoring the fact that Colonel King was still an asshole to you.

《...always if you don't do any other bullshit, of course.》

Rachel scoffed when she heard you complain about her love affairs, definitely in the right mood to joke with her younger subordinate...

《Honestly, I can't forget what happened between me and Nick either...even if for just three weeks, I felt good fucking with him.》  With the lost gaze elsewhere, Rachel said casually as you tried not to choke on your beer, clearly taken aback by that.

《What about you Hale, when was the last time you slept with someone?》

Apparently, Rachel was trying to tempt your life and for the second time you coughed against your glass; but then, when you told her you had never done anything like that, the caramel woman opened her eyes wide in disbelief.

《Hey don't tell me you believe in true love stories...they suck, you know, just like in the movies...you should take the opportunity when it comes.》  She added with an amused smirk on her lips when saw your red face and not for the fucking beer...

But you gave her a disapproving and slightly distorted look.  《...you say that, but remember you're the only one with so fucking heart troubles right now.》

After a second, both you and Rachel burst out laughing and this time she had to agree with you.

《You have a point, Miss Hale.》  There, the CIA woman filled the glasses once more and slammed her own one against yours for another toast.

《And now, best wishes to these two goddamn bitches who are still here despite everything! OORAH!!》

You raised your glass and yelled with her that all-female marine call, which echoed throughout the hall where you had stopped to drink and swore you never had as much fun as you did that night with Rachel; definitely, you would've missed her at the end of this amazing, but crazy trip you had in Iraq with her and her team.

Oh shit. My head hurts like hell...

Suddenly, it was as if a flash had passed in front of you, leaving you totally stunned, as your head collapsed on the surface of the table with a noisy thud. Rachel's expression was shocked for a couple of seconds, before sighing deeply.

《Geez Y/n you've just drank six glasses, get the fuck up!》  The older woman patted you on the back some times but received no response from you, so she tried to put you on your feet but without success, because she would've risked taking you down with her if she did...

But soon after, she thought she heard footsteps approaching and turned abruptly to see the familiar faces of Lieutenant Kolchek and Sergeant Kay, maybe brought there by the noises you were making in the middle of the camp.

《...sorry guys, but the party is over!》  Rachel said with a grin, leaning an elbow against the edge in an awkward way next to you, still unconscious; Nick was left speechless and before he could even ask what the fuck happened there, Jason walked in your direction.

《Indeed it is...damn Rachel, you're fuckin' drunk!》  He grunted as he pulled you up with a firm, but gentle grip on your shoulders and your head rocked back and forth with half-closed eyes; Jason had no choice but to take you away from there, lifting you up from the chair in bridal style.

《I'm taking her back.》  He simply said as he walked away from his friend, not realizing that he was smiling foolishly behind him.

Meanwhile, Rachel looked at him with wistful eyes, as if she was remembering right now all the good times she had spent with him, but that unfortunately couldn't happen again, better for her if she forgot everything right away.

But it wasn't that simple and lowered her head, defeated.

《Would you like something to drink? There are some bottles over here, Sergeant, if you want to favor...》  Rachel pointed to a closed bottle on the table before regaining her balance, this time being helped by the dark-skinned marine with a light pressure on her right upper arm.

《Maybe later. You can't stay like this, Rachel...》  Nick said softly as he leaned towards her to offer her all his support.

《Always taking care of me, huh? You don't need to do that Nick, not anymore.》  Rachel looked up at him and said those words in a harsh tone, although she didn't mean it.

But the other chuckled slightly.  《Then, let me do it while I'm still here. And while I'm still with you.》

Finally, Rachel smiled as their eyes fixed with an intensity that didn't reflect her own ideas and in that moment Nick thought that, even if little, there was still a hope for the two of them to get back together.

• • •

At that time of night, the noise of his boots were the only ones audible inside the long corridor. Sometimes, Jason looked down at you, probably waiting for you to wake up at any moment, but you didn't and your head was just resting against his chest, now devoid of a body armor and much more comfortable to sleep on it.

For his part, the cap boy realized how terribly adorable you were in his arms, as well as a big idiot for drinking so much. It would've been better if he had been there, but after what had happened in the showers, well, he still couldn't think right and he had decided to patrol with Nick around the base, when he saw you from afar, in the company of Rachel and with an exciting smile printed on your lips; he thought to join you, until he saw you slump on the table just right after...and now there he was, taking you straight to the barracks while you were dozing on him.

Just fucking amazing.

Once he arrived, Jason took his hand out from under your thighs to reach for the door handle and when he was inside, he laid you down gently on your bed.
He stared at your beauty for a while, as he enjoyed the fresh smell of talc on your skin, no doubt that came from the shower you had just taken...but before letting you sleep, he placed a sweet kiss on your cheek.

But the truth was, you weren't doing it and when you felt his thin lips on you, your inhibited senses awoke abruptly, more intoxicating than before; you saw Jason almost close to opening the door to leave you alone and there, you realized that you couldn't let him do it.

《...》

"You should take the opportunity when it comes."

《Jason!》

The young man stopped his movements when he heard your voice calling him, couldn't help but turn slowly towards you.

《Y/n.》  His brown eyes met yours, so big and dilated beyond his cap's visor  《Thought you were sleeping, what–》

But he froze when you ran to hug him, closing your arms around him and with your face sunk into his green T-shirt, similar to the blue one he had been wearing all this time.

《Pleeease, don't go...》  You purred at him in an extremely sweet voice, taking the marine by surprise.  《I've waited so long to see you. Please Jason, stay with me...》

More than convincing him, your pleading suggested that it wasn't a good idea, because he knew your behavior was being affected by the alcohol in your body...so, he just rested his palms on your shoulders to look you straight in the face.

《You drank too much sweetheart, and now you don't know what you say. Believe me, you better rest–》

But once again, he was silenced and this time your lips was pressed hard against his as you stood on tiptoe and on his fabric to reach him; of course, Jason didn't complain about it, as he let himself be carried away by the taste of the beer in your mouth.

《...I know that as well as I know what I want...and I want you, Jason...please...》

You panted a little when you parted from him, but was enough to clearly hear his heartbeat increase more and more, just like yours; right there, Jason felt feverish when learnt your words and stole those soft lips again, sign that he wanted the same thing too...and for such a long time now, probably since he was trapped in the temple.

Or probably, since he found out about your existence a month ago, which becoming the most beautiful thing that could ever happen to him in his entire life and now he was thinking of nothing else but wanting to hold you so badly.

《Fuck— hope you don't regret it later Y/n, cause I'm not gonna let you go for the fuckin' world tonight...》