Ouch!!

Suddenly, you grumbled the instant your butt touched the front seat of the off-road vehicle and there, you didn't hesitate to bend over a bit to massage the sore spot with a hand, no doubts what was the reason behind it...

But there was someone who, on the contrary, seemed to enjoy such a view.

《Need another hand for that, sweetheart?》

In that moment, Jason appeared next to you and sat down on the driver's side after he retrieved the key, though he didn't spare himself from teasing you and you did the same by giving him an annoyed look.

《No thanks, you've done enough...》  You just replied as you fastened the belt and made sure your pain subsided a little, ignoring his unnerving giggles.

《Seriously Jason, don't you wonder how he's doing after what we've been through?》  You asked, curious to hear what he thought about your idea of ​​going to meet Salim...

When you turned to look at him, he simply had his left hand on the steering wheel and his right elbow rested against your headrest; apparently, he didn't seem to be in the mood to hit the road looking for the Iraqi soldier, wherever he was...of course, you had managed to find his location and it wasn't very far from your current position.

But at this rate, it would've taken longer than you had thought and if your body wasn't so sore, you would've been driving now, ready to go!

Why did I ask him to come with me??

《...right now, I wonder why you're dying to see him so much.》  Jason snorted as he turned to look at you  《And I know what shit we've been through, but you really want to go and talk about the good times like old friends? What makes you think he wants to see us again, Y/n?》

《I don't see why not...maybe you don't remember Jason, but it was you who called him brother before shaking his hand so lovingly!》  You smiled in amusement when you said that and the cap boy couldn't help but roll his eyes, without however holding back a sly smile.

《Oh but never how I shake your lovely hips 'round me, baby!》  This time, he winked at you as he reached down to meet your gaze, until you placed a palm on his chest; definitely, you could clearly feel his pecs on the other side of his gray T-shirt's thin layer, the same ones that you had ardently felt against you, while your own body was melting along with his.

W-what the hell am I thinking about now!?

《J-just start this damn car and go!》  You stuttered trying to avoid eye contact with the lieutenant, who did another smirk in guessing what you were thinking, before turning the key into the gear and pressing the gas pedal, which finally took you two out of the Camp Slayer.

For a moment, it was as if all was over there and the further the off-road vehicle went, the more you could feel a sense of lightness around you; suddenly, the desert wind hit you in the face making your hair flutter behind your head, together with the open collar of your shirt and you couldn't resist the temptation to lift your chin towards the sky to enjoy that pleasant feeling...

You were free. Like a little bird just out of its cage. For his part, Jason would never stop staring at you in that peaceful and beautiful picture of yours, if it weren't for the fact that he was driving on that fucking dirt road, where nothing but sand could be seen and the heat was damn unbearable! For his own sake, it was better if Salim were ready with a pair of fresh beers, when they arrived...

《So, how far from our destination?》

Tired of the silence, Jason said out of the blue and about ten minutes after your leaving; there, you took the map and drew an imaginary line with your finger, until it stopped at the point where you had previously marked, so as not to lose the track.

《About twenty minutes, but if we keep with this trend, we'll be in Badra-Mandali very soon.》  You replied by looking up at the road and there, you saw a road sign, but which couldn't translate because of the Arabic, unfortunately.

Well, since you set foot there you hadn't found anything written in English...

《Mmm are you sure, isn't it that we got lost?》  He raised an eyebrow at seeing you so thoughtful and there, Jason decided to stop the car for a moment.

《Oh shit, don't tell me we're—》

《I know where we're going so stop boring me with that and move on!》  Unintentionally, your voice came sour from your mouth, but you realized it just when you saw his quick change of expression.

《What's wrong with you Y/n, you've been in a bad mood since this morning...wanna explain the fuck's going on with you?》 

But right there, Jason unfastened his seat belt, removed the car key and leaned his back comfortably with arms crossed.

《Oh and I won't move from here until I get a proper answer, so you better hurry the fuck up with that.》

Even if he hadn't said it, it was clear that you were acting like a bitch and for no apparent reason...but the truth was, that you were constantly anxious about something and your nervousness had only grown since you were met Jason that morning.

《I'm sure it wasn't the first time for you, but how can you be so quiet after what happened between us?》  You turned with your torso partially in his direction, while the other simply listened to you  《I mean, I haven't stopped thinking about it since before...isn't it the same for you??》

You were nervously twisting your own fingers together, as your cheeks turned red and not just from the sun above your head...even though you took the big step with him, you couldn't stop being embarrassed for all that time. Without saying anything yet, Jason stared at your every facial expression and muscle movements and because of that, you truly believed that you were just making a fool of yourself.

Until he opened his mouth to speak.

《It's the only fuckin' thing my brain can't stop thinking! Damn Y/n, I couldn't wait to see you today and if it weren't for this weird idea you got into your little head, believe me I'd have messed you up again on that fuckin' laundry table. After what we did, you don't know how hard it's for me to hold back right now...》 

Even though he hadn't lifted a finger at you, you felt like he was undressing you just with his eyes and your heart started beating wildly in feeling those emotions growing inside you. Whatever effect you could have on him, he could do the same to you, definitely you wanted to take off that goddamn belt and jump on him for another taste of this man, who hadn't stop teasing you with those drawled words of his!

That's it, he had managed to screw your mind so that there was just him inside you now. In every damn sense.

《I-it's getting hotter so turn on the motor and just go, please...》  You added in a frustrated tone, raising a hand to the road when suddenly Jason grabbed it.

《We're not done here. You know sweetheart, I think I need a reward too...》  With a quick gesture, he lifted the peak of his cap over the forehead and slowly brought some of your fingers to his thin lips, until he slipped onto your bare forearm without stopping to look at you with those hazel eyes, now even brighter in the sunlight.

And that was when his lips easily reached yours; right there, Jason overtook you with his imposing stature, putting his free palm around your nape to deepen the long-awaited kiss. Sure, he liked when you took initiative so when you suddenly put your tongue inside his mouth, he was somewhat pleased by that impudence of yours.

But it was a matter of time before he regained control and after that, he got up from his seat to press his body against yours, touching you the way you liked it and ignoring the fact that he had stopped the vehicle in the middle of the pathway.

A few minutes passed and sadly you broke the kiss with him; your breathless chests moved away from each other as you two panted rhythmically, now with your red and so wet lips.

《Isn't this enough for you, Lieutenant?》  You grinned between your breaths after you had perfectly heard the marine complain on his own, sweatier than earlier.

《'Course not, I'll definitely take the rest of the cake later. You're safe for now, little girl.》  He smirked back, as he sat down again on the driver's side and adjusted the cap on his head before starting the car again.

Definitely, you wanted to fix that confident side of him just now.

《Oh, you seem very sure of yourself for one who's constantly raised up...》  There, Jason didn't understand what you meant until he noticed your eyes watching his fatigue pants, something had clearly caught your attention right under there, definitely his sex drive was impossible to control!

《You— just look the fuckin' map, you hearing me?!》  Kolchek grumbled in a low tone, obviously embarrassed, and you squinted to laugh out loud. And thanks to that, you gave him time to compose himself, before setting off towards the horizon.

• • •

Your trip through the desert went just fine, as you and Jason had done nothing but talk and joke like never before, sometimes going to peek into each other's past. For example, you found out he came from a small town in Georgia and this explained the thick origins of his southern accent, but you were getting used to hearing it by now, as well as loving it. On top of that, his life there was somewhat desperate, if not utter crap, until he joined the Marine Corps, where he finally managed to get his head right...or so he had told you but you just wanted to know more of his past.

On the other hand, yours had been quite comfortable in Wisconsin and you never thought that, people as distant and different as you two would ever meet...maybe, it was part of some fate, you thought without hiding a smile, but that unfortunately Jason didn't get a chance to see it.

Of course, he couldn't always turn in your direction and you took advantage of that to stay silent and observe his facial profile...you couldn't believe that his serious features could become so fascinating in your eyes, probably because they belonged just to him.

《Get ready, we're approaching a city.》  Jason said without stopping looking straight ahead, abruptly interrupting your thoughts and making you to drop your eye on the map.

There, you noticed the writing in Arabic coincided with the sign at the entrance to the city.

《T-that's Badra-Mandali!》  You yelled enthusiastically as you squeezed his right arm in your hands  《We made it Jason!》

Again, he didn't understand why you were so excited about it, but he didn't say anything and just looked for a place to park the off-road vehicle. After all that time sitting, you stretched your arms and legs vigorously as soon as you stood on your feet.

《So? What's your plan now?》  Jason joined you with his hands in his pockets, ready to hear what else you had in mind.

Well, you didn't know where exactly Salim's house was and Jason's faces had made you anxious, because you were sure he wouldn't spare himself to make fun of you when he would find out...

But just then, you turned on the street, where there was a lot of people coming and going.

《It seems to be some kind of big market over there, let's go that way...》  You answered as you started walking in that direction  《Most probably, Salim is there too.》

Jason just scratched the back of his neck before walking beside you alarmingly. Even if you were civilians now, there was a chance that your presence was unwelcome, and in that case, the marine wouldn't hesitate to react against anyone who went against him, including who would try to put a finger on you.

On the contrary, you seemed rather distracted looking around. Not only you were busy recognizing every face you met, but often happened that you stopped to look at something interesting in front of some counter and although you didn't understand what the merchant wanted to tell you, you still remained to listen politely, until Jason appeared to pull you out of that awkward situation, of course...

However, you saw him smile in amusement and you just did the same, until you realized you were holding his hand and there, you suddenly blushed without breaking the contact; later, when you felt his fingers intertwining between yours, you looked up again and saw that he was also red in the face, especially on the tips of his ears...definitely, anyone who crossed your path, would've thought that you and Jason were a loving couple, if not something more.

Although you were still in Iraq, you just thought about what possible future could be between you two, once you returned to America.

Who knows if he and me...one day...

But you stopped thinking about it when you thought you saw someone. A few steps away from you, there were some young boys talking in front of the market and one of them, in particular, caught your attention...you didn't know why, but there was something familiar about him, as if you had seen him somewhere before.

And then, you saw that smile.

No way, he was in the photo Salim showed me in the catacombs...he's his son!

You wanted to warn Jason of your discovery when the group started walking just then, mingling in the crowd.

You couldn't lose him, because it was the only way to find Salim and so you sprinted in pursuit of the boy. Unfortunately, Jason didn't have time to figure out what the hell was going on that he ran after you so as not to lose you too.

But even if you could get through other people, you couldn't reach him at all.

Dammit, I have no other choice!

《...》

《ZAIN!!!》

Your voice spread throughout the market and, as you thought, someone stopped to look at you, including the group of teenagers you were chasing.

The boy looked at you with a confused, if not perplexed expression, because at that moment he was looking at a young woman running in his direction, after she had just called him by name as if she knew him, but that he was damn sure he had never seen her before!

《You...you are Zain, right?》  You asked as soon as you were in front of him and this time the boy in question made an amused expression.

[Hey, she called me by name even though she wasn't sure it was my name!]  At that point, the dark-haired boy said something in his own language to his friends and that you failed to understand, but it seemed like something apparently funny, because they started giggling without stopping looking at you.

I-is not him??

But suddenly, the group stopped when they met the annoyed gaze of the man next to you.

《What the fuck Y/n, why did you run like that...》  There, Jason yelled at you ignoring the audience around him and the guys in front of you.

But you didn't stop looking at the boy you mistook for Zain.

《No, I'm sure you are Zain. Your father Salim told us!》  When you said that, the boy's eyes widened before taking a step towards you.

《W-wait, don't tell me you are the Americans who helped my father escape from the House of Ashes?!》  He screamed without stopping blinking nervously, getting smiles from both of you.

《Oh you can bet on it!》  This time, Jason replied enthusiastically easing the younger one's tension  《So is your old man at home? It's fuckin' hot out here!》

Without further delay and without noticing the sudden nudge you gave to the cap man, Zain beckoned you to follow him to his house, not very far from there; sure, you were happy to hear that Salim had told his son about you, Jason and what had happened under the Zagros Mountains and judging by his earlier reaction, Zain seemed to have believed his father's story.

《This guy looks like a smart one.》 Jason surprised you with his comment as he kept his eyes fixed on him and you couldn't not chuckle at that.

《Yeah, just like his father.》  You added by walking to Jason's left side, where he could better cover you from the sun.  《But I hope he stopped stealing. When he told us, Salim seemed very worried about it...》

At that moment, you noticed Jason raise his wrist with an indifferent look.

《Well, my watch is still here.》

You shook your head before punching his upper arm, causing him to laugh, definitely it was the worst joke you had ever heard from him!

《...you're a dick, Jason Kolchek.》

But instead of being offended by that, he stared at you out of the corner of his eye, without stopping to smile mischievously and you just rolled your eyes.

Meanwhile, Zain seemed to be smiling to himself as he walked down the road home, until he walked through a stone wall and without knocking or anything, he opened the front door and motioned for you two to go inside with him.

You hesitated for a moment before you felt Jason's palm on your shoulder, nodding to you to move on smoothly...he was right after all, there was no need to be scared, just like you couldn't back down after you forced him to get there with you!

[Hey dad, your friends have come to visit you!] Zain raised his voice to call his father and just then, you saw a middle-aged man come out.

《Hello there Salim!》  You greeted him with a toothy smile; of course, the other man didn't expect to find you and the marine there, in his house, so his reaction was quite shocking.

《Y-Y/n!? And you too Jason, what are you doing here??》  Salim's eyes and mouth were wide open and his clumsy reaction made his son laugh out loud.

《D-don't stay there, come inside!》  Salim beckoned you to follow him into a modest living room and, with a wave of his hand, pointed to a sofa. Of course, Zain let his father talk to you two quietly, glad to see him with a different, happy expression on his face.

You and Jason sat down and both couldn't help but notice how different the Iraqi house was from yours, definitely you loved those colorful carpets under your feet and that particular smell of spices that lingered inside the house. You didn't know why, but it gave you a sense of absolute peace and judging by the unusual silence next to you, Jason seemed struck by that too.

Soon after, Salim returned with cups of tea and although it was terribly hot, you managed to sip it without becoming a sweat bath, as well as complimenting how good it was. For his part, Jason was forced to blow repeatedly to never see the damn smoke come out of his cup...

It was too late to ask for beer now.

《Honestly, I'm really happy to see you, but I thought you had already left for America...》  Salim said as he sat down in front of you, now with a relaxed expression on his face.

There, you told what happened after you were been rescued and Salim was really sorry for that, definitely he would've risked the same thing if he hadn't come back home on his own. From that point of view, he had been lucky.

《Sure you've been through better than us, old man.》  Salim chuckled when he heard Jason tease him about his age and you just agreed with the first part of his speech; unlike his blood and dust-soiled Republican Guard uniform, now he wore comfortable, clean home clothing and judging by the sleeves pulled back to his elbows, Salim was constantly looking for some works inside the house, definitely doing anything else was better than picking up arms again.

But suddenly, a sudden noise in the kitchen caught the attention of all three, probably Zain had broken something.

《I'm going to see if he needs a woman's help.》  You gave Salim a quick wink before getting up from the sofa and leaving the two men alone in the living room; as you thought, he had dropped a plate from the cupboard and, judging by his worried face, you knew Salim wasn't going to take it well.

《So Jason, how are things between you two?》  At that point, Salim sat next to Jason without daring to look in your direction and Zain's  《I'm impressed to see that she hasn't killed you yet...》

Although he was laughing, the American got the feeling this Iraqi was making fun of him, again.

《Nah, she loves me too much to do that.》  Jason replied as he raised his well-shaved chin with such charm, forcing Salim to sigh tiredly in front of his excessive self-confidence, definitely he wondered how a good girl like you had lost her mind for this man...

《But yeah, she won't get rid of me so easily. I'm goddamn serious with her.》

When he added that, Salim listened to him and noticed that something had changed in his attitude and that was certainly your doing...although he was marked after that fateful day, there was something different in Jason Kolchek's eyes and every time Salim made eye contact with him, he realized they were sparkling with lively hope.

In that moment, Salim peered into the kitchen and saw you were laughing with Zain and couldn't help but smile internally in front of your cheerful expression.

《I see...are you going to tell her?》 

Salim added and this time Jason stared hard at the floor, forearms resting on his knees. Of course, he knew what the black-haired man meant and didn't like the idea to undress himself like this, and in front of him!

But before Kolchek could give an answer, both of them immediately looked up when they heard your voice return into the living room, interrupting their conversation, as well as a man's confession.

《Oh, did I interrupt something?》  Of course, you wondered why there was that sudden silence between them, until Salim thought about making it disappear.

《Nothing really...except for, I never thought that my former enemies would become my current friends, I will miss you a lot when you leave.》  Right there, the Iraqi man couldn't hold back a half smile and that caught both you and Jason's attention.

Without any warning, you sat between the two Lieutenants to be able to hug them under your arms, getting an embarrassed Salim and a confused Jason, because your right arm was around Salim's shoulder in the same way your left one was doing with him.

《Me too Salim, and I'm so happy to have met your son today, he's a amazing guy!》  You said with a wide smile on your lips causing a nervous blush on the Iraqi's face, as well as a nervous chuckle on the other side of the sofa.

《Oh and the same goes for him, of course, he's just too shy to say it on his own...》  In that moment, you pinched the skin on Jason's upper arm with your fingers, but you didn't turn around to see the cap boy's bewildered expression, really he didn't understand why you were being nice with Salim and such a bitch with him...

《Oh you're right Y/n, especially when it comes to you, Jason can be...a cutie?》 

When Salim tried in vain to ask you if his spelling was correct, you did everything you could not to laugh, while Jason cocked his head to look at him.

《...what the fuck did you just say? Try repeating it if you've the balls!》

Obviously, Jason said it in a joking tone but you clearly saw the two competing with their looks to see which of them would win. And while they were doing that foolishly, you closed your eyes laughing in amusement.

Gosh, they look like two lovers arguing!

But all three of you turned around when you heard a sudden click and there, you saw Zain standing and holding a camera in front of you.

《Zain, what—》 

《Wow, this will be a good piece of history, as well as a good picture!》

The boy announced with a satisfied smile on his lips as his father sighed with a hidden smile; of course, you witnessed that sweet scene between father and son, maybe envying Zain a little, as you let the other marine hug you with his own arm, enjoying the rest of the afternoon with the Othman family...without any doubt, you wanted a copy of the photo to remember this moment forever.

• • •

Soon, the sunset fell on the Iraqi country and sadly, it was time for you and Jason to leave Salim's house. This time, you hugged not only Salim again, but also Zain, who returned your warm gesture with equal glee, even though he had the feeling that someone was glaring at him...Salim looked at Jason and with an obvious "move your ass and tell her!" expression on his usual face, he greeted the soldier in front of him, who just replied with a couple of warning slaps on the older man's shoulder.

《I really hope you'll visit us in America someday.》  You announced as you pulled away from Zain, who immediately watched his father nod and smiled broadly.

《Of course we will, I want to see Disneyland and Statue of Liberty!》

Just then, Salim asked him to take you back and so he did. To your surprise, Jason joked with Zain throughout the walk, just as he had done all that time and you couldn't help but think his dimpled smile was handsome, probably the best one you had seen so far. Later, you thanked and greeted the young boy once again and when you two were alone, you couldn't help but look at the reddish sky one last time with extreme melancholy.

《I'm happy to go home, but I'm sure I'll miss this place in the end...I'll never forget it. Well, apart this damn heat, of course!》  Seriously, that Arabian desert was where you faced your first mission, your fears and where you discovered love.

Jason chuckled every time he heard you complain, by now he had realized you had poor resistance to high temperatures...unlike you, he would miss nothing of that place except for some things and among those, there was you too.

Sure, he snorted nervously at the idea of ​​what he was about to do and when you turned to look at him, he was already next to you, staring at you intently with pursed lips...definitely, he wanted to tell you something and so you waited for him to do it with a slight smile, until you felt his hand squeeze yours desperately.

《...Jason?》 

You called him in a soft voice and Jason tensed more, he didn't know how to say it without being a total idiot.

《It's just that— I want to keep seeing you Y/n, and away from this whole fuckin' war...》  He didn't stop staring at you as he spoke in a low and serious tone.

《I know that's weird, but you've been the hurricane that put my messed up life in order. I can't get ya out of my head and doubt I'll be able to...I love all of you sweetheart and wish you could stay by my side till the end.》

Maybe, it was the sunlight, or maybe he was really moving as he said those words. For your part, you alternated your gaze between his hazel eyes and his red lips, until the latter stopped talking. There had been a few times that you had seen Jason so vulnerable and the first time had happened when you were down there, while you were trying to survive with all your might...but now it was different, and again he was afraid you might disappear in front of him and just like a beautiful mirage.

But you were still there and with a slow motion, you cupped his cheekbones into your little palms. No matter how excited or agitated you were, because your heart didn't stop pounding in your chest for all the time...

And only for him.

《Well, I thought I already was. I love you Jason and that's why I want you to be part of my life...》  You said sweetly and suddenly, your smile widened when you tilted your head to the side.

《Oh and you promised me a date, remember? I'm still waiting!》

Jason burst out laughing and moments later your lips collided with each other, letting your bodies be completely close. His hands ended up behind your back as yours settled on his broad shoulders.

《There's no way that I've forgotten that, my princess.》 

Jason whispered on your lips, before taking them back for another passionate kiss. You groaned as your back hit the car's hood behind you, until you lost contact with the ground beneath you and found yourself sitting on it, with your legs slightly apart to make room for the man in front of you.

《H-hey we are in the middle of the road, Jason! We can't...!》  But you fell silent when you felt his face drop onto your neck, just locking you in his arms.

Really, he could be such a child sometimes, you thought with a long sigh.

《Just stay like this for now. I can't drive and touch my girl at the same time, no?》  Kolchek muttered against your shirt, as he eagerly sniffed your perfume and you just gave in to him, definitely you liked when he needed you so badly and hearing him call his girl literally made you dizzy.

You stroked his back tenderly, leaving some kisses here and there on his cheek and nape as you watched the sun go down in front of you...

You knew well that would be the last night you would've spend under the Iraqi sky; but unlike the first one, you weren't going to make your return flight alone and at the thought of that, you just smiled blissfully.

...the time had finally come for you to go home.