The Other Woman

[notjustaface]

Charissa...

They met the officer's club, where else would he find a woman like her? She was passionate - intense, everything he wanted in a woman. It was easy to forget everything around her, everything about the man he was. She made it easy to turn a deaf ear on Hannibal's warnings about playing dangerous games and to turn a blind eye to the fact that Murdock was pulling away from him.

And it was all gone in an instant, the months together - the plans, the future.

They'd been lying in bed and he teased; "We're going to make such beautiful babies."

She laughed, at first. "How many of those beers have you had?"

"I mean it," and he really did, maybe it was time to settle down... do the family thing. "I'm being serious here."

Apparently she didn't feel the same. At least it sure as hell seemed that way when she walked out and stopped answering his calls and messages.

The second night alone he got a single text reply; "Don't call me again."

Well, that settles that. With a bottle of scotch alone in a dark room.

Comments

[notjustaface]

"Yes, mom..." He rolls his eyes, snatching away the bag of Skittles to funnel a few into his hand.

Finding a comfortable spot at Murdock's side was deceptively easy; a few gentle shifts and an arm around his shoulders that would probably look odd to anyone who might see them.

[notthatcrazy]

Leaning back against him, he makes an exaggerated face at him through a mouthful of lo mein.

"Sure you don't want some real food?" he presses after he swallows. "Not that I'm sure you could call this stuff real food anymore, if it was to begin with."

[notjustaface]

The exaggerated face is almost enough to do him in, it's not fair. Murdock had to be a good friend - a nice guy, the kind of person that you can't just be angry around.

He leans in and barely brushes a drunken kiss against greasy lips, tasting the sauce just enough to make his stomach roll.

"Let me soak up a little more before I try."

[notthatcrazy]

For a moment he gives in, kissing him lovingly, but eventually he pulls back, knowing they can't go any further tonight.

"Easy there..."

[notjustaface]

"What?" He replies innocently enough, "I'm not allowed to kiss my best friend?"

He knows the boundaries - he's the one that put down the boundaries - and under the combination of bad decision making and alcohol he really doesn't see that what he's doing is going far beyond them.

[notthatcrazy]

"Kissing's good. I like kissing."

Does he ever.

"But I know you, and you aren't gonna wanna stop there."

[notjustaface]

Guilty as charged.

He shrinks back, content just to hold him - for the moment. If his body has it's way, sleep won't take long if he's gone unmolested.

"We should, though." he mutters, letting his bare foot brush against Murdock's ankle. He's not going to press it further, he knows it's not fair to either of them, really. Most of all, it's not fair to Murdock.

Not that he doesn't suspect he probably already has been a little unfair in the last couple years. It's just kinda weird to think about it.

[notthatcrazy]

Seriously not fair. He's gonna have to have a talk with him later about playing nice.

"After you sober up. Promise."

he presses a brief kiss to Face's temple before returning to his mostly cold dinner.

"Eat your Skittles, at least."

[notjustaface]

The kiss draws a warm smile and he turns his head to nuzzle against him as he eats.

"I will... could always use a taste of the rainbow."

After a long moment, he asks; "Will you stay tonight? I'll be good, I promise."

[notthatcrazy]

He has his suspicions about that promise. He's a little too familiar with Face and his wandering hands.

"I told ya I wasn't going anywhere and I meant it."

[notjustaface]

It's probably a good thing to look at a little side-eyed, but he's got an awful lot of alcohol in him and probably couldn't make good on any threat anyway.

"Good. I want you right here..."

His arm tightens around Murdock's shoulder, popping another series of Skittles in his mouth.

[notthatcrazy]

"Nowhere I'd rather be."

He finally sets his empty plate aside, holding Face the way he needs to be held.

It won't always be like this. Not everyone leaves.

Somewhere, Keanu Reeves is yelling at Patrick Swayze, but that could be miles away for all he's paying attention.

[notjustaface]

Movie? What movie? There was, oh right... a movie.

He's far more focused on burying his face in collar of Murdock's shirt and inhaling the scent of aftershave and sweat while trying his damnedest not to kiss and taste him.

He needs, his drunk mind tells him, he needs to be close to someone that'll still be there when he wakes up.

[notthatcrazy]

"I'm right here," he assures him.

"Here." He holds out a few more Skittles, as if it'll fix anything.

[notjustaface]

Skittles can fix a lot.

He leans close to eat them from his fingers, just like the curried bananas that started things off to where they'd come.

Curried bananas and too-strong beer in a hammock a million years ago when things weren't complicated and he still had it in his head that he could love someone without dealing with who he is.

"Thanks." It's a simple word that means a whole lot more than he'd let on.

[notthatcrazy]

When he's finished, he runs his hand through Face's hair the way he likes, not daring to get any closer.

"Any time, buddy."

[notjustaface]

He wants... he wants so damn much, but he won't push it because like it or not, Murdock's right. He's drunk and stupid and not thinking clearly.

But sleep finds him easy enough, wrapped up in a bundle of candy coated scotch and the scent of a pilot he hasn't had so close in what feels like a very long time.

And when the first stirrings of morning show their evil spiky head, his reflex is to squeeze tight at the cuddly shape pressed against him.

"Mmm... morning..."

[notthatcrazy]

"Mm, hey you."

As the sun makes itself known, he has no problem with pulling Face closer to him, wrapping his arms around him.

"How're you feeling?"

There's painkillers and water at the ready, should he need them. From its perch on the pillow, the stuffed brown cow Murdock knows Face gave him watches over them both.

[notjustaface]

Face manages open one eye, seeing past Murdock's curls to their little brown visitor.

"How drunk was I last night?" He groans, licking sticky off his lips with a dry tongue before reaching past him for the water.

[notthatcrazy]

"Not drunk enough to hallucinate tiny farm animals, if that's what you're wondering."

He reaches out and grabs the toy as Face reaches past. "Brownie just wanted to make sure you were okay."

[notjustaface]

"Good, I was worried about that." He chuckles dryly before swallowing a large gulp and following it with ibuprofen and more water before sinking down beside him again.

"You named her Brownie?"

[notthatcrazy]

He nods, settling down beside Face as he cuddles the stuffed cow.

"She seemed to like it."

[notjustaface]

"Mmmm..." he nods, pressing a kiss against his forehead as the water seeps into his system.

"I'm sure you're an excellent cow-Daddy." He murmurs, "God knows you're too good to me."

[notthatcrazy]

He returns the kiss gladly, now that he knows it's not the alcohol influencing things.

"How many times have you gotten me through a med change, or a nightmare, or some other crap going on in my head?"

He shakes his head, returning Brownie to the bag from whence she came.

"Ain't any different."

[notjustaface]

He's in a weird place, but he doesn't want to think about it. He doesn't want to think about just how damn good it felt to have that familiar weight there in the light of morning.

They slept together, actually honest-to-God slept, not just across a tent or in queen sized hotel beds - just them tangled together with their clothes on.

"It's me," he replies in all seriousness, holding him tighter. "I'm supposed to be your rock, remember?"