Primeval Fic: Promises - Secret Santa for Fififolle
Title: Promises
Author: knitekat
Word Count: ~8500
Characters: James Lester, Hilary Becker, Lyle (OC), (Ditzy (OC)).
Rating: 15
Disclaimer: Primeval belongs to Impossible Pictures, while Lyle and Ditzy belong to Fredbassett. Certainly not me. Writing for fun and will replace.
A/N 1: Secret Santa for Fififolle and her prompts: snow; tenderness; injury/pain; a treasured object plus a few of your likes. I think they’re all in here, even if some are a bit ‘blink and you’ll miss them’. Hope you like it.
A/N: Thanks go to the wonderful Fredbassett for the beta. All remaining mistakes our mine.
Large, fluffy flakes floated down from the leaden sky, finally snowing after threatening since before we’d left the hotel. I flipped the wipers on, relieved it was unlikely to lie but still thankful I’d convinced Lester to let me take my Range Rover rather than his new Jaguar. It was a lovely car but it wouldn’t have handled the conditions - assuming Lester had allowed me to drive it and I doubted that. I’d heard Jess talk about Lester taking down the Tree-creeper and, well, the look on his face when he’d shot it… I moved uncomfortably as that image had its usual effect on me and I just hoped Lester was too engrossed to notice.
I glanced at him and almost breathed a sigh of relief when I found Lester still engrossed in the minutes of the meeting I hadn’t been allowed into and completely oblivious to both my not-so-little problem or the scenery around us. Not that I could appreciate it either, as I was having to navigate a number of sharp bends with steep drops.
The soft fall of snow coupled with the rhythmic swish of the wipers, slight crunch of the tyres on the road and even the flicking of pages back and forth began to lull me and I feared my reactions would be dulled if anything occurred. I reached for the radio as I had no wish to crash due to inattention nor wish a cold face (or the snark Lester would unleash) if I opened the window.
“I think not, Captain.”
I almost jumped when Lester broke his silence, having believed him lost in his reading and I wondered what else he might have noticed. “Sir?”
“I have no wish to listen to whatever you think passes for music.”
“Yes, sir,” I murmured, grateful he hadn’t noticed… or was choosing to ignore it. I took a deep breath, hoping the oxygen would clear my head and turned my attention back to the road. Unfortunately, I could hear Lester shifting restlessly in his own seat and my thoughts once more drifted down paths I knew I couldn’t follow. I sighed softly before feeling his gaze on me once more.
“Is there a problem, Captain?”
“Nothing, sir,” I replied and risked another glance, met his eyes and sighed again. “Just thinking, sir.” It was the truth, just not all of it, after all, I could hardly admit what I felt for him.
“Don’t overtax yourself,” Lester murmured before thankful returning his attention to his paperwork.
“No, sir.” I had to wonder why I’d volunteered to play bodyguard for Lester when all it did was torment me with what I couldn’t have, not when the man was married. For fuck sake, he’d made that clear when I’d given him a shoulder rub at the ARC after he’d been injured, again, by a bloody future predator. Then I recalled he’d only resumed the Directorship of the ARC on the condition that I returned and… I bit off another sigh, going around in circles wasn’t going to help. I knew why I’d volunteered, to see if I might have a chance with Lester but he hadn’t made a sign of interest all weekend.
“Well, that was a bloody waste of time,” Lester grumbled as he forcibly closed the file.
I shot him a look and couldn’t stand the defeated air he gave off with his shoulders slumped and his eyes closed. “You didn’t find anything for your wife?” Bloody hell, why the fuck had I brought her up? But then, I might as well know I had no chance before I put my foot in it and Lester fired me, although maybe he’d let me resign this time.
Lester raised an eyebrow as he turned to look at me. “It was a hotel in the middle of nowhere, Becker, did you see anything suitable?”
“Um.” I couldn’t say that I had, but then, I’d become rather engrossed in the firearms cabinet I’d spotted and perused as I’d waited for Lester’s meeting to end. There had been some fine pieces, even if none of them were a match for my own beauty, Vera. Safe and secure in the firearms locker in the boot, just in case of an incursion, not because I couldn’t bear to be parted from her, thank you very much, Lyle.
“I’ll take that as a no,” Lester continued before his lips twitched slightly and rather enticingly. “I recall you were rather… taken with those guns.”
I felt my cheeks heat at those words, remembering how I’d failed in my duty once more when I hadn’t realised Lester was standing beside me, his meeting over and I hadn’t even noticed. I glanced at him for a moment and noticed his eyes were alight with mirth and ... and I couldn’t help wondering if he was flirting with me. Then I recalled he was married, but … Lester didn’t tease, did he?
Not that I had time to ponder the enigma that was one Sir James Lester as I rounded a bend and cursed when I realised something was in the road. I applied the brakes and managed to steer around it, breathing a sigh of relief that I’d missed what, as I saw as I glanced in the rear-view mirror, was a goat.
*BOOM*
I almost flinched when that sound reverberated around the car and I swore at the whooshing sound and then a distinct flap-flop sound that followed it. Bloody hell, a blowout was just what I needed when we were still on the moors. I clenched the steering wheel firmly as it tried to tear itself out of my grip and fought to keep the car straight. I resisted the urge to stamp on the brakes, instead I gently pushed the accelerator until I felt the vehicle re-balance itself and then eased off, hoping we’d stop before we hit anything. The only good thing about this blowout was it was on my side and the car was trying to pull us into the stone wall rather than into the river running deep and swift beside us. I risked a split-second glance at the goat, it’s view of its near goaticide clear as it lifted its tail before it spared me a baleful glare and leapt nimbly up the wall.
I turned my attention back when I felt the wheel tug itself free from my grip and I winced as we scraped against the stonewall, thinking about how much this would affect my insurance. The wing-mirror didn’t last long as it snapped free in a shower of sparks and the sound of grinding metal filled the car. I pumped the brakes in the hope they’d still work and wrestled with the steering wheel once more, attempting to get off the rough stone before...
*Bang*
I winced as we struck a stone protruding from the wall, the impact spinning us around. I heard Lester cry out as we were thrown around until the seatbelt dug into my chest and imprisoned me within its taut embrace as it retracted into its housing. My muscles strained as I attempted to turn the wheel again and steer our way out of this mess, even if I was unsure which way to steer or whether to brake or accelerate. I realised I had left it too late when we hit the bank at the edge of the road and were launched into the air.
I heard Lester curse fluently as we landed hard on a slope, careering down it, off-piste as it were. We hit a number of small trees on the way, each slowing us down slightly as they snapped one by one and showered us with debris. The windscreen began to craze under the assault, leaving me looking out at the world through a myriad of lens. It gave me a headache trying to see where we were going and I wondered inanely if that was why those bloody future bugs had been so angry. Although as I preferred my head firmly attached to my shoulders, I wasn’t about to stick my head out of the window for a better view. If we were lucky, we’d end up in some farmer’s field, hopefully without a bull or another goat, rather than in the river.
I had just begun to relax when my eyes widened. A large tree was heading directly towards us… OK, we were heading towards it… one that I thought was large enough to stop us dead when we hit it and we were still going far too fast. I braked as hard as I could and tried the steering wheel again, fear lending my muscles strength, but only the sound of tortured metal and sparks resulted as the wheel rim and bent wing ground against each other and the pungent stench of burning rubber filled the car. The car continued its collision course with that damned tree and I couldn’t do anything to stop us ploughing into it.
“Hold on!” I yelled as I watched the shattered image of a thousand trees bear down on us, closer with each passing second.
The impact threw me forward into the rapidly filling airbag before my seatbelt yanked me backwards again, pinning me to my seat. I groaned softly, before a sharply cut off hiss of pain had me reaching for the seatbelt release. Fuck! The crash had rattled me and it must have been worse for Lester as he was still recovering from the injuries he had suffered during Convergence.
“Sir?” I asked, almost demanded, as I turned towards him, intent on checking him for any further injuries the crash had caused.
“Don’t move!”
It wasn’t Lester’s command that had me obeying him but the undercurrent of fear in his voice. I risked glancing at him and noticed his face was pale, that he looked to be in shock. “Sir?” I repeated before I realised he was staring in horror out of the shattered windscreen and I followed his gaze… “Fuck!” I breathed.
Lester gave a breathless chuckle. “That’s one way to put it.”
For a moment I just stared, almost mesmerised by the breath-taking view visible through the crazed windscreen as we perched rather precariously on the edge of a cliff. We weren’t that high, but the drop was steep and the river ran fast and deep below us. The creaking and groaning of the tree snapped me out of my daze as I realised the danger inherent in the all too real cliffhanger of a situation we were in.
“We need to get out of here, sir!” I knew it was an obvious statement even before Lester shot me one of his patented ‘I’m not the idiot here’ glares, one that rivalled that bloody goat’s in disdain. “Sorry, sir,” I murmured as my mind raced frantically and I just hoped the tree held long enough for us to escape. I knew better than to retrieve our belongings, even if I didn’t want to be stuck out here in the dark, cold and snow with nothing but the clothes on our back, but I couldn’t justify the risk… not even for Vera.
*CRACK*
I jumped as a branch snapped, scrapping the paintwork as we lurched forward, nearer to the cliff’s edge and throwing us forward again before snapping us back. I felt my heart attempt to escape my mouth when several more branches snapped, one by one, before we jolted to a halt again.
For now, my mind traitorously reminded me.
I still sat still for a number of seconds, frozen by the sudden image of me standing outside, helpless as the shift in weight sent the car crashing over the edge with Lester still trapped inside. I took a shaky breath, knowing I needed to stay calm, to plan our every move even though I was aware we wouldn’t have long before the tree gave way. I took another breath, deeper and calmer, before turning to Lester. “I need you to do exactly what I say and when I say it. OK, sir?”
Lester licked his lips before nodding, his gaze fixed on the long drop before us.
“Sir! Look at me, sir!”
Lester dragged his gaze from the foaming river and far-too-solid looking rocks beneath us and met my eyes. He took a deep breath, wincing slightly and then nodded. “You were saying, Captain?”
“We need to shift the weight backward to counteract us getting out,” I said, half to myself as I frantically tried to recall what to do next to get Lester out of my fuck-up. “Right, recline your seat, sir.” I closed my eyes for a moment, recalling how many times I’d thought of saying that to Lester, although not in a life-or-death situation.
“Captain? Is everything...”
I couldn’t help my smile when Lester trailed off, after all, this situation certainly wasn’t OK. “Fine, sir. Just… planning our next step.”
“Mmm.” Lester didn’t sound convinced but thankfully didn’t press the issue. “Maybe you should recline your own seat.”
I swore under my breath, knowing I should have done that but… I shook my head and hit the switch, feeling my seat recline until I was flat on my back with Lester beside me and not in a good way. At least the Range Rover would have been more than roomy if we had got up to any shenanigans in it… I shook my head again, this really wasn’t the time for fantasies. “Right, now I need you to undo your seatbelt.”
“Captain? Are you sure you’re OK?”
Damn the perceptiveness of the man and I admit I snapped to cover my embarrassment. “Sir!” I paused to calm myself before continuing, “Please, just do as I say.”
Lester looked as if he’d argue for a moment before obviously thinking better of it and following my instruction. Whether it was because he’d realised the true reason for my loss of temper or put it down to the tension of our current situation was another question. “Please, do continue.”
“We need to be careful, sir. Nice and slow as any sudden movement might send us over the edge so if you feel the car start to move, stop whatever you’re doing,” I told him before adding, “Unless we’re about to go over, then jump.”
“Really?” The sarcasm dripping from that one word had me shooting him a look, one that had him looking uncharacteristically contrite and muttering, “I apologise, Captain, that was uncalled for.”
“It’s fine, sir,” I replied before turning my attention back to our current situation, thinking out loud. “We can’t risk opening the doors, they’ll shift our weight forwards...”
“And send us over.” Lester pursed his lips before sighing. “You want me to climb through the window.”
“Yes, sir,” I agreed, fighting my smile at the distaste in his voice and my own reaction to the thought of Sir James Lester squirming out of the window. And that was so not an image I needed right now… later and in the privacy of my flat was another matter.
“Well, Captain, am I counting, or are you?”
“Sir?” Lester’s enquiry got my mind out of my pleasant thoughts and back to reality.
“I see.” Lester sighed again. “I’m not an idiot, Captain Becker. If I climb out, the change in weight will likely cause the car to plunge over the edge with you inside it.” He fixed me with a commanding look that had my cock twitching in need. “I’m not going to let you sacrifice yourself out of some misplaced sense of atonement for something that isn’t your fault. We do this together or not at all.”
“Sir,” I protested, even as I damned the man’s perceptiveness again. Not that I was planning on staying in the car, at least, not once I was sure Lester was safely out of it. It was my job to protect him, after all, and you couldn’t say I had covered myself in glory on this shout.
“No, Hilary,” Lester began before noticing my wince at my given name. “It’s a fine, honourable name,” he continued before shaking his head. “Fine, Becker, on my count and that is a direct order from your commanding officer.”
“I’m not…” I began, shaking my head at his concerned look. “I was planning on following you once you were out, sir. I could keep the car in reverse to hold it here…” I trailed off when he raised a hand. “Sir?”
“And that wouldn’t do you any fucking good if that tree goes.” He grinned at the stunned look on my face.
“No, sir.”
“No, sir?”
“I mean, you’re right and we need to get out of here.”
“I knew you’d agree.”
I almost rolled my eyes at that before we both froze when the tree groaned again and we heard a cracking noise. “Right, sir. Nice and easy. Open your window, slowly,” I told him as I opened mine.
“Done.”
I breathed for a moment before I switched off the engine. “Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
“Right. On three. Remember, nice and slow. One, two, three.” I kept half an eye on Lester as I counted, and I still paused for a moment to make sure he’d started his escape before I followed. I couldn’t help smirking as I pictured Lester climbing out of that window and it really was a pity I couldn’t watch. I dashed around the car as soon as my feet touched the ground, needing to make sure Lester was out and I then dragged him away from the car just as the tree groaned once more. An eerie, dying sound as it tilted, its roots pulling out of the ground in a shower of dirt as it slowly tipped over the edge, dragging my car with it.
I dashed to the edge, staring mournfully down the steep and slippery slope and I could only hope Vera had survived her abrupt plunge over the edge and into the river. At least my car had landed nose first, more-or-less, and she should keep dry. Which reminded me, we were in the middle of nowhere with snow falling. We need to find shelter now.
“Right,” Lester murmured behind me. “I assume it would be too far to walk back before nightfall?” He waited for my nod before he continued, “Plan B?”
“Ideally we’d stay with the car,” I replied, staring down at it before my eyes tried to find a route down that wouldn’t end up with a broken leg, or worse.
Lester joined me in glancing over the edge and I noticed he was picking out possible routes down too before he said, “And as we can’t?”
“We need to find shelter, sir,” I replied, almost wincing at the look he shot me at that obvious comment. “We also need to mark our path so anyone looking for us knows where we’ve gone.”
“Assuming they find the car,” Lester said, before glancing back up the slope at the flattened trees that marked our path from the road. “Although you have left rather a trail of destruction.”
I quickly followed his gaze and, well, I had to agree with him but that didn’t mean I had to tell him. Instead I took a moment to check our surroundings, reluctant to move far from the car (and especially Vera) but the area was too exposed, even before we’d demolished those trees. The remaining ones were too widely spaced and lacked any under-brush to provide us with adequate shelter, which meant we had to find somewhere else. I didn’t remember passing anywhere on our drive from the hotel, so that meant we’d have to continue on the road and hope we found something. “We need to get back to the road, sir, and try to find some shelter. Watch your step, sir.” I didn’t even need to be looking at Lester to know I was on the receiving end of yet another ‘I’m not an idiot, unlike some people’ glare.
I glanced up at the grey sky heavy with snow when it began to fall harder. This was all we needed when neither of us, Lester especially, was dressed for a hike. “Come on, sir.”
Lester cast his own gaze skyward before nodding. “After you.”
I started back up the slope, unsurprised to find it harder going than on the way down and began to kick footholds for Lester to use. I spun when I heard him cry out, throwing myself towards him and grabbing his arm as his feet slid out beneath him. I heard his grunt of pain and, making sure he was stationary, scooted nearer to him. I pressed a hand to his shoulder when he attempted to rise. “Stay still, sir.”
“I’m face down in the snow, captain. It is cold and wet, and I have no wish to eat another mouthful of the stuff. Who knows where it’s been.”
I smothered a grin, knowing Lester wouldn’t appreciate being laughed at, and carefully helped him to his feet, brushing the snow from him and thinking cold thoughts… at least the snow was helpful in that area. I frowned as I recalled his cry of pain, that and his earlier cry in the car. “Sir? Did you pull your stitches?”
“Maybe,” Lester reluctantly hedged, an arm wrapped around his still healing wounds.
“Let me look.”
“No, captain.”
“Sir? I need to see if you’ve torn the wounds open.” Bloody hell, Lester couldn’t be that much of a prude.
“I have,” Lester informed me. “But you can’t do anything about it.”
“Sir!” I protested before stopping. It might hurt that he thought I was that incapable, that much of a failure that I couldn’t help him, but considering I had caused this…
Lester frowned at me for a moment before shaking his head with a sigh. “I mean you can’t help me at the moment, captain,” he said, each word clearly and deliberately pronounced. “As I’ve stated, I’m cold and wet and I have no wish to strip off here and freeze to death. Now, if you could find somewhere for us to shelter from this somewhat inclement weather…”
My lips twitched; inclement weather was a typical Lester understatement. That wasn’t the only reason for my sudden happiness and I couldn’t help the bubble of hope rising in my chest. Then he shivered and I was reminded of our predicament. I needed to get us to safety and glanced around again, but as neither help nor shelter had appeared, I saw no option but to leave and hope we found somewhere soon. I glanced back towards my car, but knew it, and Vera, would have to wait, probably until we had something to drag it out with. No, following the road was our only option if we wanted to survive. “OK, but let me know if it starts to bleed or…” I trailed off when Lester raised a hand to cut off my flow of words. “Right. Follow me, sir.”
I set off again, once more kicking footholds and trying to find the least steep path up to the road, leading us on a somewhat meandering course.
“Do stop dilly-dallying around, Captain.”
“Sorry, sir. Just thinking about your stitches, sir.”
I heard Lester sigh deeply before he snapped, “I’ve still got two legs, captain.” He walked past me and headed straight up the slope, scrabbling three-limbed in places. I have to admit I paused to admire his rather lovely arse. I shook my head, not thoughts to think about when our very survival was at stake… although later, once we were safely back home.
“Fucking brilliant,” I cursed, noticing Lester’s smirk in passing, as the flurries of snow turned even heavier, reducing both our visibility and our chances of survival.
***
The road twisted and turned but it was thankfully heading lower, the snow drifted but at least the wind was lessened. I almost cried with joy when I noticed a man-made shape in the gathering gloom. I couldn’t make out if it was a house or barn, but whatever it was would provide us with shelter and, if we were lucky, supplies. I scanned the area once more before turning back to Lester, who shook his head. “Sir?”
“Don’t even think of leaving me here, Captain. We need shelter and even if I end up sharing it with a serial killer, that is shelter.”
I wasn’t happy about just walking into what had, on closer inspection, proved to be a ramshackle cottage, without checking it for safety first. However, Lester wrapped his arm around himself and I thought I heard his teeth chattering and I knew I had little choice. We needed shelter right now and I’d just have to be alert for any danger. “OK, sir. Mind your step.”
“And I’ve still got two legs, Captain,” Lester reminded me once again, before letting out a yelp as his foot slipped.
“Yes, sir,” I agreed as I caught his arm and stopped his slide. I kept hold of him and ignored his baleful glare - in truth, the goat’s had been better - and his grumbling, knowing I only needed to worry when he fell silent, until we reached the cottage. Not that I was impressed by what I saw, and it was obvious Lester wasn’t, and I quickly revised my original opinion of the place. It wasn’t so much a cottage as a bloody shed, ramshackle and clearly abandoned for years, but at least it had four walls and a roof… or most of one.
“It’s got a tree growing through the roof.”
I blinked and followed his gaze and… there was a tree but I couldn’t be sure if it was growing through the roof or just very, very close to the building. “It’ll be dark soon and its better than being out in the open.” I paused and glance at him before adding, “I could build a snow shelter if you’d prefer?”
“No, thank you, Captain.” Lester glared at it before adding, “I believe this… ‘cottage’ will do.”
“Good.” One problem solved, one to go. “Now, let me look at your stitches.”
“I believe a fire might be a better idea…” Lester eyed the ‘cottage’ with distaste. “Assuming this has a fireplace.”
Bloody hell, he was right. I glanced around for any fallen wood, not that I really expected to find any, when he nudged my arm and nodded to the overgrown stack of wood by the side of the… I supposed cottage would do for want of a better term. I quickly came to the conclusion that it was shelter for someone watching their flocks, possibly during lambing season, or whatever the goat equivalent was. “Can you check it for a hearth or something while I collect some wood?”
***
I blinked when I stepped from the deepening gloom outside into the slightly brighter cottage and realised Lester must have found and lit a few oil lamps. I nodded before dumping the firewood onto the floor and squatted down to sort out the fire. I was pleasantly surprised to discover Lester had cleared the hearth and set out the kindling. I still peered into every corner of the cottage before I crouched down before the grate. My hands shook as I tried to strike a match and it took me several attempts to get one to light.
“Here.”
Lester’s voice had me jumping and I almost fell as I turned to look at him, my mouth opening before I snapped it shut at his smirk. He held out a blanket to me, similar to the one he was wearing toga-style and it was only them I registered his clothes - all of them - were draped over a battered chair. “Do strip, Captain. I have no need for you to get ill.”
“The fire…”
“I’m perfectly capable of lighting a fire.”
I watched as Lester put words into action by dropping to the floor and coaxing a small piece of kindling to light, before feeding it small and then somewhat larger bits as the fire caught. I shook myself, turned to strip and wrapped the blanket around my waist before I could embarrass either myself or Lester.
Lester had a fine blaze going by the time I turned around again, and it was only when he rose, wincing and holding his side, that I recalled he had pulled his stitches. I found myself close to him without conscious thought, my hands raised to tug the blanket from his torso, when I froze.
“Captain?”
Humour laced Lester’s voice and I swallowed, forcing myself to meet Lester’s amused gaze. “Sir, I need to check your stitches, sir.”
“Quite.”
Lester still sounded amused as I eased the blanket open to the man’s waist. My breath caught in my throat at the sight of the still red healing claw marks across his stomach, several stitches clearly torn and a few surrounded by dried blood. I felt a hand grasp my chin and gently nudge it until I stared into his eyes instead. “It wasn’t your fault, Becker.”
“I shouldn’t have left you without any soldiers, sir.” I didn’t wait for, nor want, any of his forgiveness, his injury was a direct result of my actions. I hesitated for a heartbeat before gently touching the area around his injury, checking whether the skin was hotter than it should be. Not that there was much I would be able to do if he had an infection. I was relieved to find the area merely warm and had to concentrate on my task as I desperately tried to ignore the fact that I was touching his bare skin. I tugged him towards the table and pulled a chair out to sit on so I was level with his wound. “This will need to be cleaned and then re-stitched, sir.”
“I’ll leave myself in your capable hands.”
I rose and moved the oil lamps until they shone on Lester’s torso, almost taking my breath away as they defined every muscle in light and shadow. I quickly retreated before I embarrassed myself and set about finding what supplies I could. I must admit I was pleasantly surprised to find almost everything I could want, whoever used this place must have taken excellent care of their flocks, even if the bowls I found were, I was certain, water bowls for their dogs.
I washed the bowls well with the pungent medical-smelling soap and cold water before filling them and taking them to the fire. One I placed by the side to warm, the other I would need to boil to sterilize my supplies. I washed my hands once more, shivering as the cold leached some of the warmth from my flesh, and then took my supplies back to the table. I placed numerous soft cloths, the thread, the soap and even the bandages I’d found on the table, before adding the scissors, needle and tweezers into the water I had set to boil.
I checked the temperature of the other bowl before bringing it to the table. I dipped one of the cloths into the warm water before gently dabbing it over Lester’s wound to wet it, than lathering up the sharp-smelling soap and cleaning the area. I carefully rinsed the soap away with the first cloth before patting the area dry. Once I was as satisfied as I could be with my merger preparations, I ran a fingernail over one of the torn stitches. “These will need to be removed and then I’ll replace them.”
“As I said, I leave myself in your capable hands.”
I swallowed at the trust Lester was showing in me, before recalling he didn’t have much choice, and took a calming breath to still my nerves. I’d stitched men up before, in worse situations and with fewer supplies, so why was I... Ah, there was the fact that I hadn’t wanted any of them, not as I wanted Lester. Still, I had a job to do and as much as I wanted to ogle Lester, to take my time and this one opportunity to touch him, I silently promised him that I wasn’t about to fail him again. I dragged my attention away from him before I did something we’d both regret. Instead I rose and gingerly used one of the cloths to remove the bowl from the fire and carefully tipped the water out until I could retrieve the items within without scolding myself. I dried each carefully before placing them on another clean cloth, one thing this cottage didn’t lack.
Settling myself into a comfortable position I tool another calming breath, although not for nerves this time. No it was from being at Lester’s feet and… well, that was a thought for another lonely night. I almost started when I felt fingers thread in my hair and looked up to meet Lester’s eyes. “Sir?”
“You’ll do fine, Becker.”
I smiled up at him before tearing my gaze away, firmly reminding myself I had a task to do and this was no time to gaze into his eyes like a lovesick loon. “Soon have you fixed, sir,” I murmured and then mourned the loss of his hand from my scalp. I picked up the tweezers, grasped one end of a torn stitch and placed the fingers of my other hand flat on Lester’s skin to hold it still. I bit my lip in concentration as I gently pulled, almost stopping when I heard Lester’s soft hiss of pain and felt his skin twitch beneath my fingers. “Easy,” I breathed, I didn’t want to cause him pain but I knew I had to do this. I kept the stitch taut until it finally slipped free, blood welling in its wake. I continued, one torn stitch after another, tugging each free as Lester’s muscles tensed and flexed oh so distractingly beneath my hands.
I only paused once I thought I had removed all the damaged stitches, placing the tweezers back on the clean cloth before I gently washed away the blood welling from several of the holes. I dried the wound equally carefully before inspecting it closely for anything I might have missed. I cursed softly under my breath when I spotted two stitches that had frayed but not broken, knowing they’d have to be removed and replaced.
“Becker?”
I could hear the undercurrent of concern in Lester’s voice and smiled up at him in reassurance, although his quirked eyebrow showed he didn’t quite believe me. “You’ve got two damaged stitches I need to cut out before I can stitch you back up.”
Lester didn’t look best pleased by that news, paling slightly before given me a firm nod. “Carry on, Captain.”
I nodded and turned my attention back to the first frayed stitch, pressing lightly on Lester’s skin as I grasped the knot with the tweezers and gently lifted it just clear of his skin. I carefully inserted the scissors under the knot and snipped the threat as close to the knot and skin as I could. I kept hold of the tweezers and gently pulled the stitch through and out, before repeating with the second frayed stitch. I dabbed the blood before sitting back on my heels for a moment to consider the remaining stitches. They seemed intact and I wasn’t willing to replace any more than I really had to. “Ready, sir?”
I felt Lester’s hand on my chin again as he nudged me to meet his gaze. “I trust you, Becker.”
I nodded and washed my hands once more before turning back to Lester, settling myself once more and threading the needle. “Almost done, sir,” I said when I noticed Lester’s mostly suppressed wince at its sight. I didn’t wait for his reply, instead I peered closely as I tried to choose the best place to minimise the number of stitches, especially as I couldn’t place any where the skin had torn.
Finally I pressed the needle tip against Lester’s skin and took a deep, calming breath, almost jumping and stabbing Lester with it when I felt his hand grip my shoulder. I looked up and met his gaze. “I trust you, Becker,” he repeated and I nodded before returning to my task. I pressed the needle into his skin, feeling the resistance until it pierced his flesh and I felt his skin twitch as I pushed the needle through and out again, hearing Lester’s soft hiss as I tied the knot and snipped the thread. By the time I had finished the seventh and final stitch my fingers were trembling and we were both sweating. I flexed my cramping fingers before dipping the cleaning cloth back into the now tepid water to clean the wound of the smudges of blood around each new stitch before I patted them dry. I then folded one of the unused clothes into a pad and positioned it over the wound before winding a bandage around to hold it in place. “There you are, sir.”
Lester gave a shaky nod. “I don’t suppose you found any tea?”
I nodded. “I did, I’ll make a cuppa and then sort our sleeping arrangements.”
“Is there a bed in this benighted cottage?”
“Yes, sir, but its freezing in there. We’ll be better off kipping in front of the fire.”
***
I left Lester with the bedding and fire while I fixed us both a hot tea and returned to find the man had rearranged the bedding into one. “Sir?”
“We’ll be cold when the fire dies down,” Lester replied before raising an eyebrow. “I didn’t think you army types were prudes.”
“No, sir,” I replied. Not that being naked in bed with another man was the problem, no, being naked in bed with Lester would be. Being that close to him and not being able to touch him, of maybe waking up in the morning with him in my arms and… I nearly shuddered at the thought of Lester’s reaction to waking up to find me sporting an erection. Still, I knew we should, and would have to, share body heat if we wanted to survive this debacle.
Lester had by this time turned down the bedding and settled himself, an eyebrow quirked enquiring as he held his hand out for his tea. “Do join me, Becker. You’re letting all the heat out.”
“I just wanted to make sure we were alone.”
“I doubt anyone will be out in this storm, Becker. Now, get in and join me.” The command in Lester’s voice had my cock firming and I blushed at Lester’s knowing look, but all he said was, “Do hurry up, there’s a good chap.”
I hurried to obey him, eager for more than a blanket to conceal my burgeoning erection, and slipped into the blankets he held open. Still I tried to keep a discreet distance between us, doing my best to ignore Lester’s eye-rolling.
“I believe sharing body warmth requires us to be somewhat closer than the blushing bride you’re portraying, Becker.”
I returned his eye-roll, even if it was nothing compared to his, but relented when the thunder burst overhead and rain pelted the roof. My last thought was for poor Vera and I could only hope the river didn’t flood.
***
I patted Matt on the back and hugged Abby before remembering I needed to check in with the ARC. I frowned at the missed text from Jess, wondering what she’d wanted during Convergence and considered not opening it. Surely she would have phoned if it was anything urgent? In the end, simple curiosity had me opening the message. I just stared at the words, my mind trying to comprehend what she had written and then I was running, gasping out “Future Predators at the ARC,” as I raced for the truck.
My fingers shook so much I dropped the keys twice and took five attempts to insert them into the ignition.
It took me far too long to reach the ARC as I had to mount a pavement at one point to get past the jam of dead cars.
The ARC was eerily silent when I entered it, not a soul in sight. I was barely aware my team had entered in my wake. I needed to find Lester, and Jess of course, now and hurried towards Lester’s office. It was where Jess’ text said they were.
I fought the urge to call out and not just because I might call a Future Predator to me. What if Lester and Jess didn’t reply? Whether out of fear of calling a Future Predator to them or… No, I wouldn’t think that. I knew they were alive. They had to be.
The hub was deserted when I arrived. The door to Lester’s office wide open and I stopped, staring at it. Even knowing there were Future Predators in the ARC, I had still expected Lester to be at his desk, working calmly through this crisis.
My every nerve was stretched to breaking point as I scanned the hub. My breath caught in my throat when I saw something by a pillar.
I slowly approached, rounding the pillar with Vera raised and stopped.
I just stopped and stared.
My heart frozen in my chest at the sight of so much blood splattered everywhere, the floor and pillar painted red with it.
Lester lay cradled in Jess’ arms. So still and silent. Two pairs of sightless eyes glared at me. Accusing me of failing them one more. Of leaving him, of leaving them to die here.
I jolted awake, hearing a hoarse scream echoing around the room as my heart hammered in my chest and cold sweat cooled on my skin. I found myself held in strong arms as a well-loved voice spoke in my ear and realised that scream had been mine. A hand stroked firmly through my hair, anchoring me to now, and I flushed with embarrassment when I realised Lester was comforting me.
“Sorry,” I managed through chattering teeth, my voice sounding as raw as my throat from that scream.
“Think nothing of it, my dear boy,” Lester replied. “It’s not the first time I’ve been woken by a nightmare.
Oh yes, Lester had kids he must have comforted through their own nightmares… and then I realised be might be referring to his own nightmares. Anyone would after two encounters with those bloody Future Predators.
It took me several moments to calm down and then I suddenly realised I was sharing breath with Lester. We moved closer without conscious thought, my lips mere millimetres from his own when I froze… what about his wife?
“Hil… Becker?”
“I… um… what about your wife, sir?” I managed to stammer. I felt my heart skip a beat when Lester evaded my gaze. “Sir?” I had to press, I had to know. I watched, broken-hearted, as Lester pulled away and ran a hand through his hair.
“I…” Lester started before licking his lips in an altogether far too distracting way. “I should have said but…” He paused, looking uncomfortable for a moment before forging ahead. “I wasn’t sure you would be…” He shook his head, muttered, “I’m making a bloody mess of this,” and then met my eyes. “My decree absolute came through the day we left.”
“Oh.” I blinked. “I’m sorry,” I said automatically, thinking I might have a chance after all and then... “Was it my fault?”
“Was wha… Ah, no it wasn’t.” Lester ran a hand through his hair again, something I was beginning to suspect was a nervous habit. “We’ve been estranged for years and, well, the anomalies were the last straw. She was convinced I was having an affair.”
“And now the anomalies are public?” I might be interested in Lester, who the fuck wouldn’t be, but I wasn’t going to come between him and his family. No matter how much it would hurt knowing I was this close.
Lester shook his head. “Too many heated words to be taken back.” He smiled at me, a fingertip tracing my lips. “Besides, she’s got a new partner. Has had for the past two years.”
“And you?” Not that I thought Lester would lead me on, but I had to know if I had a chance with him… assuming he went with men and, well, the near kiss meant he did, didn’t it?
“I kept my marriage vows,” Lester informed me haughtily.
“And now?”
“I’m single…” He said, a smile flickering around his lips as he added, “For now.”
“Oh?” I smiled, hoping he meant what I thought he did before something occurred to me. “What’s she going to think about…” I trailed off, unwilling to jump to conclusions.
“About me being with you?” Lester asked before waiting for my nod. “She knew I was bisexual when we married and, as I said, she got a new partner.”
“But your kids?” I had to ask, had to press. I wouldn’t come between Lester and his kids.
“Custody has already been finalised, my dear boy.” Lester assured me. “And I don’t fucking care if she thinks we were together before the divorce.”
I nodded before something else occurred to me. “Er… Lester.”
“James.” He smiled at me. “I think if we’re going to do what I hope we are, that I should be James and you should be…”
“Becks,” I replied quickly
“I still think Hilary is a perfectly fine name. Distinguished even.”
“James!” I almost whined, ignoring the eye-roll Les… no, that James gave me.
“Fine, ‘Becks’ it is.”
I smiled at that, leaning in for a kiss before something occurred to me. “James?”
“Yes?” Les.. James replied, somewhat warily.
“Um…” I stared before gathering my courage. “Does that mean I get to meet your kids? Do you want me to meet them?” I said in a rush, my words only halting when James placed a finger to my lips, a finger I nibbled and smiled at his gasp.
“I’d like you to meet them when they stay over,” James said rather hesitantly for him. “But it is their choice and yours.”
I thought about it for a long moment, watching the wary look grow in James’ eyes before I nodded. “I think I’d like to meet them… but not just yet.”
“Oh?” James enquired, an eyebrow waggling before he asked, “Does that mean you have plans for me?”
“Fuck!” I groaned as my cock gave a definite twitch as it filled out.
“I think that can be arranged,” Lester murmured.
As if from some unspoken signal, we both moved closer, hands hesitantly reaching out for each other, our lips almost touching as I held my breath in anticipation.
*Bang*
We sprang apart as if bitten as the door was firmly knocked on again. “Anyone home!” Lyle called out, adding to sniggers from his companions. “I hope you’re decent.”
“Bloody Lyle,” I muttered, talk about being cock-blocked.
“He’s probably got a book on us,” James mused before calling out. “I’m sure you don’t want to be cleaning up after Monty, Lieutenant.”
“We’ll just wait out here for you, sir,” came the reply.
It was only when I sat up that I realised day had broken and the sun was attempting to shine through the dirty windows. I hissed at the bitter cold as I threw the blankets off and frantically hopped into my dry, if somewhat creased clothes. I spun around, still half dressed, at the noise from the bed to meet Lester’s appraising gaze as he swept his eyes up and down my body. I blushed when he met my gaze, gave a half-smile and said, very firmly, “Very nice, Becks.”
“Thank you, sir,” I managed to murmur before adding, “As lovely as it is to be appreciated, sir. Don’t you think you should be getting dressed?”
“And miss the show?”
I flushed slightly at the look in his eye before smiling. I sat down in the chair to pull my boots on, my eyes glued to him as I watched him dress. Somehow, I had never realised just how erotic a man covering his naked skin could be and I cursed as my cock twitched in growing need. I just knew the ride back to the ARC would be murder...
I yanked open the door and quickly stepped out of the way as Lyle almost fell inside. A smile twitching my lips before I spoke, “Since you’re inside, Lyle, please tidy the place up.”
Lyle shot me an amused look before he ordered his men to help. He paused for a moment before holding Vera out to me. I’d almost given up hope of seeing her again and blinked as my eyes misted.
“Do you two need a moment alone,” Lyle asked, mock concern in every syllable.
I glared at him before turning it on James when he snorted. Bloody hell, they were both ganging up on me.
Something in my face must have given me away as James nodded and turned his attention back to Lyle. “I assume you have transport back to the ARC, Lieutenant?” James enquired and I felt his hand caress my back as he swept past me.
“Yes, sir,” Lyle replied. “This way, sir.”
James nodded and stepped outside. It took me several moments to follow and not just because I was giving Vera a quick check. I couldn’t help fearing that this was the only moment I’d have with Jam.. Lester. He might have said he was bi but he wouldn’t want to be seen with the help, would he?
***
The ride back to the ARC hadn’t been as terrible as I’d half-expected, although I thought that was more to do with Lester being in the front passenger seat. Still I knew I’d be in for some ribald comments once Lester was safely out of earshot.
“One moment, Captain.”
“Sir?” I asked as I turned back to face Lester, only to find myself pulled closer as Lester arched an eyebrow in enquiry. I smiled and leaned in, our lips meeting before he licked my mouth open and his tongue swept inside to duel with my own. We snogged until I was light-headed and I was sure he must have been and I felt I must have had a goofy look on my face from the smirk he wore.
“Go check her, Becker.”
“Sir?” My brain was still short circuited, and I frowned at him, who was I supposed to check out?
“Ditzy wants to check my stitches,” James informed me while waggling an eyebrow. “I don’t want you distracted by worrying about ‘Vera’ later.”
I swallowed hard and smiled as I watched James leave with Ditzy before turning and heading to the armoury with Vera. The sooner I started checking her over, the sooner I could see where I stood with James… although, as I licked his taste from my lips, things were off to a promising start.
Author: knitekat
Word Count: ~8500
Characters: James Lester, Hilary Becker, Lyle (OC), (Ditzy (OC)).
Rating: 15
Disclaimer: Primeval belongs to Impossible Pictures, while Lyle and Ditzy belong to Fredbassett. Certainly not me. Writing for fun and will replace.
A/N 1: Secret Santa for Fififolle and her prompts: snow; tenderness; injury/pain; a treasured object plus a few of your likes. I think they’re all in here, even if some are a bit ‘blink and you’ll miss them’. Hope you like it.
A/N: Thanks go to the wonderful Fredbassett for the beta. All remaining mistakes our mine.
Large, fluffy flakes floated down from the leaden sky, finally snowing after threatening since before we’d left the hotel. I flipped the wipers on, relieved it was unlikely to lie but still thankful I’d convinced Lester to let me take my Range Rover rather than his new Jaguar. It was a lovely car but it wouldn’t have handled the conditions - assuming Lester had allowed me to drive it and I doubted that. I’d heard Jess talk about Lester taking down the Tree-creeper and, well, the look on his face when he’d shot it… I moved uncomfortably as that image had its usual effect on me and I just hoped Lester was too engrossed to notice.
I glanced at him and almost breathed a sigh of relief when I found Lester still engrossed in the minutes of the meeting I hadn’t been allowed into and completely oblivious to both my not-so-little problem or the scenery around us. Not that I could appreciate it either, as I was having to navigate a number of sharp bends with steep drops.
The soft fall of snow coupled with the rhythmic swish of the wipers, slight crunch of the tyres on the road and even the flicking of pages back and forth began to lull me and I feared my reactions would be dulled if anything occurred. I reached for the radio as I had no wish to crash due to inattention nor wish a cold face (or the snark Lester would unleash) if I opened the window.
“I think not, Captain.”
I almost jumped when Lester broke his silence, having believed him lost in his reading and I wondered what else he might have noticed. “Sir?”
“I have no wish to listen to whatever you think passes for music.”
“Yes, sir,” I murmured, grateful he hadn’t noticed… or was choosing to ignore it. I took a deep breath, hoping the oxygen would clear my head and turned my attention back to the road. Unfortunately, I could hear Lester shifting restlessly in his own seat and my thoughts once more drifted down paths I knew I couldn’t follow. I sighed softly before feeling his gaze on me once more.
“Is there a problem, Captain?”
“Nothing, sir,” I replied and risked another glance, met his eyes and sighed again. “Just thinking, sir.” It was the truth, just not all of it, after all, I could hardly admit what I felt for him.
“Don’t overtax yourself,” Lester murmured before thankful returning his attention to his paperwork.
“No, sir.” I had to wonder why I’d volunteered to play bodyguard for Lester when all it did was torment me with what I couldn’t have, not when the man was married. For fuck sake, he’d made that clear when I’d given him a shoulder rub at the ARC after he’d been injured, again, by a bloody future predator. Then I recalled he’d only resumed the Directorship of the ARC on the condition that I returned and… I bit off another sigh, going around in circles wasn’t going to help. I knew why I’d volunteered, to see if I might have a chance with Lester but he hadn’t made a sign of interest all weekend.
“Well, that was a bloody waste of time,” Lester grumbled as he forcibly closed the file.
I shot him a look and couldn’t stand the defeated air he gave off with his shoulders slumped and his eyes closed. “You didn’t find anything for your wife?” Bloody hell, why the fuck had I brought her up? But then, I might as well know I had no chance before I put my foot in it and Lester fired me, although maybe he’d let me resign this time.
Lester raised an eyebrow as he turned to look at me. “It was a hotel in the middle of nowhere, Becker, did you see anything suitable?”
“Um.” I couldn’t say that I had, but then, I’d become rather engrossed in the firearms cabinet I’d spotted and perused as I’d waited for Lester’s meeting to end. There had been some fine pieces, even if none of them were a match for my own beauty, Vera. Safe and secure in the firearms locker in the boot, just in case of an incursion, not because I couldn’t bear to be parted from her, thank you very much, Lyle.
“I’ll take that as a no,” Lester continued before his lips twitched slightly and rather enticingly. “I recall you were rather… taken with those guns.”
I felt my cheeks heat at those words, remembering how I’d failed in my duty once more when I hadn’t realised Lester was standing beside me, his meeting over and I hadn’t even noticed. I glanced at him for a moment and noticed his eyes were alight with mirth and ... and I couldn’t help wondering if he was flirting with me. Then I recalled he was married, but … Lester didn’t tease, did he?
Not that I had time to ponder the enigma that was one Sir James Lester as I rounded a bend and cursed when I realised something was in the road. I applied the brakes and managed to steer around it, breathing a sigh of relief that I’d missed what, as I saw as I glanced in the rear-view mirror, was a goat.
*BOOM*
I almost flinched when that sound reverberated around the car and I swore at the whooshing sound and then a distinct flap-flop sound that followed it. Bloody hell, a blowout was just what I needed when we were still on the moors. I clenched the steering wheel firmly as it tried to tear itself out of my grip and fought to keep the car straight. I resisted the urge to stamp on the brakes, instead I gently pushed the accelerator until I felt the vehicle re-balance itself and then eased off, hoping we’d stop before we hit anything. The only good thing about this blowout was it was on my side and the car was trying to pull us into the stone wall rather than into the river running deep and swift beside us. I risked a split-second glance at the goat, it’s view of its near goaticide clear as it lifted its tail before it spared me a baleful glare and leapt nimbly up the wall.
I turned my attention back when I felt the wheel tug itself free from my grip and I winced as we scraped against the stonewall, thinking about how much this would affect my insurance. The wing-mirror didn’t last long as it snapped free in a shower of sparks and the sound of grinding metal filled the car. I pumped the brakes in the hope they’d still work and wrestled with the steering wheel once more, attempting to get off the rough stone before...
*Bang*
I winced as we struck a stone protruding from the wall, the impact spinning us around. I heard Lester cry out as we were thrown around until the seatbelt dug into my chest and imprisoned me within its taut embrace as it retracted into its housing. My muscles strained as I attempted to turn the wheel again and steer our way out of this mess, even if I was unsure which way to steer or whether to brake or accelerate. I realised I had left it too late when we hit the bank at the edge of the road and were launched into the air.
I heard Lester curse fluently as we landed hard on a slope, careering down it, off-piste as it were. We hit a number of small trees on the way, each slowing us down slightly as they snapped one by one and showered us with debris. The windscreen began to craze under the assault, leaving me looking out at the world through a myriad of lens. It gave me a headache trying to see where we were going and I wondered inanely if that was why those bloody future bugs had been so angry. Although as I preferred my head firmly attached to my shoulders, I wasn’t about to stick my head out of the window for a better view. If we were lucky, we’d end up in some farmer’s field, hopefully without a bull or another goat, rather than in the river.
I had just begun to relax when my eyes widened. A large tree was heading directly towards us… OK, we were heading towards it… one that I thought was large enough to stop us dead when we hit it and we were still going far too fast. I braked as hard as I could and tried the steering wheel again, fear lending my muscles strength, but only the sound of tortured metal and sparks resulted as the wheel rim and bent wing ground against each other and the pungent stench of burning rubber filled the car. The car continued its collision course with that damned tree and I couldn’t do anything to stop us ploughing into it.
“Hold on!” I yelled as I watched the shattered image of a thousand trees bear down on us, closer with each passing second.
The impact threw me forward into the rapidly filling airbag before my seatbelt yanked me backwards again, pinning me to my seat. I groaned softly, before a sharply cut off hiss of pain had me reaching for the seatbelt release. Fuck! The crash had rattled me and it must have been worse for Lester as he was still recovering from the injuries he had suffered during Convergence.
“Sir?” I asked, almost demanded, as I turned towards him, intent on checking him for any further injuries the crash had caused.
“Don’t move!”
It wasn’t Lester’s command that had me obeying him but the undercurrent of fear in his voice. I risked glancing at him and noticed his face was pale, that he looked to be in shock. “Sir?” I repeated before I realised he was staring in horror out of the shattered windscreen and I followed his gaze… “Fuck!” I breathed.
Lester gave a breathless chuckle. “That’s one way to put it.”
For a moment I just stared, almost mesmerised by the breath-taking view visible through the crazed windscreen as we perched rather precariously on the edge of a cliff. We weren’t that high, but the drop was steep and the river ran fast and deep below us. The creaking and groaning of the tree snapped me out of my daze as I realised the danger inherent in the all too real cliffhanger of a situation we were in.
“We need to get out of here, sir!” I knew it was an obvious statement even before Lester shot me one of his patented ‘I’m not the idiot here’ glares, one that rivalled that bloody goat’s in disdain. “Sorry, sir,” I murmured as my mind raced frantically and I just hoped the tree held long enough for us to escape. I knew better than to retrieve our belongings, even if I didn’t want to be stuck out here in the dark, cold and snow with nothing but the clothes on our back, but I couldn’t justify the risk… not even for Vera.
*CRACK*
I jumped as a branch snapped, scrapping the paintwork as we lurched forward, nearer to the cliff’s edge and throwing us forward again before snapping us back. I felt my heart attempt to escape my mouth when several more branches snapped, one by one, before we jolted to a halt again.
For now, my mind traitorously reminded me.
I still sat still for a number of seconds, frozen by the sudden image of me standing outside, helpless as the shift in weight sent the car crashing over the edge with Lester still trapped inside. I took a shaky breath, knowing I needed to stay calm, to plan our every move even though I was aware we wouldn’t have long before the tree gave way. I took another breath, deeper and calmer, before turning to Lester. “I need you to do exactly what I say and when I say it. OK, sir?”
Lester licked his lips before nodding, his gaze fixed on the long drop before us.
“Sir! Look at me, sir!”
Lester dragged his gaze from the foaming river and far-too-solid looking rocks beneath us and met my eyes. He took a deep breath, wincing slightly and then nodded. “You were saying, Captain?”
“We need to shift the weight backward to counteract us getting out,” I said, half to myself as I frantically tried to recall what to do next to get Lester out of my fuck-up. “Right, recline your seat, sir.” I closed my eyes for a moment, recalling how many times I’d thought of saying that to Lester, although not in a life-or-death situation.
“Captain? Is everything...”
I couldn’t help my smile when Lester trailed off, after all, this situation certainly wasn’t OK. “Fine, sir. Just… planning our next step.”
“Mmm.” Lester didn’t sound convinced but thankfully didn’t press the issue. “Maybe you should recline your own seat.”
I swore under my breath, knowing I should have done that but… I shook my head and hit the switch, feeling my seat recline until I was flat on my back with Lester beside me and not in a good way. At least the Range Rover would have been more than roomy if we had got up to any shenanigans in it… I shook my head again, this really wasn’t the time for fantasies. “Right, now I need you to undo your seatbelt.”
“Captain? Are you sure you’re OK?”
Damn the perceptiveness of the man and I admit I snapped to cover my embarrassment. “Sir!” I paused to calm myself before continuing, “Please, just do as I say.”
Lester looked as if he’d argue for a moment before obviously thinking better of it and following my instruction. Whether it was because he’d realised the true reason for my loss of temper or put it down to the tension of our current situation was another question. “Please, do continue.”
“We need to be careful, sir. Nice and slow as any sudden movement might send us over the edge so if you feel the car start to move, stop whatever you’re doing,” I told him before adding, “Unless we’re about to go over, then jump.”
“Really?” The sarcasm dripping from that one word had me shooting him a look, one that had him looking uncharacteristically contrite and muttering, “I apologise, Captain, that was uncalled for.”
“It’s fine, sir,” I replied before turning my attention back to our current situation, thinking out loud. “We can’t risk opening the doors, they’ll shift our weight forwards...”
“And send us over.” Lester pursed his lips before sighing. “You want me to climb through the window.”
“Yes, sir,” I agreed, fighting my smile at the distaste in his voice and my own reaction to the thought of Sir James Lester squirming out of the window. And that was so not an image I needed right now… later and in the privacy of my flat was another matter.
“Well, Captain, am I counting, or are you?”
“Sir?” Lester’s enquiry got my mind out of my pleasant thoughts and back to reality.
“I see.” Lester sighed again. “I’m not an idiot, Captain Becker. If I climb out, the change in weight will likely cause the car to plunge over the edge with you inside it.” He fixed me with a commanding look that had my cock twitching in need. “I’m not going to let you sacrifice yourself out of some misplaced sense of atonement for something that isn’t your fault. We do this together or not at all.”
“Sir,” I protested, even as I damned the man’s perceptiveness again. Not that I was planning on staying in the car, at least, not once I was sure Lester was safely out of it. It was my job to protect him, after all, and you couldn’t say I had covered myself in glory on this shout.
“No, Hilary,” Lester began before noticing my wince at my given name. “It’s a fine, honourable name,” he continued before shaking his head. “Fine, Becker, on my count and that is a direct order from your commanding officer.”
“I’m not…” I began, shaking my head at his concerned look. “I was planning on following you once you were out, sir. I could keep the car in reverse to hold it here…” I trailed off when he raised a hand. “Sir?”
“And that wouldn’t do you any fucking good if that tree goes.” He grinned at the stunned look on my face.
“No, sir.”
“No, sir?”
“I mean, you’re right and we need to get out of here.”
“I knew you’d agree.”
I almost rolled my eyes at that before we both froze when the tree groaned again and we heard a cracking noise. “Right, sir. Nice and easy. Open your window, slowly,” I told him as I opened mine.
“Done.”
I breathed for a moment before I switched off the engine. “Ready?”
“As I’ll ever be.”
“Right. On three. Remember, nice and slow. One, two, three.” I kept half an eye on Lester as I counted, and I still paused for a moment to make sure he’d started his escape before I followed. I couldn’t help smirking as I pictured Lester climbing out of that window and it really was a pity I couldn’t watch. I dashed around the car as soon as my feet touched the ground, needing to make sure Lester was out and I then dragged him away from the car just as the tree groaned once more. An eerie, dying sound as it tilted, its roots pulling out of the ground in a shower of dirt as it slowly tipped over the edge, dragging my car with it.
I dashed to the edge, staring mournfully down the steep and slippery slope and I could only hope Vera had survived her abrupt plunge over the edge and into the river. At least my car had landed nose first, more-or-less, and she should keep dry. Which reminded me, we were in the middle of nowhere with snow falling. We need to find shelter now.
“Right,” Lester murmured behind me. “I assume it would be too far to walk back before nightfall?” He waited for my nod before he continued, “Plan B?”
“Ideally we’d stay with the car,” I replied, staring down at it before my eyes tried to find a route down that wouldn’t end up with a broken leg, or worse.
Lester joined me in glancing over the edge and I noticed he was picking out possible routes down too before he said, “And as we can’t?”
“We need to find shelter, sir,” I replied, almost wincing at the look he shot me at that obvious comment. “We also need to mark our path so anyone looking for us knows where we’ve gone.”
“Assuming they find the car,” Lester said, before glancing back up the slope at the flattened trees that marked our path from the road. “Although you have left rather a trail of destruction.”
I quickly followed his gaze and, well, I had to agree with him but that didn’t mean I had to tell him. Instead I took a moment to check our surroundings, reluctant to move far from the car (and especially Vera) but the area was too exposed, even before we’d demolished those trees. The remaining ones were too widely spaced and lacked any under-brush to provide us with adequate shelter, which meant we had to find somewhere else. I didn’t remember passing anywhere on our drive from the hotel, so that meant we’d have to continue on the road and hope we found something. “We need to get back to the road, sir, and try to find some shelter. Watch your step, sir.” I didn’t even need to be looking at Lester to know I was on the receiving end of yet another ‘I’m not an idiot, unlike some people’ glare.
I glanced up at the grey sky heavy with snow when it began to fall harder. This was all we needed when neither of us, Lester especially, was dressed for a hike. “Come on, sir.”
Lester cast his own gaze skyward before nodding. “After you.”
I started back up the slope, unsurprised to find it harder going than on the way down and began to kick footholds for Lester to use. I spun when I heard him cry out, throwing myself towards him and grabbing his arm as his feet slid out beneath him. I heard his grunt of pain and, making sure he was stationary, scooted nearer to him. I pressed a hand to his shoulder when he attempted to rise. “Stay still, sir.”
“I’m face down in the snow, captain. It is cold and wet, and I have no wish to eat another mouthful of the stuff. Who knows where it’s been.”
I smothered a grin, knowing Lester wouldn’t appreciate being laughed at, and carefully helped him to his feet, brushing the snow from him and thinking cold thoughts… at least the snow was helpful in that area. I frowned as I recalled his cry of pain, that and his earlier cry in the car. “Sir? Did you pull your stitches?”
“Maybe,” Lester reluctantly hedged, an arm wrapped around his still healing wounds.
“Let me look.”
“No, captain.”
“Sir? I need to see if you’ve torn the wounds open.” Bloody hell, Lester couldn’t be that much of a prude.
“I have,” Lester informed me. “But you can’t do anything about it.”
“Sir!” I protested before stopping. It might hurt that he thought I was that incapable, that much of a failure that I couldn’t help him, but considering I had caused this…
Lester frowned at me for a moment before shaking his head with a sigh. “I mean you can’t help me at the moment, captain,” he said, each word clearly and deliberately pronounced. “As I’ve stated, I’m cold and wet and I have no wish to strip off here and freeze to death. Now, if you could find somewhere for us to shelter from this somewhat inclement weather…”
My lips twitched; inclement weather was a typical Lester understatement. That wasn’t the only reason for my sudden happiness and I couldn’t help the bubble of hope rising in my chest. Then he shivered and I was reminded of our predicament. I needed to get us to safety and glanced around again, but as neither help nor shelter had appeared, I saw no option but to leave and hope we found somewhere soon. I glanced back towards my car, but knew it, and Vera, would have to wait, probably until we had something to drag it out with. No, following the road was our only option if we wanted to survive. “OK, but let me know if it starts to bleed or…” I trailed off when Lester raised a hand to cut off my flow of words. “Right. Follow me, sir.”
I set off again, once more kicking footholds and trying to find the least steep path up to the road, leading us on a somewhat meandering course.
“Do stop dilly-dallying around, Captain.”
“Sorry, sir. Just thinking about your stitches, sir.”
I heard Lester sigh deeply before he snapped, “I’ve still got two legs, captain.” He walked past me and headed straight up the slope, scrabbling three-limbed in places. I have to admit I paused to admire his rather lovely arse. I shook my head, not thoughts to think about when our very survival was at stake… although later, once we were safely back home.
“Fucking brilliant,” I cursed, noticing Lester’s smirk in passing, as the flurries of snow turned even heavier, reducing both our visibility and our chances of survival.
***
The road twisted and turned but it was thankfully heading lower, the snow drifted but at least the wind was lessened. I almost cried with joy when I noticed a man-made shape in the gathering gloom. I couldn’t make out if it was a house or barn, but whatever it was would provide us with shelter and, if we were lucky, supplies. I scanned the area once more before turning back to Lester, who shook his head. “Sir?”
“Don’t even think of leaving me here, Captain. We need shelter and even if I end up sharing it with a serial killer, that is shelter.”
I wasn’t happy about just walking into what had, on closer inspection, proved to be a ramshackle cottage, without checking it for safety first. However, Lester wrapped his arm around himself and I thought I heard his teeth chattering and I knew I had little choice. We needed shelter right now and I’d just have to be alert for any danger. “OK, sir. Mind your step.”
“And I’ve still got two legs, Captain,” Lester reminded me once again, before letting out a yelp as his foot slipped.
“Yes, sir,” I agreed as I caught his arm and stopped his slide. I kept hold of him and ignored his baleful glare - in truth, the goat’s had been better - and his grumbling, knowing I only needed to worry when he fell silent, until we reached the cottage. Not that I was impressed by what I saw, and it was obvious Lester wasn’t, and I quickly revised my original opinion of the place. It wasn’t so much a cottage as a bloody shed, ramshackle and clearly abandoned for years, but at least it had four walls and a roof… or most of one.
“It’s got a tree growing through the roof.”
I blinked and followed his gaze and… there was a tree but I couldn’t be sure if it was growing through the roof or just very, very close to the building. “It’ll be dark soon and its better than being out in the open.” I paused and glance at him before adding, “I could build a snow shelter if you’d prefer?”
“No, thank you, Captain.” Lester glared at it before adding, “I believe this… ‘cottage’ will do.”
“Good.” One problem solved, one to go. “Now, let me look at your stitches.”
“I believe a fire might be a better idea…” Lester eyed the ‘cottage’ with distaste. “Assuming this has a fireplace.”
Bloody hell, he was right. I glanced around for any fallen wood, not that I really expected to find any, when he nudged my arm and nodded to the overgrown stack of wood by the side of the… I supposed cottage would do for want of a better term. I quickly came to the conclusion that it was shelter for someone watching their flocks, possibly during lambing season, or whatever the goat equivalent was. “Can you check it for a hearth or something while I collect some wood?”
***
I blinked when I stepped from the deepening gloom outside into the slightly brighter cottage and realised Lester must have found and lit a few oil lamps. I nodded before dumping the firewood onto the floor and squatted down to sort out the fire. I was pleasantly surprised to discover Lester had cleared the hearth and set out the kindling. I still peered into every corner of the cottage before I crouched down before the grate. My hands shook as I tried to strike a match and it took me several attempts to get one to light.
“Here.”
Lester’s voice had me jumping and I almost fell as I turned to look at him, my mouth opening before I snapped it shut at his smirk. He held out a blanket to me, similar to the one he was wearing toga-style and it was only them I registered his clothes - all of them - were draped over a battered chair. “Do strip, Captain. I have no need for you to get ill.”
“The fire…”
“I’m perfectly capable of lighting a fire.”
I watched as Lester put words into action by dropping to the floor and coaxing a small piece of kindling to light, before feeding it small and then somewhat larger bits as the fire caught. I shook myself, turned to strip and wrapped the blanket around my waist before I could embarrass either myself or Lester.
Lester had a fine blaze going by the time I turned around again, and it was only when he rose, wincing and holding his side, that I recalled he had pulled his stitches. I found myself close to him without conscious thought, my hands raised to tug the blanket from his torso, when I froze.
“Captain?”
Humour laced Lester’s voice and I swallowed, forcing myself to meet Lester’s amused gaze. “Sir, I need to check your stitches, sir.”
“Quite.”
Lester still sounded amused as I eased the blanket open to the man’s waist. My breath caught in my throat at the sight of the still red healing claw marks across his stomach, several stitches clearly torn and a few surrounded by dried blood. I felt a hand grasp my chin and gently nudge it until I stared into his eyes instead. “It wasn’t your fault, Becker.”
“I shouldn’t have left you without any soldiers, sir.” I didn’t wait for, nor want, any of his forgiveness, his injury was a direct result of my actions. I hesitated for a heartbeat before gently touching the area around his injury, checking whether the skin was hotter than it should be. Not that there was much I would be able to do if he had an infection. I was relieved to find the area merely warm and had to concentrate on my task as I desperately tried to ignore the fact that I was touching his bare skin. I tugged him towards the table and pulled a chair out to sit on so I was level with his wound. “This will need to be cleaned and then re-stitched, sir.”
“I’ll leave myself in your capable hands.”
I rose and moved the oil lamps until they shone on Lester’s torso, almost taking my breath away as they defined every muscle in light and shadow. I quickly retreated before I embarrassed myself and set about finding what supplies I could. I must admit I was pleasantly surprised to find almost everything I could want, whoever used this place must have taken excellent care of their flocks, even if the bowls I found were, I was certain, water bowls for their dogs.
I washed the bowls well with the pungent medical-smelling soap and cold water before filling them and taking them to the fire. One I placed by the side to warm, the other I would need to boil to sterilize my supplies. I washed my hands once more, shivering as the cold leached some of the warmth from my flesh, and then took my supplies back to the table. I placed numerous soft cloths, the thread, the soap and even the bandages I’d found on the table, before adding the scissors, needle and tweezers into the water I had set to boil.
I checked the temperature of the other bowl before bringing it to the table. I dipped one of the cloths into the warm water before gently dabbing it over Lester’s wound to wet it, than lathering up the sharp-smelling soap and cleaning the area. I carefully rinsed the soap away with the first cloth before patting the area dry. Once I was as satisfied as I could be with my merger preparations, I ran a fingernail over one of the torn stitches. “These will need to be removed and then I’ll replace them.”
“As I said, I leave myself in your capable hands.”
I swallowed at the trust Lester was showing in me, before recalling he didn’t have much choice, and took a calming breath to still my nerves. I’d stitched men up before, in worse situations and with fewer supplies, so why was I... Ah, there was the fact that I hadn’t wanted any of them, not as I wanted Lester. Still, I had a job to do and as much as I wanted to ogle Lester, to take my time and this one opportunity to touch him, I silently promised him that I wasn’t about to fail him again. I dragged my attention away from him before I did something we’d both regret. Instead I rose and gingerly used one of the cloths to remove the bowl from the fire and carefully tipped the water out until I could retrieve the items within without scolding myself. I dried each carefully before placing them on another clean cloth, one thing this cottage didn’t lack.
Settling myself into a comfortable position I tool another calming breath, although not for nerves this time. No it was from being at Lester’s feet and… well, that was a thought for another lonely night. I almost started when I felt fingers thread in my hair and looked up to meet Lester’s eyes. “Sir?”
“You’ll do fine, Becker.”
I smiled up at him before tearing my gaze away, firmly reminding myself I had a task to do and this was no time to gaze into his eyes like a lovesick loon. “Soon have you fixed, sir,” I murmured and then mourned the loss of his hand from my scalp. I picked up the tweezers, grasped one end of a torn stitch and placed the fingers of my other hand flat on Lester’s skin to hold it still. I bit my lip in concentration as I gently pulled, almost stopping when I heard Lester’s soft hiss of pain and felt his skin twitch beneath my fingers. “Easy,” I breathed, I didn’t want to cause him pain but I knew I had to do this. I kept the stitch taut until it finally slipped free, blood welling in its wake. I continued, one torn stitch after another, tugging each free as Lester’s muscles tensed and flexed oh so distractingly beneath my hands.
I only paused once I thought I had removed all the damaged stitches, placing the tweezers back on the clean cloth before I gently washed away the blood welling from several of the holes. I dried the wound equally carefully before inspecting it closely for anything I might have missed. I cursed softly under my breath when I spotted two stitches that had frayed but not broken, knowing they’d have to be removed and replaced.
“Becker?”
I could hear the undercurrent of concern in Lester’s voice and smiled up at him in reassurance, although his quirked eyebrow showed he didn’t quite believe me. “You’ve got two damaged stitches I need to cut out before I can stitch you back up.”
Lester didn’t look best pleased by that news, paling slightly before given me a firm nod. “Carry on, Captain.”
I nodded and turned my attention back to the first frayed stitch, pressing lightly on Lester’s skin as I grasped the knot with the tweezers and gently lifted it just clear of his skin. I carefully inserted the scissors under the knot and snipped the threat as close to the knot and skin as I could. I kept hold of the tweezers and gently pulled the stitch through and out, before repeating with the second frayed stitch. I dabbed the blood before sitting back on my heels for a moment to consider the remaining stitches. They seemed intact and I wasn’t willing to replace any more than I really had to. “Ready, sir?”
I felt Lester’s hand on my chin again as he nudged me to meet his gaze. “I trust you, Becker.”
I nodded and washed my hands once more before turning back to Lester, settling myself once more and threading the needle. “Almost done, sir,” I said when I noticed Lester’s mostly suppressed wince at its sight. I didn’t wait for his reply, instead I peered closely as I tried to choose the best place to minimise the number of stitches, especially as I couldn’t place any where the skin had torn.
Finally I pressed the needle tip against Lester’s skin and took a deep, calming breath, almost jumping and stabbing Lester with it when I felt his hand grip my shoulder. I looked up and met his gaze. “I trust you, Becker,” he repeated and I nodded before returning to my task. I pressed the needle into his skin, feeling the resistance until it pierced his flesh and I felt his skin twitch as I pushed the needle through and out again, hearing Lester’s soft hiss as I tied the knot and snipped the thread. By the time I had finished the seventh and final stitch my fingers were trembling and we were both sweating. I flexed my cramping fingers before dipping the cleaning cloth back into the now tepid water to clean the wound of the smudges of blood around each new stitch before I patted them dry. I then folded one of the unused clothes into a pad and positioned it over the wound before winding a bandage around to hold it in place. “There you are, sir.”
Lester gave a shaky nod. “I don’t suppose you found any tea?”
I nodded. “I did, I’ll make a cuppa and then sort our sleeping arrangements.”
“Is there a bed in this benighted cottage?”
“Yes, sir, but its freezing in there. We’ll be better off kipping in front of the fire.”
***
I left Lester with the bedding and fire while I fixed us both a hot tea and returned to find the man had rearranged the bedding into one. “Sir?”
“We’ll be cold when the fire dies down,” Lester replied before raising an eyebrow. “I didn’t think you army types were prudes.”
“No, sir,” I replied. Not that being naked in bed with another man was the problem, no, being naked in bed with Lester would be. Being that close to him and not being able to touch him, of maybe waking up in the morning with him in my arms and… I nearly shuddered at the thought of Lester’s reaction to waking up to find me sporting an erection. Still, I knew we should, and would have to, share body heat if we wanted to survive this debacle.
Lester had by this time turned down the bedding and settled himself, an eyebrow quirked enquiring as he held his hand out for his tea. “Do join me, Becker. You’re letting all the heat out.”
“I just wanted to make sure we were alone.”
“I doubt anyone will be out in this storm, Becker. Now, get in and join me.” The command in Lester’s voice had my cock firming and I blushed at Lester’s knowing look, but all he said was, “Do hurry up, there’s a good chap.”
I hurried to obey him, eager for more than a blanket to conceal my burgeoning erection, and slipped into the blankets he held open. Still I tried to keep a discreet distance between us, doing my best to ignore Lester’s eye-rolling.
“I believe sharing body warmth requires us to be somewhat closer than the blushing bride you’re portraying, Becker.”
I returned his eye-roll, even if it was nothing compared to his, but relented when the thunder burst overhead and rain pelted the roof. My last thought was for poor Vera and I could only hope the river didn’t flood.
***
I patted Matt on the back and hugged Abby before remembering I needed to check in with the ARC. I frowned at the missed text from Jess, wondering what she’d wanted during Convergence and considered not opening it. Surely she would have phoned if it was anything urgent? In the end, simple curiosity had me opening the message. I just stared at the words, my mind trying to comprehend what she had written and then I was running, gasping out “Future Predators at the ARC,” as I raced for the truck.
My fingers shook so much I dropped the keys twice and took five attempts to insert them into the ignition.
It took me far too long to reach the ARC as I had to mount a pavement at one point to get past the jam of dead cars.
The ARC was eerily silent when I entered it, not a soul in sight. I was barely aware my team had entered in my wake. I needed to find Lester, and Jess of course, now and hurried towards Lester’s office. It was where Jess’ text said they were.
I fought the urge to call out and not just because I might call a Future Predator to me. What if Lester and Jess didn’t reply? Whether out of fear of calling a Future Predator to them or… No, I wouldn’t think that. I knew they were alive. They had to be.
The hub was deserted when I arrived. The door to Lester’s office wide open and I stopped, staring at it. Even knowing there were Future Predators in the ARC, I had still expected Lester to be at his desk, working calmly through this crisis.
My every nerve was stretched to breaking point as I scanned the hub. My breath caught in my throat when I saw something by a pillar.
I slowly approached, rounding the pillar with Vera raised and stopped.
I just stopped and stared.
My heart frozen in my chest at the sight of so much blood splattered everywhere, the floor and pillar painted red with it.
Lester lay cradled in Jess’ arms. So still and silent. Two pairs of sightless eyes glared at me. Accusing me of failing them one more. Of leaving him, of leaving them to die here.
I jolted awake, hearing a hoarse scream echoing around the room as my heart hammered in my chest and cold sweat cooled on my skin. I found myself held in strong arms as a well-loved voice spoke in my ear and realised that scream had been mine. A hand stroked firmly through my hair, anchoring me to now, and I flushed with embarrassment when I realised Lester was comforting me.
“Sorry,” I managed through chattering teeth, my voice sounding as raw as my throat from that scream.
“Think nothing of it, my dear boy,” Lester replied. “It’s not the first time I’ve been woken by a nightmare.
Oh yes, Lester had kids he must have comforted through their own nightmares… and then I realised be might be referring to his own nightmares. Anyone would after two encounters with those bloody Future Predators.
It took me several moments to calm down and then I suddenly realised I was sharing breath with Lester. We moved closer without conscious thought, my lips mere millimetres from his own when I froze… what about his wife?
“Hil… Becker?”
“I… um… what about your wife, sir?” I managed to stammer. I felt my heart skip a beat when Lester evaded my gaze. “Sir?” I had to press, I had to know. I watched, broken-hearted, as Lester pulled away and ran a hand through his hair.
“I…” Lester started before licking his lips in an altogether far too distracting way. “I should have said but…” He paused, looking uncomfortable for a moment before forging ahead. “I wasn’t sure you would be…” He shook his head, muttered, “I’m making a bloody mess of this,” and then met my eyes. “My decree absolute came through the day we left.”
“Oh.” I blinked. “I’m sorry,” I said automatically, thinking I might have a chance after all and then... “Was it my fault?”
“Was wha… Ah, no it wasn’t.” Lester ran a hand through his hair again, something I was beginning to suspect was a nervous habit. “We’ve been estranged for years and, well, the anomalies were the last straw. She was convinced I was having an affair.”
“And now the anomalies are public?” I might be interested in Lester, who the fuck wouldn’t be, but I wasn’t going to come between him and his family. No matter how much it would hurt knowing I was this close.
Lester shook his head. “Too many heated words to be taken back.” He smiled at me, a fingertip tracing my lips. “Besides, she’s got a new partner. Has had for the past two years.”
“And you?” Not that I thought Lester would lead me on, but I had to know if I had a chance with him… assuming he went with men and, well, the near kiss meant he did, didn’t it?
“I kept my marriage vows,” Lester informed me haughtily.
“And now?”
“I’m single…” He said, a smile flickering around his lips as he added, “For now.”
“Oh?” I smiled, hoping he meant what I thought he did before something occurred to me. “What’s she going to think about…” I trailed off, unwilling to jump to conclusions.
“About me being with you?” Lester asked before waiting for my nod. “She knew I was bisexual when we married and, as I said, she got a new partner.”
“But your kids?” I had to ask, had to press. I wouldn’t come between Lester and his kids.
“Custody has already been finalised, my dear boy.” Lester assured me. “And I don’t fucking care if she thinks we were together before the divorce.”
I nodded before something else occurred to me. “Er… Lester.”
“James.” He smiled at me. “I think if we’re going to do what I hope we are, that I should be James and you should be…”
“Becks,” I replied quickly
“I still think Hilary is a perfectly fine name. Distinguished even.”
“James!” I almost whined, ignoring the eye-roll Les… no, that James gave me.
“Fine, ‘Becks’ it is.”
I smiled at that, leaning in for a kiss before something occurred to me. “James?”
“Yes?” Les.. James replied, somewhat warily.
“Um…” I stared before gathering my courage. “Does that mean I get to meet your kids? Do you want me to meet them?” I said in a rush, my words only halting when James placed a finger to my lips, a finger I nibbled and smiled at his gasp.
“I’d like you to meet them when they stay over,” James said rather hesitantly for him. “But it is their choice and yours.”
I thought about it for a long moment, watching the wary look grow in James’ eyes before I nodded. “I think I’d like to meet them… but not just yet.”
“Oh?” James enquired, an eyebrow waggling before he asked, “Does that mean you have plans for me?”
“Fuck!” I groaned as my cock gave a definite twitch as it filled out.
“I think that can be arranged,” Lester murmured.
As if from some unspoken signal, we both moved closer, hands hesitantly reaching out for each other, our lips almost touching as I held my breath in anticipation.
*Bang*
We sprang apart as if bitten as the door was firmly knocked on again. “Anyone home!” Lyle called out, adding to sniggers from his companions. “I hope you’re decent.”
“Bloody Lyle,” I muttered, talk about being cock-blocked.
“He’s probably got a book on us,” James mused before calling out. “I’m sure you don’t want to be cleaning up after Monty, Lieutenant.”
“We’ll just wait out here for you, sir,” came the reply.
It was only when I sat up that I realised day had broken and the sun was attempting to shine through the dirty windows. I hissed at the bitter cold as I threw the blankets off and frantically hopped into my dry, if somewhat creased clothes. I spun around, still half dressed, at the noise from the bed to meet Lester’s appraising gaze as he swept his eyes up and down my body. I blushed when he met my gaze, gave a half-smile and said, very firmly, “Very nice, Becks.”
“Thank you, sir,” I managed to murmur before adding, “As lovely as it is to be appreciated, sir. Don’t you think you should be getting dressed?”
“And miss the show?”
I flushed slightly at the look in his eye before smiling. I sat down in the chair to pull my boots on, my eyes glued to him as I watched him dress. Somehow, I had never realised just how erotic a man covering his naked skin could be and I cursed as my cock twitched in growing need. I just knew the ride back to the ARC would be murder...
I yanked open the door and quickly stepped out of the way as Lyle almost fell inside. A smile twitching my lips before I spoke, “Since you’re inside, Lyle, please tidy the place up.”
Lyle shot me an amused look before he ordered his men to help. He paused for a moment before holding Vera out to me. I’d almost given up hope of seeing her again and blinked as my eyes misted.
“Do you two need a moment alone,” Lyle asked, mock concern in every syllable.
I glared at him before turning it on James when he snorted. Bloody hell, they were both ganging up on me.
Something in my face must have given me away as James nodded and turned his attention back to Lyle. “I assume you have transport back to the ARC, Lieutenant?” James enquired and I felt his hand caress my back as he swept past me.
“Yes, sir,” Lyle replied. “This way, sir.”
James nodded and stepped outside. It took me several moments to follow and not just because I was giving Vera a quick check. I couldn’t help fearing that this was the only moment I’d have with Jam.. Lester. He might have said he was bi but he wouldn’t want to be seen with the help, would he?
***
The ride back to the ARC hadn’t been as terrible as I’d half-expected, although I thought that was more to do with Lester being in the front passenger seat. Still I knew I’d be in for some ribald comments once Lester was safely out of earshot.
“One moment, Captain.”
“Sir?” I asked as I turned back to face Lester, only to find myself pulled closer as Lester arched an eyebrow in enquiry. I smiled and leaned in, our lips meeting before he licked my mouth open and his tongue swept inside to duel with my own. We snogged until I was light-headed and I was sure he must have been and I felt I must have had a goofy look on my face from the smirk he wore.
“Go check her, Becker.”
“Sir?” My brain was still short circuited, and I frowned at him, who was I supposed to check out?
“Ditzy wants to check my stitches,” James informed me while waggling an eyebrow. “I don’t want you distracted by worrying about ‘Vera’ later.”
I swallowed hard and smiled as I watched James leave with Ditzy before turning and heading to the armoury with Vera. The sooner I started checking her over, the sooner I could see where I stood with James… although, as I licked his taste from my lips, things were off to a promising start.