RP LOG with nevergonnamiss | Surprises

[a68whiskey]

[Follows THIS, simultaneous to THIS]

Charlie had been fortunate that Rob and Leila were willing to distract Mike for a bit longer while she had a shower. His mom had naturally been shocked to see Charlie come in the door with the married couple, and it had taken a lot to get Mrs Austin to keep quiet so she didn't give the game away. Charlie hadn't seen Mike's mother in years. The last time had been when the three Army buddies had come to Mike's for dinner, Mrs Austin showing off her awesome cooking skills. Charlie still had no idea how she'd got everything to taste so damn good.

Now with her wet hair still drying, and jeans and a t-shirt on instead of her uniform, Charlie walked slowly along the hall towards Mike's room. She still remembered the layout of the house. When she was younger she'd memorised everything that was even remotely connected to Mike. The crush had been huge, no doubt about it. It was a miracle she really had kept it from everyone, but the truth was out now. She wasn't even sure the crush had ever really left her, it had just been pushed to the back of her mind as soon as her life had become about service, and the war. And as soon as she realised she was probably never going to see him again.

Until she'd hurt herself.

Until now.


Rob and Leila seemed to have a sixth sense about when she was coming, and they both exited Mike's room as they gave her a thumbs up and a wink. Leila had her hands around Rob's waist as she walked behind him, and Charlie got the sense they were probably also making themselves scarce for other reasons. Baby making would only wait so long. Charlie sucked in a breath as she leaned against the wall for a moment, and tried to clear her head. She was starting to feel like being home was less like an out of body experience, and really happening, but she was still not quite there. She felt a lot more fragile than she'd thought possible.

Charlie finally peeked around the edge of the doorway before crossing the threshold of Mike's room, her hands tucked into the back pockets of her jeans as she stood there looking at him. She tried to fight the tears that were once again building up, and spilling down over her cheeks. She bit her lip to at least stop a sob escaping, her bottom lip quivering as she gave him a watery smile. "Hey you."

Mike hadn't realised just how much Rob had wandering hands until he and Leila were hovering around in Mike's childhood bedroom after they got back from, apparently, baby making. If they were just baby making, why the hell couldn't Rob keep his hands off his wife and why did he have this look in his eyes like he would basically throw her against the wall and hump her if they hung around too much longer? Rob fed him some line about a flat tire on the trip back from the baby making and for some reason started randomly yammering on about eating the cream out the middle or Oreos and how good they tasted dipped in coffee with a bowl of ice cream. Leila looked slightly akward at Rob's strange rambling, seeming like she maybe wanted to smack her hand over his mouth to stop it. If she did that, though, Rob would inevitably have started sucking her fingers which could have led to way worse sucking that Mike really didn't want to be witness to. In fact, during most of it, he had just sat there with a confused, bewildered and slightly amused look on his face as he watched Rob pace restlessly.

Once they exited his room, he proceeded to stare at the wall of his bedroom for a few moments, still trying to figure it out. He was in bed, but sitting on top of his messy blankets which were nestling his injured leg. He had on his pyjamas, just a white wifebeater and loose grey pyjama pants that were easy for him to get on and off if he needed to. The leg that had been shot was in a post-operative brace from thigh to shin, protecting the parts that had suffered the most damage. He was still in a lot of pain, but had been sticking to Tylenol to try and get through it. He wasn't a fan of trying to cope with painkillers in case he got hooked. The alternative, however, was just a lot of pain that made him exhausted and just want to sleep a lot. He could stick it out, though. In a few weeks, he'd start to feel better.

He had been slumped back against the mound of pillows again, his posture losing it's steam when his friends left the room. He was getting good at slipping into the weak exhaustion when he didn't have an audience trying to suss out whether he was okay or not. He wasn't okay. He knew they knew that, but they didn't get him to say it. Only the voice probably would have made him fall off the bed in shock if he wasn't basically stuck there for the moment. If he needed the bathroom, he had to get someone to help him. He blinked in shock for a moment, his mouth hanging open slighly and then a frown appeared on his face, almost as if he was trying to decide if he was going mental or not. He wouldn't be surprised if he was. He remembered Rob talking about seeing Leila in Afghanistan when he was out there injured, feeling like she was really there. "Charlie?"

"You remember me," she teased him softly as she moved towards his bed. She reached out and touched her thumb to his bottom lip as she cupped his face. For a moment Charlie just stood there looking at him. She might have been the one brought to his house, but even she was beginning to question if she was really here, or just having a vivid dream and might still be on the plane from Afghanistan. Or even still in the middle of the war zone. She bent forward and kissed his forehead before she kissed his lips gently. "You okay?"

Mike soon managed to smile at her and took her hand, giving it a small squeeze. "Yeah, sure. 'Course I am," he told her quietly, his tired mind slowly letting the pieces of the puzzle slot together. Rob and Leila hadn't been off baby making at all, which would explain Rob looking like a bitch on heat when he came near Leila. He was fired up and horny for some reason, which wasn't a piece of the puzzle Mike could deduce at that point. But he knew now they must've been picking Charlie up, probably from Houston, which would explain why they were gone so long. He hadn't even known she was coming home... he hadn't known anything. But then, he wasn't even able to bathe without help right now and his mind was hazy. Had it been mentioned? "I, uh... was I supposed to know you were comin'? I didn't think I lost my mind out there, but who knows? Maybe I did. Maybe Robbo's head fuck is rubbin' off on me," he joked.

Charlie made sure she was on the side of his uninjured leg before she perched on the bed next to him, and kept a hold of his hand in her lap as she looked over his face. She wanted to question the fine thing but after all the tension in the car ride home she wasn't sure she was ready for tension between her and Mike. She was just relieved he was physically okay. The idea of it being anything more than a leg wound made her heart ache. She rest her head against his as she sucked in a breath. "No, you weren't supposed to know. It was meant to be a surprise. I didn't even know until after I got your email about being hurt. I'm just glad you're okay. I'm glad you finally got home. Shit, I'm glad I finally got home. Even if it feels weird right now. You need anything?"

Mike rubbed his thumb up and down her arm softly. It wasn't like he could jump for joy, was it? He was just so damn tired. He just hoped she understood that he was happy to see her, even if he wasn't sure he could say the same for him. He looked pretty rough. Unshaven, pyjamas, probably with dark smudges under his eyes. His mom kept trying to urge him to take painkillers and sleeping pills, but so far he had resisted her nudging. "I'm surprised, I am. I have my surprised face on in my head," he teased and smirked at her. "Ya' really just got back tonight? Baby makin'," he added with an amused snort and a shake of his head. "He's been feedin' me that line since I got here."

Charlie gave him a tired smile as she nodded, and stole another quick kiss. She couldn't help herself. She'd been thinking about the next time she'd see him for ages, and there was suddenly just an urge to touch him that she couldn't fight; a need to maintain physical contact. "I believe you, darlin'. Don't worry about it, I'm not sure I'm any better with the expressiveness. Not unless it's crying. I seem to have that one down pat. And yeah, really got back tonight. And you know what? Pretty sure baby making wasn't actually a line. I think they've done a lot of it."

Mike laughed and shook his head. "Not tonight, not yet. He was in here lookin' like he wanted to chuck me off the bed and do her in the blink of an eye. If he ain't done the deed yet, I say he ain't ever gonna. Dude's worried he'll be all unable to do it, but he's still healthy and fit, just had a long road of recovery. He looks five hundred percent to what he did when he first came back. Pretty sure only Rob and Leila could ever pull off baby makin' as a bet, though. Anyone else would take it too seriously." He hooked his hand under his injured thigh and shifted his leg into a different position when the pain started to make itself known again. He kept his hand braced under there for a few moments, waiting to see if he would tolerate the new position. "Long trip, darlin'. I can sympathise. Why ain't ya' gone back to ya' folks? Touch base? It helps ya' know, brings ya' back down to reality."

Charlie froze as she watched Mike move his leg, not sure if she was making it any more painful for him because of her added weight to the bed. Her gaze flicked up to his face and she tried to gauge if he was alright again. "Oh, well, in that case they're probably trying to find some spot in your mom's house to debauch and have another go at the bet. I still can't believe they did it that way either, but Robbo really wants to be a dad. Even if he is worried. I know he could do it. He'd be great. They couldn't pick me up from the bus shelter. I was actually just gonna try and get a cab to their place but Rob and Leila were there. They surprised us both. I'll see 'em tomorrow. I talked to them briefly on the phone just before I got in the shower. Wanted them to know I hadn't gotten kidnapped or anything."

"No doubt," Mike agreed as he softly massaged his thumb against the top of his thigh in hopes it would soothe some of the pain down lower. Right now, Tylenol every four hours was barely touching it. "Robbo told Mom and Dad that he and Lei were tryin' for a baby, so I ain't doubtin' they actually understand the logistics of that. My folks ain't prudes. They'll probably just make themselves scarce. They're already lovin' Lei to bits, I think it's a relief for 'em seein' Robbo has someone who wants to take care of him. Mom and Dad are old school... they think soldiers deserve someone to look after 'em when they're home, to nurture 'em," he explained with a smirk and a fond shake of his head. "Lei's more than doin' that. They must be at it about four or five times a day. So, ya' gonna stay the night or is this just a lil stop by before ya' head home? Ya' a good few hours away, yeah? Ya' probably best to stay, even if that means ya' might need to sleep in the room next to Robbo and Lei... I, uh, well, I wouldn't recommend ya' tryin' to sleep here, even if it is a double. I ain't still so much, ain't sleepin' too well either."

"Are you sure I can't do anything to help?" Charlie asked him, her gaze still fixed on his leg. "Well, I know that, but I don't think Robbo wants to be traumatising your parents with any sex in places they might be. He's still a gentleman somewhere under the soldier. She is pretty cool. I can see that. Her and Rob just have this... thing. Chemistry. I'm jealous," she admitted with a soft laugh. "I'm staying the night, I think. Didn't get a choice. Plus I really don't want to travel anymore. I've had enough of travelling tonight." Charlie raised an eyebrow at him slightly. "I wasn't about to invite myself into your bed... I ain't that bad, am I?"

Mike shook his head. "Not a thing. Time's the only thing that's gonna help it..." He reached behind him and tugged out one of the extra pillows so he could shove it under his knee to raise it a little. He exhaled roughly with the relief of the new position. Right now, finding an okay position actually felt better than an orgasm. "Yeah, they really do. Saw that as soon as I met her when Robbo wasn't even 'round. They have somethin' special and even if I ain't sure it's anythin' I could ever pull off without overthinkin' it, I think the best thing they did was go to Vegas and get hitched. They're meant to be. Some people just are. I wasn't assumin' ya' were invitin' y'self. Just figured it woulda been a natural next step if I wasn't injured. Sorry, I didn't mean to assume nothin'."

Charlie's gaze stayed on his face as she kept frowning slightly before she reached out to take his hand again and pulled it into his lap. Her fingers slid between his, and her other hand brushing over it gently as she studied the details. The shape of his nails, the feel of his skin, the little scars and marks. "It would have been a natural next step, and you have no idea how much I wish I could just stay here with you. I want to share your bed... if you'd ever let me. I just didn't want to try and bring up anything because I know you weren't really convinced we'd ever... be here. Together. I'm sorry, my brain is just... fucked. Did they say how much time?"

"Coupla weeks to get up on the crutches with any effectiveness. I get get 'round a lil on them now, but not so far. The bullet messed up the knee, but they fixed it with the surgery. Just needs time to heal. If I get up on it too quick, it ain't gonna heal properly. Once I can work the crutches, though, I'll be cool. Just gotta take care, make sure I ain't gonna get sick or nothin'. I'm fine, really." Mike scratched the back of his head and gave a small shrug. "To be completely honest, I ain't got much of a capacity to think clearly right now. I didn't know ya' were comin' home or nothin', so I ain't really sure... what's gonna happen next. Feels kinda surreal."

Charlie pointed her thumb over her shoulder towards Mike's door. "Do you want me to go? I don't wanna make your brain any worse. I didn't come here to... confuse you, or anything. I just really wanted to see you. Make sure you were okay. I think Rob knew I probably wasn't gonna rest until I saw you with my own eyes. I was being selfish, I guess. I should've thought. But in my defence I really didn't know I would get to see you until he was there at the bus shelter picking me up. I shoulda... I shoulda protested more. I'm sorry, Mike. I'm just glad they fixed your knee, even if it will take time. Nothing wrong with having to slow down for a while. We all need to do that."

Mike frowned and then held his hand up before rubbing his head with it. "Charlie... stop," he murmured. "You're givin' me a headache. Please don't complicate things with all the awkward 'I'm bein' selfish and I'll go if ya' want me to' stuff, okay? I just really don't have the brain to cope with it. Give me one good reason why I wouldn've wanted to see ya'."

She felt her cheeks flush before she let her head drop down against his shoulder tiredly, and gave a shrug. She hugged his arm to her chest, her fingers still linked with his. "I'm sorry, Mike. I told you my brain was fucked. I've already been a blubbery mess with Robbo. I feel like I'm on overload and just spewing shit. I don't know. I don't have a reason. I really missed you."

"Who ain't a blubbery mess when they first get home? It always sets in after the adrenaline rush is gone," Mike said knowingly and squeezed her hand softly. "Don't be mindin' Robbo, either. Leila told me he was a wet, snotty mess at his folks when they got to Little Rock, too. It's just the way it rolls. It's all just hard to know anythin' right now. When I'm better, I'll be back to Jersey on the job in the infirmary there. Things are just up in the air."

"I did put in for the transfer," Charlie told him as she squeezed his hand in return. She brought his hand to her mouth and kissed it. "I just gotta wait to here, but for now I guess I'm here, or wherever I wanna be. Robbo said I could come visit them back in New York, but they're still gonna be on that road trip for a while, I think. Can you imagine just being able to stay on the road for a couple weeks. Go wherever the car takes you... Just open road, no desert. No guns. No fighting." She shifted her head to look up at him. "Have you been a blubbery mess yet?"

Mike smirked. "Apparently tent sex is pretty awesome. Though, accordin' to Robbo, all sex is awesome right now. Just standin' next to his wife is awesome. He's like a dog on heat. I dunno, though. Guess I ain't really thought much 'bout it. Always just been told where to go and gone there. Besides showin' up to New York. That's just somethin' I knew in my gut I had to do. Just never expected it all to go down how it did." He scratched his nose and shrugged. "Not really? I think I maybe was comin' outta the anesthetic, but I've only got vague recollection of that."

Charlie smirked as well as she started to laugh. "Yeah, he's really loving all that sex with his wife. Baby making is just a nice little outcome. He, ah... He mentioned that I could still be on top. You just have a bullet in the leg. You know, for if you ever were up to being intimate again. I know it's hard right now when you're in pain to feel like anything else." She pulled her mouth to the side as she hummed to herself in thought. "Maybe we should go with them. Get our own tent. Or separate tents. You gotta let it all out at some stage, Mike. It's okay to."

Mike sniggered, shaking his head. "Robbo's just all with sharing the love right now, ain't he? I swear he never used to be this randy in the past, even if he was never short of chicks eyein' him off. Just 'cause he's gettin' 'round in a permanent state of erect ain't meanin' the rest of us can manage it. I might just need a few more days, darlin'. Can I take a raincheck?" He scrunched his nose up in thought and then shook his head with a laugh. "With Robbo and Leila fucking left and right? Ain't sure I got the stomach for it. And I ain't sure there is anythin' to let out. Just glad I got to keep my leg."

"He really is. It makes me sick," she said with a snort of amusement. Charlie kissed his hand again as she smiled. "Yeah, of course it's okay if you take a raincheck. I just think Rob's never gonna let up on this kind of stuff anymore. He's got this girl that's taking crazy good car of him. She's giving him everything his ex never could. I don't blame him for lapping it up. Hey, they'd keep the fucking to themselves. It's not like we gotta be stuck with 'em. We can still do our own thing. Just give them space. I'm glad you got to keep your leg, too." She still wasn't sure that he was okay, but Charlie was too tired to press the point.

"He's happy. Ain't ever seen him this happy. Even between now and how he was when I left him last in New York, he's changed a lot. Ain't lookin' half dead no more. I think I might need to take a raincheck on the road trip, too. Just ain't sure it's my thing, let alone sittin' in a car for hours on end with a fucked leg. I'm tired, kinda just wanna to not do nothin' at all." Mike squeezed her hand again. "Ya' should go get some sleep. We can catch up in the mornin'. Ain't like we don't have the time. At least, before ya' head back to ya' folks."

Charlie gave a small nod as she got her queue to leave. She gave him a lopsided smile and kissed his lips softly before kissing his forehead. "You try and get some sleep too, okay? You need it. I'm glad you're finally home. I'll definitely be back in the morning. You're not rid of me just yet."

Mike smiled up at her, probably feeling better at that moment than he had since he got home. "Night, darlin'. Sweet dreams."