just_muse_me | 22.9.5. Lessons in Love
22.9.5. Lessons in Love
[Follows THIS]
Rob gratefully accepted the cup of coffee held out to him with a tired smile. "Cheers, man," he thanked his mate. "I really appreciate you letting me stay here, too. I could have just gotten somewhere in the barracks. I know it was really short notice. I just had to get away once I made the decision. The transfer was pretty neat, so it went through quick." His army rucksack was on the floor at his feet, containing about everything he had brought with him from Littlerock. He had always been the sort to travel light. Packing this time, however, just made him feel like he had very little to show for in his life and it was kind of depressing that it all fit in one bag. It had just spurred on his want for a change even more. The drive from Arkansas to New York had been long, but it had given him a lot of time to think. He still felt he had made the right choice requesting a transfer and lucked out getting placed at Fort Hamilton in New York, and there was no immediate plans for his deployment again, so he would have a breather from the front line. He really couldn't complain about that.
His mate from high school, Pete Waters, had been in the Navy as long as Rob had been in the Army. He had also been posted to New York in the early days, so he was based there with his wife and offered Rob a room to rent when he heard he was making the move. Rob hadn't taken him up on it at first, not wanting to impose, especially at short notice, but they had insisted to the point Rob then feel guilty about saying no. In hindsight, he now thought it would be nice to be able to escape the brig at night, maybe get out and see what New York had to offer when he wasn't on duty.
Pete smirked at his friend. "Dude, you need to stop thanking me. You're giving me a headache. I might be forced to suffocate you in your sleep to get some peace," he joked and settled in the armchair across from Rob with his own coffee. "I know you've had a real tough break. I'm glad I could help in some way. How have you been holding up?"
"Better than I was," Rob admitted, pressing his lips together wryly. "It was probably a good thing I got shipped out right after the trial. Had distractions and couldn't let the anger consume me. Now I'm just... I don't know, it sounds strange, but I'm lonely. Sounds hypocritical considering I was deployed regularly during the marriage. I ain't missing her or the marriage, though, just... companionship. That feeling you aren't alone, you know? That you had something to go home to. It kept me going through the worst battles. It's hard to swallow now knowing it was all a fucking farce."
Pete nodded in understanding, humming in though. "You need a chick, dude. Someone to treat you right, someone you can worship in return. Finding one of those without strings at our age, though, isn't always the easiest thing. I just lucked out with Fiona. You probably thought you did with Ellie too."
Rob snorted. "Finding one who wants to give you the time of day after you tell them you're on the Army hit list is the fucked up part, dude. Ellie was obligated, in a sense. Small town girl, we'd been dating forever. Seemed the logical next step to get hitched. Tell me where I'm going to find a gal okay with me being shipped out to the front line left and right, the next time maybe never coming back? It ain't even about sex, even if that would be mighty nice right now. It's been a hell of a long time. She was holding out on me during my last leave before she was getting it elsewhere."
"I feel for you, man," Pete said, shaking his head with a low whistle. "She did you fucking over. I wanted to take her down myself. But you can't give up, dude. Look at you. You're a fucking blond bombshell with the Army bod and all Southern, tanned, and hot. Go out, try and pull. You ain't gonna know what's out there until you look. New York ain't no Littlerock, man. Chicks here are a whole other species."
Rob rested his head back against the sofa and looked up at the ceiling in thought. "I dunno. I think I'm just too damn tired to try. Ain't wanting all the shit to happen all over again. She broke my fucking heart. How do I know some other girl won't do the same fucking thing? New Yorker or not."
Pete shook his head. "You can't," he said, shrugging sympathetically. "But do you really just wanna become a Monk? Your cock needs a work out. At least have a few one nighters, dude, or you'll be breaking my heart with this defeatist attitude. That ain't the Rob Laird I used to know, especially when it comes to getting laid."
"New York suddenly seems like a whole universe of it's own. Do or die, huh?" Rob said, smirking himself.
"Nah, man. Do or be done. You owe it to yourself," Pete corrected. "A good, hard, hot, sweaty fuck, and ASAP."
Rob went back to his coffee, staring at the blank TV screen across from them as he let the notion tick over in his mind. "Easier said that done, dude."
Word Count | 942
[Follows THIS]
Rob gratefully accepted the cup of coffee held out to him with a tired smile. "Cheers, man," he thanked his mate. "I really appreciate you letting me stay here, too. I could have just gotten somewhere in the barracks. I know it was really short notice. I just had to get away once I made the decision. The transfer was pretty neat, so it went through quick." His army rucksack was on the floor at his feet, containing about everything he had brought with him from Littlerock. He had always been the sort to travel light. Packing this time, however, just made him feel like he had very little to show for in his life and it was kind of depressing that it all fit in one bag. It had just spurred on his want for a change even more. The drive from Arkansas to New York had been long, but it had given him a lot of time to think. He still felt he had made the right choice requesting a transfer and lucked out getting placed at Fort Hamilton in New York, and there was no immediate plans for his deployment again, so he would have a breather from the front line. He really couldn't complain about that.
His mate from high school, Pete Waters, had been in the Navy as long as Rob had been in the Army. He had also been posted to New York in the early days, so he was based there with his wife and offered Rob a room to rent when he heard he was making the move. Rob hadn't taken him up on it at first, not wanting to impose, especially at short notice, but they had insisted to the point Rob then feel guilty about saying no. In hindsight, he now thought it would be nice to be able to escape the brig at night, maybe get out and see what New York had to offer when he wasn't on duty.
Pete smirked at his friend. "Dude, you need to stop thanking me. You're giving me a headache. I might be forced to suffocate you in your sleep to get some peace," he joked and settled in the armchair across from Rob with his own coffee. "I know you've had a real tough break. I'm glad I could help in some way. How have you been holding up?"
"Better than I was," Rob admitted, pressing his lips together wryly. "It was probably a good thing I got shipped out right after the trial. Had distractions and couldn't let the anger consume me. Now I'm just... I don't know, it sounds strange, but I'm lonely. Sounds hypocritical considering I was deployed regularly during the marriage. I ain't missing her or the marriage, though, just... companionship. That feeling you aren't alone, you know? That you had something to go home to. It kept me going through the worst battles. It's hard to swallow now knowing it was all a fucking farce."
Pete nodded in understanding, humming in though. "You need a chick, dude. Someone to treat you right, someone you can worship in return. Finding one of those without strings at our age, though, isn't always the easiest thing. I just lucked out with Fiona. You probably thought you did with Ellie too."
Rob snorted. "Finding one who wants to give you the time of day after you tell them you're on the Army hit list is the fucked up part, dude. Ellie was obligated, in a sense. Small town girl, we'd been dating forever. Seemed the logical next step to get hitched. Tell me where I'm going to find a gal okay with me being shipped out to the front line left and right, the next time maybe never coming back? It ain't even about sex, even if that would be mighty nice right now. It's been a hell of a long time. She was holding out on me during my last leave before she was getting it elsewhere."
"I feel for you, man," Pete said, shaking his head with a low whistle. "She did you fucking over. I wanted to take her down myself. But you can't give up, dude. Look at you. You're a fucking blond bombshell with the Army bod and all Southern, tanned, and hot. Go out, try and pull. You ain't gonna know what's out there until you look. New York ain't no Littlerock, man. Chicks here are a whole other species."
Rob rested his head back against the sofa and looked up at the ceiling in thought. "I dunno. I think I'm just too damn tired to try. Ain't wanting all the shit to happen all over again. She broke my fucking heart. How do I know some other girl won't do the same fucking thing? New Yorker or not."
Pete shook his head. "You can't," he said, shrugging sympathetically. "But do you really just wanna become a Monk? Your cock needs a work out. At least have a few one nighters, dude, or you'll be breaking my heart with this defeatist attitude. That ain't the Rob Laird I used to know, especially when it comes to getting laid."
"New York suddenly seems like a whole universe of it's own. Do or die, huh?" Rob said, smirking himself.
"Nah, man. Do or be done. You owe it to yourself," Pete corrected. "A good, hard, hot, sweaty fuck, and ASAP."
Rob went back to his coffee, staring at the blank TV screen across from them as he let the notion tick over in his mind. "Easier said that done, dude."
Word Count | 942