Riptide Fic - Four Days Off: Two
Title: Four Days Off: Two
Author: tinx_r
Fandom:Riptide
Pairing/Characters: Cody Allen/Nick Ryder
Challenge: Waiting is the hardest part for smallfandomfest, Hilarious for 7_suns
Crossposted: pier56, 10_snuggles
Rating/Category: NC17/Slash
Word Count: 4000
Summary: After a day's surfing, Nick gets some advice from an unexpected quarter...
Disclaimer: Not mine. No money being made. No copyright infringement intended.
Beta: oddmonster, queen of the hothot fadeout!
Series/U: Out of the Dark
Notes/Warnings: Set early 1979, when Nick and Cody were still in the Military Police.
Four Days Off: Two
"So we're invited to a cookout, huh?" Nick said, trying to sound enthusiastic, as they headed up the beach towards the road.
"I haven't been to a beach cookout in years," Cody replied happily. "We had 'em all the time when I was in high school. Granddad used to say a cookout on the sand was the only kind of party he liked." He raised his arms over his head, stretching. "It's been a great day, huh?"
Nick had to agree. It had been a good day, even though the waves had been pretty tame. He'd spent more time in the cool spring ocean, treading water and just watching Cody, than he had on his surfboard.
He had been surfing with Cody before, a couple of times, brief breaks in mid-summer on crowded beaches. This time had been different, the two of them sharing the lonely beach with only a handful of others, and Cody's joy as he plunged into the waves had taken Nick by surprise. Watching his partner's enthusiasm, Nick had realized that the surfing itself was less important to Cody than the freedom of the ocean around him.
"You want to camp here tonight?" Nick asked as they arrived at the car.
"Guess so." Cody grinned, his blue eyes alight and happy. He looked back out over the ocean. "It's nice here, Nick."
Nick opened the trunk and pulled out the knapsack with the rest of their clothes. He passed it to Cody and reached back in to get their compact tent and sleeping bags. "Grab the beer, man," he suggested, and Cody turned to comply, shooting a longing backward glance out at the ocean.
"Hey, Nick, did I tell you about the bay Granddad used to anchor in sometimes? It was always so quiet, seemed like we were the only people in the world sometimes."
"Yeah?" Nick grinned at Cody. "That sounds beautiful, man." He'd heard about the bay before, more than once, but he was ready to hear it again. Cody's grandfather had died more than ten years ago but Cody still hurt, Nick understood that. He'd listen while Cody tried to talk the long-past summers back to life as long as his partner needed him to.
With a loving pat to the Corvette's patchy paintwork, Nick bumped Cody's shoulder with his own and headed down the beach to the sheltered campsite he'd identified earlier. Cody followed, eyes on the ocean, still talking about the bay he remembered.
They had the tent up in minutes and Cody fell silent as he pushed the last peg down into the firm sand. Nick checked the guy ropes and handed his partner a beer. "Here. I'm gonna get changed - the wind's cold, man."
"You're right." Cody rummaged in the knapsack and pulled out two pairs of jeans, handing one to his partner.
"They're yours." Nick grinned and passed them back, and Cody chuckled.
"So they are." He stepped in close to his partner.
"Cody..." Nick raised his hand, pushing on Cody's chest. Nervously he looked over his friend's shoulder. A surfboard rental kiosk stood up near the dunes, and a fair number of surfers were returning from the waves, making their way up the beach towards it. "Pal, we're not alone here, you know?"
"I know." Cody sighed and stepped back, then grinned. "Not yet, anyhow."
"Not yet," Nick agreed, smiling. He took his own jeans from Cody's hand and pulled them on over his swimming trunks. "Come on, Cody, get dressed. Look, there's your girlfriend over there." He gestured with his head towards the kiosk, and the leggy redhead standing nearby.
Cody had been chatting to the pretty surfer - Tracey, that was her name - on and off all day. Nick wasn't too concerned - she wasn't really Cody's type, too tall for one thing and she was lean as a racehorse. Cody liked curves.
Besides, Cody liked to flirt, he knew it as well as he knew his own name, and there was no way Nick would ever let his partner see how much it bothered him. Especially not right now, fresh off ten solid days of babysitting German brass, both of them needing to unwind.
As Nick watched, the kiosk attendant came out and joined Tracey on the sand. Cody looked over his shoulder at them and hastily pulled his own jeans on. "They're probably going to dig the firepit for the cookout. I should go help!"
Cody jogged across the sand and Tracey called out to him, waving. Nick grinned at his partner's retreating back, and returned to their tent. He unrolled the sleeping bags and laid them out, decorously side by side for now. Cody had left their knapsack open on the ground and Nick picked it up and shook off the sand. He pulled out a sweater before stowing it in the tent.
Nick zipped the tent closed and checked the guy-ropes once more before turning back to the beach.
The sun was setting, an orange ball sinking into the sea, and the beach was shadowed. Nick pulled his vest off and donned the sweater instead. Picking up the beer, he headed slowly down towards the gathering on the beach.
Cody knelt on the sand, busy with the fire-pit, Tracey leaning on his shoulder. Nick took a seat on a rock several yards away and nodded at the dread-locked surf shack attendant, who was standing nearby.
"Hey, dude." The guy - Dom, Nick thought his name was - wandered over and helped himself to a beer from the six-pack Nick had brought. "Thanks."
"Welcome," Nick said without enthusiasm.
Squeals and sounds of hilarity came from further up the beach and Nick turned his head to see a group of co-eds heading down the beach towards them. Two girls with bare feet carried a large cooler between them, a third followed with a basket and bringing up the rear were two guys around his own age. Nick narrowed his eyes as the group approached. He'd never let a girl carry a heavy cooler, and he wasn't in a hurry to meet guys who did.
Tracey ran past him towards newcomers, calling out excitedly, and Nick got up off his rock and went to the firepit, dropping on his knees beside Cody in the sand.
"Hey, buddy," Cody greeted him, not looking up from the blackened grill he was positioning above a small pit filled with driftwood. He wore an expression of concentration on his face. Finally he sat back on his heels, satisfied, and grinned triumphantly at Nick. "That'll do it."
Nick patted his partner's shoulder approvingly and handed him a beer. He looked over his shoulder at the rest of the group. "These people are... kinda different, huh?"
"Yeah, it's great." Cody grinned. "Nothing like on base, huh, Nick?" He jumped to his feet and headed over to the new arrivals.
Nick followed slowly and pasted on a friendly smile as he was introduced. The two guys who'd just arrived, Leon and William, headed for the firepit and immediately repositioned Cody's grill, before lighting the fire. Nick snuck a glance at Cody, and was glad to see his partner in deep conversation with Tracey, oblivious to the interference with his handiwork.
"Hiya!" Nick jumped at the voice and turned around to find one of the barefoot girls standing behind him.
"Hi!" he said, recovering. "Laura, right?"
"That's me." She grinned at Nick. "You're in the army, right?"
"The Military Police." Nick smiled back. Laura was blonde and pretty, in shorts and a sweater, rather than the ethnic smocks her companions wore.
She tossed her bobbed hair. "So... an army cop?" She stepped a little closer to him. "I bet that's exciting, right?"
"Not really." Nick tried to sound discouraging, but he found himself grinning in answer to the amused spark in Laura's eyes.
She laughed. "Nick, you're great. I hate guys who run their mouths about their jobs to try and impress me. And I can just tell you're not like that."
"Guess I'm not." Nick let Laura lead him back to the rock he'd been sitting on earlier.
The pretty blonde was easy to talk to, and Nick found it easier than he usually did to keep his eyes off Cody. Laura was a teacher and she told him how rewarding she found it, working with the children, watching them grow. Nick encouraged her to keep talking, liking the lilt of her voice and her passion for her calling.
Once the food was cooked - steaks and sausages, burnt black by William - Nick got plates for himself and Laura. As he came back to their rock he couldn't help looking across the fire at Cody, deep in conversation with Tracey. He felt a pang of jealousy as Tracey raised a hand and ruffled Cody's hair.
Nick looked away. He didn't dare believe that what he had with Cody could last, and seeing him with a woman made him feel it all the more.
Hurriedly, he turned his eyes back to Laura and forced a smile. "It's a bit burnt," he said apologetically, his voice sounding hoarse in his ears. He cleared his throat.
"It always is when William cooks," Laura said, taking the plate with a smile. "The charcoal's an acquired taste."
Summoning a laugh, Nick sat down at her side and started to eat. The food tasted dry and stuck in his throat, and he wasn't sure if that was entirely the charcoal's doing.
"I'm thinking of leaving the Military Police," he said slowly, turning to Laura. "My friend over there - " he inclined his head towards Cody " - he wants to move down the coast somewhere. Take things a little more easy, you know? I figured maybe I'd go too, but I'm not sure if it's for me."
"You are?" Laura nestled in closer. "Where are you planning on moving to?"
"Not sure yet." Nick stiffened a little as the girl rubbed against him. "Still looking around."
Laura turned her face up to Nick's, smiling. "You going to be a real cop down here? Is that what army cops do when they leave the army?"
"Uh - " Nick hesitated, then put his plate down and slid his arm around the girl. It was what she wanted, he knew. "No, not a cop. Maybe I'll look for some construction work, that kind of thing. Although I got a couple ideas..." He stopped, thinking of the money he'd saved and his idea of buying an army surplus chopper. He nearly had enough for one of the old breakdowns. If he could get his own chopper, anything was possible.
"Nick, it sounds great." Laura's voice recalled him from his reverie. "But you said you're not sure if you want to?"
"MPs is steady work." Nick shrugged, and tightened his arm around her. She leaned against him and dropped her head on his shoulder. "And you know, right now my partner - we've worked together a long time and we're damned good friends..." Nick hesitated, not sure how to put his worries into words. "I'm not sure what's gonna happen if we leave the MPs," he finished finally.
"You're worried you won't be friends any more if you don't work together?" Laura asked. She lifted a hand and ran it through Nick's hair. It was the same gesture Nick had seen Tracey employing on Cody. His stomach clenched sharply and he forced himself not to pull away from the girl's touch.
"I just... oh, I dunno." Nick shrugged. "I'm just not sure if I really want to leave, you know? It's not a bad life, and I don't want to throw it all away and then regret it if - well, if things down here don't work out."
"You couldn't go back?" Laura raised her head and looked him in the eyes. "If it didn't work out, couldn't you just go back?"
"Well, I guess." He sighed. "I guess I could."
Laura leaned in slowly and pressed her lips lightly against his. "Do what your heart tells you," she said meaningfully. "I always do." She ran her tongue over her gently parted lips.
"Nick!" Cody's raised voice came from just behind him, and Nick was on his feet in an instant, pushing Laura gently away.
"What's up, pal?" Nick put a hand on Cody's arm.
"Oh..." Cody relaxed visibly, looking at Nick then down at Laura. He raised his eyes to Nick's again. "I just - is the car locked? I wanna get - uh - my jacket," he said lamely.
"Yup," Nick said, nodding. He could tell this wasn't what Cody had come over for. "But I think your jacket's in the tent. Might be kind of dark to find it, but there's a flashlight in the car."
"Oh, yeah." Cody nodded slowly, still looking at Nick.
Nick could read the unspoken message in his partner's eyes, and he turned back to Laura, summoning a smile. "Hey, Laura, I gotta go help Cody find something, all right? Sure was nice talking to you."
She stood up and gave Nick a rueful smile. "You remember what I told you, honey," she said cryptically, and headed around the fire, towards where Tracey sat on the sand with Dom.
Hand still on Cody's arm, Nick headed away from the fire, up towards the car. "You all right, man?" he asked softly, once they were out of earshot.
"Yeah." Cody sighed. "It - Tracey was hitting on me. And it is getting damned cold." He pushed his shoulder against Nick's.
"You're right about that," Nick agreed, moving his hand to the small of Cody's back. He figured it was too dark for any of the people by the fire to see. "Laura was trying it on me, too. The girls down this way aren't shy, huh?"
"Guess not." Cody managed a chuckle as they arrived at the Vette.
Nick pulled the keys out his pocket and opened the trunk, feeling around for the flashlight clipped against the side. He pulled it free and handed it to his partner. "There you go, pal. Now let's go find your jacket."
It was dark in the tent, but they didn't put the flashlight on. Nick knew exactly where he'd placed the knapsack - everything in the tent was laid out in a pattern, and he could put his hand on any item, even in the dark. It was a military habit he knew he'd never lose. He got Cody's jacket out and handed it to him, and sat down in the sand in front of the tent.
Cody hesitated then sat down next to him. "D'you think they'll notice if we don't go back?" he said doubtfully, twisting the jacket between his hands.
"I don't care if they do," Nick replied. "Do you?"
"I guess not." Cody still looked doubtful. He put his jacket down on the sand.
"Go back if you want," Nick said, sliding an arm around Cody and pulling him close. "But I'm staying here. I've had enough smartmouth jerks and beach bunnies for one day, okay?"
"Okay." Cody relaxed and leaned into Nick. "What were you and Laura talking about?"
"She's a teacher. She was tellin' me about that." Nick shrugged, rubbing his hand over Cody's shoulders. "You have a good time, man?"
Cody stretched and shifted closer to Nick. "Yeah, it was kinda fun," he said quietly. "But I'd rather be up here with you."
Nick didn't reply, feeling his heart swell with relief at Cody's words. They sat in silence for a moment and then Cody nudged him anxiously. "You didn't - I mean, if you wanna go back with Laura - "
Leaning in, Nick kissed Cody softly, cutting him off. "I don't wanna go anywhere," he said quietly. "Nowhere, Cody, nowhere except right here with you." He kissed him again, harder, and this time Cody kissed him back hungrily, his arms going around Nick.
Raised voices from the beach made them pull apart guiltily. Hand still on Cody's shoulder, Nick saw the party by the firepit breaking up. Squinting in the dark, he wondered for a moment which of the dark figures heading back across the sand was Laura.
"Should we go down and say goodbye?" Cody said uncertainly, and pulled away from Nick's hand. "They'll wonder why we didn't go back..."
"No," Nick said, grabbing at Cody's arm and pulling him back down onto the sand. "Cody, if you go back down there, Tracey's gonna take you home with her, you know?"
Cody hesitated, still poised to rise, and Nick swallowed hard. "Go if you want," he forced himself to say. He carefully removed his hand from Cody's arm.
"They asked us to their cookout. It seems rude not to say goodbye," Cody said. "It won't take long."
Nick wrapped his arms around his knees and looked away. "Cody," he said softly, and stopped, stomach clenching at the thought of spending the night in their tent alone. "Cody, please don't go down there."
He let his breath out in a long sigh as Cody sat back down, shifting close again.
"You really think she'd try and take me home if I went back down there?" Cody asked.
"Yup." Nick turned back to his partner, smiling with relief, sliding his arm back around him. "And - " he hesitated, then continued quietly, "Cody, I don't want you to go home with her."
"Me neither, pal." Cody leaned in and kissed Nick slowly.
The sounds of slamming doors and car engines came faintly from the road, and Nick grinned, scooting backwards into the tent. "Come on," he said, grabbing Cody's hand and pulling.
Cody crawled after him and Nick lay back into the soft nest of sleeping bags. He pulled his friend close, unzipping his sweater.
"Nick," Cody whispered, and Nick groaned in response as Cody's hands slid under his sweater, firm and searching.
Rubbing a thumb over Cody's nipple, Nick slid his other hand up Cody's back, into his hair. Cody gasped and moaned, and Nick kissed him, exploring his mouth, feeling Cody's eagerness in his questing tongue.
Still kissing him, he fumbled one handed with Cody's jeans. Cody nipped gently at his lower lip and Nick shivered as he felt his partner's hands undoing his pants.
"Cody," he muttered and Cody pulled away from him slightly.
"Get naked." The voice in his ear was half insistence, half plea, and Nick smiled. He sat up slowly, one hand still caressing the skin of his friend's back.
"You first," he said, belying the words by pulling his sweater over his head.
He heard Cody's chuckle and felt his partner's movement as he shrugged off his own sweater. They both wriggled out of their jeans and swimming trunks and lay down again on the sleeping bags.
Cody rolled onto his back and pulled Nick on top of him, and Nick moaned softly as he felt his friend's teeth caress his neck. Nick could feel Cody hot and hard against his stomach and he moaned again, thrusting with his hips, his own cock throbbing insistently.
Parting his legs, Cody rocked his hips back, pushing up to meet Nick's thrusts, and Nick groaned in earnest as he realized what Cody wanted. He turned his head and kissed his partner hard, claiming his mouth aggressively.
He felt Cody's moan against his tongue and a wave of desire nearly swamped him. Sliding a hand down his partner's body, he gently brushed his cock and Cody's whimper resonated down his spine. "Fuck, Cody," he whispered, reaching lower, gently squeezing his balls.
"Yeah, Nick." Cody spread his legs wider and pushed against Nick's hand. "Fuck me." His words died in a groan.
Nick kissed Cody again, reaching one-handed for the knapsack. The lube was in its place, disguised in a sunglasses case stashed handily in the front pocket, and he found it in seconds despite the dark.
Cody whimpered as Nick slicked the cool gel over his pucker, and whimpered again, insistently, as Nick's finger teased its way inside him.
"Nick," he groaned, raising his hips, and Nick pushed harder, the feeling of Cody tight around his finger going straight to his cock.
"Oh, God, man," Nick whispered. He shuddered as Cody leaned up and kissed him, Cody's tongue sending sparks right down his spine.
Desperately, Nick pushed further inside Cody, feeling his partner open for him slowly. Cody was so tight - Nick shivered and turned his head, biting at Cody's shoulder, rolling his hips against his body.
Cody groaned and flung his head back. "Come on, buddy," he gasped, bucking against Nick's hand. "Come on!"
Nick moved his finger again and felt Cody quiver beneath him, and knew he'd found the spot. "Yeah, baby," he whispered and Cody whimpered. Slowly, Nick withdrew his finger and grabbed for the lube again. He gasped at the feel of the cool gel on his overheated cock.
He pushed his slick crown against Cody's entrance, and they moaned together as Cody's passage opened. Nick leaned forward, finding Cody's mouth, kiss desperate and hungry. Cody's lips steadied him, Cody's tongue pushing its way into his mouth, Cody's hands hard on his hips, giving him the control he'd been about to lose.
"Cody," Nick gasped, raising his head.
"Gotcha, buddy," Cody whispered, pulling Nick forward, closer, deeper. "Come on, Nick. Come on, babe."
Nick sobbed in answer, dropping his head onto Cody's shoulder, nearly overwhelmed by the tight heat of Cody's body. He groaned helplessly as Cody pulled him deeper.
Cody's lips were soft on Nick's neck, and Nick groaned into his shoulder as his hips came to rest hard against Cody's ass.
"All right?" Cody whispered in his ear.
"Yeah..." Nick groaned softly. Cody, tight around him, in his arms, was so much more than all right that he could hardly stand the tide of pleasure and emotion that had him in its grip. He stayed still, letting it wash over him, mouth on Cody's skin, tasting him, waiting for control to return.
His partner quivered under him and Nick moved slowly, raising himself on his arms. "Cody," he whispered, and took the first stroke, short, slow.
"Nick," Cody replied breathlessly, pushing up to meet him. He groaned hard as Nick stroked into him again, and he bucked convulsively.
Steadily, Nick held his rhythm, fighting the waves of pleasure threatening to engulf him, feeling Cody's answering thrust with every move. Cody's passage convulsed, tightening, and he cried out wildly as his orgasm approached.
"Shhh," Nick whispered, speeding up his stroke, his balls contracting as Cody's ass tightened around his cock.
Cody moaned softly in reply, bucking harder, and Nick thrust home. Cody's hands closed hard on his shoulders, clutching, dragging him down, and then time and space stood still. Blood roared in his ears and he collapsed on Cody's chest, helpless as pulse after pulse washed over him.
Nick opened his eyes slowly. It was too dark to see anything, but Cody's hands were gentle on his back, tracing patterns on his skin. He took a deep breath.
"Intense, huh?" Cody whispered softly, hands still moving on Nick's back.
"Yeah." Nick gave a shaky chuckle. "Good word, man." He nuzzled Cody's neck, and sighed happily as Cody's lips brushed his temple.
Cody moved underneath him, and Nick felt the rough scratch of a towel on his back as his partner dried him off. Reluctantly, he rolled sideways, feeling his softening cock slide free, and the towel followed over his stomach. He curled in close against his friend and slid an arm across his chest.
"Good night, buddy," Cody said softly, rolling towards him, and Nick pulled him close.
"G'night, man," he murmured in reply, wrapping his arms tight around him. Cody nestled his head against Nick's shoulder, and Nick moved his arm slightly, making a pillow for his partner's head. Lips against Cody's shoulder, he softly mouthed the words he didn't dare to say aloud. "I love you, man."
Out of the Dark | Previous Story - Four Days Off: One | Next Story - Out Loud
More Stories
Author: tinx_r
Fandom:Riptide
Pairing/Characters: Cody Allen/Nick Ryder
Challenge: Waiting is the hardest part for smallfandomfest, Hilarious for 7_suns
Crossposted: pier56, 10_snuggles
Rating/Category: NC17/Slash
Word Count: 4000
Summary: After a day's surfing, Nick gets some advice from an unexpected quarter...
Disclaimer: Not mine. No money being made. No copyright infringement intended.
Beta: oddmonster, queen of the hothot fadeout!
Series/U: Out of the Dark
Notes/Warnings: Set early 1979, when Nick and Cody were still in the Military Police.
Four Days Off: Two
"So we're invited to a cookout, huh?" Nick said, trying to sound enthusiastic, as they headed up the beach towards the road.
"I haven't been to a beach cookout in years," Cody replied happily. "We had 'em all the time when I was in high school. Granddad used to say a cookout on the sand was the only kind of party he liked." He raised his arms over his head, stretching. "It's been a great day, huh?"
Nick had to agree. It had been a good day, even though the waves had been pretty tame. He'd spent more time in the cool spring ocean, treading water and just watching Cody, than he had on his surfboard.
He had been surfing with Cody before, a couple of times, brief breaks in mid-summer on crowded beaches. This time had been different, the two of them sharing the lonely beach with only a handful of others, and Cody's joy as he plunged into the waves had taken Nick by surprise. Watching his partner's enthusiasm, Nick had realized that the surfing itself was less important to Cody than the freedom of the ocean around him.
"You want to camp here tonight?" Nick asked as they arrived at the car.
"Guess so." Cody grinned, his blue eyes alight and happy. He looked back out over the ocean. "It's nice here, Nick."
Nick opened the trunk and pulled out the knapsack with the rest of their clothes. He passed it to Cody and reached back in to get their compact tent and sleeping bags. "Grab the beer, man," he suggested, and Cody turned to comply, shooting a longing backward glance out at the ocean.
"Hey, Nick, did I tell you about the bay Granddad used to anchor in sometimes? It was always so quiet, seemed like we were the only people in the world sometimes."
"Yeah?" Nick grinned at Cody. "That sounds beautiful, man." He'd heard about the bay before, more than once, but he was ready to hear it again. Cody's grandfather had died more than ten years ago but Cody still hurt, Nick understood that. He'd listen while Cody tried to talk the long-past summers back to life as long as his partner needed him to.
With a loving pat to the Corvette's patchy paintwork, Nick bumped Cody's shoulder with his own and headed down the beach to the sheltered campsite he'd identified earlier. Cody followed, eyes on the ocean, still talking about the bay he remembered.
They had the tent up in minutes and Cody fell silent as he pushed the last peg down into the firm sand. Nick checked the guy ropes and handed his partner a beer. "Here. I'm gonna get changed - the wind's cold, man."
"You're right." Cody rummaged in the knapsack and pulled out two pairs of jeans, handing one to his partner.
"They're yours." Nick grinned and passed them back, and Cody chuckled.
"So they are." He stepped in close to his partner.
"Cody..." Nick raised his hand, pushing on Cody's chest. Nervously he looked over his friend's shoulder. A surfboard rental kiosk stood up near the dunes, and a fair number of surfers were returning from the waves, making their way up the beach towards it. "Pal, we're not alone here, you know?"
"I know." Cody sighed and stepped back, then grinned. "Not yet, anyhow."
"Not yet," Nick agreed, smiling. He took his own jeans from Cody's hand and pulled them on over his swimming trunks. "Come on, Cody, get dressed. Look, there's your girlfriend over there." He gestured with his head towards the kiosk, and the leggy redhead standing nearby.
Cody had been chatting to the pretty surfer - Tracey, that was her name - on and off all day. Nick wasn't too concerned - she wasn't really Cody's type, too tall for one thing and she was lean as a racehorse. Cody liked curves.
Besides, Cody liked to flirt, he knew it as well as he knew his own name, and there was no way Nick would ever let his partner see how much it bothered him. Especially not right now, fresh off ten solid days of babysitting German brass, both of them needing to unwind.
As Nick watched, the kiosk attendant came out and joined Tracey on the sand. Cody looked over his shoulder at them and hastily pulled his own jeans on. "They're probably going to dig the firepit for the cookout. I should go help!"
Cody jogged across the sand and Tracey called out to him, waving. Nick grinned at his partner's retreating back, and returned to their tent. He unrolled the sleeping bags and laid them out, decorously side by side for now. Cody had left their knapsack open on the ground and Nick picked it up and shook off the sand. He pulled out a sweater before stowing it in the tent.
Nick zipped the tent closed and checked the guy-ropes once more before turning back to the beach.
The sun was setting, an orange ball sinking into the sea, and the beach was shadowed. Nick pulled his vest off and donned the sweater instead. Picking up the beer, he headed slowly down towards the gathering on the beach.
Cody knelt on the sand, busy with the fire-pit, Tracey leaning on his shoulder. Nick took a seat on a rock several yards away and nodded at the dread-locked surf shack attendant, who was standing nearby.
"Hey, dude." The guy - Dom, Nick thought his name was - wandered over and helped himself to a beer from the six-pack Nick had brought. "Thanks."
"Welcome," Nick said without enthusiasm.
Squeals and sounds of hilarity came from further up the beach and Nick turned his head to see a group of co-eds heading down the beach towards them. Two girls with bare feet carried a large cooler between them, a third followed with a basket and bringing up the rear were two guys around his own age. Nick narrowed his eyes as the group approached. He'd never let a girl carry a heavy cooler, and he wasn't in a hurry to meet guys who did.
Tracey ran past him towards newcomers, calling out excitedly, and Nick got up off his rock and went to the firepit, dropping on his knees beside Cody in the sand.
"Hey, buddy," Cody greeted him, not looking up from the blackened grill he was positioning above a small pit filled with driftwood. He wore an expression of concentration on his face. Finally he sat back on his heels, satisfied, and grinned triumphantly at Nick. "That'll do it."
Nick patted his partner's shoulder approvingly and handed him a beer. He looked over his shoulder at the rest of the group. "These people are... kinda different, huh?"
"Yeah, it's great." Cody grinned. "Nothing like on base, huh, Nick?" He jumped to his feet and headed over to the new arrivals.
Nick followed slowly and pasted on a friendly smile as he was introduced. The two guys who'd just arrived, Leon and William, headed for the firepit and immediately repositioned Cody's grill, before lighting the fire. Nick snuck a glance at Cody, and was glad to see his partner in deep conversation with Tracey, oblivious to the interference with his handiwork.
"Hiya!" Nick jumped at the voice and turned around to find one of the barefoot girls standing behind him.
"Hi!" he said, recovering. "Laura, right?"
"That's me." She grinned at Nick. "You're in the army, right?"
"The Military Police." Nick smiled back. Laura was blonde and pretty, in shorts and a sweater, rather than the ethnic smocks her companions wore.
She tossed her bobbed hair. "So... an army cop?" She stepped a little closer to him. "I bet that's exciting, right?"
"Not really." Nick tried to sound discouraging, but he found himself grinning in answer to the amused spark in Laura's eyes.
She laughed. "Nick, you're great. I hate guys who run their mouths about their jobs to try and impress me. And I can just tell you're not like that."
"Guess I'm not." Nick let Laura lead him back to the rock he'd been sitting on earlier.
The pretty blonde was easy to talk to, and Nick found it easier than he usually did to keep his eyes off Cody. Laura was a teacher and she told him how rewarding she found it, working with the children, watching them grow. Nick encouraged her to keep talking, liking the lilt of her voice and her passion for her calling.
Once the food was cooked - steaks and sausages, burnt black by William - Nick got plates for himself and Laura. As he came back to their rock he couldn't help looking across the fire at Cody, deep in conversation with Tracey. He felt a pang of jealousy as Tracey raised a hand and ruffled Cody's hair.
Nick looked away. He didn't dare believe that what he had with Cody could last, and seeing him with a woman made him feel it all the more.
Hurriedly, he turned his eyes back to Laura and forced a smile. "It's a bit burnt," he said apologetically, his voice sounding hoarse in his ears. He cleared his throat.
"It always is when William cooks," Laura said, taking the plate with a smile. "The charcoal's an acquired taste."
Summoning a laugh, Nick sat down at her side and started to eat. The food tasted dry and stuck in his throat, and he wasn't sure if that was entirely the charcoal's doing.
"I'm thinking of leaving the Military Police," he said slowly, turning to Laura. "My friend over there - " he inclined his head towards Cody " - he wants to move down the coast somewhere. Take things a little more easy, you know? I figured maybe I'd go too, but I'm not sure if it's for me."
"You are?" Laura nestled in closer. "Where are you planning on moving to?"
"Not sure yet." Nick stiffened a little as the girl rubbed against him. "Still looking around."
Laura turned her face up to Nick's, smiling. "You going to be a real cop down here? Is that what army cops do when they leave the army?"
"Uh - " Nick hesitated, then put his plate down and slid his arm around the girl. It was what she wanted, he knew. "No, not a cop. Maybe I'll look for some construction work, that kind of thing. Although I got a couple ideas..." He stopped, thinking of the money he'd saved and his idea of buying an army surplus chopper. He nearly had enough for one of the old breakdowns. If he could get his own chopper, anything was possible.
"Nick, it sounds great." Laura's voice recalled him from his reverie. "But you said you're not sure if you want to?"
"MPs is steady work." Nick shrugged, and tightened his arm around her. She leaned against him and dropped her head on his shoulder. "And you know, right now my partner - we've worked together a long time and we're damned good friends..." Nick hesitated, not sure how to put his worries into words. "I'm not sure what's gonna happen if we leave the MPs," he finished finally.
"You're worried you won't be friends any more if you don't work together?" Laura asked. She lifted a hand and ran it through Nick's hair. It was the same gesture Nick had seen Tracey employing on Cody. His stomach clenched sharply and he forced himself not to pull away from the girl's touch.
"I just... oh, I dunno." Nick shrugged. "I'm just not sure if I really want to leave, you know? It's not a bad life, and I don't want to throw it all away and then regret it if - well, if things down here don't work out."
"You couldn't go back?" Laura raised her head and looked him in the eyes. "If it didn't work out, couldn't you just go back?"
"Well, I guess." He sighed. "I guess I could."
Laura leaned in slowly and pressed her lips lightly against his. "Do what your heart tells you," she said meaningfully. "I always do." She ran her tongue over her gently parted lips.
"Nick!" Cody's raised voice came from just behind him, and Nick was on his feet in an instant, pushing Laura gently away.
"What's up, pal?" Nick put a hand on Cody's arm.
"Oh..." Cody relaxed visibly, looking at Nick then down at Laura. He raised his eyes to Nick's again. "I just - is the car locked? I wanna get - uh - my jacket," he said lamely.
"Yup," Nick said, nodding. He could tell this wasn't what Cody had come over for. "But I think your jacket's in the tent. Might be kind of dark to find it, but there's a flashlight in the car."
"Oh, yeah." Cody nodded slowly, still looking at Nick.
Nick could read the unspoken message in his partner's eyes, and he turned back to Laura, summoning a smile. "Hey, Laura, I gotta go help Cody find something, all right? Sure was nice talking to you."
She stood up and gave Nick a rueful smile. "You remember what I told you, honey," she said cryptically, and headed around the fire, towards where Tracey sat on the sand with Dom.
Hand still on Cody's arm, Nick headed away from the fire, up towards the car. "You all right, man?" he asked softly, once they were out of earshot.
"Yeah." Cody sighed. "It - Tracey was hitting on me. And it is getting damned cold." He pushed his shoulder against Nick's.
"You're right about that," Nick agreed, moving his hand to the small of Cody's back. He figured it was too dark for any of the people by the fire to see. "Laura was trying it on me, too. The girls down this way aren't shy, huh?"
"Guess not." Cody managed a chuckle as they arrived at the Vette.
Nick pulled the keys out his pocket and opened the trunk, feeling around for the flashlight clipped against the side. He pulled it free and handed it to his partner. "There you go, pal. Now let's go find your jacket."
It was dark in the tent, but they didn't put the flashlight on. Nick knew exactly where he'd placed the knapsack - everything in the tent was laid out in a pattern, and he could put his hand on any item, even in the dark. It was a military habit he knew he'd never lose. He got Cody's jacket out and handed it to him, and sat down in the sand in front of the tent.
Cody hesitated then sat down next to him. "D'you think they'll notice if we don't go back?" he said doubtfully, twisting the jacket between his hands.
"I don't care if they do," Nick replied. "Do you?"
"I guess not." Cody still looked doubtful. He put his jacket down on the sand.
"Go back if you want," Nick said, sliding an arm around Cody and pulling him close. "But I'm staying here. I've had enough smartmouth jerks and beach bunnies for one day, okay?"
"Okay." Cody relaxed and leaned into Nick. "What were you and Laura talking about?"
"She's a teacher. She was tellin' me about that." Nick shrugged, rubbing his hand over Cody's shoulders. "You have a good time, man?"
Cody stretched and shifted closer to Nick. "Yeah, it was kinda fun," he said quietly. "But I'd rather be up here with you."
Nick didn't reply, feeling his heart swell with relief at Cody's words. They sat in silence for a moment and then Cody nudged him anxiously. "You didn't - I mean, if you wanna go back with Laura - "
Leaning in, Nick kissed Cody softly, cutting him off. "I don't wanna go anywhere," he said quietly. "Nowhere, Cody, nowhere except right here with you." He kissed him again, harder, and this time Cody kissed him back hungrily, his arms going around Nick.
Raised voices from the beach made them pull apart guiltily. Hand still on Cody's shoulder, Nick saw the party by the firepit breaking up. Squinting in the dark, he wondered for a moment which of the dark figures heading back across the sand was Laura.
"Should we go down and say goodbye?" Cody said uncertainly, and pulled away from Nick's hand. "They'll wonder why we didn't go back..."
"No," Nick said, grabbing at Cody's arm and pulling him back down onto the sand. "Cody, if you go back down there, Tracey's gonna take you home with her, you know?"
Cody hesitated, still poised to rise, and Nick swallowed hard. "Go if you want," he forced himself to say. He carefully removed his hand from Cody's arm.
"They asked us to their cookout. It seems rude not to say goodbye," Cody said. "It won't take long."
Nick wrapped his arms around his knees and looked away. "Cody," he said softly, and stopped, stomach clenching at the thought of spending the night in their tent alone. "Cody, please don't go down there."
He let his breath out in a long sigh as Cody sat back down, shifting close again.
"You really think she'd try and take me home if I went back down there?" Cody asked.
"Yup." Nick turned back to his partner, smiling with relief, sliding his arm back around him. "And - " he hesitated, then continued quietly, "Cody, I don't want you to go home with her."
"Me neither, pal." Cody leaned in and kissed Nick slowly.
The sounds of slamming doors and car engines came faintly from the road, and Nick grinned, scooting backwards into the tent. "Come on," he said, grabbing Cody's hand and pulling.
Cody crawled after him and Nick lay back into the soft nest of sleeping bags. He pulled his friend close, unzipping his sweater.
"Nick," Cody whispered, and Nick groaned in response as Cody's hands slid under his sweater, firm and searching.
Rubbing a thumb over Cody's nipple, Nick slid his other hand up Cody's back, into his hair. Cody gasped and moaned, and Nick kissed him, exploring his mouth, feeling Cody's eagerness in his questing tongue.
Still kissing him, he fumbled one handed with Cody's jeans. Cody nipped gently at his lower lip and Nick shivered as he felt his partner's hands undoing his pants.
"Cody," he muttered and Cody pulled away from him slightly.
"Get naked." The voice in his ear was half insistence, half plea, and Nick smiled. He sat up slowly, one hand still caressing the skin of his friend's back.
"You first," he said, belying the words by pulling his sweater over his head.
He heard Cody's chuckle and felt his partner's movement as he shrugged off his own sweater. They both wriggled out of their jeans and swimming trunks and lay down again on the sleeping bags.
Cody rolled onto his back and pulled Nick on top of him, and Nick moaned softly as he felt his friend's teeth caress his neck. Nick could feel Cody hot and hard against his stomach and he moaned again, thrusting with his hips, his own cock throbbing insistently.
Parting his legs, Cody rocked his hips back, pushing up to meet Nick's thrusts, and Nick groaned in earnest as he realized what Cody wanted. He turned his head and kissed his partner hard, claiming his mouth aggressively.
He felt Cody's moan against his tongue and a wave of desire nearly swamped him. Sliding a hand down his partner's body, he gently brushed his cock and Cody's whimper resonated down his spine. "Fuck, Cody," he whispered, reaching lower, gently squeezing his balls.
"Yeah, Nick." Cody spread his legs wider and pushed against Nick's hand. "Fuck me." His words died in a groan.
Nick kissed Cody again, reaching one-handed for the knapsack. The lube was in its place, disguised in a sunglasses case stashed handily in the front pocket, and he found it in seconds despite the dark.
Cody whimpered as Nick slicked the cool gel over his pucker, and whimpered again, insistently, as Nick's finger teased its way inside him.
"Nick," he groaned, raising his hips, and Nick pushed harder, the feeling of Cody tight around his finger going straight to his cock.
"Oh, God, man," Nick whispered. He shuddered as Cody leaned up and kissed him, Cody's tongue sending sparks right down his spine.
Desperately, Nick pushed further inside Cody, feeling his partner open for him slowly. Cody was so tight - Nick shivered and turned his head, biting at Cody's shoulder, rolling his hips against his body.
Cody groaned and flung his head back. "Come on, buddy," he gasped, bucking against Nick's hand. "Come on!"
Nick moved his finger again and felt Cody quiver beneath him, and knew he'd found the spot. "Yeah, baby," he whispered and Cody whimpered. Slowly, Nick withdrew his finger and grabbed for the lube again. He gasped at the feel of the cool gel on his overheated cock.
He pushed his slick crown against Cody's entrance, and they moaned together as Cody's passage opened. Nick leaned forward, finding Cody's mouth, kiss desperate and hungry. Cody's lips steadied him, Cody's tongue pushing its way into his mouth, Cody's hands hard on his hips, giving him the control he'd been about to lose.
"Cody," Nick gasped, raising his head.
"Gotcha, buddy," Cody whispered, pulling Nick forward, closer, deeper. "Come on, Nick. Come on, babe."
Nick sobbed in answer, dropping his head onto Cody's shoulder, nearly overwhelmed by the tight heat of Cody's body. He groaned helplessly as Cody pulled him deeper.
Cody's lips were soft on Nick's neck, and Nick groaned into his shoulder as his hips came to rest hard against Cody's ass.
"All right?" Cody whispered in his ear.
"Yeah..." Nick groaned softly. Cody, tight around him, in his arms, was so much more than all right that he could hardly stand the tide of pleasure and emotion that had him in its grip. He stayed still, letting it wash over him, mouth on Cody's skin, tasting him, waiting for control to return.
His partner quivered under him and Nick moved slowly, raising himself on his arms. "Cody," he whispered, and took the first stroke, short, slow.
"Nick," Cody replied breathlessly, pushing up to meet him. He groaned hard as Nick stroked into him again, and he bucked convulsively.
Steadily, Nick held his rhythm, fighting the waves of pleasure threatening to engulf him, feeling Cody's answering thrust with every move. Cody's passage convulsed, tightening, and he cried out wildly as his orgasm approached.
"Shhh," Nick whispered, speeding up his stroke, his balls contracting as Cody's ass tightened around his cock.
Cody moaned softly in reply, bucking harder, and Nick thrust home. Cody's hands closed hard on his shoulders, clutching, dragging him down, and then time and space stood still. Blood roared in his ears and he collapsed on Cody's chest, helpless as pulse after pulse washed over him.
Nick opened his eyes slowly. It was too dark to see anything, but Cody's hands were gentle on his back, tracing patterns on his skin. He took a deep breath.
"Intense, huh?" Cody whispered softly, hands still moving on Nick's back.
"Yeah." Nick gave a shaky chuckle. "Good word, man." He nuzzled Cody's neck, and sighed happily as Cody's lips brushed his temple.
Cody moved underneath him, and Nick felt the rough scratch of a towel on his back as his partner dried him off. Reluctantly, he rolled sideways, feeling his softening cock slide free, and the towel followed over his stomach. He curled in close against his friend and slid an arm across his chest.
"Good night, buddy," Cody said softly, rolling towards him, and Nick pulled him close.
"G'night, man," he murmured in reply, wrapping his arms tight around him. Cody nestled his head against Nick's shoulder, and Nick moved his arm slightly, making a pillow for his partner's head. Lips against Cody's shoulder, he softly mouthed the words he didn't dare to say aloud. "I love you, man."
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