Beams of light found their way past the holes in the shepherd’s hut, burning the vampire. It shrieked in pain and hurried away only to be caught by the light of the sun. More shrieks of pain echoed around them as the other vampires struggled to get back underground. The smell of burnt flesh added itself to the air.
Salim’s eyes searched for Jason and found the marine looking back at him. The desire that stirred in him was almost a Pavlovian response after all they had been through together. But it was more than that now: this man had kept Salim sane while they were down in the temple, had made him laugh and offered a friendly ear and fought at his side.
“Our rescue will be here in about five hours,” Nick pointed out, breaking the tension. He gave a significant glance to Salim. The implication was understood: there was plenty of time for Salim to get home before more American troops showed up.
“I think I’ll go outside and get some air,” Salim announced. He reached over to pick up his metal pole. “A souvenir.” He nodded to the other Americans, lingering the longest on Jason, and headed out of the hut.
“Salim, wait.” He paused and turned to see Jason coming out with him. Salim was relieved the younger man had understood his silent signal. “I just… I wanted to say thanks for savin’ my ass down there.”
“That isn’t all I did to your ass,” Salim responded with a grin.
“Don’t be such a smart-ass,” Jason scolded with a matching grin. “I mean it. I don’t know if I would’ve been able to keep it together down there without you. And I sure wouldn’t have survived.”
“That goes both ways, jarhead.” They were both quiet for a moment. Then Salim took a breath and asked: “Do you know anything about cars? My troops came here on a few vehicles and they should still be up on the ridge.”
“Guess we can take a look,” Jason nodded.
Together they climbed up to where the Republican Guard had parked their vehicles. One had a bullet hole in a wheel but the other looked intact. The troops took everything with them during the assault so the back was empty. Jason climbed in anyway.
“Looking for something, jarhead?” Salim asked him.
“No, just… never really noticed how spacious it is back here. It’s always so crammed with soldiers, ya know?” He turned and there was a glow in his eyes. He looked almost nervous. “C'mere,” Jason gestured, and Salim climbed in to join him.
He hadn’t planned on doing it, but the next thing he knew he was reaching for the American and his fingers were moving in a familiar pattern down to Jason’s belt. Jason’s fingers were moving too with the swift practice of a soldier. But he hadn’t gone for Salim’s belt: he was working the buttons off the older man’s uniform. Salim immediately changed directions to work at Jason’s shirt, too.
It was a long process– they had a lot of clothes between them– but every time something was taken off the exposed skin was given a very thorough sweep of hands, so it was time well-spent.
“ ‘One and done’,” Jason huffed once they were naked. “So much for that.”
“Indeed. I am not done with you, jarhead.” Salim leaned in close, squeezing the marine’s firm ass. “Not by a long shot.” Jason shivered in response and leaned in even closer. So close that kissing him seemed the next logical step. His lips were warm and surprisingly sweet and Salim felt flutters explode inside him at the contact.
Jason’s lips parted for him and he arched close so skin touched skin. That ramped up Salim’s desire to a whole new level; the way his body responded was almost like he’d been waiting for this for a while. He kissed the marine hungrily, fiercely, Jason matching him as his hands dug into Salim’s flesh. Salim hadn’t considered being self-conscious about his body fat, especially when compared to Jason’s more slender build, but there was apparently no need to worry. The way Jason’s hands roamed made it clear he liked it, and any further doubts were chased away by the cock beginning to stiffen against Salim’s thigh.
He guided Jason down to the floor of the truck. Jason let out a hum of approval and shifted his legs apart so Salim could fit in between. Salim took a moment to just look at the man lying under him. Allah surely worked in mysterious ways to bring the two of them to this moment.
“I can hear you thinkin’,” Jason told him. Salim swallowed and kissed Jason’s lip tenderly.
“I was noticing how different you look in the sunlight. And without your hat. I like seeing you this way.”
“Look all you want. I ain’t goin’ nowhere.”
“Hmm.” Salim kissed him again, sliding a hand down to lift one of Jason’s legs up to prop on his shoulder. “Maybe I should fuck you until you can’t move, just to be sure.” Jason’s breath hitched and the glow in his eyes got brighter. He reached for one of Salim’s hands and squeezed.
It’s an AU where Jason is a Cactus Nymph and Salim is a Date Palm Dryad. It’s so adorable and this scene was too precious not to draw. Definitely give it a read if you haven’t. Thank you for the lovely fics! ❤
(I just liked this fanart so much and I was missing the AU, so here’s the last part of Oasis from Jason’s perspective!)
All the other nymphs were excited to dance and blossom; Jason just wanted to dance. He enjoyed the freedom of it and how he could throw his whole body into each movement. He was never as graceful or beautiful as his fellow nymphs but he didn’t care. He preferred to be chaotic and wild.
Unintentionally his eyes searched for a date palm dryad, heart skipping when he spotted two. One he knew was Salim and while Jason didn’t recognize the other, there was no question this was Zain. Jason turned his attention back on Salim. The dryad would be watching him dance; the thought made Jason’s heart race and nervous energy buzzed through his body.
Jason only ever danced to enjoy himself before. This time as he threw himself into the beat, he was revealing himself to Salim. This is me: I’m a chaotic mess. I’m sharp and angry and I’m not pretty like the flowers. But look at me, see me, want me. He hadn’t blossomed; he was too scared to show such an obvious sign of his feelings.
At the end of the dance, to no one’s surprise Merwin immediately claimed the blossoming Joey as his partner. Jason rolled his eyes in Nick’s direction.
“Every fuckin’ time we dance, I swear. Why don’t Merwin and Joey make it official already?”
“Don’t ask me,” Nick shrugged.
“And who the fuck are you blossoming for, anyway?” Jason demanded. He plucked at one of the flower petals on Nick’s shoulder. “Better not be that beech again, traitor. You remember how pissed that spruce was last time.”
“Excuse me.” Jason’s heart jumped in his chest when he recognized the voice. He felt a blush rise on his cheeks as he stared at Salim. Did he see me? Did he like it? “I just came over to tell you how much I enjoyed the dance.”
“Thanks,” Nick smiled. He held out his hand. “I don’t think we met. I’m Nick.” Salim introduced himself and Jason felt his friend’s eyes on him. He pointedly looked away. He had accidentally let Salim’s name slip and Nick hadn’t allowed him to forget it since. The other two were still talking about the dance.
“This time, I saw something special,” Salim concluded. Jason gritted his teeth and his needles slid out from his skin. Well, great, Salim was attracted to the blossoming flowers like all the other dryads. Speaking of dryads, another one was headed their way.
“Fucking hell, that spruce is comin’ this way,” Jason grumbled. “I warned you, Nicky. I’m out of here before he starts goin’ off.” Inside, he was a little glad the other dryad showed off and gave him the perfect excuse to escape.
He didn’t get too far before Salim was calling his name. Jason whirled to face the dryad, letting his needles grow out even more. “Fuck off, Salim. Go flirt with the pretty flowers.” Salim blinked at him in stunned confusion, and then slowly his lips moved into a smile.
“Actually, Jason, I find needles to be much more interesting.”
“You makin’ fun of me?” Jason fumed.
“No.” Salim drew close, much closer than any of the other nymphs or dryads did once Jason’s needles were out. Then Salim was touching him, and Jason could only stare in shock. “When I said I saw something special at the dance,” Salim explained, “I meant you.”
Oh. The nervous excitement buzzed through Jason again. Hedid see me. Jason knew he was blushing again and he didn’t care. Salim saw his chaos, touched his needles, and was still here. Jason swallowed and tentatively kissed the dryad.
He didn’t know how to express what he was feeling, so he did it in the most natural way he could: he let himself blossom. It was just a single flower but it was enough. Salim saw it and lit up in a smile. He caressed the petals with his free hand, cupping Jason’s cheek with the other and bringing their faces closer for another kiss.
Jason retracted his needles so he could get closer. Salim’s bark had its own sharpness; not just any nymph would be comfortable feeling that against their skin. Jason was, though, and another flower blossomed as he instinctively called out to Salim to be his partner. Salim’s lips moved to Jason’s cheek, his jaw, a hand encircling the nymph’s waist.
Jason continued to press close, holding on tight to Salim’s strong bark. Accepting the sharp edges just as Salim accepted his.
“Chicken?” Salim repeated in confusion. There was a game involving chickens now? Americans were so strange.
“Yeah, it’s kinda like a dare,” Jason explained. “You do somethin’ that could potentially scare or hurt you, and the first one to pull back loses.” Ah, well, that was something Salim was familiar with. Though they didn’t call it “chicken”, he and his friends had dared each other to do some pretty dangerous stuff in his youth.
“And what potentially scary thing are you wanting to do?” Salim wondered.
“We hang out.” Salim had to frown. How was that scary or dangerous? “First one to fall in love loses,” Jason added.
“Fall in love,” Salim repeated slowly. He felt like he missed something. “With… each other?” Jason nodded. Well, Salim could see how that would seem dangerous because of the views on homosexuality, but why would Jason think of such a thing? “All right,” Salim agreed.
He and Jason were good friends and had forged a very close bond while they were down in the catacombs, but Salim couldn’t see it becoming more than that.
Over the next few days they took turns going to each other’s houses and taking walks outside. They had friendly arguments of American football versus the rest of the world, they watched each other’s favorite movies and listened to music. Salim began to look forward to the times when he could see Jason again. He told jokes hoping to see Jason smile or hear him laugh. He felt lighter and happier whenever Jason was around.
One day as they were watching something on television, Salim had the urge to reach out and take Jason’s hand. Holding hands with a good friend was common practice, and yet that wasn’t on Salim’s mind. No, he simply wanted to feel the strength and warmth, to brush his thumb along the callous Jason built up in his years of military service.
“Oh.” Salim sat up a little straighter when it hit him. “Oh…. I… dammit.”
“Ha!” Jason slapped his thigh. “I make you happy!”
“I can’t believe you remember that stupid chicken game,” Salim complained, blushing. “You don’t feel the same way?”
“Why do you think I wanted to play this in the first place?” Jason replied with a mischievous smirk.
“Wait, but you…” Salim was trying to make sense of this. Jason was in love with him this whole time? Or, he had feelings and wanted them to be love, and used this game as an excuse? “Since when?” Salim finally asked.
Jason scooted closer and rested his hand over Salim’s. “Let’s just say there was never a chance of me winnin’ the game.”
Tonight their Skype date was a meal. They talked and laughed as always, but Salim was a little distracted. He didn’t crack as many jokes as usual and he wasn’t really paying attention to the food.
“Hey.” Jason tapped the computer screen with a finger. “I can hear you thinkin’.”
“It’s been a month since we got matched,” Salim began. “It’s the longest relationship I’ve had since my wife.”
“Same,” Jason agreed. “Not about the wife thing– never been married– but this is the longest I’ve dated anyone. Growin’ up how I did… bein’ gay just… I was ashamed, I guess. I was told there was somethin’ wrong with me. I believed it was true until… until I met you.”
Salim didn’t know what to say. He gazed at the image of Jason’s face and longed to reach out and take the American’s hand.
“I know the feeling,” he confessed at last. “I smiled and laughed more that first day messaging you than in years.”
“Salim.” Jason leaned forward a little, the remains of his meal forgotten. “I’m gonna take myself off the dating app. Delete it from my phone.” Salim felt a little thrill go through him. He leaned forward as well.
“So will I.”
“Salim,” Jason said again, his voice so soft Salim had to lean even closer to hear him. “You ever kiss a man before?” Salim swallowed as his heart began to beat a little faster. He knew he had to be blushing.
“N-no.”
“Then I’ll be the first,” Jason promised. “It’ll be my anniversary present to you.” The thrill was now a constant buzz of energy. Salim wet his lips and thoughtlessly closed his eyes. He didn’t think of how silly this must look, him waiting for a kiss from lips that were thousands of miles away.
“Jason,” he began, his voice so much more husky than usual. “What can I give you for your present?”
“I don’t know,” the American mused. Salim cracked his eyes open to see Jason’s had fallen closed, too. Those lips seemed so close, the fair skin on Jason’s cheeks slightly flushed. Salim closed his eyes again and for a moment the two men were quiet. “You can fall asleep on me,” Jason told him. “I don’t mind.”
“And that would be your present?” Salim smiled and felt his own face get warmer. “You ask for so little, Jason.”
“Guess so.” Jason fell quiet again, then added: “Can I fall asleep on you, too?”
“Of course,” Salim replied.
And hours later, that was how Zain found them: both asleep at their computers, fingers touching the screen.
Salim wiped his shoes on the mat and rested his umbrella against the wall. It was pouring down rain outside and he was glad to meet with a warm apartment. He took off his wet shoes before going farther inside. He noted that Jason’s shoes were by the front door as well, and then a trail of wet droplet. That was right, Jason worked construction. He must have gotten soaked today.
Salim headed over to the kitchen to start some hot tea for them both. It was quiet in the apartment but Salim actually liked the steady noise of the rain hitting the roof. Still, it was a little quiet; Jason usually watched television or played his video games to wind down from work.
“Jason?” he called out. The former marine appeared from the bathroom with a towel in one hand.
“Oh, hey. Didn’t hear you come home.” Salim found himself unable to form words. He’d seen glimpses of Jason’s bare chest before but this was– he swallowed– almost all of the younger man’s body exposed. Only a pair of boxers kept him modest. He was muscular and lean and wore a few battle scars on his pale skin.
Stop staring, Salim scolded himself. Out loud, he said: “I was just making some tea. Would you like some?”
“Sure.” Jason rubbed the towel over his head. “I’m just gonna finish dryin’ off and get into some warm clothes. You want me to turn on the radio?”
“Yes, thank you.” He turned back to the kitchen to grab some cups while Jason turned the radio on. The battle over the stations was a relatively short one; Salim still laughed when he remembered how quickly he got Jason addicted to his favorite radio show.
When Salim allowed himself to look again, Jason was wearing sweatpants and a familiar shirt. “You wore that the day we met,” Salim remembered.
“It’s one of my favorites,” Jason shrugged. “You didn’t get soaked, huh?”
“I work indoors, jarhead.”
“Lucky you,” Jason snorted. “I felt like a fuckin’ drowned rat by the time work was done.” The kettle whistled and Salim poured them both cups. “Thanks,” Jason said as he took a sip from his cup. “That hits the spot.”
They talked for several minutes and Salim felt he had safely pushed thoughts of Jason in only his boxers firmly away. That image really shouldn’t have affected him so much. He was in the military once and male nudity was just a fact of the job. Except none of those soldiers were Jason. They hadn’t come rushing into the living room shouting “turn on the fucking radio!!” so they could catch the next episode of their show. The didn’t laugh with him over ridiculous products being sold at one o'clock in the morning.
“I don’t know about you,” Jason spoke up, snapping Salim from his thoughts, “but I don’t feel like doin’ anything tonight. How about we just order a pizza and watch whatever movie is on TV?”
“I would like that,” Salim admitted. He gripped onto his cup a little tighter as he wrestled with these new feelings. It’s because I’m lonely, he reasoned. I haven’t been with anyone since Maysa left me.
He would go out tomorrow and try to meet someone. Tonight he wanted to stay in with Jason and eat greasy pizza.
“I fuckin’ did it, Nicky!” Jason announced the moment he got home. His roommate and best friend popped his head out of his room. Seeing the grin on Jason’s face, Nick moved in to give him a congratulatory fist-bump.
“I told you he’d like your designs. So when do you start working?”
“Well, they already got the sets ready for their next production.” Jason shrugged his shoulders dismissively. “So Mr. King hired me to move them during the shows, and then my designs will go into whatever they’re doin’ next.”
“That still sounds pretty good,” Nicky nodded. “Congratulations.”
Still feeling energized, Jason decided to cook dinner. Usually he and Nick just did take-out but Jason was in the mood to create. As he gathered ingredients, his mind went back to the music hall. But he didn’t think about his meeting with Eric King; instead it went back earlier to when he bumped into Salim.
Jason had been intrigued by the accent, and of course the guy was pretty– Jason hadn’t allowed himself to look too long, but he definitely noticed that. He wondered what sort of job Salim had with the music hall. Was he one of the musicians, a stage hand, an actor? Jason would find out as Eric wanted him there for their dress rehearsal.
Jason arrived at the music hall wearing all black as instructed. He met up with the other stage hands and was shown where they kept the set pieces for the show. They went ahead and moved the first piece into place so he could get a feel for its weight, and how quickly he was expected to move between scenes. Jason never put much thought into how much behind-the-scenes stuff was going on during live performances. They had people working the lights, the costumes, the props, the curtains, and all of it had to run smoothly.
The actors arrived and someone set up a snack table so everyone could get food before starting the rehearsal. Jason searched a bit before he found Salim. So the guy was one of the actors, then. Jason couldn’t wait to hear his singing voice. He sidled over to the table, keeping out of Salim’s line of sight. The other man was reaching for the spoon to get some hummus and Jason reached for it at the same time. Their fingers bumped each other, causing Salim to turn.
“Oh, hello,” he greeted. “Nice to see you again.”
“We bumped into each other, after all,” Jason remarked with a little smile. Salim’s returned smile was warm and he chuckled softly.
“So we did, my friend.” Jason retracted his hand but stayed close. “I’m glad to see Eric liked your designs,” Salim went on as he gave himself a spoonful of hummus. “I only saw sketches, but I thought they were very good.” Jason ducked his head to hide the pleasure from that compliment.
“Which character are you playin’?” he asked to change the subject.
“Oh.” Salim looked a little sheepish. “I, ah, I’m the male lead.” Jason gave him a double-take.
“Seriously? Holy shit, that’s amazing.” Salim ducked his head like he was trying to hide from the compliment, too, but he didn’t have a ball-cap to shield his face like Jason. The guy was really cute, Jason reflected.
“It’s my first lead role,” Salim confessed. “I’m very nervous about it.”
“You’ll be fine,” Jason encouraged him. Salim gave him a grateful smile and they went back to getting their snacks. Jason would’ve liked to talk with the guy more, but the other stage hands called for Jason to sit with them. Salim gave him a friendly bump on the shoulder.
“I’ll bump into you again, Jason,” he promised.
Jason had to keep his head bowed as he ate so none of the others would notice the blush on his cheeks.
Jason took in a few steadying breaths. He could do this. He’d gone into battle a thousand times, even faced off against alien vampires. Something like this should be simple. But he would almost rather jump back into that vault than do this. All the old fears and damning words were echoing in his head.
“Jason.” He turned as Salim moved to stand beside him, a warm hand on the marine’s back. “We stand together.”
“Right.” Jason felt some of the tension leave his body. Salim always had that effect on him. He was probably the one person that, practically from the moment they met, Jason was comfortable being himself around. “Thanks for comin’ with me,” he spoke up.
“Of course,” Salim replied. “My shield should not go into battle without his sword.” Jason blinked past the sudden tears. Yeah, Salim absolutely nailed that: this was a battle for Jason. A battle to fight off everything he was told growing up, every moment of self-hatred.
Be proud, Jason told himself. He swiped his finger across his cheek once, twice, until he had painted a rainbow flag. When he got the tattoos on his arms, he did them to prove he belonged in the military; he was a true patriot. But that had just been another lie to hide behind. This man with the rainbow face paint and the love in his heart for the man at his side– that was the real Jason.
“It’s a good look for you,” Salim observed. He wrapped his arms around Jason and the younger man leaned into him. “Will you paint one on me next?”
Jason dipped his fingers in the paint. He could see the love shining in Salim’s eyes, but also the fear. This was as big a step for him, too. Jason couldn’t resist giving Salim a quick kiss when he was done.
“You ready?” Jason asked him.
“Oorah,” Salim replied, and Jason fell in love with him a little more.
Jason couldn’t wait to hear how Salim’s visit with his son went, but he chose to let a few days pass before seeking out a private moment with the other man. Salim looked all too happy to be pulled aside.
“Thank you again for giving me that time with my son. It was wonderful being able to hold him in my arms.”
“I’m glad.” Salim was practically glowing in his smile and the way he looked at Jason made the guard a little nervous. He tugged down on the brim of his cap. “So how’s your new roommate workin’ out for you?”
“He’s all right,” Salim shrugged. “We talk a little. I asked him to teach me to play poker so I can play with the others in the yard.”
“Glad you’re makin’ friends.” Jason knew Salim could take care of himself but still didn’t like how little he could watch out for the man. “Anyway, just wanted to check in and hear how the visit went. You’d better get back.”
“There’s never enough time with you,” Salim noted unhappily. Jason felt a lump form in his throat. Somehow Salim had voiced exactly how he was feeling.
“We’ll talk again,” Jason promised. Salim nodded and headed out, Jason waiting a few minutes before leaving in the other direction. They’d be able to see each other as Salim did his work duty or exercised in the yard or during meals, but aside from very quick glances and the occasional nudge of Salim’s chair as Jason patrolled, they couldn’t interact.
It was worse on his days off. He would be watching something on television and imagine Salim laughing at it, or find a book at a store Salim might want to read. Jason missed Salim. The moment he saw the man again after his day off, he felt his heart swell up. Salim turned as if feeling Jason’s eyes on him.
I love you, Jason thought. Instinctively he wanted to push the thought down and away but this time he let it linger and grow. It should have felt wrong but it was hard to convince himself that feeling this way about Salim was wrong. Not when being near him had always felt right since the moment they met.
He didn’t say anything about his feelings, though, when he managed to get Salim alone. Instead they talked about other things, Salim concluding with the announcement that his roommate taught him all about poker.
“Yeah? Well next time Merwin starts a game, you should see if you can take him.”
“Will you be playing?” Salim wondered. “I know we would all like more chocolates.”
“You’re cocky for a guy who just learned how to play,” Jason observed fondly. It was one of the things he loved about Salim. Jason thoughtlessly rested a hand on Salim’s hip, the other leaning into his touch. “Sure, I’ll take you on.”
“I look forward to it, jarhead.” They kissed, Jason pulling Salim closer to him. Wanting to feel all of the man against him. They only broke when the signal came for prisoners to move on to their next activity. One more minute, Jason protested. But that one minute could cost them both. He sighed and let Salim go.
It seemed like a far-off hope to think one day they could just be together, but hope was about all he had.
A missing scene from Catch of the Day (basically I’ve been wanting to write this for a while and just needed to be horny enough)
He woke feeling a strange warmth pulsing through his whole body. Every part of him ached and when Salim sat up, the brush of the bed-sheets made him shiver. He never felt so sensitive before. He’d gone through years’ worth of fertile seasons alone with no reactions, and even with Maysa he didn’t recall feeling like this. Then again, he’d never experienced the fertile season in his human form before. This wasn’t the first time his human body showed its differences to his Mer form.
The warmth and aching was starting to get a little uncomfortable. Maybe a cold shower or a swim in the ocean would help. Salim glanced over to the sleeping form beside him. He and Jason discussed the fertile season and what it might result in, and Jason was willing enough to try for a child. Thinking of waking his sweet one to satisfy the growing ache made Salim whimper. He squirmed on the bed and noticed a strange wet feeling between his legs.
He pushed back the sheets enough to look down and thought he saw some kind of liquid there. But he had Jason in his mouth tonight, not between his legs, so what was that liquid? Salim reached down to touch it and came back with a substance similar to the kind that made his cock slick in his Mer form.
Jason liked Salm’s Mer cock a lot. He liked Salim’s human one, too, but it was obvious which one he preferred inside him. He would use the slick to prepare himself, Salim reflected as his fingers absently went down to swipe more of it off his own inner thigh. He circled his entrance and gasped at how quickly and easily the finger sank in. He’d opened Jason enough times to know it wasn’t usually that smooth. He knew he definitely shouldn’t be able to do it, but he got a second finger in just as easily with only a minimal discomfort at the stretch.
He would have reflected on the strangeness of this were it not for the need that kept pulsing inside him. Salim closed his eyes and spread open his legs as he worked the fingers in and out. He had never opened himself before but had seen Jason do it many times. He pumped in and out trying to get a good angle. He was so warm and this was somehow easing his ache and making it worse at the same time.
“Jason,” he called dazedly, and quickly lost his grasp of the human language. [Jason, my heart, please…]
“Salim?” He felt the man shift beside him and managed to crack open his eyes. Jason was sitting up in bed staring at him with a mixture of confusion and worry that quickly shifted to arousal when he noticed what the Mer was doing. “Couldn’t wait for me, could ya?” he teased.
[Jason, Jason, please,] Salim whined. His fingers kept moving, getting coated in the strange liquid. He had to struggle to speak in the human tongue so his sweet one would understand. “The fertile season… it… I feel so…”
“It’s okay, babe,” Jason soothed him. He brushed a hand against Salim’s cheek, and the touch felt so good Salim instantly nuzzled into it. “You want me to take over?” Jason offered, touching Salim’s thigh meaningfully. The Mer could only nod and extracted his fingers, spreading open more and waiting the agonizing seconds for Jason’s fingers to enter him. “Uh, what the fuck? You feel wet, babe.”
“I know,” Salim gasped. “I don’t know why. I’ve never been on land during… ah, yes, kelp-head, right there.” He babbled this when Jason’s fingers twisted in just right.
“Fuck, you feel so open already,” Jason gulped. “Feels like I could go right in.” Salim moaned at the idea and felt an answering hungry pulse in his body. “You want me to?” Jason asked him. “Want me to fuck you right now?”
“Right now,” Salim repeated. He wished Jason could feel this pulsing need so the human wouldn’t take so long in pulling his fingers out and laying Salim out on the bed. He usually liked this tender care but not with this urgent desire inside him. At last Jason’s cock was sliding in and Salim tangled his legs around his human’s waist to keep him there.
“Holy shit, babe,” Jason groaned. His lips brushed Salim’s jaw and went down his throat; Salim responded with an eager arch of his neck and a tangle of fingers through his lover’s hair. “Sorta… feels like when I fuck you… as a Mer,” Jason observed between thrusts. “Thought the wet… was just the water. Fuck, the way you Mers self-lube is fuckin’ nuts.”
“Maybe it’s… so we can mate with humans,” Salim suggested. That built on Zain’s theory that the two species mixed. He couldn’t dwell on the thoughts long as every touch and kiss from Jason soothed the pulsing need that woke Salim. He tried to give as much as he took and slid his legs up until his heels rested on Jason’s shoulders.
“Salim, fuck, so good, feel so fuckin’ good,” Jason babbled. Salim didn’t know how long either of them lasted before they climaxed. He thought the need would die then but it didn’t. It wasn’t as urgent but it was still there.
“Jason,” he called out. He let his legs fall from the human’s shoulders and, without planning it, turned over so he was on his hands and knees. He felt Jason’s hands there and arched invitingly.
“And you say I wear you out,” Jason remarked in an amused huff. His fingers pulled apart Salim’s cheeks and he let out a whistle. “Still fuckin’ wet.” Salim jerked feeling Jason’s tongue rub at his entrance and he made a very loud noise that wasn’t human or Mer. “Tastes like that shit that’s on your cock,” Jason mused.
“You, ah, you do like tasting my cock,” Salim hinted. Jason chuckled and obliged with another swipe of his tongue. Salim keened again, nearly collapsing when Jason’s tongue pushed into him. His toes curled and he urged the man on by rocking back toward the prodding tongue. Jason couldn’t go quite as deep but he made up for it with the way he curled and twisted his tongue as he worked.
At last he was hard enough and Salim couldn’t stop from coming just from the feel of that cock pushing inside him. He quickly begged Jason to keep going; the aftermath made him even more sensitive to everything until he was practically swimming in aroused bliss. This time the thrusts were slower and deeper, reminding Salim of their very first time. He’d been on his hands and knees then, too.
Jason came into him again, and still Salim didn’t feel satisfied. It was much more manageable but the ache was there. He couldn’t even compare it to when he and Maysa were in their fertile seasons at the same time. Salim knew the difference, of course: there was love and passion between him and his human. The season only intensified what was already there.
“You didn’t tell me the fertile season would make you extra horny,” Jason said.
“It never affected me this way before,” Salim retorted.
“Maybe a swim will help?” Salim vaguely nodded and slid out of bed. Jason followed and hunted down their clothes. He picked just enough for modestly since they would be taking it all off again once they were at the beach.
They were barely in the water two minutes before Salim was coating his hand in his slick and using it to prepare Jason. He was being as careful as he could and eventually Jason took over. Salim knew Jason’s human body couldn’t bear his child but his Mer instincts ignored the logic.
I want you stuffed with my cum, he thought as he thrust into the man. I want to make your belly swell with it before it swells with my child. He tried to find the smoothest rock wall to push Jason against to fuck him harder.
“Fuck, yeah, nail me, baby,” Jason urged him. Salim couldn’t help chuckling at that. It was a relief having an enthusiastic lover. It was only after coupling with Jason one more time that Salim finally felt sated. They swam to an outcropping where they could rest.
“That was…” Salim searched for the right words.
Jason provided them: “Fucking intense.” Salim laughed and squeezed the human’s hand fondly. “Are you gonna be like that all month long?”
“I wish I knew. I certainly didn’t expect it to be this way.”
“What’s it feel like?”
“Like I’m aching all over,” Salim began. “Like I’m so aroused that just the brush of your finger would make me moan. It’s better now but earlier all I could think of was how much I needed you to touch me and fuck me. And how much I wanted to do the same to you.”
“Huh.” Jason swallowed and wet his lips. “We usually can’t keep our hands off each other, so… it’ll sure be interesting to see that cranked up to eleven.”
“Unbelievable. You are extra horny all the time, aren’t you, kelp-head?” Jason chuckled and gave him a little pinch on the ass for answer. It was going to be an interesting month, indeed.
Salim couldn’t help how his eyes kept straying to the angry American. They started off pointing guns at each other but then Jason teased him with claiming he knew history through television. Salim saw how Jason smiled then and the glint in his dark eyes. It was an unguarded moment and Salim found himself waiting for another.
He wanted to make Jason smile again, he wanted to see that light in the younger man’s eyes, he wanted… shit, what was he thinking? Salim was being foolish if he thought Jason would look at him as something other than an enemy. Even hoping for friendship seemed like asking for too much; there was no way it could be more. And even without all that, they barely knew each other. Why was Salim even considering it?
Because when Jason did lower his guard and let Salim in, Salim saw something beautiful.
– – –
The longer they traveled together, the more comfortable Jason was around Salim. The guy had such a calming presence, a steadiness to him like an anchor in this shitstorm. The guy was pretty funny, too, and easy on the eyes. Not that Jason allowed himself to look for long.
Maybe it was a combination of all that that prompted Jason to talk about the checkpoint and the truth of why he signed up. Salim listened patiently without judgment or anger, and that made Jason relieved but a little uncomfortable. Being accepted for the mess he was by this man who should have hated him was strange.
It made Jason wonder just how much of himself Salim would accept. If he reached for Salim’s hand, would the other man pull away or squeeze back? Wrong, it was wrong to want that. They were both men and Jason grew up being told it was a sin and he’d go straight to Hell.
But they were already in Hell, so would it be so much worse to want Salim to look at him that way?
– – –
Salim crouched under some alien table and waited for any sort of gap. He heard Jason’s voice calling to him over the radio and latched onto it. The situation seemed so hopeless but Jason wouldn’t hear of it; he insisted on going after Salim. He said he would come. I trust you, Jason. I trust you with my life. Salim crawled back out and readied to face the vampires.
He managed to take one of them out but then another loomed above. Just then a burst of gunfire rang out, stunning the creature. Salim acted on instinct: he impaled the creature while it was distracted, digging his weapon in to be sure it was dead. He turned to smile at Jason.
“You’ve come to join the fun?” Jason merely smiled in answer. He didn’t see the vampire coming up behind him. “Jason!” Salim cried. Don’t you touch him! He threw, Jason ducking out of the way so the weapon would land right in the vampire’s chest. Salim rushed forward to finish the job.
“Did you just throw that thing at me?” Jason demanded.
“I did,” Salim acknowledged with a laugh. Jason laughed with him, shaking his head. “Jason,” Salim continued more seriously. “I heard on the radio… They told you not to come back for me. You could die here.”
“I know that.” Jason reached out and took his hand. “I’d rather die than leave you behind.” Salim swallowed past the lump in his throat. They only knew each other for a few hours and yet how he felt about this man… Jason shook his head, almost like he heard Salim’s thoughts. “Later. Let’s get out of here first.”
– – –
It was so sweet to feel the sun on his face. He would take the smell of burnt vampire because it meant they were safe. Jason had followed Salim out of the shepherd’s hut and the two were standing together now basking in the light.
“Guess you oughta head out,” Jason spoke up at last. “Your son’s waitin’ for you.”
“Yes.” Salim looked distracted. He turned to Jason, reaching for the marine’s hand. “I owe you so much, Jason.”
“Hey. You saved me too,” Jason reminded him. “Sword and shield, right?”
“Sword and shield,” Salim agreed. The way he looked at Jason made the marine’s heart race. He squeezed Salim’s hand a little tighter. The right thing would be to let go and watch the man go, but Jason’s heart broke just thinking about it.
“Salim,” he began. “Salim, I…”
“Me too,” Salim interrupted him. “Me too, jarhead.” He was so close and without thinking, Jason put his other hand on Salim’s arm to tug him even closer.
And then their lips met, and there was nothing sweeter or better in the world.
Jason was feeling a little too open and vulnerable after confessing the truth about his enlistment and what happened at the checkpoint. He needed to do something to create distance between him and Salim again. He turned to the other soldier.
“Let’s make one thing clear,” he said. “We stand and we fight together, but if shit gets too hot, it’s every man for himself.” He didn’t know what sort of reaction he was expecting out of Salim, but a laugh was not it. The older man shook his head and gave Jason an amused, almost fond, look.
“You keep telling yourself that.”
“The fuck’s so funny?” Jason demanded.
“You,” Salim replied. “You’re funny.” He closed the distance between them. “Believe me, when ‘shit gets too hot’ as you poetically put it, you’re going to need me a hell of a lot more than I need you.” Well, fuck, his attempt at antagonism somehow had the opposite effect.
“That so?” Jason challenged, this time with a little smile on his lips. They were standing so close together that only inches separated them. Fuck, he was supposed to be getting Salim away, but he’d been just as guilty of closing the space.
“Mhm. But don’t worry, I’ll hold your hand.” Salim’s hand was on Jason’s shoulder, squeezing him gently. “But I’m not cuddling you. I have to draw the line somewhere.” As always, their banter energized Jason.
“And where would you getting up in my face fall on that line?”
“You are in my face, too,” Salim pointed out. “You tell me.”
“I’m shit at drawing,” Jason said, leaning in even more and finding Salim’s lips meeting his. The older man’s hand slid up to the back of Jason’s neck. A part of Jason’s brain was panicking, wondering what he was doing, but the rest of him was excited and relieved. Like this was something he’d been waiting for even though he only met Salim a few hours ago.
They parted after a few minutes with Salim dropping his hand away.
“Well,” Salim spoke up at last, “it wasn’t cuddling.” Jason merely snorted and took the lead again. They’d sort out what just happened later.
Salim hummed one of the songs his character would be singing. He wanted to preserve his voice for the actual show but also wanted to keep the music in his head. Besides that, humming helped him not feel as nervous. It was still hard to believe he had landed a lead role. Eric, the director of the music hall, had been very encouraging and assured Salim he would do well.
He was feeling claustrophobic in his dressing room so he stepped out and began to walk the music hall. So far in his career he played mostly background characters. It was Zain who convinced him to audition for this role and Salim was shocked when he made call-backs. Now here he was only a few days away from opening night.
Salim was so lost in thought that he crashed into someone the moment he turned the corner. The other person let out an “oof” and papers scattered on the ground.
“I’m so sorry,” Salim apologized. “Let me help you.” He dropped down to start collecting the papers. He picked up one and saw it was a sketch of a landscape. Examining another paper showed him another sketch. Frowning, he turned to the other man.
He looked younger than Salim with short dark hair covered in a baseball cap. Most of his face was hidden, as he had his head bowed to concentrate on the scattered pages. Salim nudged pages in the younger man’s direction and the other glanced up. The face wasn’t familiar– Salim would have definitely remembered a handsome man like this.
“Thanks,” the other said. “Guess I was too distracted to see where I was goin’.”
“That’s all right, so was I,” Salim assured him. The stranger’s accent was charming. “The music hall is closed to the public right now,” he added. “Do you have some business with the director?”
“Sorta.” The younger man shuffled his papers. “Got some ideas on set designs.”
“Oh, that’s what those drawings are!” Salim realized. He only had a glimpse, but the sketches were very good. “Did you draw those?”
“Yep.” The man’s lips twitched in a brief smile before he tugged the brim of his cap down. “Anyway, I’m gonna try to catch him before he leaves.”
“He should still be in his office.” Salim pointed in the right direction. “Good luck to you, my friend.” Impulsively he added: “My name is Salim, by the way.”
“Jason,” the other returned.
“Maybe I’ll bump into you again, Jason. Hopefully not literally.” Jason let out a soft snort and tried to stifle the amused smile.
“Thanks for the help, Salim.” Jason made sure all his papers were back in-hand before heading off toward Eric’s office. Salim watched him go.
Jason. Salim hoped Eric liked those designs so Salim could see that young man again.
