Can’t Help Falling in Love with You by Elvis Presley
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.