Off Base (Out of Uniform 1)

“Dude, that’s so queer.” Rodriquez sounded all outraged on Harper’s behalf.

“I know.” Harper groaned, still keeping pace.

“I’d have introduced him to my fist,” Cobb said. Because of course that was the answer here. Wasn’t enough to make more gay jokes. He had to go and introduce violence into the equation.

Zack waited for one of the other guys to speak up, tell Cobb that’s not what they would do.

Instead Harper gave a laugh that made Zack’s scalp prickle. “I was tempted, believe me, but that’s what I get trying a downtown bar instead of Big Ted’s.”

“Hey, Nelson,” Cobb called. “What would you do? Some gay wants to buy you a drink?”

Fuck. Zack had been dreading them roping him into this conversation. Pike bought the beer last week. As he often did these days, Pike crept unannounced into Zack’s thoughts. Turned out that they both like pale ales, and while Pike’s tastes ran a bit more artisanal than Zack’s cheap brew, they’d taken to enjoying a bottle together when they were both home in time to cook together, something else new that they’d been doing.

Pike would have a fit if some guy bought me a drink. That was Zack’s first impulse to blurt out. Not that they’d promised exclusivity or anything, but if anyone was buying Zack a drink, it was going to be Pike. “I’d say no, thank you.”

“So polite. Your mama raised you right.” Rodriguez laughed.

No really, she didn’t. His mother would have expected him to walk away, condemning the other guy to the devil, and not be in a bar in the first place.

“Fuck that shit. Damn right you’d tell him no.” Cobb lengthened his stride and caught up right next to Zack. With Harper and Rodriguez behind him, he felt rather...penned in.

“Harper. Rodriguez. Nelson. Cobb. You men content to bring up the rear like the ladies’ tennis team out for a jog? Why does it seem like Cobb’s the only one putting some effort into this?” The senior chief lit into them.

“Sorry, sir. I can do better.” Zack was only too happy to have an excuse to kick it into gear and jog away from the other three while they made their excuses to the senior chief. Even though Senior Chief was never one to join in with the gay jokes, the “ladies” comment rankled.

Was he somehow less than a man now? He certainly didn’t feel like that when he hung out with Pike. And when they were alone, bodies surging together, him giving Pike every ounce of his strength, he’d never felt more...well, masculine. They had slept together more nights than not in the weeks since that first night, and when Pike wrapped himself around Zack and drifted off after sex, Zack felt surer of his place in the world than he ever had before.

So much so that lately he’d been the one initiating the sex, if only to get to that moment when Pike sagged bonelessly against him. They were still on a steady diet of oral, jerking it together or the rubbing-off thing that made Pike’s eyes roll back in his head and Zack feel like some kind of sex god. But if this kind of sex made them feel so good, maybe he could broach the subject with Pike of trying something new, like fucking. It still felt like a huge step, but one that his body was getting increasingly noisy about wanting. He was pretty sure Pike would be game for whatever, but was letting him set the pace, which Zack appreciated.

Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. Zack went faster, legs kicking until he was running with the front group, fueled by thoughts of Pike and this strange, wonderful place they were in.

Of course that warm haze only lasted until they were on the boat, headed out for dive training, and Cobb started in again.

“Show-off,” he complained in a low voice to Zack. “Just had to go finish with the leaders, huh?”

“Problem with my pace?” Zack glared Cobb.

“Nope. My problem’s with your queer—”

“Nelson. You’re up.” Emmett, who served as the dive master, called him forward. Zack went through the motions of checking his gear, head still swimming. What had Cobb been about to say? His queer friends? His queer self? And why the fuck did it matter to Zack so much? Why did he care if Harper got to talk about the girl he’d picked up last weekend and Zack never got to mention the best thing in his life?

Best thing in your life. Whoa. When had Pike become that?

Zack plunged under the water, following the others to the target. Halfway there, he felt a little woozy. Fuck. Woozy could mean dead in a hurry underwater. He checked all his gear and gauges, and everything looked okay. He tried to shake it off, but by the time they made it back to the boat, he was seriously struggling to haul ass to keep up with the others.