Quaranteam - AU Ch. 07

"I can't speak for all guys, but I've always been alright to wait, within reason. If a girl is gonna blue ball me for years for no reason, then yeah, no thanks, but if it's genuinely because she isn't comfortable, that's ok. I won't necessarily be over the moon about it, but I won't dump her because she isn't ready."

"But I do have to do something here, right?" She looked at him accusingly, as if daring him to tell her otherwise.

He shrugged. It wasn't going to do any good to sugarcoat it. "It's that, or test your willpower until you can't help but lose your mind with desire? At least that's how I understand it? I mean, if you're simply not attracted to me, there are other options for it, or I could call the General and ask that he reassign you to someone more your speed."

She shook her head, slowly drawing her gaze over Ty's form. "No, there's no need for that. I actually think you're pretty hot, but I just don't have the habit of just jumping into bed with a guy on the first meeting. But I do also understand that this is a medical thing, so a compromise would be appreciated." Truth be told, she was out of her depth, but she couldn't admit that. It would definitely change how they looked at her. No, she would tough it out and hopefully he would cut her some slack. If she just had more time to get to know him, this would be so much easier.

"Sounds fair. If you'd like, after we get you imprinted and that, we can do the whole wining and dining thing. I'm happy to do that, and it will mean we get to know each other. We can maintain the 'no intercourse until you're comfy with it' stance during it all, though you'll still have to get dosed. We can work something out for it." He thought for a moment, giving her a look. "If you'd like, we can do this first dose the same way. I don't know if you're comfortable drinking it, but I could just do it like a clinical thing; I take care of business off on my own, and when I'm close get you to come in and...well, I guess I'm the one coming at that point." He gave her a goofy grin, but she only blushed at his words. "Never mind, we'll work it out. But once you intake my semen, you'll fall asleep immediately, so we'll get you into a bedroom and whatnot."

She schooled her expression but internally she was jumping for joy at her good fortune. It had always been her desire to share her first time with someone she really cared about, and maybe he would prove to be that guy, but at least she'd have time to verify it. She acted as though she was thinking about it for a minute and nodded. "I'm ok with just using my mouth. But I would very much like the getting to know you part. It's just...I really don't want my first time-" The words cut off mid-sentence and she turned crimson. "M-My first time with you to be as strangers. I promise I won't keep you waiting too long."

Ty smiled. It was an easy enough thing to do. "Well, it's settled then. Why don't we grab your stuff and get you settled in a bedroom upstairs?"

She nodded and stood, heading towards the door. Ty looked towards Lottie, who was watching him with an unreadable expression. "What? You clearly have something to say, so don't just stare at me, say it."

Her expression didn't change, but the words became pointed. "After you're done and she's asleep, come back to the kitchen. We need to talk."

That elicited a flinch and a spike of concern in the big man. Those were never nice words to hear from your partner. Choosing to remain silent, Ty just nodded and followed Liz to the door.

--

"He'll join us after he imprints Elizabeth." Lottie settled back into her chair at the table as she spoke.

Lettie chuckled. "Ooh, is our big man going to get his hands on a virgin?"

Shrugging, she shared in her sister's humour. "She wants to wait for actual intercourse until they've gotten to know each other, but I guess she's going to blow him for now. She was pretty hesitant even for that. I have no idea how she got by in Uni being that sheltered."

Talia shrugged. "Not everyone is comfortable with sex. From the sounds of it, her mother did not give her the talks parent and child would normally have on the subject, and though it is an unfortunate reality, most fathers do not have the required experience or knowledge to help their daughters as effectively as a woman. But that is also neither here nor there. Leticia, please repeat what you told us earlier."

Lettie sighed and frowned down at the table. "It only struck me after we got home, but when he was proposing to me, a part of what he said is setting off a lot of alarm bells. Things Lottie and I never heard about or even suspected. And that worries me."

"What did he say? You can't just tell us it worries you without letting us know what he said." Alice's voice was suffused with equal parts concern and consternation.

"He said that the injury brought him to a place that he won't ever be happy to admit he was in. That while he was in the hospital or at home alone, he was trapped in his own head. He said the loneliness was smothering him. I...I think he was battling some pretty severe depression, and we weren't even able to see it in him. He's never been able to hide stuff from us, so how did he manage to hide this? I don't know if he's just gotten better at hiding things from us, or if there's something worse at play."

"Well, we'll definitely have to talk to him about it. But I think I can answer the question of how he was able to hide it." Alice looked pensive, once again running a finger along her choker. "He was able to hide it because it wasn't there when you two were around. The feelings came from being without you; he's made that clear." She paused, looking a tiny bit melancholy as her eyes fell on Lettie's ring. "But I don't think any of us have seen it in him, so maybe that's a good sign. But if the underlying issue isn't addressed, we'll never know."

Lettie saw Alice's gaze come to rest on the ring and knew Ty was planning to get all of them one, but she still knew that something needed to be said. "It's a bit of a segue, but you shouldn't worry about the ring, Alice. It's a symbol of commitment. Exactly the same as your choker is." Looking at Talia, she continued. "The only reason you don't also have one right now is that there probably hasn't been enough time to get it made and the big guy's not going to give you a ring he had made with someone else in mind. It would be just utterly disrespectful."

Talia shrugged. "I do not need a symbol to know that he loves me. I can see it in his words and actions every moment of every day." She tilted her head as the grin spread on her face. "However, I cannot deny that I want such a symbol and am impatiently awaiting it."

They laughed, their discussion turning towards the future, and potential plans for a wedding or weddings and children.

--

When Ty had led Liz upstairs, he knew the young woman was still watching him intently. He didn't know what she wanted to ask, but it was clearly eating at her. He had assessed her to be an intelligent young woman, if a little sheltered. Now he properly looked at her, noting again her sandy brown hair, a different shade to Jaxson's, but hanging down to her shoulders in waves. Her oval-shaped face held her striking brown eyes and a rather cute button nose above soft pink lips. Her height was roughly in the middle, slightly taller than the twins, but shorter than Talia, probably around 5'6", at best. She was fit, almost military fit, if her frame was any indication, but he knew she wasn't part of the military. But it was a good platform to work from, and all in all, she was attractive. Her age was a bit of a concern, but when he considered it, 21 was an adult, and it wasn't going to be long before he had to consider what was going to happen with Zoe. He hadn't thought Zoe would end up wanting to pair with him, considering their age gap and existing relationship, but with one of those moats filled in the form of Liz, he was no longer sure.

More things to worry about. Wonderful.

He didn't know if it was a result of the stare or the increasing pressure on him from everything combined, but he spoke a little more forcefully than he'd intended. "Liz, I don't know what you expect to learn by simply boring a hole into my back with your eyes, but you could just ask the question instead? It would certainly get you closer to the answer."

He regretted it immediately, as the young woman squeaked in surprise and nearly jumped back, an action that would have been disastrous if they were still on the staircase. She looked ready to sprint away nevertheless, and Ty started to feel terribly guilty.

"I'm sorry, that came out rougher than I intended. What I'm saying is, you can ask the questions you've got on your mind. There's no need to bottle them up; I'll do my best to answer them."

He watched her for a moment as she relaxed and tried to smile reassuringly at her. Eventually, she uncurled enough to meet his eyes again, looking a bit sheepish.

"I...was wondering if that gentleman act was just that, an act. One that would melt away once we were alone, but I was wrong. I'm sorry."

"Nothing to apologise for. You're in an unfamiliar environment, about to do something intimate with an unfamiliar person, all for the sake of survival. It's natural to be wary. Especially when you consider there's no going back after you do it."

She definitely looked surprised at that. "So that's really true too? I thought it was just a 'you can't change your mind afterwards because we won't let you' kind of thing."

"Nope. You're stuck due to biochemical changes in your body. If you try to do anything with any other guy, it could literally kill you. So please think very carefully about this. If you're still unsure, we can call it off and get you reassigned."

She looked a little put out at his words. "I guess I'm not good enough. Considering the gorgeous women you already have..."

"Nothing like that. It's because I'm considerably older than you, and I just want you to have the option of choosing someone younger if that's what you want."

Now she just looked frustrated. "I'll have you know;I chose you. I knew you were older than me. I...guess I didn't know it was completely permanent, but I'm not worried about that. I just don't want to have sex until I know you better. I have no doubts that we'll get along, seeing as the survey thing said our compatibility is like 90%. So, I'm sure of my decision. Questioning that decision any further is just insulting."

Ty could only give her a wry grin. "Well then, lady, consider this soldier suitably chastened. And I think I'm going to really enjoy getting to know you if you've got this much fire. Better than the scared kitten you've been until now."

"Well, you try realising you've walked into the home of a guy your brother has tried to kill. How could I know that you wouldn't hold a grudge?" Her voice was filled with indignance, but all Ty noticed was that she was also gaining confidence. That was a good thing.

Ty opened the door to the bedroom; it wasn't the biggest room, but it was the one that had originally been his and Damian's. In fact, it still held the pair of beds they had used, and he couldn't stop the small smile at the memory. They had been keeping it clean, but it was still nice to see all of the rooms in the house being used.

"Fair enough. Won't hold it against you for being cautious. But how about for now we get you sorted out so it doesn't disrupt your sleep cycle by too much. You'll be out for 10-12 hours after imprinting."

"So, I'll wake up alone?"

"Nah, I'll be here. The twins and Talia will need to head to the base, and Alice has to work, but I'm currently on orders to stay away from the base, so I'm working remotely. Plus, I have to visit the hospital. I'll bring you along for that."

"Is everything ok?"

"Someone I know is in for treatment but I'll introduce you when we get there. You'll probably become pretty good friends since you're pretty close in age. But that's for tomorrow. Let's focus on today for now, yeah?"

"Ok. Now I'm wondering if that is as impressive as the rest of you. Well, whatever you're packing, I hope you're ready for the best blowjob you've ever had."

Ty just grinned. "Guess it's time to find out."

--

As he closed the door behind him, Ty had to admit it, it had been a pretty spectacular experience. The memory of feeling her tongue running over the head of his cock as she teased him still sent a small shiver up his spine. He hadn't expected the tongue stud and it definitely brought new sensations. She'd clearly gone to some lengths to learn and practice, though she was shy about taking the final step. Well, it wasn't a problem. He was no stranger to waiting, and he wasn't going to push her.

But now he had to face whatever it was the girls wanted to talk to him about. It couldn't be good, if Lottie's expression was anything to judge by. But he also couldn't recall doing anything to warrant such a reaction from them. At least, not recently.

When he reached the entrance to the kitchen, he could hear them talking, though the angle muffled the words.

They don't seem too upset. Maybe it's not so bad?

They disabused him of that notion the moment he walked into the room. Four gazes turned towards him, and their collective weight saw him drop into a chair silently.

Eventually, he couldn't take it anymore. "So..."

Lettie spoke over him, clearly also not able to wait any longer. "Let's just get it out there. Ty, during your proposal to me you said something that we can't overlook."

Oh shit. Just what did I say to make them mad?

But Lettie's next words sent him into a spin.

"Don't you trust us? What happened Ty? How did you let it get so bad that you were thinking such things? Why did you never tell us what you were feeling? We're supposed to support each other! What do you think we would have done if something happened to you?"

Oh no.

Alice jumped in, picking up as Lettie took a breath. "From everything we've heard, it sounds like you were suffering from depression, Tiberius. Did you ever seek therapy? Did you find someone to talk to?"

Lottie now, taking his hand and squeezing. "Were you just planning to hide it away forever? What would have happened if DuoHalo hadn't brought us together? Ty, it could have caused a downward spiral."

And finally, Talia. "You were a fool to hide it, Tiberius. You could have spoken to them at any time. Alice and I were not present, but Charlotte and Leticia were. You could easily have told them. They would have helped you without question, and you know that. So why?"

Tiberius could do nothing but stare. He hadn't expected this. But then, he hadn't been really thinking about the effect the words would have when he'd proposed, and now the truths he'd blurted out had come back to bite him.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck! I'd kept it under wraps for this long, too. Fucking hell, Tiberius, your fat fucking mouth will be the death of you!

He closed his eyes for a moment before looking back at the twins. "I...I kept quiet so it wouldn't burden you. You were already taking care of a lot of the duties I should have been; pulling extremely long hours. I couldn't let you know what was going through my head and have you worry about that too. I know you two. You would have driven down every night to spend it here. I couldn't do that when you had days that finished at 2AM. So, I kept quiet. It was just loneliness. And now it's not a problem. It's fine."

The four women clearly didn't believe him and made it pretty clear. Lottie, especially, was furious. "It wouldn't have been a burden, Ty! We gave you space because we thought that was what you wanted. If we had any inkling otherwise we would have moved in that very day! Why the hell did you have to pick this situation to figure out how to hide things from us?"

"Look. It's nothing. It was a few bad thoughts when I was injured and thought I was going to be drummed out. I dealt with it."

"How bad did it get, Tiberius?" Talia pressed him.

"It wasn't bad. I got a bit lonely and ok, maybe a little depressed. But it's fine now. There's none of that left."

He was clearly fooling no one as they just glared at him. He sighed.

"I wasn't suicidal, if that's what you were asking. I had dark thoughts, but I wouldn't call it suicidal. It was never that. But I contemplated death more then and again when I was infected than at any time and in any situation before. It was like I was empty, missing the most important things inside. Hell, I knew my life was incomplete, but I was still a coward. I didn't tell them. I wasn't willing to take the risk."

He laughed bitterly, and the girls could hear the self-depreciation in it. "Me, the big bad soldier, unwilling to take a risk. I'd jump headfirst into a firefight, run straight towards a bomb, but avoid telling the people I care about my feelings. Even with death placing a hand on my shoulder and squeezing, I almost stayed silent."

The pause seemed unending, but Tiberius took a deep breath and continued.

"But I realised that it couldn't stay that way. I had to speak up or I'd lose the people important to me. It had already happened once." Lottie looked like she was going to say something, but Lettie's hand on hers stopped her. "No, I needed to say it. And now that I have you all with me, I'm going to do whatever I need to to make sure you never grow tired of me."

For a moment, he thought they were coming around, but it was Alice's voice that cut into him next, her tone becoming forceful as her icy blues locked his gaze to hers. The pressure radiating from the normally submissive woman was beyond intense. "You didn't answer my question, Tiberius. Did. You. Get. Professional. Help?"

Ty was unable to look away as he answered. "No. I didn't need it. It passed after I ended up together with all of you. I haven't had a thought like that since then."

"Not good enough. You still need to see someone. You are the cornerstone of this family, Tiberius! Your health is paramount. Not just your physical health, but your mental well-being too. Something like this, something you think is small, can become a much larger issue if left unchecked. So please. Please speak to someone about it."

Tiberius sighed, defeated. "I suppose there's no way you all will let this go, even if I insist. Fine. If it'll make you happy, I'll look into finding a therapist."

"If you'd like, I can make some recommendations. They're all excellent, and the ones I have in mind are accustomed to the military mindset. A couple are vets themselves, so they really do get it."

He nodded. "I'd appreciate that." In truth, Tiberius was somewhat relieved. Though it wasn't a lie that those feelings were mostly in the past now, he still occasionally felt the melancholic mood hit him and it was hard to pull himself out of those moods when he fell into one. The last thing he wanted to do was fall apart at a crucial moment. He couldn't afford that. He had been stubborn with himself about seeking help, but he wasn't fool enough to disregard the helping hand now.

His family needed him whole, and that meant getting help fixing up the crumbling edges.

--

Marshall Household, Melbourne Southeastern Suburbs, Victoria, Australia - October 28, 2020 - 10:30 AM AEDT

--

Tiberius sat at his desk, looking over the documents Colonel Anderson had forwarded to him. From everything they'd discovered, the Connors had been neck-deep in debt, and to some very dangerous people in the middle east. Specifically, he owed close to $2 Million USD to a Sheikh from the Emirates. They had been trying any number of things to come up with the cash, but it was all falling through. So, when they had come to collect, Jaxson had tried to sell his sister as collateral, completely without her knowledge. When he read this, Ty had been beyond incensed. For someone to do that to their own kin was beyond monstrous, doubly so for someone who doesn't even know it's happening. Fortunately for her, they had assumed that since she had been actively dating that she was 'soiled goods', no longer a virgin and therefore of lesser value. When Bill told him this, Ty wanted to hunt the bastards down and slaughter every last one of them. The fact that Liz was now his partner just added to that feeling.