The Marine Ch. 08

A/N -- Hello. At the moment, though this is a fictional story, it's still based on an element of fact. Three more chapters will continue in this manner and in this category. I'll explain more later at the end of Chapter 10.

I've also avoided writing detailed action scenes, simply because I've never served, so I'd either come up with bullshit, or rely on what I see in movies etc. Therefore, I've kept it all rather simple and vague. Plus, though I'm sure some people would be interested, I'm thinking you're all mostly here for the sex... right? (If I'm wrong, let me know!)

*****

"We've been watching the television night and day, Nate. Do you know where you're going?"

"I can't tell you that, Mum. I'm just going into Afghanistan with my men."

I did know where I was going. Bravo and Charlie Companies of 40 Commando were inserting into Bagram Airfield. The base had been secured by our very own Special Boat Service (SBS) during the early days of the invasion. What excited me was the fact I knew the 82^nd Airborne would be based out of Bagram. One thing I did know was my military history. Sort of...

"When do you ship out?"

"Soon, Mum. You know I can't go into exact details. I can tell you that I'm not in the United Kingdom right now though."

"Your sisters are worried sick. They know this is what you've spent all that training to do, and you've been to Northern Ireland, but this feels... real."

"It is real, Mum. But you're right. This is what I've been trained to do, but also my men. We go through all that training for a reason. And I'm going to be surrounded by some bloody good soldiers at the same time. It's not going to be easy, but I'll be fine, Mum."

"You'll manage to keep in contact?"

"Might be difficult at first. I'll whip out the old pen and send off a few letters every so often. How's Dad?"

"Proud as punch. Keeps talking about his Royal Marine warrior son, off to fight all the jihadi's by himself."

"How's the situation there?"

"Oh, you know how it is. A few dickheads want to tar everyone with the same brush, but it's remained mostly calm. Australia has already committed troops to helping support the invasion."

"From what we've been seeing on the news here, the Americans are pounding them into submission. Could end up being another Desert Storm, over before it started."

"I won't lie and say I won't be relieved if you get there and find yourself not shooting anyone nor being shot at."

"We'll find out more on the way but it'll probably be patrolling. I'm just a Royal Marine, Mum. I'll leave all the big plans for those in charge." Someone tapped their watch next to me. "Okay, Mum. Got the signal. Got to go."

"I love you, Nate."

"I love you, Mum. I'll speak to you soon."

"I hope so. Speak soon."

My men were busy preparing for our operation. They were as confident as one could expect as we received plenty of news through the grapevine. The Taliban already falling apart. al-Qaeda and whoever else had fucked off into the mountains.

We arrived at Bagram three days later aboard a C-130. There was more than one joke on the way about inserting by parachute in honour of our brothers in the 82^nd, with more than one further dark joke about the fact none of us had trained, so we'd likely land with a thump rather than a bump. Still, spirits remained high until we began our descent. When the ramp opened and we disembarked, we knew Afghanistan would be a little different, but fucking hell... it was like going back a thousand years. And that was being polite...

What we learned is that most of the locals didn't know what to make of our presence, and generally stayed out of the way. Some of them did prove rather friendly, or at least curious about our presence, and though none of us really spoke the local language, we managed to make each other understood. Frankly, all they wanted was to be left alone, whether by Russians, British, Americans, and even whoever was running the show from Kabul. Didn't blame them, to be honest.

To be honest, by the time we'd arrived, the invasion was pretty much complete. Two weeks after we landed, the Taliban had fled Kabul and an interim government was already being established. That left most of us wondering what we'd be doing as it was a six-month deployment. We (the Royal Marines) had no involvement in an operation to the south in the Tora Bora mountains, as the Yanks were on the trail of bin Laden. We knew the SAS had been busy since the early days of the invasion.

Operationally, we remained quiet until after the new year, the Americans doing most of the heavy lifting. It simply made sense. Four-Five Commando was in the country at the same time, and we ended up working alongside them as we were given orders to eliminate further Taliban and al-Qaeda resistance. Surprisingly, we had next to no contacts with the enemy. It was already reported they'd escaped over the border into Pakistan, and we simply couldn't follow them as Pakistan was meant to be an ally... of sorts. Working alongside Australian SAS soldiers provoked some amusement when we could afford a laugh, as more than one heard my accent and asked what the fuck I was doing with the Royal Marines.

We left Bagram for Kabul in the January as we effectively became a peacekeeping force. Compared to the capital cities I'd visited previously; Kabul was... different again. And most of the locals seemed rather relieved to see us. We'd all read the stories about life under the Taliban after they'd taken control of the country. We were sure they still had their supporters, but anyone willing to pick up a gun to fight for them had long since fled. That didn't stop the occasional attack or bombing.

For a first deployment in a war zone, it was all a bit of a damp squib. We did have the occasional bit of 'excitement' where a few morons thought they'd fire some guns. That just drew the wrong sort of attention. Half the time, they were just being idiots, shitting themselves when a bunch of men in uniform turned up, armed to the teeth, ready to start firing should they prove more idiotic than they already were. There were operations to clear out reported strongholds, but most of the time, we walked in to find abandoned homes and warehouses.

Six months passed quickly enough, I suppose. By the end, most of us were eager to get back to some sort of normality, tired of feeling covered in dirt and sand constantly. And while Kabul was surprisingly safe enough, and most of the people were happy enough that we were around to keep them safe, it was still tense the entire time. Whenever we were out on patrol, we tried out best to retain a somewhat friendly demeanour, but the enemy didn't wear uniforms. We were always told that anyone we met in the street could be an enemy combatant or sympathiser. The only people we could really trust were the children, but we were told even they could be used as soldiers.

Boarding the C-130 that would take us back west, we stopped in Cyprus first, landing at RAF Akrotiri, where we were debriefed before taking another plane back to the United Kingdom. Landing at RAF Brize Norton, a large crowd was waiting for us as anxious families looked for any sign of a loved one. Many of the older men had wives and children waiting for them. Even some of the younger marines had started families.

I had family waiting for me. My grandparents had assured me that, as long as they were still capable, they'd always journey down to see me arrive back home, my grandfather wearing his green beret. A couple of the younger cousins were present to meet me, both aunties and uncles, while Emma was also there, wearing quite the short dress and tight blouse, and she was very excited to see me.

Hannah was there with her boyfriend. I met her eyes as I was shaking hands and kissing cheeks. She turned and hurried away, and I knew she was crying. Her boyfriend looked on helplessly. I had no doubt he'd been told about everything. I gave a subtle jerk of my head for him to follow her. He nodded and disappeared.

Sighing, Tony bumped my shoulder. "Good to see you, Nate. And we know about Hannah. Guess not seeing you for months..."

"Surprised she's here," I admitted.

"She wanted to come but I guess some old feelings just bubbled up." I sighed again. "Not your fault. No-one blames you at all. Neither of you. Far as we're concerned, you've both been mature through the whole thing. We understand why Hannah moved on, as much as you understand."

"I had to let her go as I knew she couldn't handle the life. I missed her as much as she misses me, but... I guess it's for the best."

"Still love her?" I nodded as he grinned. "She still loves you. Between you and me..."

"I know, I know. But if she's happy, or at least gives the appearance she is, that's what matters to me. All I ever wanted was for her to be happy. Whether it's with me or not."

He rested a hand on my shoulder. "Thanks, Nate. I'm sure she'd love to hear that from you too."

I glanced at Emma, who returned a shy smile, before looking over everyone. "What's the plan? I've got a couple of weeks off, and I've got ten days in southern Spain coming up. I need to be sat on a lounger by a pool. Not a beach, I've had enough bloody sand."

"Going by yourself?" Emma asked.

"No, going with a few of the lads and their partners. Had it planned for ages. Got a spare ticket if you want to come. I'm a single man so was hoping for a companion of the feminine persuasion."

"Really?"

I shrugged, glancing at Michelle and Tom, her parents. She was old enough to make her own decisions, but considering she was my cousin, and they'd probably assume things, I figured being polite and asking was sensible. Surprisingly, they both smiled and nodded. "Sure."

Hannah reappeared with her boyfriend, heading straight for me. She hugged me tightly, whispering "Welcome back." I hugged her tightly in return, whispering it was good to see her again. She took more than a couple of minutes to just cuddle me before she let me go, immediately hugging her boyfriend, who looked at me again and I could understand him feeling a little awkward. I didn't blame him. It was obvious Hannah still loved me.

As much as I still loved her. But this was what we'd agreed on. It was why I let her go. I could have fought for her. Guess I was as much to blame. We could probably have made it work but... that's life. Sometimes, it just doesn't work out how you'd hope.

The drive from Oxfordshire up north to Manchester only took a couple of hours. Soon as we arrived back at our grandparents, I enjoyed a hot shower for at least half an hour, soaping myself up and down twice before I stepped out. Grandma was already cooking dinner and the entire family visited as we enjoyed one hell of a roast dinner.

The flight was in a couple of days from London, so I needed to head south to pack. I now had my own little apartment instead of living on base, as I needed more privacy than was offered in the barracks. Emma came with me as it was easier taking her with me and travelling to Gatwick together rather than arriving separately. Plus, where I lived was at least closer than where she was living up north.

She laughed arriving back at my apartment as it wasn't exactly filled with furniture. I'd only moved in a couple of weeks before leaving for Afghanistan so I was lacking a few things. Still, there was a bed, a couch, a TV, and a few things in the kitchen, though after dumping our things, I took her out for dinner instead. She didn't ask me too much questions about Afghanistan, not that I would have been bothered answering. I could tell her honestly that I simply hadn't shot at anyone. It had been more about keeping the peace than shooting 'bad guys'. I focused on her and what she was doing with life. At university studying, working a part time job to give her some spending money, and simply enjoying her life otherwise.

"And what would you like to happen between us?" I had to ask, "I mean, I'm practically single anyway, but I just want to know where you and I stand right now."

"I'm just looking to have some fun, Nate. I'm not after anything serious. I know saying that now and then sleeping together are two different things, but I won't be looking for jobs anywhere near where you are. I hope to move to London when I graduate."

"Okay, just wanted to know where you stand."

"What about you?" she asked softly.

"You're fucking gorgeous, Emma. And I'll be delighted to have your company on holiday."

"I packed a few bikini's. Don't have the biggest chest..."

"No, but I think you have a great pair of legs." That made her blush. "Emma, one question I feel I should ask... You know my history, at least most of it."

"I've had one or two before. Nothing really serious. I focused more on my studies that getting laid or anything. In fact, I've probably... er..."

"Women?"

"Most of my friends were girls and, well, you know what it's like to experiment. I know that isn't something guys do."

I chuckled. "No, not unless you want to be abused for years afterward. Young men are not always the most open-minded of people. I can admit I was one of them."

I hadn't really had the opportunity to wet my whistle, so we visited a couple of pubs after dinner, savouring some cold beer, noticing Emma stuck to a spirit with mixer. It had been a long couple of days so I was done in well before midnight, taking Emma by the hand and leading her back to my apartment. Heading straight for the bedroom once inside, Emma grabbed her bag and walked to the bedroom as I stripped to my underwear and got into bed, thankful it was made with fresh sheets.

Emma returned wearing a tight cami and some very short shorts, smiling as she slid under the blankets. She lay away from me so I held out an arm so she could at least cuddle closer. She smiled as she snuggled into me, her hand immediately on my chest. "I'll be honest, thought about just doing this," she whispered, "Just cuddling in bed."

"I was aware of your interest, Emma."

"I'd never have done anything when you were with Hannah." She sighed. "It's obvious she still loves you."

"I know she does. Still love her, as I'm sure you would be aware. But she couldn't handle me leaving every so often. I know they're already discussing our next deployment. If not that, they want to keep us sharp so we'll be heading off for exercises, and they last a few weeks." I gave her a squeeze. "But you're here with me now, Emma. Give me a couple of days to decompress, but once we're in Spain with the lads and their partners, we'll let our hair down."

"Am I your cousin when we get there?"

"They knew Hannah was my cousin, but I guess going from one cousin to another could prove a little awkward."

"Then I'm just the hot piece of arse you've had waiting for you since leaving for Afghanistan. Sent you dirty pictures and letters." I met her eyes and she giggled. "I would have done it anyway..."

I kissed her softly on the lips. Within seconds, the kiss was deeper, my tongue sliding into her mouth and she released a soft whimper. Sliding onto my body, the kiss continued for a few minutes, my hands running up and down her body as my cock naturally reacted to having a gorgeous young woman straddling me. She felt it and giggled again, resting her forehead against mine. "We're fucking in Spain, right?"

I took a deep breath. "Definitely."

"Then I can wait until then... unless... Want a blowjob?"

"Seriously?"

"Nate, you've been gone six months and it's just been your hand, right?"

"Well, yeah, when I find five minutes for privacy."

"Then I'm sucking your dick. And that's all I'm doing until we get to Spain. Think my Royal Marine Officer cousin deserves to have his dick sucked constantly."

She rather eagerly removed my underwear, sitting between my knees, glancing up my now naked body. She removed her cami, revealing a pair of perky B-cup breasts, which made my cock throb with excitement. Wasting no time, she lowered her mouth, her tongue running up my shaft and I nearly shot my load straight away. Sensing I was turned on and wouldn't last long, she gently grasped the base of my cock and used her mouth, soft lips getting to work immediately.

"Oh fuck," I grunted, running my fingers through her blonde hair.

Gazing down into her brown eyes, her head was quickly bobbing up and down on my cock, feeling her other hand fondle my balls at the same time. It had been well over half a year since I'd had anything like this done to me, so I was a rocket ready to explode. She was clearly excited to be doing this to me, no doubt living out a fantasy she perhaps thought would never happen.

"Emma," I murmured.

"I'm going to swallow," she said quickly, "Just cum. I don't mind."

"I'm close already. Been..." I had to gulp, "A long time."

She was eager, and she had talent. I figured, if I wasn't so desperate to cum, she would have drawn it out, spent more time teasing me. But she no doubt sensed my almost desperation to orgasm. Plus, she was a beautiful young woman, and I knew we were going to have a lot of fun in Spain. I would have happily made love to her afterwards, but I knew she was blowing me just so I could relax.

"Oh fuck," I groaned, and she seemed to know I was on the verge of exploding, feeling her lips tighten around my shaft just as I felt that first spurt of cum hit the back of her throat. I was impressed that she swallowed everything, almost making sure I heard her gulp it down. I sank back into the bed once I was empty, feeling rather drained and content with life, Emma licking my cock a few more minutes before she kissed up my body, straddling my lap again.

"I'll do that for you anytime you want until we fly out."

"You're a fucking diamond, Emma."

"Nate, I've crushed on you something fierce for a long time. Trust me, I'm just living out my fantasy right now. I get my chance."

I caressed her cheek, earning a broad smile. "I've got a young woman straddling my lap. Fantastic body. Spectacular legs. Just your face is... well, can't help gazing at her constantly at the moment."

That earned me a kiss before she rolled off me, making sure she was spooned back against me. "Okay, this might prove more difficult than I thought," she whispered.

"Nothing wrong with feeling things. I've buried nearly everything for six months. Frustration. Anger. Fear."

"You were scared?"

"Of course. We'd sometimes head out, no fucking idea what we'd face. Trust me, anyone stepping out beyond the security of the walls of the base is scared. The training just kicks in and we remain professional. But the people we might be facing are just as scared, if not more scared, despite what you may hear or read in the news. We've just been trained to deal with those emotions. Use the nervous energy positively. Nearly all the lads have families, wives, kids, parents, loved ones back here at home. We all went out there not knowing if we'd see them again. No different to the men who went off to fight any number of wars in the past. But it's the job, so you just deal with it."

"I'm glad you're home safe, Nate."

"So am I. And I've got a pretty young woman in my arms. That's much preferable to a barracks full of men." She giggled at that. "We try not to be distracted. Can't afford it. But that's the thought that gets men through it. Thoughts of home. A home cooked meal. Playing with their kids. Cuddling and making love to their wife or girlfriend."

I drove us to the airport the next morning, catching a midday flight to the south of Spain. Met a couple of lads at the airport with their partners, and after a round of introductions, we caught a bus to the resort where the other three couples were waiting. Thankfully, the resort we'd chosen was aimed more at couples rather than families. There was an enormous pool with two bars, one right next to it, one in the middle of the pool. Various other amenities including gym, sauna, massages. Three restaurants to choose from, two regular bars, a cocktail bar. And the beach was only two minutes away, though I'd had enough sand to last a lifetime. I aimed to sit by the pool while spending plenty of time in it.