My Man My Marine My Lover!

My Man, My Marine, My Lover!

Part Five

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Many of you have written or posted, asking for more of Brat and Brian. The majority of you wanted to see a happily ever after for our young lovers. As many of us know, life has a way of changing our charted course. Often, we have to make our own happily ever after. I hope you enjoy the added chapters to Andrea and Brian's life's journey.

To new readers, I believe this story will be enjoyed best if you read it from beginning to end. The relationship, friendship, and love build with each chapter. However, if you decide to start from here, please enjoy.

To bring you up to date:

Andrea "Brat" and Brain have been through some tough times and have come a long way together. Their childhood friendship developed into a teenage crush, and later into young love. Andrea completed grad school while Brian finished his marine training and graduated from Officer Candidates School. Brian later became the commanding officer of a sniper unit, fulfilling his childhood dream.

His first deployment took him to the Middle East. There he and several team members were injured by an IED during a routine mission. Brian returned stateside and faced the possibility of permanent blindness secondary to his head injury.

Andrea remained by his side through every turn. When he left Walter Reed, she decided to take him to the family lake house for additional recovery time. During that time, they realized how much they truly mean to each other. Their relationship continued to develop and they defined their love, their interdependence, and the meaning of soulmate. Our story picks up at this point.

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The day was absolute perfection and so was the evening. We ended our walk in front of the lake below the hill leading to the cabin. Brian stood facing the water with his head tilted toward the horizon. I knew he was remembering all of the beautiful sunsets he had watched from that exact position. I also knew he was missing his sight more right this second than he probably had since the explosion. I stepped behind him and placed my arms around his chest. Holding him close to me, I quietly started to describe the sunset.

"It's beautiful Brian. The sun is still just above the tree line. It won't be but a few minutes before it falls below the ridge and the trees. It's one of those big burning red-orange suns we get this time of the year. The rays being emitted are a golden orange and they spread forward over the trees and are just touching the water's edge. It's beautiful how the water looks as if it's on fire at the shore line. The horizon is a darker shade of magenta with streaks of purple, pink, and mauve. Soft, beautiful colors stream over the treetops and disappear behind them. Not one cloud can be seen and the sky has just a hint of dusky blue settling in now."

I kissed his back, right between his shoulder blades. My hands held him tight around his waist. He took one of them and placed it to his mouth. His kiss was light and he held my hand there for several seconds before he spoke.

"Tell me more Brat. Describe it all to me. I want to hear every single detail. Describe every color, every shadow cast, paint each and every detail for me to see in my mind." His voice held excitement and sadness at the same time. My heart broke a little at his words, but I would do anything for him and this was something I could easily give him. He cleared his throat before he continued, "I love hearing the way you describe everything, and I love the words coming from your beautiful mouth. I close my eyes and it becomes real to me. Almost..." he was silent for a moment.

I felt him take a deep slow breath and hold it. My arms held him tight and I could feel the tension enter his muscles. I sensed it the second it happened and then felt the moment he regained his composure. His anger, his tension, and maybe some of his regret exited his body with his breath. His back rested against my chest and he leaned his head back. It came to rest on the top of my head. I didn't say a word. I just held him, waiting for him to finish his thought.

"It's almost like I can see it," he said quietly.

"The sun is just kissing the tops of the trees now. As it lowers, the shades of orange, purple, pink, and mauve are deepening. It's setting faster than it did even a few days ago. It's funny how quickly things change the first few weeks of fall. All you can see now is the arc at the top, but the burnt yellow is blending into the golden orange and more purples and blues are coming out in the sky."

I remained silent for a few minutes as the sun set and the evening sky took over. "It's gone now; all that's left is the color streaked sky. The shades are turning darker and a little more subtle in color. It's a beautiful sky, calm, and clear.The sky changes so fast this time of year. Soon it will darken and we'll be able to see the first stars of the night."

As I said the last sentence, I could have bitten my tongue off. I couldn't believe I said we instead of I. It was too late to fix it now. I only hoped he understood my intent. A moment later, I knew he did. His hands covered mine on his chest and he squeezed my fingers and held my hands against him.

"Thank you for that Baby. I saw the sunset through your words and I knew exactly what was happening. You described it to me perfectly." He turned his head and kissed the tip of my nose. "You're right, it was beautiful. Let me know when you see the first star. I want to make a wish together."

He turned back toward the lake and I just kept holding him. Pushing my body closer, I pulled him back to me. I did what I always do when we stand quietly like this and I placed several kisses between his shoulder blades and along the back of his shoulders.

"Brian."

"Yeah, Brat."

"I love you," I whispered into the warmth of his back.

"Yeah, I know Brat," he answered like usual.

"Brat."

"Yes, Marine."

"I love you too." He paused, "I've loved you for most of my adult life and I will love you for the rest of it." Lacing his fingers through mine, he held my hand to his lips as he spoke. "I've loved you for a long time. I'll love you for a long time to come," he said as he kissed each finger.

"How long a time, Marine?" I asked, as I stood on tiptoes and kissed the back of his neck.

"Forever Brat," he whispered, "forever."

"I like forever, Marine. I like it very much!" I said and held him close to me.

"I love this time of the year Brat. I love being here at the lake. I especially love being here with you...alone with you."

"I know. I've loved every minute of it too. However, you know as well as I do, we can't hide out here much longer." I hesitated, not wanting to ruin the mood, but knowing I needed to address the issue. "Brian, I've been keeping our parents up to date on things. Your mom is losing her mind with worry because you haven't called her or wanted to talk to her since we first arrived. You know sooner or later, you have to give her a call."

"I know. I've been putting it off for as long as possible. I can't stand the idea of her crying." He turned in my arms and pulled me even closer to him. Hugging me tightly, a deep sigh came from him. He continued to speak in a soft tone, a worried sounding tone.

"Andrea, what am I going to say to her? What can I say that won't break her heart? She's never going to be able to adjust to this. You know how she is. She'll be all overprotective and try to baby me. You know me. I won't be able to take it. I'll hate every minute of it."

"She won't," I said a little more strongly than I had planned.

"You know her, she will." He put his forehead to mine and whispered, "I'll lose it Brat. You know I will. I won't want to, but I'll lose it and hurt her feelings."

"Baby, I've been talking to her every week. She's up to date on everything. Every time I talk to my parents or yours, I tell them how well you're coping. How you're getting along and adapting to all of the changes you've had to face."

I kissed his lips lightly and continued to explain. "Each and every time I speak to them, I tell them, the last thing you want or need is to be treated any differently than you were before. They know you Brian. They know how fiercely independent you are and have always been. They know what makes you tick and what sets you off. They're not going to do anything to make you uncomfortable...and besides, she's your mom. If she needs to be a bit overprotective and lay some loving on her baby at first, you're going to have to suck it up Marine."

"Babe, that's easy for you..."

"You heard me Marine. You can and will suck it up for the first few days. After that, if needed, we can have a sit down and talk to her about what you need and what's not helpful." I kissed him again, a little longer this time. "Do you understand me, Marine?"

"Yes Ma'am, but it doesn't mean I like it," he said, as he mocked standing at attention and saluted me.

"I'm not asking you to like it, baby," I said as I pulled him back into my arms. "I'm just telling you how it's going to be."

"Well, I have some time before I have to face that situation anyway. So, I'll have time to prepare myself." He bent his head and kissed me. His mouth was warm, his lips soft, his kiss was gentle as his tongue slowly entered my mouth and began to explore. I loved those slow kisses of his. Moving his hands up and down my back, he slid one over my ass and gave me a not so gentle slap.

"Hey, what was that for?" I asked, surprised.

"That was because I think you like being bossy and giving me orders and I wanted to remind you that my being blind doesn't mean you get to be boss. In fact, I think I may have given you too much leeway with this situation and maybe it's time I start taking some of it back." He teased and grabbed hold of my butt, squeezing each cheek in the grasp of a hand.

"Well now, that's the Marine I know and love." I laughed, "Not that I didn't love you when you were a little more reliant on me, but I see how little you need me and each day it gets less and less. I like that you're getting all high and mighty on me. If you're ready to take me on again, it means you're ready to go home and see your family again."

"Wait a minute. I didn't say anything like that. I said you were getting a little too bossy. How did that lead to, 'ready to go home'?"

"Because Marine, it's time," I said with a finality to my voice. I wasn't planning on giving him any opportunity to argue the point. "The holidays are right around the corner and we have to go home."

I kissed his chest and could hear how loud and fast his heartbeat was now. His hold on me tightened. I felt his muscles tense as my words hit him and the idea of going home, of seeing others, brought back some of his initial doubt, maybe even a little fear.

"Don't worry Marine, I'm not sending you in alone. I'll be your reinforcement. I've got your six."

"That would be great if I were a pilot, but I'm a ground soldier baby. Sniper unit remember?"

"I remember Marine. If it helps, I've got your twelve, your three, your six, and your nine. Everything will be alright." I kissed his chest and felt him tighten his hold on me even more. He pulled me to him and kissed the top of my head. Then he looked up into the darkening blue sky.

"From your lips to God's ears," he whispered. "Now about having my sixty-nine..." He laughed as I smacked his butt with both hands.

"I didn't say that Brian and you know it," I said, trying to hold back my own laughter.

"I know, but you can't blame me for trying. Especially since I know we'll be leaving here soon. How long do we have before you told them we would be home?"

I spoke softly into his chest. "How did you know?"

"Brat, there's not much you do that I don't know. Besides, this conversation didn't pop up out of the blue. You've been hinting about home over the past few days. I figured something was up. When you brought it up tonight, I knew you were prepping me. So, what's our time frame? Give it to me straight."

"I told them we'd stay here till the weekend, but that we would be home in time for Sunday dinner. A family, Sunday dinner with both sets of parents." I closed my eyes waiting for some sort of explosion, but to my relief, it didn't happen.

"Okay, then we've got a few more days," he whispered, "that's good. Now, help me to relax again and tell me, are the stars out yet? I think I need that wish now."

"There are a few able to be seen. The sky is that beautiful mix between royal and midnight blue. You can still see some light blue over the horizon, but the sky above us is that crisp darker blue. You can see several of the early stars over the lake. There's not a cloud in the sky tonight. Maybe we could sleep on the deck? What do you think?"

"I think there is no way in hell I'm spending one of my last night's alone with you sleeping on the deck. Besides, the temp drops into the forties at night up here. I'm not freezing my ass off on that deck. Though the idea of you cuddling to me for warmth is rather a pleasant one."

Again, he pulled me closer and held me tightly against his body. "Baby, I have plans for us tonight and not one of them has to do with being bitten by bugs or sleeping on the deck."

He hesitated a second before adding, in his Platoon Commander voice, "Do you understand me woman?"

"Yes Sir," I said and laughed.

We stood together with our arms wrapped around one another. Talking about the night sky and the stars seemed to relax us both. It was nice being able to hold each other and talk about nothing of great importance. We were comfortable with each other again. The silence was enjoyable and not at all full of tension like it had been when we first came back to the lake. Brian had made vast improvements in more ways than one during our stay.

I realized that I needed the time to adjust too. These weeks together at the cabin were what we both needed. From the minute I heard of the accident and his injury, I knew things would be different for him, for us. The good news was that I never doubted we could and would face whatever the future held. As long as we were together, we'd be fine. We were each strong as individuals, but as a couple, as a team, we were unbeatable.

"What are you thinking?" he said, stroking his hand through my hair and pulling the clip out, letting it fall freely down my back.

"Nothing really, dreaming mostly." I lied a little.

"Brat, let's try that again. What are you thinking?" he said, a little stronger in tone this time.

"I was thinking about how far you've come since we arrived. Really, I was thinking about how far we've come since we got here that first day." I hesitated, waiting to see what he'd say, but he remained quiet. "I'm so proud of you Brian. So very proud of how strong you are and how well you've been dealing with all of the changes."

"It's not like I've had a choice Andrea. It's either adapt or have a pity party for myself. You know how I feel about those. So, my only option is to adapt." He sighed, "I'd be lying if I said, I didn't hate every minute of it. It is what it is and I have to keep going and make the best of it."

"I know it sucks babe, but you're doing great. Really great with everything you've accomplished. I know it hasn't been easy. You've worked hard and I don't want to sound condescending, but I'm so proud of you. So very proud of you Brian." I closed my eyes trying to hold back the tears that were forming. I'd be damned if I was going to cry now, not after everything we've been through. Not now. Not in front of Brian.

"Don't cry Brat. I still have several weeks before we know if it's permanent." He wrapped his hand in my hair and pulled my head back. I looked up into his handsome face and all I knew was I loved this man. With or without sight, for better or worse, this was my man, my Marine, my lover and nothing was going to change that.

The look on his face changed right before my eyes. His features tightened. His chin jutted out and his nostrils flared as he took a deep breath of my hair's scent. Then he did the most loving gesture. He kissed my forehead, then each eye. He placed a kiss on the tip of my nose, then each cheek. When he kissed my lips, he was tender and gentle.

"I want to make love to you baby. I want to make love to you all night long and every night from here forward," he said, his voice all husky and full of desire.

"Let's go inside baby. That's one wish I can make come true."

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Hand in hand, we walked into the bedroom. We were barely next to the bed when he pulled my hand and twirled me around and into his arms. His hands were warm and strong, his grip solid, but still gentle as he slid them up my arms and over my shoulders. The warmth from his hands would have been relaxing if every muscle fiber in my body wasn't tightening as he continued to caress one hand over the back of my neck and the other over my breast. His body heat penetrated my skin as he rested his hand on the back of my neck.

In contrast, his thumb lightly gliding back and forth over my nipple, caused me to shiver in excitement. I could feel myself getting warmer, my body heat quickly rising, along with my desire. For a second, I remember thinking,

God, was there ever a time I didn't love this man

. The answer came back a resounding no.

As Brian pulled me close, one hand massaged the back of my neck. With his other hand, he kept stroking his thumb firmly across my nipple, making it taut. He teased me until my little bud was fully erect and ached with the need for more. I felt him draw a circle around it before he pinched it lightly and I gasped.

"Brian..." as my mouth opened, he pulled me up against him and took my mouth with his own. His kiss was hot, powerful, and all consuming. I couldn't think straight. I felt the pounding of his heart through his chest. His breathing was coming quicker. Strong hands slid over my body like he was doing a strip search. As his hand glided down my back, he cupped my ass and pulled me into him. I heard a muffled growl, the sound deadened as his tongue delved into the back of my mouth.

Our bodies were locked together as we held each other tightly. My abdomen, firmly against his pelvis, felt as his cock quickly became hard. The solid mass of his erection pushed against my stomach. He rubbed himself into me, whispered some of what he wanted to do to me, and my head began to swim at his words.

"Baby, I'm going to strip you," he whispered as he sucked my earlobe between his lips. His tongue traced over the ridge of my ear as he continued. "Very slowly, I'm going to remove one piece of clothing at a time."

Fuck, his voice was so sexy I could feel myself becoming wet. It didn't help that with every other word he wiggled his erection into my abdomen as he teased with me. He nipped at my ear and continued to taunt me.

"Once I have you naked, I plan on kissing every inch of your body." He licked along my neck and said, "I'm going to lick every luscious inch of you until your flesh is warm and wet." A deep sexy laugh caressed my skin as he repeated, "Every inch, warm and wet."

I heard him take a deep breath in, goose pimples covered my body. A little quiver passed through my abdomen. My sex felt like it was opening to welcome him.

"When I have you naked, I'm going to re-explore every area of your beautiful body like only a blind man can." Again he growled in my ear and sucked my earlobe into his mouth, lightly biting on it.

"Fuck!" I said into his neck.

I had to hold onto him to keep still. I heard a little laugh escape him. He knew the exact effect his words were having on me and he was enjoying it.