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- 06/22/2013
- 969 Words
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Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
Thwarted - 3. Chapter Three
Prompt: This part of the story was done off of a picture prompt of a mechanical bull.
“Where are you stationed?” Trey must have seen Mark’s confusion. “I saw your tattoo; not many people outside of the army have that star.”
“Oh, me and some of my buddies decided to get the tattoos done before we deployed from Fort Carson in Colorado. I spent a year overseas before getting out about six months ago.” Mark took a swig of his beer while he studied Trey. “What about you?”
“I’m a lot closer, Fort Lewis.” There was no reason to add the state, considering that Fort Lewis was only maybe a twenty minute drive from Kerplunked, thirty if traffic was bad. “So why get the tats done if you weren’t re-upping?”
Mark shuddered at just the thought of re-enlisting. One tour of duty overseas was enough. Sitting down to chow only to have a mortar come through the top of the mess tent had been enough for him to question his original decision of being career military.
Instead of going into all the details he merely shrugged. Trey probably didn’t want to hear his horror stories anyway, even though Mark found himself wanting to share the experience. No one who hadn’t been there knew what it was like, and he hadn’t told his family just how close he’d come to death on multiple occasions.
“I haven’t decided yet. My unit is supposed to go overseas in a few months, and I have to decide if I’m going to re-enlist before we leave.” Trey shrugged and took a swallow of his beer before glancing around the bar. “I can’t believe how busy it is in here tonight.”
“If you think this is bad, you should’ve seen it last weekend. They were doing this whole cowboy theme, complete with a mechanical bull. It was insane.” Mark hadn’t stayed long, despite the eye candy.
“Hey, a table just opened up, want to join me?”
“Sure.” Mark slid off his stool and followed behind as Trey led them to a small table tucked in the corner. Mark’s eyes drifted down the line of Trey’s back to rest on the man’s ass, and damn was it a fine ass. Nice and tight, encased in nearly skin tight jeans, it was just begging Mark to reach out and cop a feel. He resisted, but it was tough.
He quickly sat, glad for the table that hid his reaction to Trey. He wasn’t typically someone who became intimate with someone right after meeting them, but there was something about Trey that called to him. It wasn’t even just that he was attractive; there was something more he couldn’t quite put his finger on. Given enough time, he was sure he could figure it out.
“So …” Trey set his beer on the table and leaned back in his chair. “Now that you’re out of the military, what do you do?”
“Nothing at the moment.” Mark waited for the look that he typically got at not being employed but it never came. Instead, Trey just seemed to sit and wait for more.
“I had planned to make the military my career and never gave any thought to if I got out. I guess I could try the police academy, since so many ex-military go into law enforcement, but I just don’t feel it’s for me.”
Trey nodded. “No sense in going into something that you’re not going to enjoy. What about using your GI bill and going to school?”
“That’s what my sister keeps telling me to do, too. It’s a good idea, but before doing that I’d need to decide what to study, and I have no frickin clue what I want to do.” Mark hated the indecision, but it also didn’t make sense to start doing one thing only to find out he hated it.
“You don’t have to decide right away. If school is what you want to do, take your general classes to start with. That will at least buy you some time to figure out what you want to major in. I know a few people who did that.” Trey picked up his beer but didn’t take a drink. He stared at it, twisting it in his hands, before suddenly looking back up at Mark. “This is going to sound completely stupid, but ….”
“But?” Mark prompted after a minute went by without Trey finishing whatever it was he was going to say.
“Would you want to get out of here? Maybe go somewhere a bit quieter? I’d really like to get to know you a bit better, but it’s so busy and loud.” As if to add credence to his words, someone knocked into Trey’s chair, despite their table being slightly secluded.
“Why would that sound stupid?” Mark pushed his chair back and stood up. “Unless you have a better idea, we can go back to my place. It’s not much, but I can guarantee it would be a whole lot quieter than here.” He had a moment to second guess the offer before Trey nodded and pushed his own chair back.
Mark led the way out of the bar. Taking Trey to his apartment after just meeting was completely out of character for him, but he didn’t question the decision. If nothing else, it bought him the time he needed to figure out exactly what it was about Trey that drew him in. He’d never just clicked with anyone like he had with Trey, and that alone was enough to make him want to explore whatever was happening between them.
Mark smiled. After the disastrous start to his night he hadn’t held out much hope of it getting better. For once, he was glad to be wrong.
Prompt: This part of the story was done off of a picture prompt of a mechanical bull.
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Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
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