WHO: Ian and JD WHEN: June 22nd, early morning (backdated) WHERE: Ian's Apartment in the Barracks WHAT: Seeking Comfort WARNINGS: NSFW/High STATUS: Complete
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The green of the alarm clock on the nightstand read 3:27 when JD turned his head to look at it. Once again he had woken in a lather of sweat, his heart racing and breath coming out in short pants. It was always the same after a nightmare, after a flashback and sometimes the two of these intertwined or overlapped, he’d have dreams of the desert, of what had happened but sometimes the dreams were of what might have happened. Time and time again he heard the explosion, his voice and those of his men yelling at one another, trying to figure out where everyone was and if anyone was injured. Sometimes he would hear Ian’s screams, other times he’d hear those words that always woke him up “Marsh is gone.”
Though he knew the truth, Marsh was fine and sleeping soundly in the room just across the hall, where he had slept almost every night for the past two years there was still part of him that had to make sure. Wiping at his face JD got out of bed, found his keys where they were sitting on the dining table and after locking the door behind him padded across the hall, using the key to open the identical door that was in front of him. Over the years it became a silent agreement, that if either of them were having a bad night (which sadly was more often than either of them would like to admit) to use their spare key to let themselves into their friend’s place.
With Ian’s door closed and locked behind him JD walked slowly towards the bedroom door, trying his best to keep his footsteps as quiet as possible. “Ian…” He said, voice just above a whisper as he stood in the doorway.
Being in a combat zone Ian had plenty of opportunity to learn to be a light sleeper. Often those soldiers who couldn’t rouse themselves for duty or on time to make it to the mess hall for breakfast (those who weren’t up training at the crack of dawn) found themselves dead or AWOL. A good soldier was always aware of his surroundings, he had known one in his group who had slept with an eye open all the time.
The sound of the key in the lock was enough for Ian to ease out of sleep. His muscles tensed, fingers curled hard into the thin sheet beneath his body. At first he was sure he was back in his tent and then a second or two later he realized he was far from being stationed on an assignment in the middle of nowhere. He was on the island, safe and sound.
Exhale and his eyes opened. His friend was there because he needed him - and the soft light of the bedside lamp came on. Ian pushed himself into a sitting position, looking concerned at JD. “Sarge. C’mon,” he whispered, beckoning the other toward the bed.
They’d been doing this for years, comforting each other.
JD was glad that Ian was a light sleeper, although he still felt guilty about waking up his friend at this hour of the morning. He always felt guilty for doing so, even if Ian said it was fine. Then again if Ian had a tough night he’d come over and wake him up, so they were even but neither of them were keeping score.
His bare feet made no sound as he walked the short distance when Ian turned the light on and beckoned him over, pulling the covers back JD slipped into the bed beside his friend, sighing softly as he sat down on the soft mattress. “You were gone…” He whispered, leaning his head against Ian’s shoulder, he knew that Ian wouldn’t press, if he wanted to talk then his friend would listen. “They said you were KIA.” It was always his worst fear, not only for Ian but at the time it was also the fear for the rest of his troops though Ian ended up with the worst injuries out of them all.
This time he was dressed for bed, shorts to sleep in though the end of one leg was knotted at the bottom where the opening for a leg should be. Fingers would lift to rub at his eyes while JD made his way over to the bed. Ian shifted to make room for his friend.
When his hand fell from his own face Ian turned his gaze upon the larger man, frowning. An arm wound around his friend, he laid his head upon JD’s. “Hey, I can’t be gone. I’m right here. Always will be.” Words were soft. Free arm lifted slightly, palm settled on a strong forearm.
Any good soldier would worry about his brothers in arms. Nobody was left behind, dead or alive, if it could be helped.
The palm cupped around JD’s forearm slid down the limb, drawing his friend’s large hand up. Ian set JD’s palm over his chest so his friend could feel the muscle fluttering beneath the skin and bones. “See? All is well. Nothing to worry about.”
His own attire was similar, just a pair of loose shorts. When it was colder he’d swap for long pants and a shirt but the nights were getting warmer (but definitely not as warm as back in Louisiana). There was a time that he would sleep naked but living on a base and the possibility of sudden alarms made him wear at least something, just in case he had to evacuate in a hurry.
He knew that it was just a bad dream, that Ian was alive and well, but the dreams were always so vivid, so real that something in him just had to make sure. His eyes slid shut as Ian’s hand rested on his arm, feeling a bit better already. They had an afternoon shift so they could afford to sleep in, a rare occurrence.
“I know… it’s always so real. I can smell the gunpowder, feel the heat and the sand.” Were they flashbacks or nightmares, or both. They were warned about the flashbacks but never about their own brains turning against them and making up things that never happened but felt like they did. JD could feel Ian’s heart beating, another soft sigh escaping from his lips and it relaxed him a bit, it was all fine. “Thank you.”
A moment would be taken to linger there together wrapped in light covered shadows. The hand holding JD’s palm at his chest lifted. He took gently his friend’s face in his hand, tenderly tracing the strong line of jawbone. “You should get some sleep. Nothing will happen while I’m here.” That was a promise he could keep.
He wished he could take all of those bad memories, every single nightmare or false vision, and leave JD with only the good ones.
Pulling back, Ian twisted and turned off the light, moving the blankets backward so that his friend could lay down. When JD has gotten comfortable Ian moved to settle down, arms wrapping around that strong frame.
JD’s hand rested on his friend’s chest for a bit longer, even though Ian’s hand had moved and was now tracing along his jawline. At the suggestion of going back to sleep he lifted his head and nodded. “Okay. Yeah… I think I’ll sleep better now.”
The dreams would always be there, no matter what he did the good would come as would the bad, thankfully at the moment these kind of bad dreams weren’t all that common. And for those nights that they were, Ian was always there for him.
With the light off and the room dark again JD settled down on his side, the blankets pulled up around them both as Ian’s curled up behind him. Usually it was the other way around with Ian as the little spoon that there was something comforting about swapping the roles, to be the one wrapped up in strong arms. He knew he was safe here, nothing bad would happen with his friend protecting him.
Eyes closing, Ian began to drift off to sleep. He was curled around his friend as best as he was able, though in spite of their slight differences in height it was still comfortable for him to lay there.
Warmth was basked in and he found himself sleeping better than usual. He found that to always be the case when JD slept over.
Hand would rest flat upon JD’s chest, the other was tucked beneath pillows and curled under his own head, the crook of his elbow offering support to his friend. Legs tangled with JD’s, one of Ian’s between both of his friend.
JD always slept better when Ian was in bed with him, even if they weren’t touching and just lying near each other there was just something about having someone else there that helped keep those dreams at bay and he soon drifted off into a dreamless sleep.
He didn’t know what time it was when he started to stir again, though he could tell that it was morning, despite the fact they were in a barracks building the sounds of birds could still be heard and it signaled that dawn had already occurred.
Ian’s arms were still wrapped around him protectively and JD didn’t want to move, he wanted to just lie there until his friend woke up. Closing his eyes again he just rested, enjoying this comfort while he could get it.
Breathing evened out Ian slept restful. JD’s scent was intoxicating enough to put him under. He didn’t even realize it was morning until he felt the man in his arms begin to stir slightly. Warm rays crept gently into the room, running its bright fingers over the tangle of sheets and flesh.
Hand would creep to JD’s hip, fingers curling around the bone. Without realizing it his own hips rolled forward pushing the bulge into the split of fabric. A soft noise would linger in an exhale. Half-asleep, Ian buried his face into the back of JD’s neck.
There wasn’t a lot of warmth in those rays streaming through the window but JD was in no way feeling chilled, with the covers still up near their shoulders and Ian’s bare chest against his back those arms that were holding him close provided more than enough.
He was thinking about drifting off again, even without looking at his watch JD guessed it was about six or six thirty at the latest. That was until the hand which had rested on his chest for so long moved down, skimming his side until it curled around his hip. A few seconds later he felt it - that bulge, Ian was half hard and pressing against his rear, and was that a whimper he heard?
This wasn’t the first time he had found himself in this kind of predicament, they spent so many nights and mornings together that it happened now and then, previously he would slip out of bed and deal with the problem, or let Ian do the same. But since the evening of Memorial Day there was something that lingered in the JD’s mind, what if he... his hips pressed back.
Still in a half-lulled, dazed state Ian didn’t realize what he’d done or the implications of the action. Grip lessened, breathing evened out. That was until he felt the press backward. This wasn’t the first time they’d slept together, nor was it the first time like this, but that feeling of solid backside pushing into already sensitive front had his breath hitching.
Lips would find skin. A soft peppering of kisses upon taut muscle and hard lines.
And then he realized it was JD laying in his arms and his eyes flew open. The last thing he wanted was to frighten the other man away, or embarrass either of them, and here he was doing exactly that.
Hand would lift from hip, Ian shifted to conceal the bulge there as he repositioned against his friend to make things less awkward for both of them. Eyes closing he settled back into the warmth again.
“Sorry,” he mumbled.
He bit lightly on his lip as he heard Ian’s breath hitch and then came the soft kisses against his shoulders and upper back, the slight scratchiness of the stubble brushing his bare skin reminding him of who it was behind him, whose hand was resting on his side.
Just as he was getting used to it, to those soft lips and the firm grip holding onto his hip it was gone. He heard the soft apology, felt the hand move and Ian’s body move back for a few moments. Had he just ruined everything, again?
Reaching back JD found Ian’s hand and moved it back to where it was previously resting on his hip bone, he also pressed his hips back again, even though Ian had shifted slightly. Would his friend think any less of him for wanting to make this moment last a bit longer?
It was hard to deny what he was feeling for the other man - the flurry of heartbeats, the physical yearning, the lingering taste of each other upon lips. Nearly a daydream he felt as if he were floating above the ground. But he didn’t want to rush JD on account of his own selfish desires.
When his hand was sought and claimed, Ian’s eyebrows lifted. He felt that hipbone again, protruding firm against his palm and fingers once more wrapped around it. Had it been anyone with delicate skin he could possibly have left bruises but JD was taut and firm.
The motion of those hips again earned the other man a soft noise of pleasure. It took a mere second and Ian was sliding back into the curve of the other where he’d been before, pushing that excited bulge into crevasse again.
JD had spent more than a few nights thinking, he had spent years hiding his feelings and telling himself he shouldn’t be feeling them but since that evening he had thought about them more, nothing bad had happened - fire and brimstone hadn’t rained down from the heavens to smite him for liking Ian or admitting as such.
A soft sigh was exhaled as the fingers wrapped around the bone, he could feel the heat of Ian’s skin through the cotton of his sleep shorts and the grip wasn’t too firm at all, he had a thick skin in more than one way. One had to after so long in the Army.
A slightly louder sound was made as he felt that bulge pressing in against his rear, that cautious slow rub of the hardening length between his cheeks, it sent a shiver down his spine and he was liking it.
Those noises had a lump building in his throat. A plethora of echoes haunted his mind in the regular day to day but those sounds he created, he wanted to hear them often as if experiencing sweet music. At least the other wasn’t drawing away or feeling embarrassed. That was good, Ian felt better about the small amount of movement because of the positive reaction.
Breath against skin. Ian dove down and pressed tender pecks across the outline of the back of JD’s shoulders taking his time. Any flesh he could reach without moving too much he claimed. All the while his hips continued to gyrate in that slow, inviting motion.
It was the way he’d always imagined it being, patient and eager, both of them willing to participate and explore.
He did feel slightly embarrassed, after all he had never found himself in this kind of situation before, it felt a bit strange but it was also starting to arouse him, he trusted Ian and who better to experiment with that someone who he trusted with his life?
JD tilted his head forward on the pillow as the kisses were pressed against his shoulder, allowing Ian as much room as he wanted to continue the slow and gentle exploration. He almost wished he was able to turn around and join in but for now he’d take what he could and that was hot and scratchy lips on his skin.
His hand moved and rested over Ian’s that was holding firmly onto him as he moved his hips with the same slow motion, he slowly moved the hand under his up to the band of his pants, a silent invitation to move them down. He didn’t want this to stop, he hoped that it wouldn’t stop.
Ian let JD guide his hand - fingers diving beneath fabric as a silent invitation and urging on for more. As long as his friend was comfortable he knew he could find peace and satisfaction in the forward motion. Peeling down the hem of the shorts he exposed the warm skin to the cool air. A moment was taken to allow a flutter of touch at the line of inseam where hip met cock, a tickle of playfulness.
And then the hand was drawn back and Ian’s motion ceased long enough to free himself from the burden of restrictive fabric. Hand would slide across his own length, which was dripping and heated, stroking a long pump or two across sensitive skin. The organ was pressed against the now exposed seam of JD’s backside without the intent to do any more than rub a little bit. He doubted his friend was ready for more than that but then a lot of this had proved him wrong so far, though letting his friend set the pace was more his speed.
When he was settled his hand slid back around that chiseled frame, diving down to find new places to explore, hips picking up pace again slowly.
He was nervous but he didn't let it show, every step forward was something new for him and he wanted it, to explore this with Ian. His hips lifted off the bed and his free hand helped get the shorts down to his thighs where he let them stay for the moment. A loud gasp filled the quiet as there was a light tickle at his groin, that simple touch was enough to start to arouse him, his cock slowly starting to get firmer.
JD could feel Ian settle back against him, the heat of the length nestling in the crevasse between his cheeks for a moment before it started to move slowly, up and down, getting friction from his firm muscles. He wasn't ready for anything more just yet, it would take some time before he got to that stage, when he was ready to actually have sex, but for now he could explore this, explore the intimacy that he hadn't felt before.
His head and shoulders moved back until it found Ian's chest, another groan escaping closed lips as his friend's hand moved to his stomach. "Ian…" was whispered.
Tongue would slip out to lave across skin. A groan escaped. The friction was too good not to comment upon - JD was church and each sound was a prayer, a string of silent worship for that strong temple. He didn’t care if it was blasphemous - JD was no less an Adonis and deserved all of the worship, the time spent on bended knees and hands raised that any ethereal being did.
Hips rocked slowly forward, backward. Each thrust was patient, like a baby step into a vast new world both of them had yet to see with tender eyes.
Exhaling through his nose his fingers traced the curve of that sharp hip bone until the digits descended again. They found purchase on supple flesh, danced across that line of skin meeting skin, and then crept gloriously to stiff organ. Only with a bit of hesitation did they linger, a pause in their dance, to wait for invitation.
In his mind, during those dreams that he never dared think about, the roles were usually reversed, he was the one pressed up against Ian, the other man the one making the soft sounds. But this was unlike any dream he ever had, Ian was gentle with him, patient and it made him want more, to explore this further.
As the fingertips moved lower JD could feel himself growing, the throbbing as the organ filled with blood from just that gentle touch. "Yes." Was uttered when they stopped, he wanted it, wanted to feel a hand on him that wasn't his own.
Glad for the acceptance Ian continued to move his hand forward. Gently fingers would curl around that stiff organ. A groan would tumble into heated skin. He’d always imagined that this would feel similar to what he was experiencing now though it was actually happening. It was real. Slow movements up and down would begin, Ian took his time with it, all the while rocking his hips against JD’s backside.
For leverage he propped himself up on an elbow, using his good leg to assist with holding the position.
“JD,” he mumbled, intoxicated, nearly drunk from the moment.
He hadn't had another hand on him in so long, and never one that stroked him so tenderly, then again those other times were just to make sure the condom was on properly, they weren't getting paid to be anything more. The roughness of Ian's fingers and palm just added to it, to that amazing feeling that was starting to course through his body. Why had it taken him so long? He was cursing his inner demons for keeping this from him for so long.
Shifting his hips a bit he could feel Ian slide further down, the head of that length brushing against that pucker before it started to rub in this new position, along that tender spot behind his balls.
As JD shifted new territory was offered to explore - skin softer than what his hands could reach. The sensation gave him chills of delight, he shuddered. Groaning, Ian drew back from a shoulder to take in a breath. Why had they waited so long? He was craving this, yearning for it - he could have been taking his time, their time, for years now.
“Yeah,” Ian managed in a thick swallow. Like this he could last a while, just succumbing to the heated friction. Hand mimicked hips, up and down at a patient pace.
While they had missed the opportunities for this kind of intimacy for years due to whatever personal issues they had both been dealing with, the important thing was that now with those worries behind them they could only go forward from here.
The rubbing of Ian's cock between his thighs, the leaking head nudging the back of his balls with each slow and gentle press forward had JD groaning, waiting for the next one. He could handle this, he wasn't sure if he could handle more at the moment, he could feel Ian's length with each movement, wondering exactly how that was supposed to fit.
The pit of his stomach was twisting. This was a sensation he knew but the intensity was not. Soon he would be blowing hot liquid, spewing like a volcano. The very idea sent electricity down his spine and caused his cock to twitch with delight. “Mmm.”
Thumb worked over the head of JD’s organ, tracing the liquid across the purple top to coat it in precum. Ian wondered what JD tasted like, how it would fit in his mouth.
His hips were rocking, forward into the hand that was stroking him and then back against the length of Ian's cock, the wet tip brushing against that tender pucker which made him shiver slightly each time it happened.
Breath was becoming short and ragged as he was edging towards that high, but this would be different, he knew it would be as his body was feeling so alive.
The current charging through his blood was growing in pace. Blood nearly churning with static electricity he knew he was a goner, and soon. “Close,” Ian muttered softly, pressing his mouth against skin. Eyes would close.
Another few well placed rocks forward and Ian seized, coming between the warm space that lined JD’s backside. Groaning, breath heavy as his heart pounded he pulled back slowly. Meanwhile the strokes over his friend’s cock continued on pace in spite of his own release.
He was so focused on the feelings that were going on inside of his body that he didn't hear soft warning, the hot liquid landing against the skin in thick rivets was enough to send him towards that edge.
It only took a few strokes of Ian's hand before JD's hips bucked forward and he came hard, his whole body shaking at the release. If this is what he felt like after just doing this, what would actual sex feel like? He was panting, covered in a layer of sweat and ass sticky with Ian's seed but he felt so good, he didn't want the feeling to go.
Visibly he shuddered. Ian gasped for breath, clinging to the other man. He didn’t want to move too far lest they lose the warmth of the moment. Finally his heart began to settle. Moving back against the other, not minding the stickiness, Ian closed his eyes. Kissing over the skin fingers moved to rest once more upon a hip.
“Can we just stay here all day?” He mumbled, unable to help smiling like a fool.
Little in life was as exhilarating. Sharing such a part of yourself with someone you loved in such a way was a big deal, even in the smallest of ways.
JD didn't want to move either, not caring about anything but the warmth of Ian's body still pressed against his back, he could feel the now soft organ resting where it had started, nestled between his cheeks and that's where he wanted to stay for now.
"We've got the afternoon shift. Maybe not all day, but some of it at least." He could do with a nap after that quick workout, hopefully Ian did as well.
Blessed afternoon shifts.
A nod, and Ian let himself relax even more. The man of his dreams was nestled safely in his arms, he couldn’t ask for any more than that. He was blessed, knowing that if everything else in his life was taken from him as long as he had JD he knew he could brave the darkness. “Yes sir,” came a soft mumble.
He was beginning to drift to sleep there against the soft sheets and blankets, however he did take a minute to draw the covers up over both of them to add to the warmth.
He still liked it when Ian called him 'sir', even though he stopped being the other's superior years ago, old habits die hard he guessed. A smile spread across his face as the arm wrapped around him again and held him close.
Nothing bad would happen, the dreams would stay away and they were both safe here, together. Ian was the one constant in his life, the one thing he could always count on, even now things had changed slightly between them he wouldn't let it affect them.
Curled back up under the covers JD soon followed Ian into the land of slumber