Walking Wet Dream

Winking at her, he helped his cousin to her feet. "Alright ladies, everyone out please."

"Sorry Gage," they went back to their movie, but this time Jesse's mind was lost in the beautiful man with tight blue briefs just a few steps away.

Her sigh told Marty all she needed to know.

A few days later while Marty was making breakfast she glanced back at Gage biting her lip nervously.

"What's on your mind Marty, I can tell something's wrong?"

"You, you don't sleep around do you?"

He cocked an eyebrow, surprised by the question. "And that would be your business because?"

She gave a shaky laugh, "Never mind, forget I asked. Sorry."

Frowning he sighed, "No, it's ok I guess. Uh no, I don't like that particular lifestyle. Do you sleep around?"

She turned with a grin, "God no, I'm waiting on Mr. Right, unfortunately he seems to be out of the country on an extended visit."

Gage laughed good naturedly. "Tell me about it."

"I-I was just thinking about Jesse's first time and thought maybe you could help or make things better."

"I really don't think she would appreciate me delving into her personal life like that. If she wanted to confide in me that would be one thing, she's our friend and I care about her, but I'm not about to corner her and make her confess about the worst thing that ever happened to her."

"You did that to me."

Gage closed his eyes tightly. "You're my family and it's not the same thing."

"You're right, I shouldn't have said that. I'm sorry Gage, I just want to help her."

Giving her a smile he shook his head. "I know that's why I love you. See you after work," he said walking

out of the kitchen grabbing his keys on the way out.

Jesse turned twenty-five quietly. There was no party, no dinner and no one to celebrate with. She had known girls who would shout out their upcoming day and then expect others to organize some gala for them, like it was their right. Jesse never understood that line of thinking, maybe if she had a family then she might expect a call or card, but not friends, she'd never demand that they'd give her something just for turning another year older. It seemed selfish somehow, so she lay on her couch watching reruns. Maybe everyone got it wrong, she wondered if good things only came to those who asked? A smirk filled her face when she thought of Gage turning down the numerous requests for his undivided attention, then again maybe not. Even the pretty girls weren't guaranteed such a good thing as Gage.

There was a new guy in Gages unit, one who was funny as hell and a trip to be around. He and Gage got along great and as a result he was invited to the infamous dinner parties. It didn't take long to figure out why he attended though, and it had nothing to do with the food. The guy was quite the horn dog and slept with just about all of Marty's girlfriends within a month.

Of course in the tradition of the Marine Corps he was good looking, and built, no doubt they needed little convincing of his ability and prowess. The guests seemed to view Marty's home as a restaurant/escort service. If a Marine needed a pretty girl to take to a banquet, or an evening of frolicking he'd just go to a dinner party and get a few numbers.

Yeah some of her friends were normal and not constantly in heat, but they were few and far between. Although she did believe most of those single young Marines were looking for a nice home cooked meal for a change and did appreciate to a certain extent the kindness behind the gesture, at least she hoped that was the case. Marty deserved nothing less considering all that she gave to everyone.

Gage had invited a few guys from his unit over for dinner one night and asked Marty to please forgo the female company for this once, he just wasn't in the mood for it. So she agreed with a grin and went to Jesse's place letting her cousin have the run of the house.

Marty laughed when she told Jesse what he had planned and why.

"I'm not sure whether to feel sorry for him or not?" Jesse smirked. "I mean look at him, he has so much going for him and sometimes I think he hides from it."

"He just doesn't want to get burned." Marty shrugged.

Shaking her head Jesse mumbled, "I wouldn't want that to happen to him either. Do you think being that beautiful is a good thing or bad?"

Marty looked at her glass and furrowed her brow, "I think he's too tender hearted so it makes it harder for him than maybe another."

"If he was a man whore he'd be on easy street." Jesse said making them both laugh.

"That he would."

"I'm surprised you're not in a relationship either, I mean it's crazy. You're beautiful with mad kitchen skills to get even the staunchest of confirmed bachelors to jump the fence, so what's stopping you?"

Marty sighed biting her lip, "Bad memories and a few wrong turns."

Jesse nodded, "Sorry."

With a smile Marty nodded, "One of these days there will be a good man just waiting, but until he shows up for dinner, I'll just have to keep entertaining."

She chuckled at that realizing that it was probably a better plan than going to a bar and infinitely safer since she knew that Gage would always be there.

The guys were sitting on the back patio basically telling stories on girls and one another when the new guy looked up with a grin.

"So, whats with that Jesse chick?"

Gage took a sip of his beer.

Tyler looked up with a grin, "What do you mean"?

Matt smirked, "She's the only one who hasn't chatted me up, I was just curious."

Rolling his eyes, Jeff grinned, "That's cause she's not available, she belongs to Gage."

Gage choked on his beer forgetting about what he had said at that one party.

Matt slapped him on his back. "Dude you ok."

Eyes watering he choked back a laugh. "Yeah fine."

Grinning like the devil Matt leveled a look saying, "You're not really together are you? I mean I've never seen you touch her let alone give her the kind of look a guy gives his girl."

Tyler looked up stunned, "But Erica said..." Slapping his forehead he just shook his head. "You lied to get away from that bitch didn't you."

Gage looked away with a blush. "She was trying to molest me in the hallway it was all I could come up with."

"So whose this Erica and when can I meet her?" Matt leaned back in his chair smugly.

Jeff rolled his eyes.

Gage mumbled, "Have at her."

And then Tyler capped it off with, "A total bitch who no doubt has some venereal disease that has yet to be named."

Gage lifted his beer in a mock toast. "Honestly if you're wanting to wet your wick at least go for someone who has some sort of moral compass."

"Wow, ok so what did she do that was so bad."

"She said some nasty things to Jesse during a party," Gage offered quietly.

"That's it," Mark asked saying he didn't know a woman who wasn't a bit catty.

"Naw this went beyond catty and Jesse's the sweetest thing. I kind of felt sorry for her." Tyler said trying to stick up for the girl. Hey when it came to dessert that's where he made his stand.

"Well, she's not much to look at so," Matt shrugged.

"Dude that's harsh. So you'd rather have a hot bitch than a nice person, who might actually care about you for longer than the time it takes you to cum?" Jeff had put that question out looking at each man as he did so.

"Sorry dude, I'm still young, I'll take a hot bitch," Martin said laughing, "Although I have to admit that when the time does come for me to settle down that's when things might just have to get a little dull. I'm not about to put up with a diva for life."

"I think all women on occasion like a fast fuck they just won't admit it." Matt said crudely.

"Whatever dude," Jeff said taking a long sip of his beer.

"Trust me on this."

"Alright then prove it," Tyler said with a smirk.

"Oh right like all of you haven't had every or at least most of the girls at these parties for that exact thing." Matt watched as everyone quieted looking around nervously. "See. So who haven't you slept with yet is the question?"

They each started naming names, Tyler, Jeff and Mark had a few overlapping names. And then others who might have been considered more selective still slept with at least one of them.

Gage leaned back listening to the guys as they tried to figure out who hadn't gotten laid by at least one of them.

"Well that leaves only two people that we know for a fact haven't enjoyed the pleasure of our company."

Gage tensed knowing what two names were soon to follow.

"Jesse and Marty."

Gage narrowed his eyes.

It was odd how jealous he was becoming. He'd had female friends before and hadn't been quite so protective as he was at that very moment. He wanted to yell that she was off limits to everyone, but knew they would take that as a challenge.

What was wrong with him? She was his friend, maybe this was what having a real friend was like, wanting to take care of them. He didn't know. People judged him on his looks touched him in the hopes that something he had might rub off on them, of course the same could be true for Jesse only in reverse. They didn't try to get to know her, chose not to be around her because she didn't fit some preordained version of pretty, and therefore it took longer for them to realize that she had something to offer.

Sighing lost in thought he downed his beer.

"So did you have fun," he asked as Marty tossed her keys onto the entry table near the door?

"I always have fun with her, that's why she's my best friend."

"Nope she's my best friend," he said in a teasing voice.

"She needs to be your girlfriend and my best friend that way we'll both be happy."

His mouth opened in surprise. "Why would you think that?"

"She cares about your heart."

A slow smile filled his face. "That's nice. Does she care about yours as well?"

"Jesse cares about a lot of things," she said quietly.

"I guess you're headed to bed now," he asked quietly?

"Yep I'm tired, how about you, did you have fun tonight?"

"Yeah it was great."

"Good. Well I'm off, love you g-night."

"Night Marty," he whispered still thinking about Jesse.

Two weeks later everything changed.

There was a fire at Bravo company that started with a rookie driver backing into the metal building sending sparks from impact, which ignited some spilt oil. A whoosh of sound filled the room engulfing the Hum-V and Private who screamed.

Gage and his men rushed to help the poor kid while others in the platoon grabbed extinguishers and moved other flammable things from its grasp, but the fire was just too much. It surged forward like a sentient being conquering all within its grasp. The poisonous fumes filled the cavernous area; men collapsed while wheezing for the precious oxygen that was being stripped from the building.

Gage had grabbed the private through the flames yanking him from the window he had shattered just to get the poor kid out. There were flames, shards of glass and scalding hot metal that had touched him along the way, yet he felt nothing. Adrenaline was a powerful drug that shadowed all else. They along with several others crawled out coughing and hacking, taking sharp breaths only to expel them again.

Fire trucks and paramedics flooded the area a short time later, but nothing could be done about the building. Water on an oil fire would only make things worse, so those who were not seriously injured were left to stand and watch it burn.

Gage, Mark and the private were taken to the hospital, while the others sat with oxygen masks pressed to their faces refusing to leave. This was their unit, where they gathered every morning, drank coffee and lied about women. For some it was home, the only one they really knew.

Third degree burns on his chest, hands and face along with a sliced cheek that required stitches, that was what the doctor had said. Gage sat on the hospital bed breathing fresh oxygen and then coughing it back up again.

The kid had a few cuts on his stomach and legs from being dragged across the broken bits, but was relatively good just a few burns here and there. He too, coughed and took another breath before coughing again.

Mark's condition was a little more critical as he had been standing on the oil spill that ignited the building. His legs were badly burned from calf to knee. Thankfully he sprinted from the fire fairly quickly after that, but he would definitely be looking at some down time for his injuries.

Pulling the mask from his face Gage looked at the kid, "You ok Dresden?"

Coughing again he put his thumb up in an 'ok' gesture.

"What about you O'Connor?"

Mark winced a bit as a nurse checked his legs, "Hoorah brother."

Nodding he laid back in bed trying to relax.

Marty got the call at work that Gage was in the hospital and high tailed it out of there. She was shaking as she entered the emergency room.

The minute she saw him lying there eyes closed with an oxygen mask on his face she nearly fainted. There was a startling white bandage across the left cheek and two more wrapped around his hands.

Slowly she came up to the bed tears filling her eyes. "G-gage?"

Clear, bright blue eyes looked up into her face, pulling the mask from his mouth he forced a smile. "Hey Marty, how was your day?"

She laughed even as tears fell down her cheeks.

Gage gave her a smile. "I'm fine, don't cry please. I'm sure they'll let us go home soon."

"Us?" Marty looked one bed over realizing that Mark was next to him.

"Mark, you were hurt too?"

His eyes came open and a tired smile replaced the frown that had been there moments before, "Marty, what no food for a French fried soldier?"

"Don't worry, I'll cook you up something nice once you're out of here and feeling better."

Nodding he rested his head against a pillow.

"I'm just going to go find the doctor and find out what it's going to take to get you out of here," she said looking at Gage who had once again closed his eyes in rest.

The doctor on call made a hard decision, but it was for their own good, he wanted all three men to stay for a few days to oversee treatment of their burns and also avoid the chance of infection. None were happy about it in the least and the food they provided offered little comfort.

Marty called Jesse the first day to tell her what had happened and then both visited each day after. By day three he was anxious to get out of there, especially since Marty had promised him a home cook meal.

Jesse felt it best to wait a while before visiting him at the house. Although she was anxious to see him again and hear about his progress, she knew he was healing and needed to rest.

People are so funny. They don't visit as often as they should or tell you how they feel until something like this happens, then everyone descends at once like locusts when all that's really wanted is the peace and quiet that was previously lamented.

She needed to be patient and wait it out knowing Marty would call if she needed anything.

Two months had passed and she hadn't heard anything. Jesse had to remind herself daily that he was healing from burns and those took a heck of a lot longer. She wondered if she should call, surely she wouldn't be imposing.

Marty looked at her cell phone to see Jesse's name pop up.

"Jesse?"

"Marty, I'm so glad to hear your voice. How are you?"

"Fine, just sitting here trying to unwind."

"You sound stressed, what's wrong. Am I calling at a bad time, because if it is you can tell me?"

Enjoying the voice at the other end she started laughing and crying, "No, no I just I've missed you, why haven't you called or come over?" She didn't mention how upset Gage was, not yet, she needed to know that Jesse wasn't avoiding him on purpose.

"Gage needed to heal. I didn't want to get in the way of that. Burns take a lot out of a person. He needed rest not foot traffic and flowers."

Marty released a pent-up breath. "We had nothing, but that for the first three weeks, I thought I was going to go insane if his or my phone rang one more time."

"No sympathy, check. So what would help the most right now?"

Looking at the phone in wonder she sighed. "Would you come over and cook dinner for me, please. I-I..." Tears streamed down her cheeks, "I just can't and Gage needs to eat, so it's not..."

"Stop, you don't have to explain. I'm headed to the grocery store and will be at your door in oh a half hour. Leave the front door unlocked, grab a glass of wine and crawl into that bed of yours. I'll wake you for dinner, or not, you decide with a note on the counter top." The phone then made an audible click signaling the end to the conversation.

Marty's face lit in happiness. Getting up from the sofa she did what she was told, grabbed a glass of wine and went to her bedroom where she slept soundly for the first time in months.

Jesse came in and went to work, she boiled the penne pasta created a parmesian cream sauce to die for and finished it up with sautéed shrimp, crab and chicken.

When the meal was ready she went in search of her one taste tester.

Lightly knocking on the door, he muttered a reply. Walking in she found him lounging in his bed, he looked nothing like himself, not just the parts that were healing but his eyes they looked so very sad.

"Time to eat."

Gage looked up in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Helping out. I missed you both. How are you healing?"

"See for yourself," he said angrily.

"Slowly, but surely by my guess, burns take a long time."

Gage growled, "Yeah whatever."

He was different, very different, no wonder Marty was upset.

"Come on and eat."

"Why bother," he muttered.

Turning to look at him she saw the pain banked in those baby blues. Walking toward him she gently took his hand and placed it on top of her own. "I don't like eating alone and you are the perfect companion."

His hand gripped her wrist. "Where have you been?"

With a sigh of regret she shrugged, "Giving you time to heal. Guess that's not working out so well huh?"

Coming to his feet wearing those skimpy shorts and nothing else she could see bits of shiny skin that hadn't quite finished healing along with more serious bits that would definitely take at least one more month maybe more.

The first thing she noticed as she got close to him was his smell. It wasn't pleasant. In fact she wondered if he had ceased any kind of bathing ritual at all.

Shaking her head she led him to the kitchen. First he needed to eat then she would wash his hair in the kitchen sink and afterward give him a sponge bath. Because of his burns he couldn't actually shower or bathe so they would just have to make do. When her grandmother was taken with alzheimers it was Jesse who bathed, fed and cared for her, for nearly two years. She didn't mind, it was a labor of love that she could point to and know she hadn't let her grandma down, now she was needed again and she would not let him down.

"So what have you been doing while on leave?"

He shook his head, "Nothing."

"You're bored and sick to death of this aren't you?"

Gage looked up startled. "Yeah, you could say that."

"You're not getting any exercise either are you?"

He was angry, her being right was making him angrier still. "Just how in the hell do you expect me to exercise, look at me Jesse."

"I am Gage," she said with a grin. "You look wonderful to me."

His jaw dropped from shock. "Yeah right, don't patronize me, I've had enough of that."

"Then stop acting like a baby. You are alive and I'm thrilled to have you that way. I might also add that your feet are not burned and you could at the very least walk around the block for exercise. Tonight I'm going to wash your hair before getting you in the tub for a bath, you reek."

That being said she took a couple of bites of food before he could even begin a come back.