FicWad

Summer came again and this year the five of us were all sent to the same compound. This time we were sent all the way to Antarctica. It was no where near as nice as the Arkley Mountains. It was cold in the labs and we were constantly confined inside. The work schedule was more demanding too.
It was my job to decode the genomes of several more viruses with names like G,C, T-Veronica, and X. They weren’t particularly complicated, but they were worrisome. I wasn’t allowed to test the effects of the viruses, but the genetic sequences showed me that there were strong neurological effects associated with these viruses. I kept quiet about it. There was really no one I could tell anyways. We weren’t supposed to talk about our work, and I didn’t want to get any of the guys into trouble. I’d done enough of that last year.

We made the best of our time in Antarctica. There was a rec center in the compound that was stocked with movies and games, and books. We took turns hosting entertainment nights. We’d play Magic and Mazes in Gerard’s room. Ray found the most amazing music for us to listen to in his. Mikey loved board games, he was always trying to get us to play a full game of Monopoly. Frank hosted a poker night. I had a movie night on Friday nights.

One movie night, while I was scrolling through the list of movies, I accidentally scrolled too far and ended up in the middle of the Holiday Movies sections. I started to scroll back up and Frank stopped me.

“Hold up a second. I just had the most brilliant idea ever!” He jumped up and pointed at the screen. “Let’s have Christmas in July!”
I thought Frank had lost his mind, but the others seemed really excited. I shrugged. It had gotten really boring around here lately. There were only so many things to do and we’d done them all.
“How does one have Christmas in July?” I asked. The idea seemed so silly to me.
“You just do Christmas stuff, and say it’s Christmas in July.” Frank shrugged.
“Okay, but what about presents? We can’t really go to the store here.” I reminded him.
“We could make something.” Mikey suggested. “Or we could do something nice like, I don’t know, let them pick the movie next movie night or let them be the racecar next time we play Monopoly.”
The guys were starting to get excited about this idea.
“Okay, well if you’ve got it all worked out, let’s watch a movie then.” I said, scrolling through the titles once more.
“No way! I have to go tell everyone. The world must know of my genius!” Frank bolted from the room and we could hear him shouting down the hall before the door shut behind him. Mikey stood up suddenly.
“I just had the best idea for a present for Gerard. It’ll take some doing. I have to go.”“But we didn’t even decide on a date yet.” I called after him as he too left. “We haven’t, you know.” I said to Ray and Gerard who remained behind.
“It gives us something to do. We’ve seen all the movies already.” Ray shrugged and he left too.
“Men on a mission.” I said laughing. “You going to leave too?” I asked.
He patted the couch next to him. “Nope, you’re stuck with me, and I get to pick the movie.”

He scrolled through the list, and chose something before I could read the title. I settled in next to him to watch. Most nights, I spent the time watching Gerard out of the corner of my eye. I loved to watch the emotions play over his face as he experienced whichever movie or show we were watching. Tonight was different though, the show, an old sci-fi cult classic with space cowboys was enthralling.
After the first episode, I turned to Gerard, “Binge?”
He laughed at me. “You’re such a nerd. God, if the guys could see you now, you’re totally geeking out.”
I hit him with one of the couch pillows. “You chose the show, what does that make you?”
He smirked, “They already know, I’m a geek. I don’t keep it a secret like you do.”
I leaned back against the couch. “Fine then, we can turn it off now, and you can go back to your room.”
He looked surprised. “Hey, I didn’t say no. I just said you're a geek, no need to kick me out. Geez, just start the next episode already.”
“I guess I could, maybe, let you watch one more tonight. Then you can wait until next week to watch more.” I leaned close to him and whispered in his ear. “We can pace ourselves, go nice and slow.” I made my voice sound breathy and sexy.
Gerard squirmed and blushed. “ No-o,” his voice cracked a bit on the word no, he cleared his throat. “No, a marathon session sounds great.”
“So, no more picking on me?” He shook his head. “Good. I think this calls for PJ’s and popcorn.” I hopped off the couch and ran to the bathroom to change. “Hey Gerard, if you look in the bottom drawer of my nightstand, you should have some pajama pants in there.” I called through the partially open door. I heard him go into my room and open the drawer.
:”Don’t you think it’s weird that we have clothes and things in each others’ rooms?” He asked from the bedroom.
“No, why? It that something that is weird?” We’d spent so much time together the past few months that it just made sense that they’d have clothes and toothbrushes in each other’s room.
“It’s, I dunno, kind of couple-y.”
I stepped out of the bathroom and said, “I guess I never thought of it like that. It makes sense though.”
He came out of the bedroom wearing a pair of plaid pajama pants and a gray t-shirt.
“It makes sense? In what way?” He asked.
“Well we spend more time together than most couples. I guess that’s just what happens when you get comfortable with each other.” I shrugged.
“Comfortable?” He asked. I nodded. “ Well I guess that’s not the worst word that can be used to describe our relationship.”
I shrugged and we settled in to watch the show.
Four episodes in, I started to feel a tugging sensation in my thigh. I shifted position, moving my head from Gerard’s shoulder to his lap. I straightened out my leg and screamed in pain.
“OW OW OW OW OW charlie horse! OW OW OW OW!”
“Where” he asked, moving me gently so he could stand up.
“My thigh, OH GOD IT HURTS.”
“Just relax it’ll be better in a minute.” He pushed aside the blanket that covered my legs and began gently flexing my leg. The pain started to ease a bit.
“That was a bad one. It stopped but it still hurts.” I whined.
His hand moved up my leg, massaging my thigh muscle. His hands were soft but his touch was firm, kneading out the cramping muscle.
“That feels amazing, Gerard.”
“Better?” he asked. His voice sounded weird to me, soft and husky.
I nodded, “Yeah it’s a lot better than before. Still kind of sore, but not bad.”
He let go of my leg. “”Why don’t you go stretch out on your bed, we can watch on the screen in there.”
I nodded and stood up carefully, gently testing my sore leg. It held despite the increased pain from putting weight on it, and I hobbled to the bedroom and stretched across my bed facing the screen built into the wall. Gerard came in moments later and knelt on the bed next to me. He grabbed the remote and started a new show, not the one we had been watching in the living room but an old favorite of ours about a dysfunctional family with a baby that spoke well above his age, but no one seemed to notice how well he spoke except for the family dog. We’d seen every episode.
“What about the space cowboys?” I asked a little disappointed.
“We’ll watch more in the morning. Lay on your stomach.” he said nudging me to turn over.
I grabbed my pillow and propped myself up so I could see the screen. I was just getting interested in the episode when I felt Gerard’s fingers kneading my thigh again. It was heaven. I buried my face in the pillow to stifle a moan.
“You like that?”
I couldn’t speak, I just nodded.

He continued massaging the back of my thighs then moved on to my back. I lay there in a blissful stupor as his hand wandered over my back.
His hands slid in a long arc from my shoulders to my hips. He slid my shirt up, a his hands snuck under, making contact with my bare skin. My breath froze in my chest as his hands slipped up my sides, gathering the material of my shirt with them. His fingertips worked their magic over my ribs and my body tensed in the most delicious way.
“Sam,” he said quietly. “Take off your shirt.”
I nodded and reached for the material gathered at my shoulders, and slipped it over my head. I tossed the shirt onto the floor next to the bed.
His hands slid between my finger slid up my spine and gently into the hair at the nape of my neck.
Gerard chuckled.
“What?” I asked, my voice sounded breathless.
“If I’d known it was that easy, I’d have asked sooner.”
I turned my head to look at him.
“Keep doing what you’re doing and I’ll do whatever you want.”
“Jesus, Sam.” He moaned. He leaned down and placed a kiss between my shoulder blades. I gasped, as he continued to lay a trail of kisses up my neck and across my cheek. I turned my head and caught his mouth with mine. He hesitated for a moment before crushing his mouth with mine. I turned on to my back, giving myself better access to him. He pulled back from me and stared down at me.
“God, you’re so beautiful.” He rained down kisses on my neck and shoulders, when he moved to my mouth again, my hands that had been clutching at his back pressed against his sides, urging him to move over me. He moaned against my lips as he settled full length against me. My hands caressed his back running in random circles until I found the hem of his t-shirt. I grasped it eagerly and pulled it up to his shoulders. He leaned back from me and tugged his shirt over his head. He looked down at me like he was trying to memorize every inch of me. He had a wild look in his eyes. He looked like he wanted to devour me, but was holding back. I rocked my hips against his.
“Please, Gerard.” I gasped.
He cupped my jaw in his hands and leaned close to whisper into my ear. “You sure, Sammie?”
“Yes.” It was the only word in my head, and I was sure that it was the right one.
A growl escaped him as he devoured my lips once again. I writhed under him as he explored me with his hand and his mouth. He left a trail of kisses from my mouth to my ear, down my neck and down the center of my chest all the way to my belly button that left my skin feeling like it was on fire. His hands danced down my ribs, and back up to cup my breasts.
I grasped his arms, and pulled him back up to me. I couldn’t take it anymore. I kissed him, nipping at his lips. In my desperation, my fingers fumbled at the ties on his pajama pants, frustrating me.

And then the sound of an alarm blared through the room. We both jumped, looking wildly around the room for the source. The words URGENT MESSAGE flashed across the screen on the wall. We scrambled apart. I couldn’t find my shirt, so I grabbed Gerard's and threw it over my head before hitting the button next to the screen. It changed quickly to the image of Mikey.
He looked annoyed. “Hey guys, sorry to interrupt.”
“You’re not.” We both said at the same time.
“Right, well, Gerard, I need you. Can you come down to the rec hall right now? It’s important.”
Gerard nodded, grabbed his clothes from earlier and left the room.
“Do you need me too, Mikey?” My head was reeling but my voice was steady.
“No. Just Gerard. By the way, you’re shirt is on inside out, and backwards.” He chuckled and cut off the video feed.
I felt my cheeks burning, and I heard the door to my rooms open and close. Gerard was gone. I flopped back onto the mattress, embarrassed. What had just happened didn’t bother me. I wished Gerard hadn’t had to leave, but Mikey interrupting like that.... Now that was embarrassing.

I woke up alone the next morning, tired and cranky. I’d spent the whole night tormented by dreams of Gerard and what had happened the night before. As I was trying to decide what I was going to do I got a text message from Gerard.
Breakfast? That was all it said.
Sure. I texted back
I dressed quickly and headed down to the cafeteria.
The guys were seated around the table. Ray and Mikey were talking animatedly. Frank was slouched in his chair looking miserable. Gerard looked up at me when I entered the room. He had that wolfish, better to eat you with my dear, look in his eyes. I wanted to drag him to my room and lock the door, but that would have to wait at least until I could think of a reason for us to leave.
I sat down and everyone except Frankie greeted me.
“You okay, Frankie?” I asked, concerned.
“I’m fine.” he said, at the same time Ray said, “He’s hungover.”
Everyone at the table seemed to tense. I shrugged.
“Oh, well if you go to the infirmary, they can help you out. No need to suffer for suffering’s sake.”
I caught Gerard’s eye, and nodded to Frankie, silently asking if this was the important thing he’d had to leave to take care of last night. He nodded once. It was hard not to resent the hell out of Frankie, but my anger cooled when I realized that I’d put others through the same things not too long ago.
“So, Christmas in July has caught on like wildfire.” Mikey announced. “It’s going to become an official thing. There’s even going to be a Christmas tree, of sorts, in the rec room. The big event is two weeks from today” Talk at the table turned to all things Christmas. Frankie even joined in for a bit before he left to go to the infirmary. While we were taking the opportunity to discuss what get Frank, I was paged to the lab.
Events transpired to keep us apart over the next two weeks. We were always either surrounded by our friends, or being called to our work stations. I spent long hours staring into a microscope or trying to work out trades to get presents for my friends. Each night I fell into an exhausted sleep and dreamt of Gerard.