Author's Note: This last chapter is an R. However, I am working on a
slightly more risqué (oh let's face it..it will be thoroughly NC-17) and
longer version. It won't show up on FFN because the rules; however I will
make sure to include an address when I finish it so that anyone who would
like to read may. Thank you all for such nice reviews. I hope to work on
more Beach Head stories in the future, although you will find that my
characterizations follow the cartoon more than the comic book. I am one of
the first generation cartoon viewers (who sadly admits to probably seeing
every episode at least once). Beach Head was one of those characters who
talked quite a bit in the series, but you never got to know his background.
I guess they liked to keep all those completely masked men a mystery.Snake
Eyes, Beach Head, Storm Shadow, Cobra Commander, etc. But in a way it's so
much more fun to play with them with no definite story line to follow.
Thanks again.
Shiver
By Angelina
The world starts spinning slower Then it disappears Your lips so close; we kiss almost Just barely touch, but that's enough To make me.
SHIVER
~Shiver by Jamie O'Neal~
"What are you looking at? Never seen a couple on their honeymoon?" Wayne's voice was a low growl, rumbling deep in his chest. Even Courtney had to admit, the Ranger's glare at the gawking hotel patron was pretty darn fearsome in her opinion. She had been the recipient of that withering expression a few times, but it felt unusual to be on the other side of it this time.
The elevator doors slid open and Wayne stepped inside, Courtney's weight in his arms. He tried to be careful and not bang her head on the door jamb as he entered. That would be all she needed, another injury but this time at his hand. He could feel her body trembling against him, and looked down at her, worried that shock was beginning to set in. Instead what he saw was unfettered mirth dancing in her eyes and her lips trembling with laughter begging to spill forth.
Courtney had the grace and tact to refrain from laughing in the poor man's face right there in the hallway. She waited until they boarded the elevator and the doors closed behind them. Her whole body shook with the hilarity of the situation.
"What?" Wayne asked innocently. "Do you think we should've held the elevator for him?"
Courtney snorted. "I don't think that man would have stayed in the hallway two more seconds, much less gotten in the elevator with you."
"I didn't do anything. Besides, snorting is not very feminine."
"I'll snort if I want to and you will like it, Sgt, and you gave him the same look that you give all the new recruits."
Wayne looked at her with a confused expression on his face. "What look would that be?" he asked imperiously.
"The one that scares them so bad, they'd rather pee in their pants in front of God and everybody than face training with you."
"What about you?"
She knitted her eyebrows together, puzzled. "What about me?"
"Did I scare you that bad?"
"Do you think I would admit it to you if you had?"
"Well."
"Not to mention, I know some of your better traits now." She gave him a dazzling smile. It had such an effect on him that he took a step back, trying to regain his balance along with having her in his arms.
Courtney's face registered concern for him. "Wayne, put me down. You're hurt too, and you can't keep me up here all the way back to the room."
"Wanna bet?"
"No, because I know damn good and well you'll try it, and hurt yourself even worse in the bargain. Put me down now." She enunciated the last statement for his benefit, as if he couldn't understand but the simplest directions.
"No."
"I can stand on my own."
"I know."
"Then why."
He interrupted her before she was able to finish her inquiry. " 'Cause I like holding you.that's why."
Her green eyes widened at the shock of his admission. He would probably regret telling her that, but now that it was out, he felt better, more at ease. "Wayne, I don't know what to say."
"Then don't say anything... I don't know what to do about it either." He looked down at where she was tucked against his chest and gifted her with one of most beautiful smiles she had ever seen. Not to mention she had never seen a smile light the handsome man's face before, so it was definitely an occasion to mark on the calendar. Wayne whispered to her, "Never thought I'd see you speechless."
His eyes kept her entranced, she could see the desire forming there. Typically she would be running in the other direction by now, but she was frozen like a deer in a car's headlights. The ding of the elevator as it arrived on his floor broke the spell as he lifted his attention to navigating them out of the car and down the hallway to his room.
They stopped before the door. Wayne groaned slightly, as he murmured, "I'm gonna have to put you down. I can't reach my room key while I'm holding you." He lowered her slowly until her feet grazed the floor. Courtney tested her legs, most of the wobbliness had left.the remainder had everything to do with the Army Ranger standing in front of her now.
Wayne fished around in his pants pocket and found the little plastic card to unlock the door. Scanning through the reader, he swung the door open and gestured for her to go inside. The room wasn't much different than her own, the colors slightly different and a whole lot neater than she had left hers hours ago. The man was an amazing neat freak as she glanced around the orderliness of the closet and bathroom. She had never met someone, male or female, that kept things quite as tidy as he did.
"Let me see I can find something to clean up your head."
"Oh, it's okay now. I think it's stopped bleeding. My hand hurts a little though. Got an ACE bandage or something I can bind it up with until I can get Lifeline to take a look at it."
"Still, let me take a look at that gash."
"I could say the same thing about your arm."
"A bandage and a couple of stitches back home will take care of it. Now sit down." He pointed to the edge of the bed. She eyed it warily just long enough for him to recognize the source of her trepidation. He place two fingers under her chin and nudged her head up so that she looked in the eyes. "Look.I'm not such a bastard that I would take advantage of you, especially since you're hurt. I should have never told you that in the elevator."
She knew exactly what that meant and she mentally kicked herself for not being more trusting and causing him to second-guess himself. "I didn't mean to insinuate that, Wayne. It's just..everything..today has been so out of control, I'm not sure what I'm thinking."
He took her by the shoulder and pushed her gently in a sitting position on the bed. She sat there patiently as he moved into the bathroom and rummaged around for a few moments. He came back with anti-infective ointment, a damp washcloth, and an ACE bandage for her broken hand. Kneeling in front of her, Wayne waited for her to pull off the towel that concealed her matted hair and tenderly worked his fingers through the mess until he found the head wound.
Like most head injuries, it had bled quite a bit more than the actual damage done. He dabbed the wet washcloth around it, cleaning up the dried blood before he applied the ointment to it. "You'll have to put some more on when you wash your hair, but I wouldn't wash it for another few hours, or you'll end up opening the cut right back up again."
"Yes, Doctor Sneeden." He shot her an irritatedly patient glare for that little smart-ass comment. He picked up her hand, and expertly bound it with the long brown bandage. She would have to have Doc or Lifeline reset it for her, but he did a good job of at least reducing the pain by keeping the ends of bone from grinding against each other.
"Now you," Courtney ordered as he finished wrapping her hand.
"Nah.I'm okay. I'll just clean it off and bandage it up until we get back." Wayne rose to his feet, so she stood up as well.
"Take the shirt off, Wayne." Her tone indicated she wasn't about to argue it with him.
"Now who's trying to jump someone's bones."
"Oh, grow up, Sneeden. Take the damn shirt off."
He gave her one of those typical little half-grins she knew were a result of being quite proud of accomplishing something, usually involving scaring poor little recruits or a particular strenuous PT session. Courtney chose to ignore it and stood there unmoving in front of him. When he didn't move fast enough, she reached out and started unfastening the buttons.
"What the hell." he grunted, startled by the determined woman's forward behavior. He had not anticipated this little maneuver.
"You weren't moving fast enough. I don't have all day," she shot back at him as she freed the second button. As she moved to the third, he gripped her hands gently in his, effectively ceasing her progress.
"I told you, don't worry about it." His voice softened as he held her twitching fingers steady against his chest. The throb of his heart reverberated against her captive hands, lulling her nearer. He knew he should let her go, bundle her off to bed but he just didn't have willpower that strong. Lord knew, he was so tired of denying himself some semblance of happiness, even if it was for a brief moment.
Courtney could see the short, curly chest hair just above the third button of his shirt. He wasn't ape hairy or model bald, just a rich color of thin soft curls enhancing his masculinity. Her fingers itched to slide through them, tracing the well-defined pectorals. Racking her brain to see if she could come up with an image of even a semi-nude Wayne, she couldn't summon a single one. He never flaunted his physique, not like the rest of the male population on base. Actually it was pretty rare for her to see him without his balaclava.
Wayne felt her fingers flex against him, noted her leaning closer rather than jerking away. He reluctantly released her hands as he threw all caution to the wind and lowered his mouth to hers. As soon as they were released, her hands found themselves wound about his neck, feeling the corded sinew beneath the skin and then locking themselves in the silky strands of his chestnut hair. Where she touched him sent tingles up his spine.
Her mouth urged him to deepen the kiss, a tiny moan of frustrated passion at the fact he wanted to spend more time simply exploring the nuances of the firm flesh of her lips. The scent of his soap, mixed with the underlying odor of his masculinity, enhanced his taste. Kissing him wasn't at all what she would have ever fantasized about; it was more. Because he kissed so gently, finding the contours of her mouth with his, barely caressing her with each tender touch.
Forcing him to deepen the kiss, she teased his tongue with her own, tasting the sweetness of his kiss once again. His hands had migrated down to her waist, and feeling like she floated on a cushiony cloud of bliss, she suddenly realized that he had her completely off the ground. In the midst of the wondrous pleasure she felt, a solitary thought grabbed her complete attention. He had taken her breath and replaced with his own, more intrusive and passionately possessive than anything she had ever imagined.
He could feel the luscious curves of her body beneath his hands. It would be so easy for him to lay her down on the bed behind her, strip her naked and make love to her. That's what it would be for him, not some tawdry hotel assignation with a lover he might not ever encounter again. This was someone he respected, worked with, and yes, if forced to admit it, cared for more than he was comfortable with. Which made his dilemma so much harder, along with his body.
Courtney could feel him tense beneath her mouth, instinctively knew that he had to be over-analyzing something. She slowly withdrew from the kiss, matching his intense dark gaze with one of her own. "What's the matter?" Her husky voice betrayed the desire bubbling just beneath the surface.
He blinked once, marshalling his thoughts before answering her. "I don't know if I can do this."
"Why?"
That question hit the bullseye. "This is going to change everything."
"Don't you think tonight's already changed everything between us?"
Her logic was dead on. "Yeah." he swallowed hard before continuing. "But I can't just do this, then act as nothing happened."
"Do you think I take this lightly?" She was more than a little hurt if he actually thought that of her.
"No," he whispered roughly. "I didn't mean it to sound like that. It's just."
"Look, bottom line and everything else aside.do you want this?" The question was so simple and straightforward, but didn't even begin to address the complexity of the situation. "Quick, don't over-think it.."
"Yes," he growled, knowing that deep in his soul that it was the right answer.
"The same goes for me. Give me a chance, Wayne. I can think for myself. This is what I want to.in the world's worst way. The rest...well, we'll deal with that as it comes."
Completely oblivious to both of their injuries, Wayne pulled her to him, crushing her within his strong arms and ravishing her mouth with his. The sheer power in his kiss made her lightheaded, but she was able to keep pace with him as he nibbled and tasted, teased and possessed.
Her fingers fumbled with the rest of the buttons on his shirt, until he reached down and pulled the shirt apart so roughly that the threads holding the buttons on gave way. She laughed against his mouth as he allowed the garment to slide down his shoulders and onto the floor. His hands only left her long enough to divest himself of the shirt and then they returned, skimming down her collarbone and downwards towards her breasts.
Wayne traced the cleavage with a calloused fingertip as his lips left hers and trailed down the satiny skin of her neck. She tasted salty and sweet at the same time, like a cotton candy and peanuts when your parents took you to the county fair. An almost imperceptible moan slipped from her as he gently cupped one rounded globe in his hand. He felt her arch into his touch and used his other arm to guide her back towards the bed.
Wayne helped her stow her baggage into the overhead compartment of the plane, then wordlessly sat beside Courtney. His face was so closed off, it was as if he had his mask back on - ready for another mission. She knew he had to be thinking about the night before, what they had shared, but another gut instinct told her that if she forced him to analyze it right here and now on the plane back to headquarters, he would completely shut her out.
He stared at the back of the seat in front of him, much-needed sleep eluding him. It wasn't the first time in his life he didn't know what to do, how to predict all the possible outcomes. But it was the first time he had allowed his heart to dictate what he did, instead of his head. He was running, something he loathed about himself. You are such a chickenshit, Wayne Sneeden. She deserves better than this. He allowed his eyes to drift briefly over in her direction.
Her head rested on the tiny pillow the airline had provided, her eyes closed in what appeared to be a dreamless sleep. He noticed her hands tucked into her lap, the bandaged one on top. Those hands had wreaked such havoc within his well-ordered world, had brought so much pleasure to his closed-off heart.
He couldn't pass up what could be the last and only opportunity to hold one of those hands in his. Slipping his larger hand beneath her bandaged one, Sgt. Wayne Sneeden, US Army Ranger, cradled it as the precious and fragile object it was and permitted himself to drift off into peace-filled slumber.
~Finis~
Shiver
By Angelina
The world starts spinning slower Then it disappears Your lips so close; we kiss almost Just barely touch, but that's enough To make me.
SHIVER
~Shiver by Jamie O'Neal~
"What are you looking at? Never seen a couple on their honeymoon?" Wayne's voice was a low growl, rumbling deep in his chest. Even Courtney had to admit, the Ranger's glare at the gawking hotel patron was pretty darn fearsome in her opinion. She had been the recipient of that withering expression a few times, but it felt unusual to be on the other side of it this time.
The elevator doors slid open and Wayne stepped inside, Courtney's weight in his arms. He tried to be careful and not bang her head on the door jamb as he entered. That would be all she needed, another injury but this time at his hand. He could feel her body trembling against him, and looked down at her, worried that shock was beginning to set in. Instead what he saw was unfettered mirth dancing in her eyes and her lips trembling with laughter begging to spill forth.
Courtney had the grace and tact to refrain from laughing in the poor man's face right there in the hallway. She waited until they boarded the elevator and the doors closed behind them. Her whole body shook with the hilarity of the situation.
"What?" Wayne asked innocently. "Do you think we should've held the elevator for him?"
Courtney snorted. "I don't think that man would have stayed in the hallway two more seconds, much less gotten in the elevator with you."
"I didn't do anything. Besides, snorting is not very feminine."
"I'll snort if I want to and you will like it, Sgt, and you gave him the same look that you give all the new recruits."
Wayne looked at her with a confused expression on his face. "What look would that be?" he asked imperiously.
"The one that scares them so bad, they'd rather pee in their pants in front of God and everybody than face training with you."
"What about you?"
She knitted her eyebrows together, puzzled. "What about me?"
"Did I scare you that bad?"
"Do you think I would admit it to you if you had?"
"Well."
"Not to mention, I know some of your better traits now." She gave him a dazzling smile. It had such an effect on him that he took a step back, trying to regain his balance along with having her in his arms.
Courtney's face registered concern for him. "Wayne, put me down. You're hurt too, and you can't keep me up here all the way back to the room."
"Wanna bet?"
"No, because I know damn good and well you'll try it, and hurt yourself even worse in the bargain. Put me down now." She enunciated the last statement for his benefit, as if he couldn't understand but the simplest directions.
"No."
"I can stand on my own."
"I know."
"Then why."
He interrupted her before she was able to finish her inquiry. " 'Cause I like holding you.that's why."
Her green eyes widened at the shock of his admission. He would probably regret telling her that, but now that it was out, he felt better, more at ease. "Wayne, I don't know what to say."
"Then don't say anything... I don't know what to do about it either." He looked down at where she was tucked against his chest and gifted her with one of most beautiful smiles she had ever seen. Not to mention she had never seen a smile light the handsome man's face before, so it was definitely an occasion to mark on the calendar. Wayne whispered to her, "Never thought I'd see you speechless."
His eyes kept her entranced, she could see the desire forming there. Typically she would be running in the other direction by now, but she was frozen like a deer in a car's headlights. The ding of the elevator as it arrived on his floor broke the spell as he lifted his attention to navigating them out of the car and down the hallway to his room.
They stopped before the door. Wayne groaned slightly, as he murmured, "I'm gonna have to put you down. I can't reach my room key while I'm holding you." He lowered her slowly until her feet grazed the floor. Courtney tested her legs, most of the wobbliness had left.the remainder had everything to do with the Army Ranger standing in front of her now.
Wayne fished around in his pants pocket and found the little plastic card to unlock the door. Scanning through the reader, he swung the door open and gestured for her to go inside. The room wasn't much different than her own, the colors slightly different and a whole lot neater than she had left hers hours ago. The man was an amazing neat freak as she glanced around the orderliness of the closet and bathroom. She had never met someone, male or female, that kept things quite as tidy as he did.
"Let me see I can find something to clean up your head."
"Oh, it's okay now. I think it's stopped bleeding. My hand hurts a little though. Got an ACE bandage or something I can bind it up with until I can get Lifeline to take a look at it."
"Still, let me take a look at that gash."
"I could say the same thing about your arm."
"A bandage and a couple of stitches back home will take care of it. Now sit down." He pointed to the edge of the bed. She eyed it warily just long enough for him to recognize the source of her trepidation. He place two fingers under her chin and nudged her head up so that she looked in the eyes. "Look.I'm not such a bastard that I would take advantage of you, especially since you're hurt. I should have never told you that in the elevator."
She knew exactly what that meant and she mentally kicked herself for not being more trusting and causing him to second-guess himself. "I didn't mean to insinuate that, Wayne. It's just..everything..today has been so out of control, I'm not sure what I'm thinking."
He took her by the shoulder and pushed her gently in a sitting position on the bed. She sat there patiently as he moved into the bathroom and rummaged around for a few moments. He came back with anti-infective ointment, a damp washcloth, and an ACE bandage for her broken hand. Kneeling in front of her, Wayne waited for her to pull off the towel that concealed her matted hair and tenderly worked his fingers through the mess until he found the head wound.
Like most head injuries, it had bled quite a bit more than the actual damage done. He dabbed the wet washcloth around it, cleaning up the dried blood before he applied the ointment to it. "You'll have to put some more on when you wash your hair, but I wouldn't wash it for another few hours, or you'll end up opening the cut right back up again."
"Yes, Doctor Sneeden." He shot her an irritatedly patient glare for that little smart-ass comment. He picked up her hand, and expertly bound it with the long brown bandage. She would have to have Doc or Lifeline reset it for her, but he did a good job of at least reducing the pain by keeping the ends of bone from grinding against each other.
"Now you," Courtney ordered as he finished wrapping her hand.
"Nah.I'm okay. I'll just clean it off and bandage it up until we get back." Wayne rose to his feet, so she stood up as well.
"Take the shirt off, Wayne." Her tone indicated she wasn't about to argue it with him.
"Now who's trying to jump someone's bones."
"Oh, grow up, Sneeden. Take the damn shirt off."
He gave her one of those typical little half-grins she knew were a result of being quite proud of accomplishing something, usually involving scaring poor little recruits or a particular strenuous PT session. Courtney chose to ignore it and stood there unmoving in front of him. When he didn't move fast enough, she reached out and started unfastening the buttons.
"What the hell." he grunted, startled by the determined woman's forward behavior. He had not anticipated this little maneuver.
"You weren't moving fast enough. I don't have all day," she shot back at him as she freed the second button. As she moved to the third, he gripped her hands gently in his, effectively ceasing her progress.
"I told you, don't worry about it." His voice softened as he held her twitching fingers steady against his chest. The throb of his heart reverberated against her captive hands, lulling her nearer. He knew he should let her go, bundle her off to bed but he just didn't have willpower that strong. Lord knew, he was so tired of denying himself some semblance of happiness, even if it was for a brief moment.
Courtney could see the short, curly chest hair just above the third button of his shirt. He wasn't ape hairy or model bald, just a rich color of thin soft curls enhancing his masculinity. Her fingers itched to slide through them, tracing the well-defined pectorals. Racking her brain to see if she could come up with an image of even a semi-nude Wayne, she couldn't summon a single one. He never flaunted his physique, not like the rest of the male population on base. Actually it was pretty rare for her to see him without his balaclava.
Wayne felt her fingers flex against him, noted her leaning closer rather than jerking away. He reluctantly released her hands as he threw all caution to the wind and lowered his mouth to hers. As soon as they were released, her hands found themselves wound about his neck, feeling the corded sinew beneath the skin and then locking themselves in the silky strands of his chestnut hair. Where she touched him sent tingles up his spine.
Her mouth urged him to deepen the kiss, a tiny moan of frustrated passion at the fact he wanted to spend more time simply exploring the nuances of the firm flesh of her lips. The scent of his soap, mixed with the underlying odor of his masculinity, enhanced his taste. Kissing him wasn't at all what she would have ever fantasized about; it was more. Because he kissed so gently, finding the contours of her mouth with his, barely caressing her with each tender touch.
Forcing him to deepen the kiss, she teased his tongue with her own, tasting the sweetness of his kiss once again. His hands had migrated down to her waist, and feeling like she floated on a cushiony cloud of bliss, she suddenly realized that he had her completely off the ground. In the midst of the wondrous pleasure she felt, a solitary thought grabbed her complete attention. He had taken her breath and replaced with his own, more intrusive and passionately possessive than anything she had ever imagined.
He could feel the luscious curves of her body beneath his hands. It would be so easy for him to lay her down on the bed behind her, strip her naked and make love to her. That's what it would be for him, not some tawdry hotel assignation with a lover he might not ever encounter again. This was someone he respected, worked with, and yes, if forced to admit it, cared for more than he was comfortable with. Which made his dilemma so much harder, along with his body.
Courtney could feel him tense beneath her mouth, instinctively knew that he had to be over-analyzing something. She slowly withdrew from the kiss, matching his intense dark gaze with one of her own. "What's the matter?" Her husky voice betrayed the desire bubbling just beneath the surface.
He blinked once, marshalling his thoughts before answering her. "I don't know if I can do this."
"Why?"
That question hit the bullseye. "This is going to change everything."
"Don't you think tonight's already changed everything between us?"
Her logic was dead on. "Yeah." he swallowed hard before continuing. "But I can't just do this, then act as nothing happened."
"Do you think I take this lightly?" She was more than a little hurt if he actually thought that of her.
"No," he whispered roughly. "I didn't mean it to sound like that. It's just."
"Look, bottom line and everything else aside.do you want this?" The question was so simple and straightforward, but didn't even begin to address the complexity of the situation. "Quick, don't over-think it.."
"Yes," he growled, knowing that deep in his soul that it was the right answer.
"The same goes for me. Give me a chance, Wayne. I can think for myself. This is what I want to.in the world's worst way. The rest...well, we'll deal with that as it comes."
Completely oblivious to both of their injuries, Wayne pulled her to him, crushing her within his strong arms and ravishing her mouth with his. The sheer power in his kiss made her lightheaded, but she was able to keep pace with him as he nibbled and tasted, teased and possessed.
Her fingers fumbled with the rest of the buttons on his shirt, until he reached down and pulled the shirt apart so roughly that the threads holding the buttons on gave way. She laughed against his mouth as he allowed the garment to slide down his shoulders and onto the floor. His hands only left her long enough to divest himself of the shirt and then they returned, skimming down her collarbone and downwards towards her breasts.
Wayne traced the cleavage with a calloused fingertip as his lips left hers and trailed down the satiny skin of her neck. She tasted salty and sweet at the same time, like a cotton candy and peanuts when your parents took you to the county fair. An almost imperceptible moan slipped from her as he gently cupped one rounded globe in his hand. He felt her arch into his touch and used his other arm to guide her back towards the bed.
Wayne helped her stow her baggage into the overhead compartment of the plane, then wordlessly sat beside Courtney. His face was so closed off, it was as if he had his mask back on - ready for another mission. She knew he had to be thinking about the night before, what they had shared, but another gut instinct told her that if she forced him to analyze it right here and now on the plane back to headquarters, he would completely shut her out.
He stared at the back of the seat in front of him, much-needed sleep eluding him. It wasn't the first time in his life he didn't know what to do, how to predict all the possible outcomes. But it was the first time he had allowed his heart to dictate what he did, instead of his head. He was running, something he loathed about himself. You are such a chickenshit, Wayne Sneeden. She deserves better than this. He allowed his eyes to drift briefly over in her direction.
Her head rested on the tiny pillow the airline had provided, her eyes closed in what appeared to be a dreamless sleep. He noticed her hands tucked into her lap, the bandaged one on top. Those hands had wreaked such havoc within his well-ordered world, had brought so much pleasure to his closed-off heart.
He couldn't pass up what could be the last and only opportunity to hold one of those hands in his. Slipping his larger hand beneath her bandaged one, Sgt. Wayne Sneeden, US Army Ranger, cradled it as the precious and fragile object it was and permitted himself to drift off into peace-filled slumber.
~Finis~