Crazy day indeed-that's all Hector could think about during the flight back to Fort Striker to drop off the choppers they'd borrowed to get to the school when they'd heard about the blizzard that snowed in his family and a bunch of others too. Aside the choppers having to be returned, they also had to drop off any weapons and gear like the blankets and first aid kits. The flight to Fort Striker wasn't long-an hour at best in the calm winds and when they landed they were briefed of the rules and to be at the Berk Airport for 0900 in fourteen days after leave was over. When they were dismissed-everyone said their goodbyes and would catch up later on but for now most all of them were going home to be with their families-that's exactly what Hector was going to do. Cody was going to drop him off his house since he didn't have a way back and didn't feel like taking one of the jeeps off the base because he'd have no way to return it when leave ended. Thankfully Cody, the day they left Fort Striker seven months ago had driven his own truck up and it'd been sitting at the Striker base all this time.
"See ya all later!" Thaxter called to them.
"See ya, Thax! We'll all hook up before leave is over," Hector called to him-the rest all headed off too as he noticed Tallon on the phone and it didn't look like a peaceful or happy conversation either.
"Fine! Then I won't bother coming home at all! And you wonder why I left and joined the army because I can't stand being near either of you!" then Tallon seemed to hang up the phone with a frustrated sigh.
"Tal?" Hector asked coming up beside him now, "You alright?"
"Yeah-just fine, Hector. Heading out too?" Tallon smiled now.
"Yeah, just waiting for Cody. What are...your plans for two weeks?" Hector asked lightly.
"I guess...I'm just gonna...chill here," Tallon mumbled.
"By yourself?" Hector's eyes widened a bit as Tallon nodded. "Come on-we got two weeks off and you're just gonna be here on base? What happened to going home and seeing your parents?"
"Apparently my mother is spending time with her new boyfriend-their going away for a week and Dad said that his new wife-because they got married while I was deployed-are preparing the house for the new baby that is due like any day now. Then it turned into an argument of I should of come home sooner, because I had any control over when that happened...then they found out I'm going back and the argument before I left for Reception started all over again so...I'm just not going to bother going home at all," Tallon sighed heavily closing his eyes.
Hector felt bad-they'd just come off of seven months fighting in war, everyone wanting to see their families and Tallon's family couldn't make time for him when they wouldn't be getting another leave until the tour was over in another seven months? Hector put a hand on his back and rubbed it a bit and then he got an idea.
"Hey, why don't you come stay with me?" Hector offered as Tallon looked over at him now.
"Nah-it's okay. Go spend time with your family, I'll be okay here." Tallon chuckled a bit.
"I'm not takin no for an answer, Tal. Come on-I'm not gonna let my bud spend his entire leave bored here on the base for two weeks. We're battle buddies-we go everywhere together because we got each others backs and I never leave a soldier behind," Hector smiled.
"Your family won't mind?" Tallon asked him now.
"They aren't gonna tell me no. Besides-I need at least one of my friends with me for my birthday in two days. Ya ain't gonna leave me hangin', are ya?" Hector laughed as Tallon nodded.
"Wouldn't dream of it, Hec. Alright-as...long as you don't mind? I don't wanna intrude," Tallon said softly.
"I don't mind at all and you aren't intruding on nothing. I've known you a year now and you've given more a damn about me than my own family ever has," Hector told him.
"Okay-I'll stay with you. Thanks, Hector." Tallon smiled as the two connected hands while Cody walked up holding his bag and tossing it in the back of the truck.
"Not a problem. Cody, got an extra. Tal is staying with me the next two weeks, cool with you?" Hector told Cody.
"Fine by me-let's get moving if we wanna get back to Berk before tonight. It's about 1:15 right now and we got about a three hour drive back," Cody smiled as Hector and nodded and the two boys tossed their bags in the back and climbed in the truck-with seat belts on they headed off base and back to inner Berk.
(Three Hours Later)
With it now being 4pm, Cody's truck pulled up outside Hector's house as he unbuckled and climbed out with Tallon right after him as they grabbed their long gray bags from the back of truck and looked inside as Cody was preparing to leave. "Grab ya boys in fourteen days at 0700 okay? Gotta get to the airport and check in about an hour early before take off, I'll text ya to remind ya the day before,"
"Got it, Cody. Thanks for the lift," Hector smiled as Cody nodded and put the truck in reverse and backed out as Tallon and Hector stood back with their bags over their shoulders and Cody drove off waving to them with a smile. "Ready for two weeks to be civilians again?"
"So ready," Tallon smiled while they two then walked towards the house.
"Looks like the Jorgenson's are here-great. And that's...Jessie's and Drew's trucks, why are they here?" Hector asked putting his hand on the handle and opening the door as Tallon shrugged slightly.
"WELCOME HOME, HECTOR!" was instantly shouted upon his first foot being in the door.
"Because the guns and bombs don't deafen me enough. Thanks, I think?" Hector stated blinked a few times as he looked around the living room to see his family, his cousin's family, then all of his cousin's friends. Oh just perfect.
"Welcome home, son." Spencer said greeting him with a hug-Hector hugged him back and then his mother, sister, brother, aunt, and uncle. Skylar and him more or less just shared a glance of acknowledgment to one another.
"Who is your friend, dear?" Val asked.
"This is my best friend, Tallon Furysen. We're battle buddies-well that's what the army refers to us as at least. Been stuck together since Reception Battalion. He's...gonna be staying with me the next two weeks-his family...kind'a went on vacation for two weeks so he's got nowhere to go and I didn't want him to be bored for two weeks at Fort Striker, cool with you guys?" Hector asked.
"Of course! Always nice to meet, Hector's friends. Welcome, Tallon. Just make yourself right at home sweetheart, Darius why don't you take your brother's and his friend's bags to the basement for them. It's been a long day and I'm sure they'd like to rest after earlier and I'm assuming a long flight?" Val smiled wide now. Darius nodded as he went over to take both bags but both the boys kept them planted on their shoulders.
"It's cool, Mom. I got it, besides-I gotta show Tallon where we're stayin," Hector said as he had Tallon follow him to the door near the stairs leading upstairs and opened it which revealed a staircase downstairs. They hurried down-dropped their bags on the floor for now. They both returned upstairs still wearing their boots, ACU pants, belts, and a dark green shirt that was tucked into the pants-their dog tags hanging from around their necks and no hats on but their handguns were attached to their belts.
"Nice hair, bro," Darius chuckled.
"Standard cut for the military. Least I got to keep some of it. It was this or shaved completely," Hector said with a smile. "So...uh question. Why are they here?" Hector motioned to the people who weren't his family and very obviously not his friends, referring to: Trent, Reina, Danielle, Drew, Mandy, Astrid, Carmen, Freddie, and Jessie.
"Your brother thought it'd be nice for you to have your friends and family here for your homecoming," Spencer said as Hector blinked a few times.
"Tallon?" Hector said.
"Yeah, Haddock?" his friend replied.
"Am I sleeping or possibly bleeding out because...I feel like I just stepped into an alternate universe where my family thinks I have friends outside of the military?" Hector asked.
"Well, I don't see any blood and...pretty sure you're awake right now unless you prefer I punch you and make double sure of it?" Tallon grinned.
"Why is it always punching with you-can't ya be normal and pinch?" Hector rolled his eyes.
"Now where's the fun in being normal, Hector-we covered this in AIT," Tallon snickered.
"Asshole," Hector remarked.
"Least I ain't boring to be around." Tallon countered.
"Huh, so true." Hector shook his head.
"Now son-don't be that way," Val said lightly.
"Sorry, Mom. Pretty comical that these guys think they're my friends though. They aren't but whatever-I guess I won't knock the welcome home," Hector shrugged. "So...I'm home," he paused, "What now?"
"Well your father and I are working on dinner. Pot roast with potatoes and broccoli, it's got another hour or so on it. Why don't you and Tallon sit down and tell us about the last year or so. We've missed so much," Val smiled wide.
"Ain't much to tell-you saw the DVD didn't ya?" Hector stated sitting on the couch and Tallon beside him.
"Well yes but it only shows random shots. We didn't get to see a lot of your...Personal Time, and how about things in Iraq?" Heather said.
"We actually aren't allowed to talk about much from there-security reasons." Tallon stated firmly.
"Of course, we understand. Umm...what's with the guns?" Darius asked motioning to the ones on their hips.
"We have to carry them on us-one of the rules." Hector shrugged.
"How many rules do you have?" Skylar asked.
"More than you can imagine," Tallon said now.
"Couple of the basics?" Spencer questioned.
"No smoking, drinking, or sex. The rest is way to complicated to get into. Like right now on leave we aren't allowed to drink, smoke anything other than cigarettes, and well-I guess we're allowed to have sex as long as it's nothing that disgraces the military. So, nothing public like strip bars or whore houses." Hector stated.
"You're seventeen-you can't drink anyway," Jessie stated.
"Actually-when you join the army, you're considered an adult which means we can drink. And Hector, if you recall. We can drink but it has to be residential and we can't get shitfaced drunk." Tallon corrected.
"So you guys have drank before?" Heather asked.
"Nope. Forbidden on deployment and on any military base around the Archipelago. Boy, we'd be in big trouble." Hector said.
"And you don't smoke I assume?" Carmen inquired.
"Not a lot," Hector responded as their eyes widened.
"You smoke?" Astrid blinked. "Since when?"
"Deployment seven months ago. Missions are stressful, high tension. Keeps ya calm and level headed." Tallon said, "We both do,"
"Hector, it's so unhealthy for you and addicting." Spencer sighed heavily.
"Hector is anything but unhealthy, Mr. Haddock. He's got the highest scores in personal fitness at Fort Striker in over fifteen years," Tallon chuckled.
"Him? He's a twig?" Skylar said.
"I don't think you know your cousin very well," Tallon remarked.
"I know him better than you, dude. Come on, you expect me to believe that he can handle push ups, sit ups, running and what not? Look at him-his shirt is wearing him." Skylar said. Tallon just started laughing.
"His shirt is bigger on him because his actual size shirt doesn't fit him. Haddock is mostly muscle under that shirt," Tallon tried to calm down.
"Please Tallon, try to contain yourself. I know the girls make a play for me all the time but I expect better from you bud," Hector chuckled.
"Hey. You know what Thax always says-you got it then flaunt the fuck outta it," Tallon told him with a shrug.
"That's because Thax is a goddamn tank and he likes to show it off. Me, I just don't care." Hector closed his eyes leaning back.
"So you guys like see each other with no shirts all the time?" Trent asked.
"We've been around one another in just our boxers before. Our whole barrack is nothing but guys-there's no coed in the army. The girls share a barrack right next to ours though. After going through MEPS physicals-you get used to people looking at ya and you stop caring who sees," Tallon said.
"What did you have to do there?" Darius asked.
"All men had to strip down to their boxers and stand in a room together. And then get seen behind a screen completely nude to get checked out. I was in a room with about fifty other guys," Hector stated.
"But like in the barracks-you seen one another?" Jessie asked.
"All the time-we just don't care. We're all guys and all got the same parts as far as we're concerned. Ain't no shame in our barrack," Tallon chuckled.
"I still don't believe that Hector has any muscle. In high school was the worst at exercises-one of the slowest guys in our grade actually," Skylar remarked.
"That was high school, not the military. And to be fair-you haven't seen me in a year," Hector said calmly.
"Prove it soldier boy," Skylar crossed his arms over his chest as Hector sighed and stood as he untucked his shirt from his pants and pulled it off revealing his upper half to them as their eyes widened staring at him and all the very visible muscle on his chest, forearms, and biceps while his stomach showed nothing but a perfect six pack of abs.
"Dear Odin above, Hector. What the hell happened to you?" Carmen blinked a few times.
"Let's see. Push ups, sit ups, running, jumping jacks, pull ups, planking...oh, and carrying over seventy pounds of gear on every mission the last seven months," Hector stated as he saw Skylar's face-mouth agape as far as it would go with wide eyes and one of the twitching at the sight. Hector chuckled lightly as he cracked his neck and then pulled his shirt back on and tucked it back into his pants.
"Believe me, Skylar. Your cousin is definitely all soldier," Tallon remarked as he and Hector gave on another a high five and laughed. "Hope you know I recorded that and I sent it to all the girls,"
"You didn't," Hector looked over at him as Tallon grinned. "God damn it, Tallon. It's hard enough to keep them off me without you helpin'-I swear you wanna see them assault me,"
"It'd be hilarious. The guys and I are taking bets on it," Tallon said.
"On what?" Hector arched a brow now.
"You losing your virginity," Hector sighed smacking his forehead and shaking his head. "I said by the end of leave,"
"Oh thanks pal. So glad you think I'm getting laid in the next two weeks," Hector mumbled.
"Hey some of the guys want you too dude," Tallon snickered.
"You mean like Cliff, Andrew, Darren, and...who was that last one," he paused tapping his chin before giving a bored look with his eyes, "Oh right. You?"
"What? You're hot, Hec." Tallon shrugged with a laugh.
"I'm so thrilled that we're such good friends that you openly admit to the fact you'd sleep with me. Perverted mother fuckers, the entire lot of you," Hector rolled his eyes.
"You know you want me-you already admitted to being bisexual back in Basic," Tallon teased.
"Oh yeah. Want you so bad that I can hardly contain myself, Tal. Promise you that if I ever want to get laid that bad and I'm not in a relationship already-I'll come find ya buddy and you can rock my world until I can't move," Hector chuckled now.
"Be still my wild heart," Tallon held his chest all dramatic like, "You really know how to tease a guy, Haddock," he added with a wink.
"Among my many talents," Hector smiled as he and Tallon did a fist bump the connected their hands together while laughing.
"And I have officially heard WAY more than I wanted to!" Heather covered her ears and shaking her head side to side.
"Hey-told ya. Military has no shame in anything we do. This is how we are with one another all the time," Tallon said as he got up, "Going out for a cig, coming bro?" he asked Hector.
"Sure, why not. We sharing?" Hector asked.
"I can give ya your own or we can share-don't matter to me. I picked up a new pack when we stopped for gas with Cody," Tallon shrugged as Hector got up and moved to the door.
"It's freezing outside-just open the window you two," Spencer said as he got up reached into the cupboard and pulled out an ashtray for them. Hector took it as he moved to the window by the door and opened it.
"Oh that wind feels good," Hector sighed out while Tallon pulled out one of the cigarettes and patted himself for his lighter, "You left it in your coat-didn't you?" Tallon nodded as Hector pulled his out his black and gray one-it was dragon and the flame lit from the mouth as Tallon leaned in while Hector lit it then doused the flame as he put it back in his pocket. After Tallon took two drags he passed it off to Hector who did the same and they made sure to blow the smoke out the window.
"It's like twenty below outside-how are you not cold?" Darius asked.
"You spend seven months in Iraq and the cold is a Godsend. We got there in...July and the temperatures could hit as high as the one hundred and fifteen degrees. Even at 6am it was already eighty and with all the gear on-God it sucks." Tallon stated as Hector passed the cigarette back to him. "Hey, Haddock?" he said now.
"Hm?" Hector glanced towards him.
"Thanks for lettin me come stay with you these next two weeks," Tallon told him.
"Don't sweat it, Tal. I think it would have sucked for both of us if spent our leave apart. Shit we've been inseparable since Reception Battalion. No way I wouldn't help ya out-you always got a place with me my brother," Hector replied with a smile.
"You are seriously my best friend, Hector," Tallon smiled with his arm out-palm open to Hector who put his opposite arm out copying the position as they connected hands and gripped tightly as they leaned against one another for a hug then pulled back-bother smiling wide.
"Loyalty. Duty. Respect. Selfless Service. Honor. Integrity. Personal Courage." they said together now as the other watched curiously. "I am a Berkian Soldier. I am a warrior and a member of a team. I serve the people of the Archipelago, and live the Army Values. I will always place the mission first. I will never accept defeat. I will never quit. I will never leave a fallen comrade. I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills. I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself. I am an expert and I am a professional. I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy, the enemies of the Barbaric Archipelago in close combat. I am a guardian of freedom and our way of life. I am a Berkian Soldier!" they finished now with grins on their faces as their hands drop and finished passing the cigarette back and forth until it was down to the end.
Hector closed the window now as the two sat down on the couch. "What was that thing you guys said?" Astrid asked.
"Army values and soldier's creed we live by in the military. Two of the first things we ever learned at Basic." Tallon said with a smile as he reached into his pocket and pulled out two Fireball Whiskey nips.
"Where the fuck you get those?" Hector asked.
"Cody. Told us to celebrate being home," Tallon handed him one.
"Well who am I to deny a direct order then?" Hector grinned as they opened both.
"Fighting Today For Families' Tomorrows," the two said smiling as they clanked their small bottles of alcohol and sucked them back in one shot then laughed.
"Man I'm glad I'm spending this with you, wouldn't be have this much fun if I wasn't," Tallon told him.
"Couldn't have said it better myself," Hector agreed now.
"Well I think I'm going to go check on dinner," Val said as she pulled Spencer alone with her.
"Good to be home, ey, Hec?" Tallon asked.
"So good to be home." Hector nodded as they just sat back relaxing now-nothing beat this: spending their two week leave together like best friends should. Hector had never been happier to be in that house-he honestly didn't think he could've come back if it weren't for Tallon being there too. The guy really was his best friend in the entire world and had his back no matter what. And Hector would always have his.
