Chapter 3

Chuckler/Runner

It's easily said that Chuckler and Runner are the most loyal to each other and the ones in their inner circle, such as Leckie and Hoosier. They're always together, always seems to be smiling at an inside joke only they know while the world around them remains oblivious, and the world is happy to stay that way because their optimism is enough for the rest to smile as well.

Runner likes it quite a bit, this easy going relationship he has going on. Chuckler is like this weird extra limb, one that perhaps shouldn't exist but he knows all too well even so.
They naturally seems to gravitate towards one another and casual touches comes to them just as easily as if they were talking.

Chuckler doesn't mind. It only means that he has found himself a buddy that would help him annoy the living shit out of Leckie – except that it doesn't really affect him at all as he is incapable of letting Runner and Chuckler annoy him, which is fine really because Leckie compensates with a sarcasm that matches Hoosier's and it's really funny.

There's not much action on Guadalcanal and they spend most of their time there patrolling the forest. At night, they sleep tightly pressed against each other to keep some of the warmth. Sometimes, they sleep pressed together for the sake of comfort as the japanese drops bombs onto the ground above, barely missing their shelter.

It's only a matter of time berfore it would evolve into something else, innocent brushes against the back of a knee, an arm accidentally thrown around the others waist in their sleep turns into careful kisses and wandering hands.

You see, Chuckler is a sexual person by nature and he needs some release to function properly, or so he says as he walks around and behind a tree at the outskirt of camp one morning. Runner is mostly the same, not exactly but still the same. He understands the desperation most of the men around feel. So he helps Chuckler out.

They share stories of girls; most of them they probably make up as they go but it gets the job done and both of them are feeling a little bit more relaxed the next day.
Sometimes helping out also means giving blowjobs and/or rutting against each other at night with their friends sleeping next to them. It slowly becomes a sort of routine for them.

At Melbourne there are women waiting for them and they take a pause in what they are doing.
Chuckler finds himself a nice Australian girl with soft skin and even softer lips. He disappears more often and Runner spends his time alternating between taking care of a sick Hoosier and spending time at the bar with Gibson. He's fine with it as long as Chuckler doesn't get into any trouble without Runner being there to help him out of it.

It's their sixth night in Melbourne when Chuckler wakes him up, his touch a familiar weight on the side of his neck. It's almost tender.

"Don't you have a girl to entertain you now?" Runner grumbles annoyingly, wanting sleep so bad.

"Are you bored of me already?" Chuckler jokes, gently shoving Runner aside so he can climb in alongside him. Runner snorts loudly.

"As if I could get bored of you. What's up? Do not tell me you just woke me up because you wanted to cuddle because let me tell you, cobber. I'm not in the mood for a cuddle right now."

"What about naked cuddling?" Runner doesn't breath. He can feel Chucklers breath against his cheek and the heat radiating from his body. Hoosier snores somewhere in the background just like almost every other marine in the stadium. Somebody might even be awake to hear them.

"I don't know, you offering?" he whispers, licking his lips in the dark. There's a weird fluttering feeling in his chest when Chuckler moves beside him and casually throws an arm over his stomach.

"Wasn't that what I just did?" Chuckler asks, lips pulled into a broad smile that shows his teeth.

"No. If you had been offering you would have said 'what about naked cuddling withme' or some shit like that. That back there was nothing but an innocent question asking me if I would be okay with it."

If Chuckler kicks his shins he doesn't comment on it. He's too fucking tired.

"But if you return an hour earlier tomorrow we might work something out." He yawns. "Now can I please get back to sleep?"

"Nope." Chuckler answers and squeezes. They stay mostly silent after that, sometimes exchanging stories of what had happened while the other one was gone. Chuckler talks about the girl he had met and what they had gotten around to doing since they got there and Runner does his best not to fall asleep.

Chuckler does not leave his side until someone, perhaps Sid, rolls around in his bed and falls of it with a heavy thump. Runner doesn't really complain, can't complain when Chuckler presses a careful kiss to the side of his mouth before jumping of the cot and climbing into his own.