Chapter 49: Harder Than He Thought

"Good morning sweetie. Thanks for saving me the middle bunk next to you." Mark said, pulling Derek's curtain back waking him up.

"I was asleep, you fucker." Derek tried to pull the curtain back closed.

"You are naked under there, aren't you?" Mark laughed.

"Close the fucking curtain." Derek warned. He never slept with clothes on, not even boxers. He would get in his rack and take them off after he was in his sleeping bag. He had gotten caught once when he was first in. He just got a warning and since then, he was pretty quick on getting them pulled on in case of a drill.

"Gladly. I don't care to see your shit." Mark closed his curtain and started to get his things unpacked and put in his locker in the cubical they were in. The barracks area was for First Classes only so that kept out the young one's that did stupid stuff on board ship.

Derek laid there, knowing he needed to get up. He needed to get things put away in his locker as well. He got back to the boat around 12:30 am after getting off duty. Derek opened his curtain, "One of my shit head airman didn't make it back to the boat last night. We finally found him around 2am."

"Where was he?" Mark asked.

"Laid up in a hotel with some whore." Derek grumbled, crawling out of his rack.

"One he paid?" Mark asked laughing.

"Just a girl he picked up from the bar." Derek rolled his eyes thinking about the stupid things some of the young ones did, "What time is it anyway?" Derek rubbed his eyes after getting his boxers pulled on in his sleeping bag.

"7am."

"What the fuck are you doing here then?" Derek asked.

Mark smirked, "I never went to sleep, so I thought I would come on and get settled. We have to be on by 8 anyway."

"Do I even want to know what you were doing all night to never sleep?" Derek groaned getting down off his rack grabbing his white t-shirt to put on with his boxers.

"It was one hell of a ride with Cris. She is…" Mark said in a low voice so that others wouldn't hear but was interrupted.

"Stop, now. I do not care to hear about Yang and what she is." Derek grumbled going to sit in the chair. They had 9 racks (3 high) in their little square with a few chairs as you walk in their area.

"You're just pissed that you had duty last night and didn't get to see, you know what? We need a 'code' for her." Mark was somewhat joking around. It was how he dealt with going out on the boat; he was always going to make the best of whatever situation he was in.

"A code? Are we in elementary school?" Derek couldn't help but laugh a bit.

"Sometimes it feels like it out here." Mark retorted.

Derek shook his head, "This is very true."

"So, how was duty last night? Anything interesting happen?" Mark asked.

"Well, I had an interesting visitor and was given a 30-minute break." Derek knew that came out a little more cheerful than it should have after his somewhat grumpy wake up.

Mark stopped what he was doing to look at Derek when he heard his voice change. Mark saw the look and just smirked, "She came and saw you."

"No, not quite like that. We should probably discuss this in a more private place." Derek had gotten up to walk closer to Mark, whispering, "The visitor was not her, but I did see her." Derek smiled hugely, thinking about their time together.

"I need details." Mark went back to unpacking as Derek grabbed his bag, he hadn't unpacked either, starting to do the same thing as Mark.

"Yeah, not here. You never know who is listening." Derek explained but, stopped what he was doing to think about seeing her for an entire month.

"Well, hope you had fun at least." Mark smirked.

"She is amazing in every sense of the word."

"She looks like it."

Derek punched Mark in the arm rather hard.

"What?" Mark asked almost innocent like.

"Shut the fuck up. That is what." Derek said clearly.

"I was just joking around."

"Yeah, now is not the time to joke with me about it, not when we are stuck, here." Derek looked down at his bag, opening it up.

"But, you have me to wake up to every single day. Right here across from you." Mark smiled hugely getting close to Derek's face.

Derek laughed, "You are whacked. You know that right?"

"You love me though."

"Oh, so much." Derek replied sarcastically.

"I am going to finish this later. I am about to lie down and sleep for a few hours before our meeting." Mark replied feeling his long night catch up with him.

"Now you decide you are going to sleep after you have me up." Derek knew this was typical Mark although he was right; he did enjoy having him around and share this with him. They had never been in a squadron together, so this was a first for them. Derek chuckled to himself, knowing this would be an adventure for them. He decided to get some clothes on and go up to grab a bit to eat before grabbing a shower.

"Hey." Mark said before closing his curtain and looked to Derek very seriously, "You know, when you need to talk, I am here."

"Thanks, I am sure there will be times. She isn't the easiest woman to work for." Derek sighed thinking about that.

"Make sure to make a list of all of the things she needs to be punished for when you get off of here."

Derek busted out laughing, "You are hopeless."

"See ya in a few hours." Mark pulled his curtain to provide darkness in his rack.

Derek walked up to the mess hall and grabbed some fruit they had out and decided to walk up to the flight deck to get some fresh air. The second he walked up there, he heard it. The laugh. Her laugh. He turned slowly in order to get just a glimpse of her. Her hair was down and blowing in the morning breeze. She was greeting a few other officers from another squadron that she must have known with Alex in tow. He quickly glanced back to the ocean not wanting to watch the exchange of the men who were gawking at her. He knew this was going to be harder than he ever imagined.