A Wink and a Warning

By:  M. J. Cogburn and C. E. Krawiec

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"I love you, Trevor.  God, I can't help it but I do," the young woman whispered heatedly as she pulled him down to her.

"And I you, my own," Trevor answered back softly as he began to kiss her neck. 

PART ONE

Madeline Tenney couldn't believe what she had heard coming back so softly and she leaned her head to the side to let her suitor have as much access as he wanted to her neck as well as to the rest of her body where they laid in the bushes beside the barracks.  The last time they had been intimate with each other Rick had almost walked in on them.

When she had seen  Trevor coming from the cafeteria less than ten minutes ago, she couldn't help but hurry over to him and pull him to the side of the barracks away from the eyes that normally followed them around.  Having had ducked into the bushes to just find some privacy to talk for a moment, she had taken Trevor into her arms and laid a kiss on him that only proved how much she cared about him.  His response in kind, and them landing on the ground a few moments later, only told her that their passion wasn't contained in the confines of the barracks.  Even though it was cold, and she was on top of the snow that had drifted against the barracks, it didn't do much to stop them.

"Damn," Trevor muttered softly as he felt his belt being tugged at incessantly. 

Maddie smiled up at him and helped him with her clothes before reaching out and helping him with his own.  "Where there's a will, there's a way."  Seeing the smile that crept over his features, Madeline gasped at the cold before she was warmed by his presence on top of her.  Feeling him enter her once again, she wrapped her legs around him and closed her eyes and let Trevor set the pace in which he wanted and needed her.

Feeling his urgency increase and then a moment later lay against her, his energy somewhat drained, Maddie reached up and caressed his face.  She saw the grin that spread over his face and she smiled back at him, kissed him hungrily then reluctantly released him.  She watched him for a moment as he quickly got ready to leave the bushes. 

She slowly got up and redressed.  She watched as he moved away from the barracks.  Wanting him to know how she felt about him, she uttered the only thing that she could think of at that moment.  "Only you."

Trevor who was looking toward the corner of the barracks quickly turned his head to Madeline and opened his mouth a bit in awe.  Hearing her ask, "What's wrong?" made the young man turn his head away from her and answer back, "Nothing.  Come on, let's get back.  It's damn cold out here." 

Madeline nodded her head, finished zipping up her pants then stepped out and hooked her arm around Trevor's before he looked over at her and pulled his arm away. 

Seeing the hurt look cross over her face, Trevor leaned toward her and said simply, "I'm not going to flaunt this, Maddie.  If we don't watch it, things are going to get sticky at some point and I don't know about you, but I don't want hell to rain down on me." 

"Okay, Trevor," Madeline said simply before she quickly placed a kiss on his lips, and then moved away.  "Just knowing that you are nearby is enough for me.  Without you here, this..." Madeline looked around as she motioned with her hands at their surroundings, "place would be horrible.  Thank you."

Trevor looked at her, smiled, and then said back, "No, my own, thank you."

What was left of the passing moment of Maddie's hurt feelings vanished in the husky  soft utterance.  The warm glow inside brought on by his words was more effective in shielding her from the cold than her parka as she left their impromptu trysting point.  "Dittoes," she breathed softly under her breath, flashing him a bright smile.  She was halfway up the barracks steps when she heard the crunch of boots on snow approaching.  There was no need to look to see who it was; she knew.

Entering the comfortable warmth of the barracks, Maddie wasted no time in getting back to her quarters.  There she found her roommate, Kristen Aldridge, just coming out of the bathroom, wearing a dark red terrycloth robe and brushing her teeth.

Removing her toothbrush from her mouth, Kristen stepped back into the bathroom long enough to spit out the toothpaste foam in her mouth then turned back to face her roommate.  "Either the weather has done a radical about face and it's ninety degrees outside, or you been doing more than playing kissy face with a certain tall, dark-haired recruit I could name."

Maddie's eyes twinkled mischievously as she shrugged out of her parka. "What makes you say that?"

"One, because your face is flushed and two--and the more significant point of the two--there's perspiration on your forehead," Kristen responded.  She scanned Maddie's form with an eye to detail. "And judging by the damp stains on the backs of your pant legs, unless you wet yourself in the last ten minutes, you've been down in the snow."  As she started to resume brushing her teeth, she added, unknowing of how her words echoed those of a fellow recruit, "You're playing with fire, Maddie.  I just hope he's worth it."

Remembering the warm of her lover's skin against hers just a short time ago, Maddie stage-whispered, "He is, Kristen. He is."

Her roommate just gave her a significant look as she paused again to add, "For your sake, kiddo, I just hope he's not just using you as a substitute for the girl back home.  He wouldn't be the first man to do that."

The comment about the damp wet stains on the legs of her trousers had sent Maddie scrambling to the narrow closet that had her nameplate on it.  Grabbing one of the two extra pair of crisply pressed khaki pants, she made short work of stripping off the damp ones and pulling the fresh pair on.  She hadn't looked up as Kristen was talking, at least not until her last sentence.

"Trevor's not like that," Madeline said firmly as she tucked her shirttails in smoothly then buttoned and zipped  up her trousers.  "He loves me." Sparing a glance at the digital clock on the nightstand situated between the heads of their beds, she added, "You better hurry up.  Sgt. Donaldson will be blowing that damned whistle in about twelve minutes."

Kristen didn't respond to her friend's clearly rosy comment about her lover not being "like that."  Instead, she shrugged her shoulders and resumed getting ready. Some eleven and a half minutes later, the women glanced at each other at the sound of a door being slammed.  As each grabbed her parka and pulled it on, between them and very softly, they counted down the seconds until a single long whistle blast rang out from the large main room of the barracks.

"Right on time," Maddie quipped with a grin as she opened the door.  Behind her, Kristen cast one last quick look over the spotless room.  Weekly inspection was right after breakfast this morning and she didn't want to give their DI even a fly's eyelash worth of reason to rip everything out of the dresser drawers and tear up the precisely made beds.  She and Maddie--as well as every other one of their squad members---had been through that scenario several times in the first weeks of training.  Twice had been enough for her and Maddie.

Joining the rush of their fellow squad members, Maddie and Kristen hurried outside and got into formation, coming immediately to attention.  By the time Sgt. Alesandro Donaldson came out of the barracks and descended the steps, all thirty squad members were each in their assigned spot.  As one, the squad responded as a single unit, "Yes, Sgt. Donaldson," when he barked, "Squad... left face! Forward... march!" as they headed for the Chow Hall.

This day for the recruits was more or less a mirror image of every day since they had arrived on day one.  Breakfast, followed on this day by the weekly inspection of quarters and classes.  Physical training, as well as specialized training for most of the squad, were wedged between lunch and dinner  of every recruits  ever jammed full day. So when sundown finally came around, for most, all that was wanted was dinner, a shower and a couple of hours to relax before lights out.  Tonight, as it turned out, the recruits were stunned but pleasantly so, to discover that they were being afforded the unexpected pleasure of a particular current movie to be shown in the chow hall after the last seating for dinner was finished.

The approach of eight o'clock and the movie's start saw the majority of all personnel, regular staff as well as the recruits and the officers off duty, toward the chow hall.  In Barracks 3, among the last recruits hastily heading out the door was Rick Donnelly and Trevor Conroy. 

"I was going to see this movie before I got the notice to report for training," Rick was saying as he hurried down the steps.  "Figured I wouldn't get to see it 'til I got back home and rented a DVD."  Grinning at his roommate who was following down the steps he added, "It's just as well.  Melissa would rather watch grass grow than go see an action movie like this."

Trevor was about to respond when he heard the barracks door open again and turned to see who the straggler was.  He grinned.  "You're the last one out. You buy the popcorn," he teased as she hurried to join him and Rick.  He glanced at Rick, in no way able to miss the look in his roommate's eyes before refocusing on Maddie as she came up between them.

Rick didn't say anything immediately. It wasn't his business what his friend did with Madeline Tenney after hours.  Trevor didn't need, nor had he asked, for his opinion so he just went with the flow of the moment.

Casting a glance at Rick, Madeline smiled then turned to look at Trevor with affection.  "So are you ready for the movie?"

"Sure am," Trevor said with a smile as he looked past her to Rick.  "I think we all need a break occasionally, and we definitely need one now.  Don't you think so?"

Madeline flashed Trevor a brilliant smile before she turned back to look at Rick.  "I think so.  Everything has been rather topsy-turvy and I so look forward to movie nights.  Don't you, Rick?"

Rick grinned but shook his head.  "I enjoy movie night just like everyone else does, but uh, well, I really do wish that Melissa was here to enjoy it with."  Seeing how Trevor turned slightly to look down at Madeline, Rick took the cue even if one hadn't been verbally made.  "I don't want to miss a minute of this movie, so I'll just save you guys some seats, okay?"  Without waiting for a response from them, Rick headed off toward the chow hall.

Watching as he walked away, Madeline stepped a bit closer to Trevor and let her hand brush against his hip before connecting with his hand.  "Sergeant Donaldson wasn't too hard on you today, was he?" she asked softly.

As his fingers twined with Madeline's, Trevor spared a cautious glance around the area but the closest person to them at the moment was his roommate. Even then, Rick was already a good twenty yards ahead and widening the gap with every subsequent step. It was only then that he felt safe in pausing and turning to face Madeline.  Lifting his free hand, Trevor cupped one of her cheeks. "I'm still breathing and all in one piece so... that's something."

Madeline giggled softly as she nuzzled her cheek against his gloved hand. In the dim light at the edge of a pool of light issuing from one of the security lights near the front of the barracks, her eyes fixed on Trevor's face, her expression changing.  Before either could say another word, she leaned up to brush a quick kiss on his lips.  She didn't fight in the least when she felt his hand leave her cheek to move to the back of her head and hold her still as he deepened the kiss for several long seconds.  At last he drew back, looked deep into her eyes then said, "If we don't get a move on, we'll be in the last row."  However, when he turned and started forward, their hands still clasped, Madeline didn't move.

Trevor paused, looking back at her, a questioning look in his eyes.  "Come on or we'll be the last ones in...if we can get in at all."  The movie, however, was forgotten as he watched her shift a meaningful glance at the narrow alley way beside the barracks then look back to him.  Hearing her say, "I don't mind being a few minutes late... if you don't."

Unlike the first time, it was easier this time to ignore the niggling of his conscience as an understanding smile crossed his face. Sparing another cautious look around and still not seeing anyone at all, Trevor tightened his grip on her hand encouragingly and nodded. "I don't mind," he murmured as he allowed her to draw him into the shadows of the alley way, moving back and deeper into the shadows until she drew him again behind the large bushes.  He didn't worry about anything or anyone as she turned to him in the shadows, drawing her into his arms and kissing her urgently even as he walked her back until her back met the side of the barracks.

Breaking the kiss, Trevor reached up to unzip his parka while Madeline mirrored his actions. Her coat was barely opened when he reached for the button of her trousers, leaving nothing to the imagination.  "I want you, my own," he muttered huskily as she brushed his hands away. He didn't quibble when she teased softly, "Do I have to unzip them for you?"

Trevor grinned at her when he cast his eyes down to see that she had already undone her own pants.  Trevor leaned forward, giving her a long, seductive kiss as he unzipped his own pants and closed the small gap between the two of them.  When she turned her head slightly to the side and let him begin to kiss down her jaw and onto her neck, she giggled when he hit a rather sensitive spot on her neck and wrapped her arms around him.

"Shhhh," he whispered against her neck as he blew on the spot that he had just kissed liking how it caused her to shiver in his embrace.  "You don't want to wake the neighbors, do you?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Drill Sergeant Alesandro Donaldson growled at himself for being late to the movie.  It irritated him to no end to know that on the one night that he had to relax and not deal with the recruits he had to get to the movie late because of a meeting gone long.  At least it wasn't a movie that he had wanted to see from beginning to end, but he hadn't seen this one and it was difficult to come in and get the desired effect if you had missed a vital part.  He hated feeling dumb, even in a movie.

As he walked through the courtyard toward the chow hall he wished for the umpteenth time that winter was over.  He was ready for spring and ready to get the recruits to where they needed to be.  Keeping his pace steady, he kept going toward the chow hall until he heard talking then giggling coming from the alley way by the barracks.

Narrowing his eyes, he went to the alleyway and looked down it, then heard the whispered words and crossed his arms over his chest.  He wasn't sure which two recruits were enjoying themselves, but he was sure going to find out and then have a long chat with both of them.

"You didn't wake the neighbors," he answered plainly.  "However, you have interrupted my movie experience."  When he didn't get the response he wanted, he snapped, "Come out here and line up, or I'm coming in there!"

Trevor Conroy could have named a handful of embarrassing moments in his life, but all of them rolled together didn't come close to his reaction at the sound of an all too familiar voice of authority.

"Ohhhh shit!" he hissed under his breath even as he hastily moved away from Madeline, both of them frantically yanking clothing up, the sound of zippers rasping closed clear in the chill night air.

"Ten seconds," Alesandro Donaldson snapped out the warning. He backed up the warning by advancing two steps into the alley.  "If you two aren't in my face before I say one, you'll both stand at attention in the main barracks room with your pants around your ankles from now until dawn! ..... ten.... nine.... eight...."

Neither was sure if shirts were properly tucked in or not, but at least everything that should be zipped, was as they scrambled from the secluded nook and chased the few feet down the narrow alley way.  It would have been a tie to determine whose face, Trevor's or Madeline's, was more flushed as they approached within two feet of their unequivocally annoyed DI and came to attention.

Alesandro didn't say a word for what seemed to the recruits before him, an eternally long moment.  That he'd caught a couple of recruits in the bushes wasn't new. Invariably this sort of thing happened in at least one of each new crop of recruits and, unless an officer was involved, generally the DI gave the offending participants a warning; few ever needed more. In fact, after being caught, ninety-nine times out of a hundred, the twosome never repeated the offense.  Now he studied the pair in front of him.

He took his time in walking around them, even, he knew, making them sweat when he walked to the back of the alley to inspect the small trysting corner behind the bushes.  Returning a minute later, Alesandro resumed his stance before them, fixing them with a hard stare.  At last, he spoke.

"While there is no written rule about... fraternization between recruits," he stated flatly. "There is a rule, which you both, especially you, Mr. Conroy, should know backwards. Specifically, that the use of any of Lothos' property, whatever form it takes is strictly prohibited." He paused, noting how Trevor Conroy dared to lick his lips. He wondered if he'd dare to speak; he didn't and Alesandro wound up his brief harangue.

"When each of you signed on the dotted line for this training, you became even more Lothos' property.  And by your... use of each other, I would be one hundred percent within my rights to order you up for, at a minimum, reprimand before the commander of the fort."  He didn't miss the way both recruits' eyes widened at that.

"However, while you have assured that I'm only going to get to see half of the movie tonight, I am going to let you off with a warning... this time." He paused then added, "From now on, if I even think that you two are 'rustling bushes' ANYWHERE on this post, I will personally haul you both before the commander and ask for the privilege of doling out whatever punishment he deems suitable. Now both of you get yourselves sorted out... tucked in and get to the movie."  When neither recruit moved, he snapped, "That was an order.  Don't make me repeat myself!"

"Yes, Sgt. Donaldson," Trevor Conroy and Madeline Tenney responded in clear voices.  For a second neither moved, however, the sight of the sergeant's eyebrows beginning to draw down into a frown spurred both to action.  They repeated their response to him and then, like a couple of children caught playing 'doctor' stepped around him, both running for the steps, went up them and into the barracks.

Alesandro, instead of continuing to the movie immediately, opted to wait in front of the barracks.  He checked his watch as the pair went into the building: 8:12 p.m.  He didn't stir until he heard the door open again, eyeing the two recruits as they hesitated to take a chance and salute him before rushing across the quadrangle.  He watched until he saw the pair approach the chow hall door. Only then did he continue his walk to the chow hall.  Once there, Alesandro managed to find a reasonably good seat.  As it turned out, he thoroughly enjoyed the movie, though he knew for a certainty there were at least two people in the crowd hall that wouldn't remember much about the movie at all.