P. O. W.

by Max Vos

  “Yeah, well, maybe. We’ll see,” he said as he sighed heavily. “So you’re going to go back to Atlanta?” he asked Stone, changing the subject not-so-subtly.

  “Yeah, my parents are there. I can’t really say that it is home anymore.” Stone reflected for a moment. “I’ve never had my own place…I’ve always been a Marine. That’s all I’ve ever known.”

  “I hear ya, same here,” Benoit responded, his breath washing over Stone’s face. “Leslie and I got married right out of high school, and I was shipped off to boot a month later. I’ve never been home long enough to put down roots. Maybe I would have if we’d had a kid sooner.” Leslie had been pregnant before, but had a miscarriage.

  Stone understood. They had both made the Marines their lives. They were both alpha males, competitive, everything that makes for a good Marine.

  “You know…” Benoit started, and then stopped.

  They knew each other so well that they often finished each other’s sentences, or not at all, because they didn’t have to. Stone knew where he was going.

  “I’ll never say anything, Benny, you should know that.” Benoit was concerned about what had happened to them getting out. For someone like Benoit, having people look at him with pity would kill him, and add rape on top of that…well, that was just something that might be worse than death.

  They had never actually talked about it. Stone knew Benoit had a harder time with it than he did, mainly because Stone had been able to separate himself mentally from it. In that regard, Stone was the stronger one. What he had not been able to separate himself from was Benoit, and Stone knew he’d never be able to do that, not completely. Benoit was as much a part of Stone as his left arm. That was just the way it was, and it was Stone who was going to have to deal with that.

  Time dictated to them. They had been together for so long, they knew the routine; it was as if they were an old married couple. Stone smiled at that. The two Marines stepped up to the sink to brush their teeth, and then shave. Stone looked at their reflections in the mirror as they wiped the leftover shaving cream away.

  Total opposites. Benoit dark, Stone light. Benoit was the furry one, Stone almost hairless. The one thing that they did have in common, physically, was that they were both ripped. They had pushed each other hard, becoming stronger and stronger. Their bodies were almost works of art. Over the last month they had both put on a little weight, but that wasn’t such a bad thing after being starved as they had been. If it hadn’t been for Abbas sneaking them food, they might not have made it at all.

  Benoit saw Stone looking. “Yeah, we’re both still hot studs,” he joked as he flexed his bulging bicep, and then kissed it.

  Stone busted out laughing. “Modesty has never been your strong suit, Benny. Might want to work on that.”

  “What? I’m just stating a fact!” That fake-surprised look on his face always made his buddy laugh. “Come on, show me what you got, stud.” He pushed Stone with his shoulder, wanting him to flex with him.

  It had been their little game to flex for each other, do body builder competition-style poses, mostly making fun of them. So Stone popped a pose. It had the opposite effect than it normally did. Instead of Benoit laughing, trying to outdo Stone, he stopped; his face was suddenly totally serious.

  “You do know I love you, Sammy, don’t you?” Their eyes were locked together in the mirror’s reflection.

  Stone couldn’t help it; the tears he’d been able to push back, ignore, finally slipped out.

  “Yeah, I know, Benny, and you know…” Stone couldn’t even finish, couldn’t say the words he had so long wanted to say to Benoit.

  “I know, Sammy. I’m sorry I couldn’t be what you wanted me to be.” For the first time, Stone saw Benoit cry, his tears matching his own as they ran down his freshly shaven cheeks. “I would have, or at least have tried…if…”

  “I know, Benny, I know. You’re just not wired that way, and I’m okay with it. Well, I am now, anyway.”

  Benny took Stone into his thickly muscled arms, holding him tightly. “You do know that we’re brothers, though, and we’ll always be brothers. Miles may keep us apart, but nothing but miles can separate us.”

  A hard, guttural sob worked its way up and out of Stone. There they stood, two of the biggest, baddest, kick-ass Marines you could find, holding each other, naked, crying into each other’s shoulders.

  “I love you, Benny, more than I think you know. You’re as much a part of me now as anything or anyone can be.” Nothing could have been truer.

  They were still holding each other when Abbas walked in. Instantly, he understood. He came and put his arms around both Marines, holding them as they held each other. A few moments later the three men broke apart, time again dictating their lives.

  Benoit and Stone put on their uniforms for the first time in almost two months. The heavy clothes felt almost foreign to Stone now. His boots were like weights tied to his feet, they felt so heavy and foreign. Benoit and Stone looked at each other, and gave each other formal salutes, as they had done so many times before.

  All of their gear had been shipped to them from Afghanistan, so they each had their own full duffle bags; both were packed, and ready to go. However, Benoit was not allowed to carry his, due to his shoulder and the weight restriction the doc had placed on him. Stone had kidded him about it already.

  There was a commotion at the door, and Saaleh walked in on crutches, none too steadily, grinning like an idiot.

  “Well, well, look what the cat drug in.” Benoit laughed.

  Saaleh had worked hard to learn English; he still had a long way to go, but he wasn’t doing too badly. The puzzled look on his face was clear as he tried to grasp what Benoit had said.

  “What is cat?” he asked.

  Abbas hugged the young man to his side, also helping to steady him. “I will explain it to you later, little one,”

  Saaleh shrugged him off, annoyed. “I no little!” He pouted.

  The three grown men all laughed at him, he was so anxious to be all grown up.

  Benoit walked over to Saaleh and ruffled his hair before giving him a gigantic bear hug, lifting him off the floor. Saaleh squealed at the sudden show of affection.

  “Take it easy, kiddo,” Benoit told him, and then kissed his forehead. Saaleh smiled and kissed Benoit’s cheek, as far as he could reach.

  Once Benoit was sure that Saaleh was steady, and not going to fall off his crutches, he approached Abbas. The two men, the men Stone loved more than anything, looked at each other, and then hugged each other tightly. They whispered something in each other’s ears before patting each other on the back and breaking away. The look they gave each other warmed Stone’s heart. They understood each other, and had come to terms with their feelings for each other and for Stone.

  Benoit turned and approached Stone. Each was barely able to contain his tears; their eyes looked glassy. The two stood looking at each other for the longest time, or it seemed that way. Then they hugged each other, holding onto each other for as long as possible, not knowing when or if they’d ever see each other again. At least that was Stone’s feeling.

  “Remember, Sammy, we’re brothers forever. This isn’t the end, just a new beginning.” Benoit’s voice was husky with emotion.

  Stone nodded. He didn’t dare try to speak. He was afraid that if he opened his mouth, he’d never be able to contain the emotions floating just beneath the surface, threatening to burst free.

  Knock. Knock. “Lieutenant Benoit, it’s time for you to leave for the airport.” There stood a nurse with a wheelchair, an orderly and two MPs.

  “I don’t need a wheelchair. I’m perfectly able to walk!”

  “It is hospital policy, so get your ass in this chair.” The big black nurse was one of their favorites. She never held back, and that was part of her charm.

  Huffing, Benoit did as she said, not daring to contradict the large woman. The orderly carried Benoit’s duffle bag, and the MPs escorted the group
from the room and down the hall.

  Standing in the hall, Stone watched as his best friend was wheeled out of his life. The tears he had tried so hard to hold back flowed freely down his face.

  A strong arm held Stone’s shoulders, and a smaller arm was around his waist. Looking to either side, Stone saw his new family. The man he loved with his whole heart, and the young man who had saved his life, and who had also wormed his way into Stone’s heart.

  Stone smiled: a new life and a new beginning. Benoit may not have the prominent role in Stone’s life that he had once had, but he was rewarded with two incredible people who filled his heart with abundant love and joy. Life was good.

  Epilogue

  Stone’s parents were waiting for the three men at baggage claim in Atlanta when they arrived. Both Abbas and Saaleh were nervous about meeting them. Stone knew, however, that they didn’t have anything to worry about. His folks were remarkably open and accepting people.

  As Stone had suspected, his parents welcomed them all with open arms. They had done a quick job of converting the walkout basement of their home into a temporary apartment for them, managing to get two separate bedrooms set up.

  While in Germany, Stone told them much that had happened to him, and that he was gay. Stone did not tell them about the rapes. He thought that would be too hard for them to take. They were a bit surprised to hear that he was bringing home his new partner and that they were, for all intents and purposes, grandparents.

  Since Stone had no real life outside of the Marines, he had saved up a sizeable chunk of money. A house down the street from his folks went up for sale; Stone bought it, staying close to his now elderly parents. They surprised him by buying all new furniture, which was a good thing, since Stone had none.

  Abbas enrolled at Emory, and loved being a student again. Saaleh had special classes to help him with English, and to bring him up to speed academically. Stone’s mother helped with tutoring him, and within a year, he graduated from an American high school. Stone, his parents, and Abbas didn’t think any young man could have been prouder than Saaleh was. His new family was also extremely proud of him, and even prouder when he got a scholarship to Georgia Tech. Who would have known he would have turned out to be such a geek!

  It took Abbas four years to get his medical degree, specializing in geriatrics. Stone’s mother teased her son terribly, saying how proud she was that her son had married himself a doctor. Abbas didn’t help matters in that area either! He was just as bad as she was. Of course, he was proud of what he had accomplished, but not as proud as Stone was.

  Stone? He got a position doing security for a major business in Atlanta, and quickly moved up the ranks. He also took some classes, and decided that he was enjoying them, so he got a degree in Law Enforcement.

  Their little family had settled into a comfortable routine. Until…

  The year of Abbas’s graduation, Atlanta suffered a horrendous snow and ice storm; the temperature dropped drastically. What no one expected was that Stone started having flashbacks from his time as a POW. The only thing that Stone or anyone else could think was that the cold had triggered it. He suffered PTSD, and that was something he wasn’t prepared for.

  It was really bad. He would wake up in the middle of the night screaming, feeling so cold that he thought he was dead. Everything came flooding back, and Stone was a nervous wreck all the time. He now hated the cold with every particle of his being.

  After a lot of discussion, Abbas and Stone announced that they were going to move to Florida. Abbas had applied for, and then was offered, a spectacular position at a hospital in Naples, Florida. Stone had also landed a pretty cushy position at a private security firm, so he was happy.

  Saaleh was going to stay behind and finish his degree in engineering, living with his grandparents, in the basement apartment. With Stone’s parents growing older, Stone and Abbas were grateful to know that Saaleh was going to be there to help them out.

  Benoit’s life, on the other hand, didn’t go as he had expected.

  When he got back home to Colorado, he had walked in on his wife in bed with another Marine. She was also six months pregnant. Since Benoit had not been home on leave in over a year, it was quite apparent that he was not the father. That was how he surprised his wife with his homecoming.

  The Marine who was caught with his wife was dishonorably discharged, and Benoit started divorce proceedings. He also applied for full custody of their son, Chad. The chances of him getting full custody hadn’t been exceptionally good. That was until she tried to take off with the kid in the middle of the night with the newly discharged Marine; not very smart on her part, since they were living on base.

  Now a full time father, Benoit had a choice to make: leave the Marines and take a job that would let him stick around and raise his son as a civilian. Choosing to remain in the Corps, he took a job at Parris Island, training new recruits. His time as a POW proved invaluable, and was actually the reason he was able to get the permanent position.

  Benoit and his son, Chad, became part of Stone’s extended family. They spent most holidays together. Stone was now Uncle Sammy, which was fine by him. Stone was to take Chad if anything ever happened to Benoit, or if he were ever to be deployed again. Not his mother, who seemed to drop out of their lives totally.

  Benoit’s and Stone’s friendship deepened even more over the years, as did Benoit’s and Abbas’s. Whenever the Benoits visited, it was understood that Benny would be sharing their bed. Stone thought they all looked forward to those visits for more than one reason.

  Benny occasionally dated, he said, but it was more for physical relief than wanting another relationship with a woman. He was still hopelessly straight, except for the time when he was in Abbas’s and Stone’s bed. Benoit was perfectly content with his life, taking care of his son, being the father that he had always wanted to be.

  One New Year’s Eve, they were all together spending the holidays together, including Stone’s parents and Saaleh. Everyone was lounging by the pool at Stone’s and Abbas’s new home in Naples. Saaleh and Chad were horsing around in the pool. Stone’s parents were playing pinochle; Benny was dozing on the double chaise lounge, getting some sun. Stone looked at the handsome man he had pledged the rest of his life to, and then he took his hand. Raising it, Stone kissed his palm.

  “Thank you, Abbas,” Stone whispered to him.

  Abbas looked surprised as he looked up from his book.

  “What did I do?”

  “You have made me the happiest man in the universe.” Stone smiled at him. “You have given me everything. Things I didn’t even know I needed or wanted.”

  Abbas put his book down, stood up, and pulled Stone toward him. He and Stone sneaked off to the bedroom, where they made hot, passionate love.

  Afterwards, as they lay there in each other’s arms, the door opened a crack, and Benny looked in.

  “Is this a private party, or can anyone join in?”

  “No, not just anyone can join, but you can,” Abbas answered him, grinning.

  Benny came into the room, closing the door behind him.

  “You both look so good, I don’t know where to begin!”

  It reminded Stone of that last night that they had spent in the hospital in Germany. Everyone got a chance at doing everything. They sucked and fucked themselves into a stupor. A few hours later, the three men lay together, all wrapped up in each other’s arms, totally spent, when the sliding glass door to the patio slid open and Saaleh stepped in. Benoit had forgotten about locking that one.

  Saaleh had filled out nicely, becoming an exceptionally handsome young man. He had graduated last spring with honors from Georgia Tech, and was now out making his own way in the world.

  “I figured I’d find you guys in here.” He chuckled, then came in and sat on the edge of the bed.

  A faraway look came over his face, and they all knew what he was thinking. He was thinking back to that time in Afghanistan.

  Abbas r
ecognized that look, and pulled Saaleh into bed with them for a little cuddle time. In many ways, Saaleh was his own man. However, there were times when each of the four men needed a little comforting, a little cuddle time, when that time from their past reared its ugly head.

  They were all okay. They had all made it. Only those lying on that bed knew what had happened all those years before. How they had met and come together, how they had healed and supported one another. How they had become a family.

  Later, at almost midnight, Stone was in the kitchen getting a couple of bottles of champagne ready to toast in the New Year, when Benoit came in. He wrapped his arms around Stone from behind and kissed the side of his neck.

  “What was that for?” Stone asked.

  “Because I still love you more than any other human being on this Earth, other than Chad, of course.”

  Stone put the bottles down and turned to him. “Benny, you know that for as long as we live, no matter where we are, we will always be brothers, and I love you too.” Thus he repeated the words that he had said to Stone the day that they parted at that hospital in Germany.

  The two, still hunky men, embraced, holding each other as they had so many times before. Stone would never grow tired of being held by this man.

  Abbas came in, and walked over, wrapping his arms around the both of them. Stone never felt safer or more loved than when that happened. Enveloped by the strong arms of the men he loved most.

  “Dad…it’s almost time,” the ten-year-old whined, walking into the kitchen.

  “Yeah, yeah, I hear ya Chad,” Benny said, mocking his son.

  “Uncle Abbas, Saaleh is hogging the PS3 again. Come and get him off?” Chad asked as he pulled Abbas’s shirt.

  They all laughed, breaking away, continuing with what they had been doing.

  Life always went on…and it was good.

  About The Author

  Max Vos is the bestselling author of My Hero. He is loved by his readers for his ‘inappropriate’ side, bringing hot and steamy sex to his writing. Not hemmed in by a single genre Max has the ability to woo you with sweet romance, move you with the power of his words and make you question your definition of love.