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1. AlcoholBrad would never say out loud that Nate can’t hold his alcohol – recon marine, fuck you very much – and he’d never complain about having his arms full of a warm, pliant and definitely touchy feely LT; but, as he half drags and half carries Nate up the steps of his house, he comes to the conclusion that Nate really is the worse drinker in the history of the Marine Corps and he fully intends to tell Nate that.......first thing in the morning.2. BrightHe can feel it before he opens his eyes – that warm, glowing sensation of bright sunlight streaming through Brad’s bedroom window and directly on his face and as he shifts slightly he feels the arm around his waist tighten momentarily then relax comfortably, a large warm hand reassuringly stroking his hip lulling him back to sleep.3. ConsequencesIt’s not like they hadn’t talked about the consequences of their relationship – just because they were Marines and guys didn’t mean they didn’t talk about stuff, damn it – it’s just, having others affirm their relationship was never that high up on their scale of ‘things to worry about’ (Nate keeps a list) – Brad’s career (pre-DADT repeal), the distance (Brad), the legalities (Nate), grandchildren (both Moms) etc – so when Brad gets an email from an old high school friend wanting to congratulate them on being ‘OTP’ to a hardcore group of ‘slash writers’ around the world; they’re not sure whether to be flattered or offended.4. FlexibleAs Brad pulls back an inch or two, adjusting his grip on Nate’s slick hips, he takes a second to admire how flexible his former LT is before Nate’s low moan and involuntary clenching around him has him sliding back in with the force of his need and want.
5. GoodbyeHe doesn’t need to go to the service and he definitely won’t go to the cemetery – he’s man enough to know that he won’t be able to watch Brad’s mom receiving the folded flag, to hear the gun salute or watch the coffin lowered into the cold, hard ground: he’s said his goodbye, said it every night in an empty house after Brad deployed and will now whisper it every night until he can no longer say it.6. Laugh“...the fuck, I said,” Poke ended with, causing Brad to throw his head back, his white teeth shining against his California tan, and laugh in strong, loud bursts that sent a desperate warmth through Nate’s chest and stomach that might be described as ‘fucking retard gay’ (Ray),’ fondness’ (Walt) or ‘love’ (Rudy).7. Lake“...you know, if you wanted to see the lake, we could’ve just driven instead of walking through 4 clicks of sno..,” Brad’s rant is silenced by Nate’s cold lips sliding against his, a warm tongue running along them demanding entry.8. History“From the halls of Montezuma, to the shores of Tripoli...” Nate sings along in his head as the band plays the familiar tune and he thinks about the proud history of the US Marine Corp; the long tradition of camaraderie borne from blood, sweat, fear and the lives of thousands of young people throughout the last two hundred and thirty odds years; and he and watches with fierce pride as Brad, tall and powerful in his dress blues, marches forward to receive the bronze medal.9. MattressBrad moans hotly into the mattress as Nate’s long fingers rhythmically brush over his prostate time and time again, his hands clenching the fitted sheet either side of the bed, his entire body strung out with intense pleasure bordering on pain.10. PantiesIt’s not that Nate doesn’t want to wear the panties – they’d pretty much discovered every kink that worked for them – it’s just that this particular pair that Brad had brought were uncomfortable and lacey.10 Nate waited nervously, face down on the bed - the lace panties stretching across his round, toned ass; the waist elastic accentuating the dimples just above the top of them making Brad's heart beat just that little bit faster. 11. PlansNathaniel Fick likes to make plans; he doesn’t have to write them down (although lists are his second favourite thing) and they don’t have to be grand or large despite what Brad says Tuesday night’s TV viewing still needs to be planned.12. RopesBrad can hear Nate struggling against the ropes around his ankles and wrists; the creak of nylon rubbing naked flesh red sends a jolt of pleasure up his spine and he smiles silently as his cock twitches in a pavlovian response.12 Brad slips behind Nate, the ropes rubbing enticingly against Brad's thighs as Nate struggles to grasp Brad's cock in his bound hands. 13. StoicHis unit is hit by an IED explosion that doesn’t take out the lead vehicle Brad’s in, but the fourth vehicle that the team’s LT is in and by the time he gets back to it his fellow commandos have got the wounded out and Doc had most of them patched up – all except the LT who is sitting against a low wall, the bottom half of his left leg smashed to pieces, being all British and stoic, barking casevac orders into his coms and looking so much like Nate it takes Brad a second or two to shake that wave of fear away.14. StrawberryBrad’s never been sure what color Nate’s hair really is: in the deserts of Iraq it was the same shaved dirty blonde/brown as half of the company, in college it was longer, cleaner, and a little lighter – but here, in the bright California sun, on a ten day libo Nate’s hair is definitely more strawberry blonde; streaked from the sun and salt water.15. TattooSunday morning sees Nate laying on his side, lazily trailing his fingers along the bold lines of Brad’s tattoo, his contented and sleep fogged mind admiring the plains of warm, relaxed muscles under the shocking colors.16. ThroatNate swallows the tequila shot amongst the hoots and whistles of pretty much all of Bravo, his head thrown back, the long lean lines of his throat working the fiery liquid down and making Brad’s constrict with want.17. TiesEven Ray is beginning to understand the Nathaniel Fick Color Coded System – so Brad doesn’t feel too bad for being a ‘jailbait chasing, retarded, special Olympics gaybo’ and reading Nate’s moods by the ties he wears: when Nate wants to be taken seriously, he’ll wear his dark Navy blue Harvard tie; when he’s feeling particularly combative, he’ll bring out the olive green and silver diamond tie; for formal occasions it’s the matt black one and when he’s rocking the light blue one – well, Brad knows to be home on time that night.18. UnashamedIf it were up to Brad, he’d walk around their house naked all day, every day; his unashamed attitude to nudity at home is in direct contrast with his tightly controlled, buttoned up work personae and just one of the myriad of contradictions that Nate finds so fascinating and endearing.19. Angels“Please Uncle Brad, please,” two sets of wide green eyes plea up at him from beneath golden curly locks and Brad finds himself wondering how, exactly, he’d gotten to this place where two blonde five year olds dressed as angels had him buying two Disney Rapunzel dolls while Nate snickered quietly to his nine.20. DemonsNate should have known better than to let Brad drag him to the Bravo 4th of July celebrations at the Espera’s – and watching Brad and Ray running like demons away from The Juggernaut they’d rigged up to the top of Poke’s garden shed and hastily lit only confirmed his suspicions that the night was going to get very messy.21. PlenaryEvery time he was introduced as the Plenary Speaker Nate could hear Brad’s ultra dry tones why the fuck can’t they just say ‘First Speaker’ instead of being all art wank, dick suck, fucking liberal hippy about it?22. AsteroidBut of course Ray would have an opinion on Armageddon, and it starts with –‘…fucking asteroid coming to obliterate the earth and they don’t call the marines – fuck that shit…’ – and it snowballs from there; Brad just nods and keeps eating the popcorn Nate made before he went to bed.23. TradeThere’s this tall, blonde headed kid that will trade Marvel cards in the corner of playground, under the large jacaranda tree, at lunchtime at Nate’s new school; tomorrow he’s going to go up to Brad (Nate’s might be new but he’s got his sources) and see what he’d trade for the hologram MH3: Silver Surfer he’s got.23 What Nate wasn't aware of was that in order to get to Brad to do the trading, you had to go through a 'middle man' in the shape of this wild eyed, dark mopped haired speed freak called Ray Person. 24. PoliticsDespite what Tom, Andrew and John think, and while Ray may go on and on about Nate’s Ivy League bleeding heart and Brad’s liberal Jewish upbringing, they really don’t talk a lot of politics at home, save one massive argument about Obamacare, a joint repulsion of anything to do with Glen Beck and the Tea Party and a few skirmishes around DADT, the mid terms and the DOD budget they very rarely discuss their slightly opposite political views.25. ElevatorThe elevator doors were barely shut when Nate found himself pushed up against the mirrored panelling, Brad’s hot and demanding mouth pressed against his; large, capable hands making their determined way under his shirt and up his back and the tell tale sign of Brad’s arousal grinding impatiently into his hip bone.26. CEOJohn, Andrew and a few others at CNAS took him out to Komi to celebrate his promotion to CEO, and while the food was delicious and the wine outstanding, Nate couldn’t help but wonder what Brad would say when he finds out, via email.27. StuckIt’s exactly 8 hours until Nate’s surprise birthday dinner and he’s currently stuck in Minneapolis/ St Paul airport looking at a departure board that is fast filling up with FLIGHT CANCELLED messages – Fuck my life, Brad thinks as he pulls out his phone to text Walt and come up with a Plan B.28. EspionageNate hears the words ...Iraq...US Marine...Hezbollah...held on suspicion of espionage and his head snaps up to the flat screen on the wall where Brad’s Recon ID photo flashes up over a satellite image of Tikrit, and he knows he won’t be getting any sleep tonight.29. QuicksandHe wasn’t sure at first, there was no quick spike of lust or foolish feelings of adolescent love like with Jen – those crazy, demented thoughts of possession and will she/won’t she pulling him down like quicksand – it wasn’t until he watched Nate put Rudy into a head lock and throw him to the training mat that Brad recognised that heavy feeling in his stomach as desire.30. HeistRay’s plan for the heist was flawless – Brad makes good use of the distraction the industrial bin fire caused, encounters no one to the service elevator, manages not to trip any of the senses surrounding the display case and is reaching for his glass cutter when Detective 1st class Nathaniel Fick’s voice comes over the PA system, “I bet you whatever is in my wallet, Brad, that it was Ray’s idea to steal the Princess’s Hope Diamond.”31. BikeIt is a well known fact that the Iceman loves his bike – all 502lbs, 1042cc, 82.9ins of candy fire red Kawasaki Ninja; speed, freedom, wildness, pure power harnessed – but Brad would sell her in a heartbeat if it meant moving across the country to be with Nate.32. Giorgio ArmaniMost days it’s the service C uniform and on the weekend it’s jeans and button downs; deploying it’s the utility and the day after returning it’s sweats and tee shirts; special occasions see the dress blues or his favourite sports jacket and a tie – so when Brad arrives to pick him up from work in what looks like a bespoke, flawless charcoal grey Giorgio Armani, complete with pale blue tie and a pair of Barkers, it takes Nate a few seconds to get his pulse under control.33. AnxietyHe knows this pounding headache and twitching nerves are just anxiety working its way through his body, but Nate can’t seem to sit still – pacing his office on a regular basis, walking out to see what’s happening on the flat screen in the staffroom, making yet another cup of coffee – he knows no news is good news but he wishes like hell someone would call to tell him Brad is ok.34. AbandonedHe never felt abandoned by his birth mother, even though he technically was – his parents loved him and raised him to be the man he was, so he never really thought about the fact that his biological mother didn’t want him and that served Brad well until they talked about having children and Nate had mentioned adoption and suddenly Brad couldn’t bring himself to say what a bad idea it was.35. DenialNate watches his lead TL running around an open field with no shirt on, his lean torso gleaming in the sunlight, long arms stretched out like aeroplane wings and wonders how much longer he can stay in denial about these feelings he’s been having for the Iceman since before they stepped off.36. KnifeBrad saw the knife three seconds before it was plunged into Nate’s side with such force that it broke two of his ribs.37. LostHe came back from Iraq, left the Corps, moved back to the East coast (and into his parents’ house for awhile), enrolled into college, got a part time job, wrote a book – all the while feeling a little disjointed, incongruent, lost. It wasn’t until Brad called him from England that he started to feel real again.38. NumbHe’d been waiting outside Nate’s apartment for so long in the in the freezing cold of a January afternoon that his fingers and toes were numb and he vaguely worried about frost bite.39. Waiting“Have a good flight” means I’m waiting for you to come back to me.40. DreadIt’s that moment of sheen dread – the standing in front of his (their?) front door and hesitating, not knowing if Nate will still be there or if he’s come to his senses and left; not knowing if Nate still wants him or not; not knowing what’s changed and what’s stayed the same.41. HoodThe sun is blazing its orange trail into the sea as the afternoon calmly winds down and the breeze picks up, sending slightly large waves crashing onto the shore; Brad puts the hood up on his recon track suit top as he watches Nate turn to roll over on the sand next to him.42. RageHe sees the calm rage in Nate’s eyes as the idiot repeats the question an inch from Nate’s face and he knows that in about 3 seconds, when the guy swings for Nate, all hell is going to break loose.43. GunBrad stands at Nate’s front door looking out into the dark street, gun hanging loosely from his hand, waiting for the onslaught to begin.44. ForgivenessNate never said I’m sorry and Brad never gave his forgiveness; but they came to a silent agreement never to mention her name and moved on – Brad’s occasionally haunted expression the only lasting memory of Nate’s betrayal.45. TeethBrad’s teeth are Hollywood white – small and perfectly formed; a small overbite giving him a slightly goofy grin that brings out Nate’s uber wide smile.46. PainThe shrapnel ripped through his upper thigh, peppering his left side and torn into his shoulder and back; Brad went down in a blinding light of pain and disorientation. 47. QuietIt’s not like Ray to be so quiet and Nate’s beginning to think that the younger man has slipped into some kind of drug induced coma when suddenly he reanimates, grabs Brad, pulls him into a huge hug and yells “FUCK YEAH!”48. SleepTo sleep, perchance to dream; Nate knows the Shakespearean quote but he doesn’t really want to go to sleep for the very reason that he might dream – and lately, his dreams have been filled with sand and dust, blood and pain.49. BeachWalt’s totally on to them and if Ray would just fuck off with his ‘I know Brad Colbert better than anyone else’ routine for a second he’d see that the Iceman and the LT are totally doing it; but Ray’s off the beach somewhere – chasing some trim – and Walt’s the only one around when Brad reaches across and rubs in the sunscreen on Nate’s nose – smile like it’s all good. 50. BonfireNate should have known that Brad’s bonfire would be pretty amazing – the man doesn’t do anything by halves – and the fact that they’ve had to move back three of four feet to escape the heat being thrown out is just testament to the Iceman’s superior fire building skills.51. TortureThey’d been trained to withstand a certain level of torture during SERE – captured, starved, beaten, water boarded, sleep deprived – but nothing really prepares you for dinner with Brad’s mother, father, two sisters and extended family during Passover.52. BoundWith his hands bound behind his back and his feet shackled, Nate can only shuffle cautiously along the darken corridor, conscious of the noise echoing in the chamber.53. ReprimandBrad’s first official reprimand is dated 02/05/94; he was two weeks out of boot, drunk and disorderly. 54. GraveEvery day that old guy comes and puts flowers on that same grave; sometimes in the morning, sometimes in the afternoon – but everyday he comes doesn’t matter the weather; whoever N C FICK was, he was sure loved by that old guy.55. DADT repealNate’s not really sure why they don’t talk about the DADT repeal in anything but generalities – it’s not as if it doesn’t directly affect the both of them; but Brad doesn’t seem to want to discuss it and Nate acknowledges it’s his career they’re protecting.56. AUThe rock music blared around the area as the Jumbotron displayed the San Diego Marines logo and Brad glided out of the box, trying to ease his taped ankle inside his skate; he could hear the crowd chanting Fick, Fick, Fick and the deafening roar over the music when the Marines newest centre skated out onto the ice and took up his position between his two forwards, Brad and Poke.57. OrdersWhen Nate got home the house was dark and he found Brad lying on the lawn in the back garden staring at the night skye, beer in one hand and his deployment orders in the other.58. MedievalIf you asked Nate he’d say that the whole thing was pretty medieval, but Brad got a kick out of watching Ray trying to dig his car keys out of the bowl of jello with his teeth.59. NightlyHe wouldn’t say that he watched the nightly news more when Brad was deployed, but he definitely took time to scan Military Times, Stars and Stripes and Marines TV on a fairly regular basis.60. Roughhousing“Stay still,” Nate gently ordered as he applied antiseptic cream to the large gash on Ray’s upper arm, “this is what happens when you and Brad are roughhousing and not paying attention to important things, like the BBQ.”61. WaterThe water kept coming, pouring in the open window and underneath the door, steadily filling the room; and Nate lay, paralysed, on the bed just watching it rapidly encasing him in a watery grave until he bolted upright, gasping for breath and clutching at the cool night air.62. PaintQ-tip waits in the shadows as the LT and Colbert crawl silently towards the berm, rest on it and use it to stabilise, aim and shoot: he hears a soft “UGH” and see the luminous paint spread out across Christenson’s back.63. SaltHe finds Brad slumped against the Humvee dirty faced and tired; Kevlar covered in salt stains, his grimy hands stripping his M16.64. Rivers“You look like Joan fucking Rivers,” Brad ground out around his smirk as Ray paraded in front of Nate, resplendent in gold lame drag.65. PenThe LT always had a pen or two on his vest and now he’s Nate again the habit remains – as evidenced by the black ink stain currently adorning the shirt Brad gave him last Christmas.66. NoticeIt was only a matter of time before someone in the Recon community had enough nous to notice Brad’s bike outside Nate’s house most week nights, the West Coast gangster rap amongst Brad’s playlists or the vast improvement in Nate’s laptop.67. StableThey’ve never been in what you could call a stable relationship – leaving the Corps, leaving the country, enrolling at Cambridge, joining the RM’s, graduating, deploying, consulting, deploying, CNAS, deploying again – but watching Nate sleep, his arms around Brad’s waist and face pressed against his bare shoulder, Brad wouldn’t want it any other way.68. Tree house“If you’re looking for that retard of a brother of mine,” Sarah Colbert said to Nate as she stomped angrily through the sliding kitchen door trying to get what looked like marshmallow out of her hair, “he’s hiding out in the Tree house like the whinging little pussy that he is.”69. LostFor a while after getting out, Nate felt a little lost – lost without 23 others constantly on his mind, lost without the intense pressure of command, lost without his rifle.70. PeachWatching Nate eat fruit is a lesson in food porn: cherry lips pressed up against cool green apples, perfect teeth ripping into the flesh of a peach, his talented tongue chasing strawberry juice across a full bottom lip.71. Predators “The fuck you say Nashville have a hockey team,” Brad snorts dismissively at ESPN Sport as Nate drops down onto the couch beside him, “Predators my ass – bunch of sister fucking retards.”72. Check-pointWhen Bravo 2 don’t make the check-point in the allotted time and Nate begins to worry – he trusts Brad to get them in and out unharmed, but the continued radio silence tells him something has gone wrong.73. ArrowsRay asks his TL how many arrows he thought he could get in the bulls eye – about 400 ft away – and Brad silences him by emptying the entire quiver into the small red area.74. StormFor Recon Marines – trained to observe everything – and considering Nate’s near obsessive planning compulsion and Brad’s almost supernatural powers of perception – the clusterfuck media storm that hits them when they announce their marriage comes as a complete surprise.75. Seiner“21 down – a type of fishing boat with nets, 6 letters is SEINER,” Nate says as he looks over Brad’s shoulder and does half the crossword.76. Mermaid catchers“It’s Ray,” mumbles Nate as he turns over to blink, bleary eyed at Brad – of course it’s Ray; it’s 0230 Sunday morning and even from the other side of the bed Brad can hear Ray’s drunken rant, “I think he’s angry because the police have confiscated his Mermaid catchers???”77. ProtectivenessSeeing Nate lying unconscious in the hospital bed, face bruised, with tubes running in and out of his battered body, Brad felt an overwhelming rage and a sharp protectiveness that borders on the murderous should he come across Nate’s attackers.78. ReadingHe knows Nate’s go a pile of reading to do for his dissertation – but he just looks so fuckable sitting on the floor, back up against the couch, slight frown on his face, chewing on his bottom lip that Brad just has to jump him and they end up fucking; Nate, hot and wet, bent over the back of the couch moaning Brad’s name as he spills onto the leather.79. SparringOf course Brad is attractive – 6’4’’ Viking sex god – and he’s pretty fucking amazing in bed – inventive, horny and kinky – but it’s his mind that really turns Nate on; the fact that he can hold his own in conversations, it’s the verbal sparring that really gets Nate hot under the collar – Brad is so fucking competent when it comes to his interests, world news, political views, anything really that Nate can’t help but lust after the man.80. AftermathNo one talks about what happens after: Nate’s not really sure how to deal with the aftermath; he just knows that one day Brad was here, the next he was not.81. Comfort“I come bearing comfort food,” Louise says as she walks through his front door with a large pizza box under one arm and a Ben & Jerry’s bag under the other; Nate can always count on his favourite sister to bring the goods when the chips are down.82. ForgivingBrad knows there will have to be some forgiving at some point but right now he’s just concentrating on devouring Nate’s mouth, marking up his arms and shoulders with his grip, making Nate realise that he belongs to Brad.83. PromiseThey don’t promise to be faithful, they don’t promise to always come back to each other and they don’t promise to love honour and cherish forever; it just kind of happens that way.84. Resident advisorThe Resident advisor for Brad’s dorm was a socially inept retard they called Encino Man and normally Brad didn’t give him the time of day, just blowing past him with the slightest of nods, but today Encino Man was – effectively – reaming out the captain of the cycling team and Brad had plans for the captain of the cycling team, so he stopped to see if Nate needed anything.84. If Encino Man had more than 2 brain cells he'd understand the danger he's in...but, alas, he doesn't and Brad just can't let that level of retardation go - Nate's slightly amused, slightly offended and a whole lot turned on.85. FrostThe book arrived the day after the email announcing its release – One Bullet Away - he hasn’t started it yet; he got as far as the inscription...’Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less travelled by, and that has made all the difference’ Robert Frost...and stopped.86. CufflinkHer mind was miles away when the vacuum cleaner started making the noise that told her something was stuck and when she pulled it out from behind the sofa to inspect it she found a USMC cufflink clogging the nozzle; she wondered who it belonged to because she’s got rid of Nate’s military stuff after they got married.86. She doesn't ask straight away, in fact she'd forgotten about it until she notices, on a particularly wet and rainy day, that Nate's running shoes are not muddy when he comes back from his run, even though he's soaked through.87. ShiverNate’s cold mouth on his hot skin sent a shiver down his spin, goose pimples spreading across his chest and made his breath catch in his throat.88. RestlessWhen Brad was restless he usually went for a run, or stripped his bike, or found Nate, dropped to his knees, undoing Nate’s jeans as he did so, for a quick and dirty blow job.89. RuffleLibo in Australia was always an experience; the beer was ice cold, the food fresh and plentiful and the surf was always good - but the locals took some getting used to, which is why when the bartender said, “I don’t mean to ruffle ya feathers, mate, but your boyfriend looks like he could do with a cold one,” Brad didn’t act on his instinctive response of breaking the guys nose, he just smiled and ordered a beer for Nate.89. As with nearly everywhere they go in Australia, the bartender strikes up a conversation - but because it's Australia the conversation is all long, drawn out vowels and colloquialisms peppered with such inventive swearing that Nate thinks he'd give Ray Person a run for his money.90. ComposureOutwardly Brad projected the model image of poise and composure: his voice calm and level, his eyes moving evenly from reporter to reporter, no outrageous hand movements or sudden gestures – confident that no one would believe he was dying on the inside.91. DisconcertedColonel Seaton, Commanding Officer, said today at a press conference held at Camp Pendleton that he was “disconcerted with the amount of publicity surrounding Master Sergeant Colbert’s upcoming marriage to Mr Nathaniel Fick” and warned that any unauthorised media personal found on the base would be “removed with force if necessary”.92. UnspokenGunny Wynn’s not really worried about Fruity Rudy or Ray humping the back of Walt’s head – Poke’s always going on about how fucking homoerotic the Corps is – but he is slightly concerned about all the unspoken communication going on between his LT and Colbert; not in a ‘that’s fucking gay’ kind of way but because whatever they got going on – it doesn’t need to be going on in a fucking warzone.93. Longing“But he was looking at me with such longing, I couldn’t say no,” Nate pleaded his case as the puppy found one of Brad’s running shoes, declared it hot and set about destroying it.94. Risk itIt was complete madness – Brad’s entire career was at stake; everything he believed in, worked for, took pride in – Nate just couldn’t risk it...the answer had to be no.95. ForbiddenAccording to the regs – it’s forbidden for anyone to ask and for Brad or Nate to tell – but that doesn’t seemed to have stopped Bravo Company from subtly (and in Ray’s case not so fucking subtly) giving their blessings and support.96. SandstormBrad strides out into the sandstorm, his eyes squinting with all the sand and dust flying around; he sees Nate making his way across to him.97. Blackout“They say it happened during the blackout last night,” the interpreter who isn’t Meesh says, Nate’s mouth thinning into a grimace that Brad knows is dissatisfaction, anger and mostly helplessness, “gangs are roaming the streets at night, looting and beating up people who won’t give them what they want – when will the American’s do something about that?” 98. Body heatHe slides against Brad - moaning into the strong shoulder beneath his head, their body heat creating a slippery sheen of sweat where they touch.99. RobotIt looks like Brad is building a robot on the dining table – but Nate’s been assured that it’s just the components of one or two PCs, maybe three substandard hard drives and a couple of motherboards missing their CPUs.100. DragonsSarah sees the puzzled look on Lillian’s grade 3 teacher’s face when the child introduces Nate as ‘Uncle Brad’s Nate’; she is further amused when the teacher asks where Uncle Brad is and before Nate can respond Lillian pipes up with “Oh, he’s off fighting Dragons.”100. Neither the teacher nor Lillian see the flash of pride and sadness on Nate's face - but Sarah doesn't miss it and she's suddenly acutely aware of how Brad's absences effect her brother.101. StealthIt takes a certain degree of stealth to sneak up on a Recon Marine and if it were anyone else – say Person – then Brad would have bet 5 years of civilian life would turned a Marine into a POG; but this was Nathaniel Fick and he still had the ability to silently appear to Brad’s three.102. SuppressHe used to find it easy to suppress that want, years of military training – at school, at boot, in Recon – but the longer he spends in the company of Lt Fick, the harder it is to deny this need.103. GoAngry green eyes snapped to meet his and in that instant Brad saw the pain Nate has been carrying around, “You need to leave,” Nate’s voice as hard as steel, “Go on, get out!”104. WantIncoherently Brad stutters, “fuck...n,nate...so...f,f,fuuck...want...,” as Nate punctuates his harsh grunts with a slam of his hips.105. ViableIt’s not unromantic – or some other gay bullshit word – if you spend some time – ok, maybe more time than the Nathaniel Fick Schedule of Events allows – deciding if this relationship – FUCK OFF, Ray – is viable...even if you want it more than you’ve wanted anything your whole life.106. PlanThe Plan is: head to Walt’s – kill Trombley – get Ray and go to Nate’s where they can wait out this Zombie fest in safety and comfort – Nate’s got beer, of course.107. JawEveryone know the story of the Iceman climbing up a mountain with a broken ankle but no one will know that he left Nate’s apartment for the last time with a dislocated jaw.108. Surf“Uncle Brad taught me how to surf,” the kid with the braces said to his Skater Boi friend, “and he said I learnt a fuck lot quicker than my Uncle Nate.”109. RideIf it weren’t for Walt, Nate wouldn’t be in this position – pressed up hard against Brad’s back, arms wrapped around that solid torso, inner things clinging onto long, strong legs – Walt had an allergic reaction to the Thai food and Ray had to drive him to the hospital, which left Brad to give Nate a ride home; on his barely street legal Ninja.110. OceanSometimes he thinks about the water between them, the ocean that is keeping them apart – but then he stops himself before it gets any more school girlish and goes for a run, or reads another 14 pages of the report he’s got to get finished before bed, or one of a million other things that he uses to NOT think about Brad.111. SilenceThey communicate in silence – a glance from beneath blonde lashes, a half smirk, a raised eyebrow; Nate’s pretty convinced that he and Brad are on the same page about 95% of the time and he’s strangely ok with that.112. RopeOne day a thick purple rope turned up on the dresser in their room and Nate could feel the heat rise up his neck to flush his face red; it was one thing to discuss your particular kinks; it was another thing altogether to have Brad Colbert actively encouraging them.113. Swear“I have no idea where your shirt is, Brad, I swear,” Nate says unconvincingly down the phone – even 3700 miles away Brad can hear the self satisfaction in Nate’s voice and, if he strains, the sound of one USMC issued First Recon tee shirt rubbing against the 800 thread sheets as Nate turns over in their bed.114. TattooNate wants to get a tattoo – Brad’s intrigued as to what he’d choose because he just can’t see Mr Harvard graduate rocking a tribal design under his Pierre Cardin, or some Moto lettering across his heart. 115. HomeIt takes some time for Brad to stop thinking about the beach house in California as home and see the downtown Washington DC mansion that they bought because Nate like the tree lined street as not only his postal residence but the place that he and Nate were building a life together.116. StillNo one should be able to be that still – it’s unnatural – but Brad lies against the low fence, looking through his scope and just waits; as frozen as his nickname suggests.117. DesperateThey grab at each other, hands bumping together as they try and rip the clothes from their bodies in an effort to press skin to skin; their desperate movements echoed in the harsh panting and the deep moaning into mouths slick with kisses.118. TequilaIt’s not his drink of choice – but it’s his paddle party and the boys of Bravo have sent him off in style; so he mans up and downs shot after shot of Tequila until he can’t see straight and Brad has to half carry him back to his place.119. ShotgunHe lowered the shotgun, the barrels still smoking in the early morning cold, and walked cautiously towards the headless corpse twitching beside an unconscious Nate.120. Striptease“Take it off,” Brad directs from the bed where he is lying, naked beneath the covers, watching Nate’s hips swaying in time with the cheesy music wafting in from the sound system in the lounge room; doing his own little striptease for Brad’s enjoyment.121. UndercoverReporter did a double take as he entered the restaurant and came face to face with SAC Colbert dressed as the Maitre d; he was so speechless he almost didn’t see SA Person and SA Hasser as waiters but when he did he reasoned that there was some undercover OP going down and that Director Fick was somewhere around. 122. SkyscrapersHe can’t get over the amount of skyscrapers in Bangkok, the city’s teeming with life at all hours of the day and night – it’s crazy and hyper – he particularly likes watching Brad trying to fold himself into a Tuk Tuk.123. Alias“...and I’m not watching Alias again tonight – find something else, or I’m going to eat in the garage,” Brad could be really fussy about what he watched while eating dinner – Nate thought Jennifer Garner was cute.124. VampiresAs soon as Brad saw Nate, Ray knew it wouldn’t be long until there was one more in their coven of Vampires.125. WerewolvesIt’s not that they hated the Werewolves – this wasn’t fucking Twilight – in fact, after Nate and Ray – thank you very much - Poke was Brad’s favourite non human; it’s just that some of those dawgs were fuckin retards – Encino Man for example...then again, they had Trombley.126. Sit-repIf he was still in the Corps, he’d be asking for a Sit-rep – but the look on Nate’s face when he walked in their front door was enough.127. WineRay might tease him about being an Ivy League dick suck and Walt might go on about all the POG tendencies Nate’s picked up since becoming a civilian but it comes as a real surprise that out of the two of them it’s Brad that’s the wine connoisseur that knows his Clare Valley chardonnay from his Condrieu viognier.128. WritingCOLBERT FICK
BRAD, A O POS NATHANIEL, C O POS
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JEWISH CHRISTIAN129. TrustPeople – friends of theirs even – always talk about trust being the number one thing that their relationships are built around; for Brad and Nate it’s so organically ingrained in who they are that it never occurs to them that they need to work on it or talk about it. 130. ShoulderHe opens his eyes, the bright light streaming through the window temporarily blinding him; he blinks until his sight focuses and he’s looking at the smooth, well muscled – naked - shoulder of Brad Colbert.131. Neck“Brad, it’s Nate,” at the sound of Cara Wynn’s voice, Brad starts to shake – he’s heard the prelim reports, on some level he knows what’s coming but that doesn’t make it any easier, “Mike said he didn’t stand a chance – Brad,” her voice breaks and he knows she’s crying but trying to hide it, she starts again, “Brad – the bullet ripped through Nate’s neck, severing the carotid artery...he bled out in minutes.”132. KitchenWhen they move into their new house, Brad was somewhere in Anbar Province doing God knows what – so when he came home Nate methodically made sure they fucked in every room; the bedrooms, living/dining room and kitchen were easy enough, but the bathrooms, study and garage were a challenge.133. JeansBrad likes seeing Nate in just about anything – naked is the preferred model, but he can work with the Washington DC uniform of tailored navy blue power suit; he can also get behind the weekend wear of chinos and button downs or the pussy civilian running gear Nate now seems to favour – but he really likes the old jeans and t-shirts, the battered recon sweat shirt and Harvard scarf Nate rocks in autumn that makes him look sophomoric and reminds Brad of a simpler time. 134. HomeworkChemistry – it started because Nate needed help with his chemistry homework and Brad was an uber nerd – THE uber nerd who was actually the most popular guy in school, was the QB and rode a motorcycle to school; the fact that Nate found Brad extremely attractive, articulate and funny should have made it harder to be around him – but it didn’t.135. JealousyThey don’t do jealousy – Nate can’t get all hurt and bent out of shape because Brad fucks hookers on Libo and Brad can’t play the possessive boyfriend 7000 miles away; so there’s this tactical agreement NOT to discuss what happens when Brad’s deployed – which works well, but if they did talk about it, Nate would know that Brad hasn’t fucked a single hooker in 5 years and Brad would know that Nate only ever goes out on Business dinners and always comes home alone.136. Zoolander“I swear to god, Brad, that model guy in Zoolander looks like your younger brother or something,” Ray is practically salivating in excitement at having found something more retarded than ‘the vampire from True Blood looks like you’ to annoy Brad with – Nate is smart enough not to voice his opinion.