first_in_time | The Voice In The Dark [for Splendid

"Chesterton!" Stephen's voice called out across the base's pub, "you've got an early start tomorrow, what on Earth are you doing hanging around here?"

Strong hands from seemingly nowhere reached out and grabbed Ian by the arms and legs, and hoisted him up from the floor. Ian's friend drank the last of his pint and grinned at him. "You won't be needing that if you're going to have an early night."

The group of men marched Ian out of the pub, across the grassy grounds and into their living quarters. A few of the other men watched and chuckled, figuring that it was some kind of birthday torture. Not that anyone had mentioned Ian's birthday even in the slightest all day. But then why would the army make anyone feel special and individual?

Ian's friends prattled on and on about his early start, and the batch of new recruits and beauty sleep right up until they threw him into his own room. They laughed and shut the door, plunging Ian into almost complete darkness.

Once the loud laughter and excuses had diminished, Barbara's voice crept out of the gloom: "I hope they weren't too rough with you."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

first_in_time

"And how might I do that?" she asking, chuckling a little.

From:

splendid_roman

"We could try a bit of this." He kissed her, as deeply as before, when they were still sitting down. He meant to keep hold of her hands, so she wouldn't accidentally put them on any bruises, but kissing her made him he forget himself and he let go of one of her hands to put his to the back of her head and tangle it in her hair.

From:

first_in_time

Barbara was mildly thinking her way through the kiss, or at least trying. She put hands on his hips and took a partial step forward to be even closer than before. There was an urge to reach around him and hug him tightly but since Ian seemed to be in control, she merely tilted her head back and let him kiss her.

It was tempting to walk Ian back until they tumbled onto the bed together but she suspected that his mere interest in being serious probably meant that he wasn't ready to lie on a bed with her, even if they were fully clothed the entire time. As she was contemplating her ideas, there was a knock at the door. Barbara broke away suddenly to glance at it worriedly.

From:

splendid_roman

Ian frowned at the knock. "It hasn't been two hours yet," he murmured. "Don't worry," he whispered to Barbara and smiled, "I'll get rid of them.

He strode over to the door and stood by it. "Who is it?"

From:

first_in_time

"Surprise inspection," the voice from the other side of the door shouted.

Barbara paled and began to wring her hands together want if they were found out? Would Ian be in as much or more trouble than she? What was the protocol? Would she be confined for a period of time?

From:

splendid_roman

Ian thought he recognised the voice and opened the door a crack to look out. "Alan, you idiot," he said to the man, grinning in the hallway, and opened the door wide enough to let him in.

Ian introduced him to Barbara, once Alan was inside and the door was shut again. "This is Alan, a friend of mine. Or he was." It didn't stop Alan from grinning at Ian. "This is Barbara, but you knew that, didn't you?"

From:

first_in_time

Barbara relaxed significantly. "We met before," she said and smiled, "although I didn't know your name until now. Only Stephen's"

Alan held out a hand and Barbara shook it happily, relieved that she hadn't been caught out.

From:

splendid_roman

"I had to see what Ian thought was so great about you," Alan said.

Ian rolled his eyes.

"He did fight over you and we sneaked you on the base for him," Alan added.

From:

first_in_time

"Yes, I know about the fighting," Barbara said and didn't hide her displeasure.

"It was quite a fight. You should have seen it!"

That didn't improve the way Barbara was looking at Ian.

From:

splendid_roman

Ian coughed. "Yes, well, there won't be a repeat of that." Which was not exactly what he'd said to Barbara earlier, but he hoped Alan would get the hint.

He seemed to because he took a seat at Ian's desk. "So how did the two of you meet? Ian seems to be a bit vague about that."

From:

first_in_time

Barbara's gaze switched back to Alan, and she smiled pleasantly. "Ian trained my younger brother and when he passed out from the academy a few months ago, we came to see him. That was when I met Ian."

"Ah, so love at first sight, ey?"

Barbara noticed that Alan looked rather comfortable where he sat at Ian's desk. It irked her just a little; this was the first time in far too long that they had been able to see one another and it s limited, yet they were sharing part of it with someone else. Hopefully he'd leave soon once he'd caught sight of the spectacle.

From:

splendid_roman

"Something like that." Ian leaned against a wall, hoping that not sitting down would encourage Alan to leave, so he and Barbara could spend more time along together. But he couldn't complain too much about Alan being there given that without him Barbara might not be.

"So what do you see in him?" Alan asked Barbara. "I know what Ian sees in you because he mentions how great you are thirty or forty times a day."

Ian blushed. "He's exaggerating."

From:

first_in_time

"Uhm," Barbara blushed, too. "Well, he's very charming and quite good at conversation."

"But so am I!"

Barbara chuckled quietly. "But you're not quite as handsome."

From:

splendid_roman

"You really think he's more handsome than me?" Alan sounded offended, but grinned and he got up to stand next to Ian. "Now you can see us both at once, which of us is more handsome. You can tell me the truth," he added, in a whisper, "I won't tell anyone."

Ian rolled his eyes. "Find your own girl to tell you you're handsome." He elbowed Alan.

From:

first_in_time

"I'm not going to tell you you're handsome becau I'd be lying," she giggled and reached for Ian's hand to pull him in for a side hug. "I'd try to set you up but I'm not sure I know anyone who would be interested."

From:

splendid_roman

Ian put an arm around Barbara in turn.

Alan sighed at them. "Ugh, the two of you are too sickly sweet, I'm going." He headed for the door. "But I want an invite to the wedding," he added, just before he left.

Ian let go of Barbara to lock the door behind him. "Sorry about him."

From:

first_in_time

"It's alright. It wasn't as if we had much of a chance to get to know one another when I was being smuggled in and I doubt that we'll have to a chance to talk on the way out. I haven't seen many women on the base, so I must be something of a curiosity, particularly as I'm not meant to be here."

Barbara clasped her hands behind her back and watched Ian stand a little ways from her. "I told the truth, though. You are a great deal more handsome than he is."

Edited Date: 2014-01-24 08:36 am (UTC)

From:

splendid_roman

"Of course I am," he said grinning, and came back over to her to put his arm around her again.

"You don't get many women in the army," he explained, "so most of the women on the base are civilians and they tend to work office hours."

From:

first_in_time

Barbara carefully felt for parts of Ian that weren't bruised so that she could hug him back.

"Do many of the men date the women, or is it against policy?"

From:

splendid_roman

"Quite a lot of them do. I suppose it's easier to meet someone you work with and they understand what being in the army is like." He looked over at her. "If I hadn't trained your brother or you hadn't come to his passing out we'd never have met."

From:

first_in_time

"It's the only reason I'm glad he's in the army," Barbara grinned and reached up to kiss him sweetly. "Life has been a lot more interesting with you around. I like it."

From:

splendid_roman

He smiled. "Were things that boring before?"

From:

first_in_time

"Not necessarily but I've never been so keen for a phone call." Barbara peppered a few more kisses to his cheek. "Or the post, for that matter."

From:

splendid_roman

He chuckled. "My mother's been complaining I don't call her enough because when I have some time I call you instead."

From:

first_in_time

Barbara was busy giggling and kissing his cheek to be paying all of her attention to their conversation. Ian made her feel so special and so happy, she owed him a lot, really, and her feelings for him swelled with each touch, each kiss, each time he looked wth her.

"I love you, too," she said softly against his cheek and for a very brief moment, she had no idea what she'd said but then it hit her and barbara gasped, slapping a hand to her mouth.