Rotorwash Heartbeat

One night, after a particularly long day, they ended up back at Rusty’s, the usual crowd thinning out as it got later. They claimed their usual table, but the conversation felt different tonight. More personal. More charged.

“You ever think about getting out?” Gavin asked, spinning his beer bottle between his hands. “The Army, I mean.”

Alessa shook her head. “Not really. I mean, I know I won’t do this forever, but for now? This is where I’m meant to be.”

He nodded. “Yeah. I get that.” He looked up, met her eyes. “You’re good at what you do, Alessa. Really good. I’ve watched you work this week. You’re calm under pressure. Decisive. You care.”

“Thanks,” she said, a little surprised by the praise. “You’re not so bad yourself. When you’re not buzzing my medevac.”

He laughed, low and warm. “I’ll take that.” His smile faded a little, turned thoughtful. “This life… it’s not easy, is it? The long hours. The stress. The being gone.”

“No,” she agreed. “It’s not. But it’s worth it.”

“For me too,” he said. He reached out, brushed his fingers against hers where her hand rested on the table. Just a brief touch, but it sent a jolt through her. “I’m glad I met you, Alessa Passarelli.”

“Even though I yelled at you over the radio?”

“Especially because you yelled at me over the radio,” he said, grinning again.

They stayed late that night, talking until the bartender started turning off lights. Walking out to their cars, the air cool now, Gavin stopped beside her driver’s side door.

“Alessa,” he said, his voice low.

She turned to face him. “Yeah?”

He stepped closer, reached out, tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering for just a moment. “I’d like to see you again. Outside of training. If you’re interested.”

Her heart thumped against her ribs. She knew this was probably a bad idea. Fraternization rules, the fact that they both had demanding careers, the uncertainty that came with military life. But looking up at him, at those blue eyes fixed on hers, she couldn’t bring herself to care.

“I’m interested,” she said.

His smile was slow, warm. “Good.” He leaned in, brushed a kiss against her cheek, his stubble rough against her skin. “Drive safe, Alessa.”

She watched him walk away, a mix of anticipation and nerves swirling in her stomach. This thing with Gavin, whatever it was, felt different. Real. And she had a feeling it was going to change everything.

The next few days passed in a blur of stolen moments and growing closeness. They grabbed coffee between briefings, met for quick lunches, texted late into the night when they were both in their respective barracks rooms. The connection between them deepened, an easy familiarity settling in.

Until the morning everything changed.

Alessa was in the supply room, inventorying medical kits, when her phone buzzed with a text from Gavin.

> Got a minute? Need to talk.

Something in the tone made her frown. She stepped outside, hitting the call button.

“Hey,” she said when he picked up. “What’s up?”

He sighed, the sound heavy over the line. “Just got word. My unit’s being deployed. To the sandbox. Two weeks.”

Her stomach dropped. “Oh.”

“Yeah.” He was quiet for a moment. “I ship out tomorrow. Pre-deployment processing.”

“Tomorrow?” Her voice came out sharper than she intended. “Gavin, that’s—”

“Fast, I know.” He sounded tired. “Surprise to me too.”

She leaned against the wall, the rough brick scraping her back through her t-shirt. “Okay. Wow. That’s… soon.”

“Look, I know we just started this thing,” he said, his voice low. “And I get if you don’t want to—”

“Shut up,” she cut him off, her tone soft. “Where are you? I’ll come to you.”

He told her where to find him. She hung up, her mind racing.

She found him outside the company HQ, leaning against the wall, looking out at the parking lot. He straightened when he saw her, his usual grin missing.

“Hey,” he said.

“Hey.” She stopped in front of him, searching his face. He looked tired, the lines around his eyes more pronounced than usual. “You okay?”

He shrugged. “It’s what I signed up for, right?” He tried for a smile, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Just… sucks for timing.”

“Yeah,” she agreed. “It does.”

They stood there for a long moment, the sounds of the base washing over them – distant shouts, the rumble of engines, a helicopter passing overhead.

“Come on,” Gavin said finally, pushing off the wall. “Walk with me?”

She nodded, falling into step beside him as he headed away from the building, toward the tree-lined path that wound around the perimeter of the base.

They walked in silence for a few minutes, the shade of the trees providing a welcome respite from the North Carolina sun. Alessa’s mind raced. Two weeks. Then he’d be gone, half a world away, flying combat missions. The thought sent a shiver through her despite the warm air.

“I was going to ask you out,” Gavin said suddenly, breaking the quiet. “Properly, I mean. Dinner. Maybe a drive up to the mountains this weekend.”

Alessa glanced at him. “I would have said yes.”

He looked back at her, a flicker of his usual grin touching his lips. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She reached out, brushed her fingers against his where his hand swung loose at his side. “I’m going to miss you, Gavin.”

He caught her hand in his, laced their fingers together. “I’m going to miss you too, Alessa.” He tugged her to a stop, turned to face her. “I know this is new. And I know my timing sucks. But I like you. A lot. And I don’t want this to just… end when I ship out.”

Her heart thumped against her ribs. “I don’t want that either.” She met his eyes, those piercing blues fixed on hers. “We can make it work. Long distance. It won’t be easy, but—”

He cut her off with a kiss, quick and hard, his free hand coming up to cup her cheek. When he pulled back, they were both breathing a little faster. “We’ll make it work,” he said, his voice low and rough.

She nodded, leaning into his touch. “We will.”

They ended up back at her place, a small off-base apartment that felt like a sanctuary compared to the bustle of the barracks. They ordered pizza, watched a movie, but the tension between them was a living thing, thick in the air.

When the movie ended, Alessa switched off the TV, the sudden quiet amplifying the beat of her heart in her ears. Gavin was sitting close beside her on the couch, his thigh warm against hers. He turned to look at her, his expression serious.

“Alessa,” he said, her name a rasp on his tongue.

She met his eyes, her throat tight. “Yeah?”

“I want you.” He reached out, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, his touch lingering. “But only if you’re sure. I don’t want to rush this.”

She fought the lump in her throat. “I’m sure.” She leaned in, brushed her lips against his, once, twice. “I want you too.”

That was all the encouragement he needed. He pulled her into his lap, her legs straddling his hips, and kissed her deep, his tongue sliding against hers, his hands sliding up her back to tangle in her hair.

They didn’t talk after that, not with words. Clothes fell away, tossed haphazardly to the floor. Hands explored, mapping curves and planes of muscle, eliciting gasps and moans. Lips followed, tracing the same paths, branding each other’s skin.

When he slid inside her, filling her in one slow, perfect thrust, Alessa arched against him, her nails pressing into his shoulders. They moved together, a rhythm as natural as breathing, the pleasure building between them until it crested, overwhelming, sending them both tumbling over the edge.

After, they lay tangled together on her narrow bed, the sheets a tangled mess around them. Gavin trailed his fingers lightly up and down her spine, his touch raising goosebumps on her skin.

“You’re staying, right?” Alessa murmured against his chest, her voice thick with sleepiness. “Tonight?”

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Try to make me leave.”

She smiled, closing her eyes, letting the steady beat of his heart lull her toward sleep. “Glad we’re on the same page.”

They didn’t sleep much that night, too eager to make the most of the few hours they had left. They made love again, slower this time, learning each other’s bodies, what made them gasp and writhe. Talked in hushed voices about anything and everything – childhood memories, favorite movies, the places they wanted to travel someday.