He has an itch under his skin more often than not these days. Something about being trapped in a war zone apparently did it for him, and he doesn’t know what that says but it’s a constant buzz on the back of his mind. A distraction. It travels up and down, through the fingers he clenches around his rifle and back until he starts to drive himself crazy. There isn’t much to do except think about it while he finishes his rounds.
It’s in one of the last rooms he’s checking that he finds the expectation of relief. Doing exactly what he expects.
The other man’s not paying him any attention. He's focused on his pipe, probably filled with some fancy shit Brandon has no taste for, but he must feel it in the air as he lingers nearby because soon he turns, must see the itch in his eyes too because then he’s shifting, wordlessly opening his shoulders to make room.
The first time they had done this it had been messy, all teeth and angles and competition. Now it’s easy, comfortable even, as Pipe’s hand comes to his neck to pull him in, and easy in the way he lets him. They press kisses into each other like hands sliding into a pair of well worn gloves. His fingers trail down sides, tracing from vest to shirt, coming to rest like a whisper just above belt.
Of course they don’t talk about it. He wouldn’t do this if they did.
> " trying to get a little something for the road, eye ? "
His lips curl upwards to match the ones they were pressed against. Maybe I am, they say. It's teasing, but the easy kind.
He takes pipe leaving hand as his cue to press forward. Closer. Harder. Hands dip lower until they trace hips, fingers curl through belt loops, he resists the urge to pull and he lets himself get a real taste instead. He indulges for a moment. Tongue slips past lips and its smoke, like always.
When he pulls back there's a heady weight to his gaze. There's no hiding the hungry predator he is but there’s an answering playfulness too. A challenge. He runs his tongue across his top lip like he's licking it clean. “What- you complaining?”