They would spend a week in Souda. Ben would have rather gone back to Latakia and worked to save more people, but he wasn't even in the Navy and he had no idea what the logistics were in running such a big ship. He got the captain's word they'd take him and Aziza back on board so long as they showed up when it was time to leave, found a nice hotel for himself and Aziza, and booked it.

While he was making his arrangements, he made arrangements for Carmela to fly back to Spain, too. She didn't want to float around with the US Navy. She just wanted to go home to her family, and Ben didn't blame her. He took the time to order some new clothes for her and for Aziza as well as for himself, so they would have something besides scrubs and hand-me-downs from the Navy to wear during their time on shore, and that was the end of it.

When they docked at Souda, the Sailors all had to stay on board the ship. Ben and the nurses stayed to supervise the evacuation of passengers, none of whom would be staying in Greece after all. Then they, too, disembarked, heading over to their hotel. Carmela and Aziza shared a room, but they didn't mind sticking together for one more night. Carmela's plane would leave in the morning.

Their packages were all at the hotel, along with a brand-new French passport, a new bank card, and a new phone courtesy of Ben's father. Ben wondered who had alerted the man to his predicament. Maybe his mother's PR man had done it, who knew? At the end of the day, it probably didn't matter. He wasn't going to waste time thinking about it.

Ben’s father had sent a note. It wasn’t long, but it was handwritten. Flavien asked about Ben’s health and expressed relief that he’d been rescued so quickly. Flavien urged him to come back to France to “recover,” whatever that meant. Ben scoffed and tossed the note onto the table with the rest of his things.

He locked up behind himself and took a long shower, scrubbing himself as carefully and as thoroughly as he could. It had been a while since he'd had this kind of luxury. On the ship, facilities were basic. They were better, in a lot of cases, than the ones he used during his work with Borderless. He hadn't had a truly good shower, with good water pressure and comfort like this, in years. Not since before medical school, certainly. There just hadn't been time, then.

God, it felt so good just to get clean.

He didn't bother with pajamas. He was alone, he had the "do not disturb" on his door. He didn't have anyplace else to be. He tucked himself into the big, comfortable bed, closed his eyes, and went to sleep.

When he woke up, he put on some clothes. He did still need a few things, things he hadn't shopped for online and had delivered. He was sure Aziza needed things too, so he called over to her room to invite her to go shopping. They'd been working together for a while now, and she felt comfortable enough around him to say yes.

They were both grieving. They could understand each other.

They took a cab into Chania, where they browsed for a few additional essentials. Ben wanted hair gel. It was a vain thing, he knew, but he didn't feel quite like himself when he couldn't style his hair the way he liked. Aziza had some personal care products she liked, too. Neither of them needed much, but they might as well take the time to honor their preferences while they could. They also needed to get duffel bags, because they didn't have anything to carry their things back onto the Solace or off it again.

They had a few problems in Chania, none of which Ben would describe as major. People were quick to make assumptions about them, given his own tanned skin and Aziza's distinctive headscarf. Neither one of them spoke Greek, but they knew enough by the tone of people's voices and the nasty looks people gave them. A few shopkeepers wouldn't sell to them at all.

Ben didn't make waves about it. No one got physical, and he understood there was a lot of tension. The Greeks were being asked to take on an inordinate expense and logistical burden, considering their financial situation. It was bound to stir up resentment. He didn't necessarily like it, or agree with it, but he could understand it. Plenty of other shopkeepers were more than willing to take their money, so they just went on their way.

Many people in Chania spoke at least some English, thanks to tourism, but getting to the point where they recognized either Ben or Aziza as English speakers was a challenge. They had some entertaining mix-ups, and Ben even got to see Aziza laugh before the outing was finished. That alone counted as a win for him.

Ben picked up a pack of condoms and some lube while Aziza was in a different aisle of the pharmacy. Maybe he was being presumptuous, and maybe not. He'd rather be over prepared than underprepared, and he refused to feel ashamed about it.

The next day, Ben woke up to a phone call on the hotel's landline. He sat up groggily and answered it. "Hello?"

"Ben, hey. This is Dave. Dave Hopper."

Ben huffed out a laugh. "I know which Dave you are, Dave." He liked the slightly nervous sound to the tall alpha's voice. It made him feel more powerful, more in control. "How's it going on the ship?"

"I'd love to tell you, but they're doing a top-to-bottom cleaning and they gave us all shore leave. I was wondering if you maybe wanted to get together."

"I'd love to." Ben didn't have to think about that one. "There's just one catch."

"Would that be the catch where you just woke up?"

"Yeah, that would be the one. If you can get a cab to the Hotel Roxane, I promise to be at least sort of presentable by the time you get here. I'm in room six thirteen."

"I'll be there with bells on."

Ben had just enough time to imagine Dave with actual bells on his body before he had to jump into the shower and clean himself up. He made sure his barely-there beard, really more like "artfully shaped stubble" was neat and styled his hair just in time to hear a knock on the door.

He checked, not wanting to make a huge mistake, but his visitor was in fact Dave. And Dave had brought him a cup of coffee and bowl of yogurt. He carried a duffel on his back and wore easy and comfortable civilian clothes. "Hey there," he said with a grin. "You're looking real good. And I was thinking you looked good in gray sweats."

"What a difference a little fabric makes, huh?" Ben couldn't take his eyes off Dave. His plain white tee shirt emphasized his incredible body, while his tight jeans showed off his narrow hips. It had been a long time since he'd wanted like this.

Dave grinned, making Ben's mouth water. "See something you like?"

Ben swallowed and ducked his head, blushing. "God. I shouldn't be this obvious but here I am."

Dave lifted Ben's chin with one finger. "Hey. There's no shame in it, okay? We're both healthy young guys—a healthy young omega and a healthy young alpha, okay? We've got drives. We've got needs. We're attracted to each other. There ain't nothing wrong with satisfying them."

Zahi's face flashed before Ben's eyes. Zahi wouldn't disapprove. Zahi would be the first one to cheer Ben on. It had been four years, for crying out loud. He wouldn't have wanted Ben to be lonely.

Ben bowed his head and carefully, slowly, took Dave's finger into his mouth. He swirled his tongue around the digit and then applied suction, keeping contact with Dave's eyes the whole time. It was just a little tease, although that little taste of Dave's skin was eye-opening enough. So was the little sigh Dave gave, a contented little sound that warmed Ben through.

Dave pulled back. "I guess that answers that question," he said with a chuckle. He put the coffee and yogurt on the table. He headed over to the door to put the "do not disturb" sign on it. "Is this too presumptuous?"

"Not at all." Ben took a deep breath. He still felt a little guilty, like he was cheating, but he wanted this. He wanted to hear that contented little sigh again. He wanted to hear what other sounds he could elicit from his tall, handsome SEAL.

"Good." Dave stripped off his tee shirt and tossed it over a chair. Unlike a lot of the guys, he didn't have any tattoos. Nothing marked that beautiful skin but a few minor scars. Ben walked right up to him and put his mouth on the raised, pink skin he saw. He knew they didn't hurt anymore, but he still had an urge to kiss them better.

He kissed and mouthed along one scar, and then another. Dave seemed to be enjoying it. His cock was growing in his pants, he hissed out in his pleasure every time Ben hit a spot he particularly liked. Ben used his hands, his immensely skilled and perfectly trained hands, to seek out even more places on Dave's beautiful skin.

Every time he trailed his fingers along a good nerve, Dave groaned, and Ben's smile grew. He could do this. This man, who was trained to fight and kill and risk his life on a moment's notice, was being reduced to putty in his hands. His green eyes were lust blown, and his skin was soon slick with sweat. Ben had caused that. Ben had made that happen, he'd given that to Dave.

He'd brought Dave happiness, at least for a little while.

Dave pawed at Ben's shirt. "Babe. Ben. You're way too overdressed for the occasion, and I don't want to make a mess until you're good and ready." He pulled back and drew Ben's shirt up and over his head. Then, he took Ben's hand and led him over to the bed. "You still want this?"

Ben squeezed his hand and met his eyes. He didn't flinch away. "I do. I'm a little nervous. It's been a couple years, but yes. I want this." His cheeks felt hot. "I bought stuff."

"You Boy Scout you." Dave grinned and kissed him. "Pants off. Up on the bed."

Ben scrambled to shuck his pants as quickly as he could. Slipping back into the bed was murder. All of the places that weren't touching Dave were too cold, and he hated to be cold. He got warmer as he watched Dave strip his own trousers off and toss them to the side, though. He bit his lip when he saw Dave's big, full, dark cock bobbing between his legs.

He couldn't wait.

Dave reached into the nightstand and pulled out the supplies Ben had put there. He tore off a condom and put it where he could reach it, and then he slicked his fingers up with lube. "Look at you," he whispered, as Ben's stomach tightened with anticipation. "Look at you lying there. I can't believe you're letting me touch you."

Ben spread his legs. "I want you to touch me. I need you to touch me. Please."

Dave nodded, a little smile playing around his lips, and started to get him ready. "I don't want to hurt you," he whispered, as he slipped a slick finger into him. "I have to make sure you're comfortable. God, look at you. So good for me, so sweet."

He was careful about stretching, almost too careful. Ben would have told him to get on with it if it hadn't been so long for him, and if he weren't so good at finding that spot inside of him that made him see stars. He didn't object, though, when he felt the blunt head of Dave's condom-sheathed cock pressing against his entrance.

"My God, you're tight." Dave's jaw clenched as he worked his way into Ben, using short, shallow thrusts. Ben panted his way through it. He was being split open, in the very best of ways, and he both wanted to speed it up and he never wanted it to end.

Finally, Dave bottomed out. He paused, giving Ben a moment to adjust, and then he snapped his hips back and slammed them home again. He knew what he was aiming for. He'd found it while he was prepping Ben. Then he'd just touched it. Now he slammed into it with all the force of desire and need.

Ben cried out. He rocked his hips in time to the rhythm Dave set, needing to find a way to take him deeper. He hadn't had pleasure like this in years. He hadn't belonged like this, felt like part of something, in far too long.

He reached between them to give himself some relief. It didn't take more than a few tugs before he was spilling, hot and messy, over his own hand. Dave, though, Dave kept going for a good while. It was as though the way Ben's body clenched around him gave him more incentive to keep going.

Finally, his hips stuttered, and he lost the rhythm. Ben felt him finish, even through the condom, just before he collapsed into Ben's arms. "That was incredible." He nestled his head on Ben's shoulder for a moment. "I mean that was religious."

Ben kissed Dave's hair. "It was," he said. He smiled, maybe a little wistfully. He'd always miss Zahi, of course. Maybe it was wrong, to enjoy himself with someone else, but that had blown his mind.

Dave lay there for a moment, and then he pulled gently out. He staggered into the bathroom to dispose of the condom. Then he stuck his head out. "Whoa. Have you seen this hot tub?"

Ben grinned. "I have. Want to have a bath?"

"Hell yeah, I want to have a bath." Dave ran a hand through his hair. "Here, stay where you are. I'll run us one."

Ben heard the water running, and he stayed where he was. This probably wasn't going to be a long-term relationship, but he'd have to be okay with that. He was going to enjoy it while it lasted, damn it.

He slipped into the bathroom when Dave called him and lowered himself into the tub with Dave. He rested his back against his SEAL's broad, muscular chest. "This is definitely the nicest way to clean up I've ever had," he murmured after turning off the water.

"Right?" Dave grabbed a washcloth and gently dabbed at Ben's skin. "There was one time, under a waterfall, but it was all cold and stuff."

"Yeah, waterfalls look pretty. Not so much with the comfort." Ben chuckled. He didn't get jealous. He didn't see the point.

God, it felt good to be able to laugh again. He lifted his head up and caught Dave's lips. Dave melted into the kiss, washcloth forgotten.

* * *

Dave stayed in the hotel with Ben for the rest of the week. He'd never stayed in a place as upscale as that, but when he snuck a peek at the pricing it wasn't really that bad. The place he'd put Aunt Sadie up back in Virginia Beach had been more expensive.

They didn't spend the whole week screwing like bunnies, although they could have. For a guy who'd been celibate for four years, Ben had a lot of passion, and Dave was more than ready to share it. They went out in the town, too. Sometimes they went with that nurse who hung around, Aziza. Sometimes they met up with Adami or with Van Heel. More often than not, they went out alone and just enjoyed themselves in Souda or in Chania.

There was one night, a Thursday, when Dave and Ben met up with Van Heel and Toledano. Dave had a moment's hesitation about that. They were staying local, and Souda was a much rougher area than Chania. On the one hand, Ben certainly wasn't some kind of shrinking violet. He'd been in as many war zones as Dave, and without the training or weapons to back him up. On the other hand, Ben was an omega, and from a sheltered environment to boot. Plus, Ben had gotten himself and those nurses taken hostage.

But Ben would probably be okay. He had three SEALs with him, after all, and if the environment bothered him he could ask to move on after a couple of drinks.

They met up at a seedy looking bar near the base. It had the advantage of knowing its clientele so well all of the signs and menus were in English, and most of the food was to American or British tastes. They walked in and found Van Heel and Toledano already waiting for them at a table in the back, with a pitcher of beer and four glasses.

"They've got real beer here, don't worry." Van Heel grinned and poured them a drink each. "They have Fix, too, but if I'm going to drink I want to drink something that tastes like home. Know what I mean?" He sat back with an easy grin and lifted his glass.

Toledano snorted and laughed, but there wasn't any malice to it. "Jeez, Van Heel, didn't they tell you we were supposed to be seeing the world?"

Van Heel took a swallow from his glass. "I have been seeing the world. And if there's one thing I've learned, it's that I'm defending the greatest country in the world, with the greatest beer in the world. Oo-rah!"

Dave coughed politely into his hand. He knew Van Heel was hamming it up, but some things were a bridge too far. "That's the Marines, bro."

"Whatever. Can't be too gung-ho when we're talking about our freedom." Van Heel winked. "So, Doc, how are things going with Hopper here? He treating you okay?"

Ben blushed. "He's great. Snores a bit."

"I do not!" Dave pretended to be flabbergasted.

"Sure you do." Ben met his eyes, and Dave caught his breath. He could stare into those blue eyes forever.

Forever wasn't a word he thought of very often.

Toledano cleared his throat. Apparently they'd been staring at one another a little too long; they were making other people uncomfortable. "So has Hopper told you about the time he took out ten Al Qaeda fighters on a trip to the latrine?"

Dave slouched in his seat. "Oh, come on. Can we not describe it like that?"

Ben snickered, though, and that was enough of a go-ahead for Toledano. "So once upon a time—this was a few years ago, when our boy here had only been in our platoon for a few weeks—we were sent on a job to some absolute shithole in Iraq. It probably didn't start out as a shithole, but you know. War and all that." He shrugged, pragmatic as ever. "Anyway, there we are, digging into our top secret location, when FNG here realizes he's got a delicate stomach."

Dave's cheeks burned, just as they had all those years ago. "Oh my God, it wasn't like that." He turned to Ben. "It was my first job with the team, and we'd all gone out for dinner in Jordan before we headed into Iraq. And I did eat something that didn't agree with me, and that something was dairy." He glowered at Toledano. "Some of our bodies are mature enough to recognize that milk is for babies, thank you."

Toledano waved a hand. "Yeah, whatever. Anyway, he couldn't wait to go. He absolutely had to go right now, it was a matter of life and death, cities would crumble into dust and seas would boil."

Dave rolled his eyes and let his head loll back. "I asked for permission, and Chief said yes." He appreciated a good story, and everyone got his turn in the barrel. Of course, he'd rather his buddies not give him his turn in front of Ben, but then the guys wouldn't get nearly as much fun out of it. He'd do the same thing to them if he got a chance.

"Chief got tired of your bitching is what happened." Van Heel wagged a finger at him.

"Anyway, off goes Hopper, over across a sand dune with a roll of TP, his sidearm, and a shovel. Now we could have all used that shovel, because the whole point of digging into your position is the digging. But you know, details, right? At any rate, the rest of us are picking up FNG's slack when we hear something make this loud clanging sound—like metal on metal, right? And then we hear gunfire."

Toledano took a long drink from his beer before continuing. "So we all go running back there, weapons drawn and ready to kick some serious ass. What do we see? We see FNG standing, still holding his roll of toilet paper, surrounded by dead or injured locals. One of 'em lived—Hopper had brained him with the shovel but didn't kill him. He shot seven and took out two of them with the shovel." He chuckled and shook his head. "Then he turned to Chief and said, 'Damn it, I still need to crap!'"

Everyone at the table laughed. Even Ben laughed. Apparently boarding schools and chauffeurs didn't exempt him from a distinctly lowbrow sense of humor. Dave figured he could relax a little bit then.

Dave retaliated by telling a story about Toledano that had Van Heel falling out of his chair, and then Van Heel added a tall tale about Kelly that he could embellish freely since Kelly wasn't there. Ben told a story about a patient, an Australian soldier brought in during his time in Afghanistan, with a ruptured testicular sack. "I don't think about these things, you know, I do the job and move on, but I had to wonder—why is an Allied soldier being brought to a Borderless field hospital for an injury like this? We provide good care, but surely he'd rather get help from the military doctors they have on base, right?

"So after the surgery to fix…you know, everything, I mean it was a mess, I went out and I spoke to his buddies. At first they tried to make it sound like a heroic adventure where the patient had stepped in to save a woman's life and some dastardly Taliban fiend had beaten him, but that wasn't consistent with the injuries I saw. So I just crossed my arms over my chest and waited.

"Finally one of them admitted it. They'd made makeshift skateboards and were doing tricks on them. My patient fell in an uncomfortable way and they didn't want to admit to military doctors he'd been horsing around."

Toledano and Van Heel turned green as the story went on. Dave had no doubts that he'd done the same. "Oh God." His voice had gone up several octaves in sympathy. "I think I'm going to hurl."

Ben snickered and finished his beer. "There was this one fraternity back in Boston—"

Van Heel held up a hand. "Does this story involve an injury to a man's equipment in any way, shape or form?"

Ben looked up at the ceiling, as though he were seriously trying to remember. "Maybe?"

"Then it can wait for another time or for shots. Yes, shots." Van Heel shuddered and poured himself another beer.

Far from being offended, Ben gave a wicked laugh and winked at Dave. He'd enjoyed every minute of that.

They had a few more rounds, and then they staggered back to the hotel. "Tonight was fun." Ben squeezed Dave's hand as they sat in the back of their taxi. "The guys seem nice enough."

"They weren't too rough around the edges for you?" Dave tilted his head to the side. "I know some of the humor was, er, juvenile at best." Something in his stomach squirmed at the thought. He didn't want his friends to be too juvenile to be around Ben. More to the point, he didn't want to be too juvenile to be around Ben, but he couldn't exactly separate himself from the rest of the SEALs.

"Nah. In case you hadn't noticed, it would be hard to get through med school without a certain grossness to your sense of humor. Plus, if you think that was bad try spending some time in an all-male boarding school." He made a face. "In public school you get exposed to all sorts of people who will tell you where the line is, and in no uncertain terms. In private school? Nah." He smirked, and then he rested his head on Dave's shoulder. "The boys are really the ones in charge."

Dave cringed, but put an arm around Ben. It didn't sound like that had been a great experience, if Ben's voice was anything to go by. Then again, high school never was, for anyone.

They reported back to the Solace two days later. Dave hadn't planned to stay in Ben's hotel room for the whole trip, but he'd done it anyway. He'd gone in liking Ben, and being attracted to him. By the time he came out, he didn’t want to be apart from him. He couldn't be sure what it was, never having been in love before, but he wanted to protect the brilliant, smart omega from everything around him and he wanted to see him smile. It sounded a lot like love.

They had to separate once they were back on the Solace, of course. Dave had to bunk with his teammates, and Ben's single bunk wouldn't hold two comfortably anyway. Dave couldn't help but wonder if a little bit of separation wasn't in their best interests anyway. If he was in love, sleeping apart wouldn't matter. He'd only want Ben more. If his need for Ben dimmed, then he'd know it was just a strong affection and that was all.

Initially, the plan had been to evacuate patients at various stops along the Northern Mediterranean coast. That had changed somehow. They'd offloaded their patients in Souda, although most of them wouldn't be staying in Greece. Now that all of their hospital beds were empty, the Solace could go right back to Syria and evacuate more patients.

Ben and Aziza got back to work quickly. Dave couldn't be sure if he was imagining the spring in Ben's step, but Ben was willing to make time to get together whenever their schedules allowed. Being on board the ship made things different for the pair, in decreasing their privacy and the amount of time they could spend together, but it didn't diminish the degree to which Dave thought about Ben.

He needed advice. He considered his options and finally sat down with Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick seemed like the least scary and most rational of all of the paired-off SEALs. He and his husband at least seemed to have a healthy relationship, and they didn't seem to have a lot of weird baggage. Plus, Fitzpatrick was leaving the platoon soon. He wasn't going to be around long enough to hold anything over Dave's head.

Fitzpatrick did a little bit of a double take when Dave asked him to talk privately for some advice, but he agreed readily. They hid out in an engineering compartment, and he turned to Dave. "So, what's on your mind, Hopper? You thinking about college too?"

Dave scoffed. He'd never been a college kind of guy. "No. No, I, uh, I wanted to ask you something a little weird. How did you know you were in love with Nick?"

Fitzpatrick didn't laugh at him. He didn't even look like he was trying to hide a laugh. Instead he just nodded. "Well, it's a little bit different for me and Nick. We'd known each other for so long we just knew. And when we got over the hurt, we realized those feelings were still there. But I'm guessing you're not asking because of scientific curiosity."

Dave looked down at the ground. "I stayed in his hotel room with him all week. I liked him to start, but now?"

"You'd kill for him?" Fitzpatrick grinned, just a little bit.

"I'd die for him." Dave took a deep breath. "He's always on my mind. And it's weird, because I'm not like that. I'm not sure I want to be like that. He's a great guy, the best, but I'm not sure we're really compatible in the long term. We come from such different worlds, you know?"

Fitzpatrick ran his tongue against his teeth for a moment. "Well, I'm not sure what to say to that. He's a good guy. Were you thinking about your different backgrounds when you were in that hotel?"

"Not really. But that wasn't, you know, at home. That was here. That was while we were both far away from everything." Dave ran his fingers through his hair. "I haven't talked with him about the future, or a future. Most surgeons don't do four years with Borderless. They do a few weeks. He probably doesn't want to settle down or anything."

"Well, you should ask him first, before writing him off." Fitzpatrick snorted. "But settle the question before we get pulled back to the States, bro. He's not going to just follow us back on hope. He's got a job here and without something to go toward, he's going to do it. See how he feels, where his head's at. But I can say he's been a lot more cheerful and more social, since you started hanging out with him."

"But am I in love with him?" Dave tapped his head against the bulkhead. "I don't know! I mean we're not sitting there fighting all the time like Kelly and Mal. And I'm not jealous all the time like Adami was with that reporter guy, Church."

"Love doesn't mean you have to turn into a raging asshole." Fitzpatrick snickered. "Both Kelly and Adami have issues of their own. For that matter, I had my own issues, and I had to work them out before I could really settle in with Nick. I'm glad I did, because I'm happier than I ever thought I'd be. And that's the biggest thing I want you to take away from this, okay? Kelly, Adami, me—we all had to face down our issues, gird up our loins so to speak, and be vulnerable enough to be with our men. You're going to have to do that too. Can you lower your guard enough to deal with Doc's background, or the difference between yours?"

Dave pressed his lips together. Could he trust Ben with everything that had happened in the past? Probably. Did that mean he wanted to think about it, ever again? No. "I don't know. I trust him, I don't know if I trust myself."

"That's the hard part, man. I'm here for you. And just so you know? We're all here for you too. We'll have your back, and we'll call you on your bullshit." Fitzpatrick clapped him on the shoulder. "Come on. Let's go get you some grub."