Chapter 10: The Commitment

It was amazing how quickly Diego came around.

The six had spent the day inside as the snow continued to come down in wet clumps. Other than chilly runs to the outhouse, there was nothing to do but sit and talk and eat and play cards. Miller and Kim-Ly had gone to nap while Hitch and Kieu-Linh cleaned up after lunch. Catalina had gotten cold and Diego snuggled with her on the rug under the blankets.

A soft sigh turned both Hitch and Kieu-Linh to look to where the young couple was completely covered on the floor. They couldn't make out exactly what they were doing, but Catalina's sweet, light sounds made it clear she was receiving pleasure. Kieu-Linh smiled at Hitch and stood in front of him as he leaned back on the counter. He started to caress her tits as she rubbed her butt against his groin.

Catalina grew a bit louder, obviously trying not to make any noise but failing as her body moved in longer motions. The covers ruffled around them, and when she let out a sharp cry, followed by a pleasant, "mmmmmmm ... mmmmm ... mmmm..." Hitch knew she was cumming.

Kieu-Linh peeled down her pants and bent forward, smiling back at Hitch. He pulled out his cock and ran it up and down her slit. Kieu-Linh was already wet.

She slid back onto his penis and moaned as he rooted inside her vagina. Kieu-Linh rocked forwards and back, her hand down between her legs. Hitch saw movement under the blankets, and it was clear that Diego was rising over Catalina. A light grunt came from the girl's throat, and Diego began to grunt in rhythm.

Kieu-Linh's channel flooded as she started to orgasm, riding Hitch's dick, covering his shaft in creamy cum. Her cries grew louder, "uh ... uh ... oh ... mmmm ... mmm ... mmmmmm..." Hitch held her waist and humped against her as the teen's body shuddered, her vagina spasming randomly.

He heard Diego groan, then grow silent, the motions becoming slow under the blanket. Hitch felt his load burning up from his groin. He slid his hands down Kieu-Linh's sides and under her to her tits, caressing them, feeling her hard young nipples and moving faster in and out of her cunt.

The blanket flew back, revealing Diego over Catalina, gasping, trying to catch his breath. Catalina had her arms over him, holding him tight against her.

Hitch started to cum, the copulating couple turning back to look at where Hitch yanked his spurting penis from Kieu-Linh's body, the first shot hitting her ass, the next flying up to splash in the middle of her back. Cum ran down her crack and over the sixteen-year old's anus. He grunted as he emptied the rest of her load over her thighs and waist.

He looked down to see pools of sticky cum shuddering on Kieu-Linh's skin as she trembled and panted. Catalina and Diego continued to watch from the rug.

Hitch pulled Kieu-Linh up and turned her, his semen sliding down her legs and onto her bundled jeans. He kissed her deeply, holding her tight against him. They were both sweaty and he smelled strongly her warm skin and wonderful natural aroma against her neck.

Slowly, he grabbed a clean rag and ran it over her back and legs, wiping mostly of his cum from her flesh, then helped pull up her pants while she gently tucked his half-hard cock back into his own.

There was a small smile from Catalina, and when she looked at Diego, he smiled, too. They started laughing, and Kieu-Linh joined them. Hitch just smiled and buzzed from his orgasm. The couple on the rug settled back onto the rug and held each other while Kieu-Linh stepped to the window and peered outside.

"Back in a few, I need to pee," the teen said, dancing in place suddenly. She opened the door and had to climb a small mound of snow which had accumulated on the porch from where it blew in all night and morning. Hitch watched her trudge along a moment, then turned back to the couple on the floor.

"I just want you to know," he said, gently as Diego and Catalina looked back at him, "that sharing that with us was no small thing. You have courage, and love for each other. I know this isn't what you might have thought of as normal, especially given what you've been taught, but you should know that no one here is judging you. Just the opposite, really. It is ... with sincerity that I thank you for sharing, and hope you'll find it easier to be at peace here, with us, and with each other. Don't feel shame for showing your love for each other ... or for wanting and experiencing pleasure..."

Diego smiled again.

"Well said, Hitch," Kim-Ly's voice called from the edge of the bedroom as she slowly came in to the main room from her nap. "What you share is your business, but we don't have room here to feel that you must instead hide yourselves and go without, simply because others can hear or see you."

Hitch smiled at the woman and she sauntered up to him with a warm expression, kissing his cheek and hugging him with unexpected vigor.

"What's that for?" he asked quietly.

She shrugged, "just felt like hugging you. I saw you with my daughter just now ... the look on her face, Hitch ... seeing her so happy ... seeing her experience pleasure like that ... it just made me grow happy, too ... and I wanted you to know how it made me feel."

"Not weirded out that ... I'm having sex with your daughter? And ... you're watching us?" He asked, smiling.

She shrugged once more, "I'm no stranger to..." Kim-Ly trailed off, shaking her head without explaining further. "Anyway," she said, looking out the window, "not much else to do right now, I guess. I'll make some warm rolls. Could you grab the butter? My husband will be around shortly. I gave him a ... special treat ... a bit ago, he needed a moment to ... recover."

Hitch grinned and went into the cellar.

Kieu-Linh and Hitch made love again that night, this time just inches from where Catalina and Diego did the same. The newcomers again covered themselves completely, but Hitch could tell that Catalina was doing less to quiet her cries when she came, and Diego's grunts had given way to more vocal signs of his pleasure.

The next morning found the sun shining, but the day very cold, over a foot of snow on the ground. Hitch put on his boots and clothing and kissed Kieu-Linh on the porch as she headed to the outhouse. He stepped out into the snow and debated gathering his hunting gear.

It made him do a quick mental calculation of his remaining ammo stock. He still had over a thousand rounds for his main rifle. Hitch knew that he'd have to find more over the next year in order to keep a healthy supply on hand. While he usually hit and killed whenever he expended a round, he was still planning to teach Diego, and eventually Catalina, and they would be less efficient with their shots while they learned.

Ammo count was one of many numbers which Hitch refigured daily, if not more often. He'd been drilled in it over and over in his training, and he'd found it vital once his training was put into actual combat. Not knowing how many rounds were left for the SAW, or how many grenades 1st Platoon had remaining, was to hamstring tactical options. He'd become practiced at estimating how much ammunition and other supplies were being expended during battle, supplementing that educated guesswork with inventory sweeps whenever anyone could perform one without being shot. Of course, in the chaos of war, estimates and even visual counting were prone to significant error and had to be double- and triple-checked whenever possible.

Hitch heard Kim-Ly come out onto the porch and he turned back towards the cabin. "Snow's stopped, at least," he called.

"I see. Thinking of heading south?" she asked, pulling her scarf tighter around her neck.

"Not yet, no. A couple of passes will be dangerous in this. But I think I would like to see what's moving around, see if I can bring in a deer or two."

Kim-Ly nodded. "I'd like to go with you."

Hitch had never hunted with Kim-Ly before, though he knew, from conversations with Miller, that she was experienced and could handle herself in the bush with a rifle in her hands. "I'd like that. I was going to suggest Diego stay behind anyway. I noticed his feet had some nasty blisters that need a few days to heal. And Kieu-Linh needs to keep close to the outhouse today, she's got a bit of intestinal distress this morning."

Kim-Ly responded, "I'll go check on her. Ready in a few minutes?"

Hitch confirmed that he would be and headed back inside. Kim-Ly put on warmer clothing and thick boots, then headed to see after her daughter. Hitch got his gear packed and strapped his M9 to his hip, throwing his field jacket over his shoulders and fastening it all the way to his neck.

Kim-Ly met him at the steps. "She's fine, feeling better already, but she is staying here today."

"Great," Hitch said, staring a moment at the outhouse. "I hate seeing her uncomfortable."

"She's a woman, Hitch. She can take it."

"Trust me, I've come to understand that well this past year."

Kim-Ly smiled and followed Hitch as he led them past the spring and into the woods.

They had picked up an impressive trail of deer tracks to the northeast of the cabin. The tracks led down in the direction of a small stream which broke away from the larger creek running along the western ridge. Kim-Ly crept a few feet behind Hitch as they slowly got closer to where the deer could be heard snorting past a large gendarme overlooking a deep gully cut by a shallow creek which was completely frozen over.

Hitch drew up next to the boulders and peered down the gentle slope. A large buck stood still a hundred meters downhill, and Hitch felt certain there were at least two or three does nearby. Hitch waved Kim-Ly to the nearby line of thick pines across the small game trail from where he crouched. He pointed at his eyes, then to the deer below, and signaled her to wait a moment.

The buck looked a bit lethargic, but still alert, head turning to listen to the muffled sounds around him. A doe crept into view and Hitch made hand motions to say he was targeting the doe, and the she should aim for the buck which, from her position, should be a clearer shot.

Moments later, they approached the site of two fallen deer and shared a satisfied smile as they each worked on dressing their kills, which took more effort in the inches of snow, but also cooled the carcasses quickly, which helped preserve the meat and, especially for the old buck, ensure it had a rich and satisfying flavor.

"I love being out here, Hitch." Kim-Ly said as her knife slid easily through the buck. "And I'm glad to be able to come out on a hunt with you. I've hunted with Jefferson and my daughter many times, and I can see that you know what you're doing."

Hitch removed entrails from the doe and replied, "lots of experience."

"So much better than shooting at people..." she said, more quietly.

"I couldn't agree more."

"Do you ever think about going back, Hitch? To rejoin the fight?"

His automatic response was the same he'd give to Miller and others, that he had no desire to fight again. Instead, he gave her a more honest and nuanced explanation. "There are times I miss it ... That ... thrill of kill-or-be-killed ... it never really left me. I hated combat, but ... I loved it, too. It is the ultimate challenge, every decision life-or-death, and I can't help wondering what it might be like to take what good years I have left and see if I can make a difference ... and feel that rush one more time..."

Kim-Ly didn't respond immediately, focused on her work with the knife. Then she said, "Jefferson and I fought together. It was ... surreal, sometimes. I thought about him whenever it got hot, but ... I was so scared that it was often all I could do to remember to change out my mag, or check to see if he was still alive nearby. But ... I know what you mean ... I got ... I don't think 'used to it' is the right phrase, but ... it became ... normal, I guess. I was still scared, but ... I managed it. And I understand what you mean about the thrill. It's horrible to see your friends killed beside you, but I can't deny the intense rush I got in a firefight. It took a while to find things that thrilled me again, once we left The War."