The Cataclysm {Rick Grimes x Male! Oc}

Chapter 02: Learning More

"One of the strangest things about friendship is that time together isn't cancelled out by time apart. One doesn't erase the other or balance it on some invisible scale. You can spend a few hours with someone and they will change your life, or you can spend a lifetime with a person and remain unchanged."
-- Michael Robotham

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No matter how long he ignored the persistent and intrusive thoughts revolving around Arthur or how hard he tried to forget what he had been told, Rick couldn't think of anything else. Every time he looked at, hugged, or even spoke to his wife Lori, his mind would immediately jump back to his long denied urges and desires. Upon encountering Arthur's unique and over all comforting presence, he hadn't anticipated the constant reminders or the strong yearning to be around him more.

At night, laying beside his oblivious sleeping wife, he couldn't stop the onslaught of potential scenarios they could engage in. He thought over his relationships with ex-girlfriends and just females in general. He quickly realized his subconscious aversion towards actively perusing any of them. Why he was always disconnected from heterosexual relationships. Why he always felt some sense of spiritual emptiness. Especially when he thought of his future and how he wanted to live. 

During one of his many sleepless nights a week after his encounter at the bar, he couldn't stop himself any longer. Silently getting out of bed, Rick couldn't think of anything but the one phone number that had been aggressively haunting his mind. Every time he thought of the intriguing sir, an extremely foreign mix of emotions crashed through him unexpectedly. It was a level of infatuation that he had never experienced with anyone else. He felt stronger and weaker. He felt terrified yet excited. He could compare it to the exciting fear you could experience on a rollercoaster. The truth was, he didn't know what he felt; except that he knew what kind of person he wanted to be. It was as if he'd found the unfindable and wasn't ready for it.

The moment he had dialed and pressed send, a nerve wracking wave of exhilaration crashed through him like an earthquake. The line rang only four times before the call was accepted. "Speak." was the only greeting he was given.

Chuckling at the unexpected response, Rick immediately felt glad he had called. "Hey. It's Rick. Rick Grimes." he informed with clear amusement.

"Hey, man. How've you been? I was wondering when you'd call." Arthur's voice immediately lost its sleepiness and noticeably had a smile behind it.

Wanting to keep their conversation to themselves, Rick went to sit outside on the front porch to avoid any possible interruptions or eavesdroppers. "Well, I was wondering if you wanted to maybe meet up some time back at the bar. But if you're busy, though, don't worry about it." he hesitantly offered, not wanting to coerce him into anything he didn't want to do.

"I'm glad you said that. How about we meet up some time tomorrow or Sunday. Should give us enough time to plan around it without any drastic inconveniences." he suggested, hoping more than anything for their plan to come into fruition.

Upon hearing Arthur's reciprocation of interest, Rick felt even more elated and joyous at the mere idea of seeing his new friend again. His eagerness quickly turned into impatient anticipation. Every second of his torturous waiting felt like hours. Focusing solely on his newly developed interest, Rick relished in the feeling of having something to look forward to. Something that he knew would have permanent ramifications for the rest of his life. He could only hope it would be for the better.

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After they had finally been reunited at their bar, they both unknowingly spent hours talking about anything and everything that came to mind. Hours that felt like minutes. The more time they were in each other's presence, the more unknowingly infatuated they became. They shared their interests and dislikes, their hobbies and fun activities, items on their 'Fuck-it Lists', and tastes in music.

Three weeks had passed them by without notice. Both Rick and Arthur wished they could advance their secret relationship into something more. The only thing holding them back was the terrifying possibility of ruining their lives irreversibly. Only when they could correctly anticipate others' reactions would they either come out with the truth or live a lie for the sake of peace.

Eventually, they came upon work topics. Rick told of his experiences in law enforcement and the shenanigans he and his friend Shane had gotten into. When Arthur told of his active involvement with the military, his companion decided to request further explanation so that he could properly understand.

Without hesitation or shyness, he decided to break it down to paint a clearer picture. So, therefore, he chose to begin with his year of training before his first deployment.

First came the assessment/selection stage. Phase one being a three week period of physical and mental challenges; while phase two was another three week course of evaluation. In that time, those who have certain and desirable personalities/qualities that are compatible with the required missions are thoroughly identified.

Next came the individual training course (ITC), composed of four phases completed in nine months. Phase one was a ten week course focused on basic skills. Such skills consisted of survival, evasion, resistance and escape. Arthur was also trained in tactical combat casualty care; as well as fire support and communications. Phase two was eight weeks of learning small unit tactics; such as small boat operations, information collection, scout swimmer operations, demolitions, crew-served weapons and reconnaissance photography. Near the end of phase two, recruits were evaluated in two full mission profiles focusing on patrolling, combat operations, as well as urban and rural reconnaissance.

Phase three was a five week course focusing on close quarter battles. Those who had made it to this point were required to learn necessary self-defense skills that all operators must master to survive during missions. The main objective was to be trained in both rifle and pistol combat marksmanship; along with how to successfully conduct raids on urban, rural and maritime regions.

The final phase was a seven week course on irregular warfare. This involved the requirement of marines to use all of their previously mastered skills and train, advise and operate with a partner nation and irregular force.

When Rick became even more intrigued by his experiences in such a stressful environment, he wanted to know more about the strict qualifications that had to be met. He couldn't help how his eyes remained trained on Arthur, or how just hearing his voice felt hypnotically soothing to his jumbled brain and thoughts. The sensation could be compared to cool water being gently poured on a burn. He wanted nothing more than to continue listening to his captivating words.

Arthur then described his passing of the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery), his completion of the PFT (Physical Fitness Test), along with mastering the required advanced swimming skills.

His now best friend then began to also shed light on the advanced combat strategies he had learned. Such strategies were direct actions, special reconnaissance, preparation of the environment, security force assistance, counterterrorism, foreign internal defense and counterinsurgency. All of which he had excelled in with top scores.

Just as Rick had asked how many times he'd been deployed, his phone rang with Lori's bell-like ringtone. That's when he realized just how late in the night it actually was. "Hey, Lori. I'm on my way home right now. I guess I just lost track of time." he said after accepting the call. This gave Arthur the chance to pay for their drinks and struggle not to listen in on what his companion was telling his wife. Whether it was a small or large lie was up to her husband.

Once the call had ended, Rick was led outside and safely walked to his car. "We should do this again. Soon." Arthur stated with a nonchalant aura. This comment made Rick feel so joyous that all he could do was smile and think of nothing but him and vise versa. Arthur then placed his hand on Rick's cheek gently, tenderly. "See ya." he muttered quietly, then slowly moved away and walked towards his own car. 

A/N:

What it do. It's ya boi, zeh author. Just wanted to say many thanks for giving my story a chance; even more so for enjoying it. Let me know what you think, if I should fix anything that is incorrect, doesn't make sense, or if you simply have a comment. I value all forms of suggestions, even if it's constructive criticism. Have a fantabulous morning/evening/night.