Title: The Story of a Bandit Prince Charming: Bandit Author: Nicole Category: S, R [Harm/Mac], Angst Rating: PG Spoilers: none Disclaimer: not mine Summary: prequel to my story ‘Coming Back,’ and companion piece to ‘The Story of the Bandit Prince Charming: PC’ Feedback: desired I walk along the beach, my backpack slung over one shoulder as I squint into the sun. Sighing, I drop my pack and rummage through it, pulling out a pair or sunglasses. I slip them on and pick up my pack again, continuing my journey. The sun warms my body as I walk ad a few men whistle at me as I pass. Only one or two have been brave enough to approach me and I sent them home red-faced and ego-bruised. Then I feel it. *His* eyes on me. Although many men have eyed my jean-shorts and bikini-topped form, this one was different. I ignored him as I walked, hoping he would leave and praying he would approach. I sensed him walk up to me, but he didn’t say anything. Another 20 or so feet down the beach and I stop and turn to him. “Okay,” I demand, “who are you and why are you following me?” “Can’t a man appreciate a beautiful woman, Bandit?” The line is familiar, but the ‘bandit’ throws me off. “Bandit?” I ask. He smiles, nearly melting me where I stand. “Would you rather I call you ‘thief,’ ‘robber,’ ‘crook,’ or ‘pirate’?” I frown, still confused. “*What* are you *talking* about?!” His smile intensifies. “You stole my heart,” he says simply, then snorts and runs his fingers through his thick, dark hair. “Okay, yeah, I know. Lame. I’m sorry, I’ll just go.” He turns and takes a few steps away and something unknown prompts me to call after him, “Bandit.” He turns and gives me a confused, hopeful look. I smile. “I like ‘bandit’ best.” He smiles back and starts walking with me again. We walk and talk for an hour before I say, “You know, you still haven’t told me what your name is.” “You haven’t either,” he points out with that easy grin of his. I shrug. “You call me ‘bandit’!” I say, as way of defense. “Well, then, what do you want to call me?” I think for a moment before replying, somewhat shyly, “PC. For Prince Charming.” He smiles again. “Why Prince Charming?” he asks softly, sensing my discomfort. I smile back. “When I was a little girl, my dad would yell at me and treat me very badly. I always told myself that the first man I came to who made me feel like a princess would be my Prince Charming. And you’re that man.” I look up and am surprised to see tears misting his sea-blue eyes. “Thank you,” he whispers. I wait nervously on the beach for PC to come. This is the second day we’ve met here since our accidental meeting. I don’t even know how it happened, but I know I’ve fallen in love with my prince. “Bandit!” I hear his shout and turn, smiling. He pulls me into a hug, then asks, “How is it that you always manage to get here before me?” I smile and remark, somewhat flippantly, “Maybe because I never leave.” He looks at me, concerned. “Bandit, do you sleep on the beach? Don’t you have anywhere to go?” I bow my head in shame and answer quietly, “No, I use all my money for food.” PC cups my cheek and lifts my head to look me in the eyes. “Bandit, why didn’t you tell me? Look, from now on, you stay with me, okay? I’m not going to take no for an answer.” I sigh and smile slightly at his determination. “Okay,” I whisper. I look around the apartment. It’s small, only having one bedroom, and PC blushes as I point that out. “Yeah, I know,” he mutters, “but I’ll just sleep on the couch.” “I’m not putting you out of your own bed, PC.” “Bandit, you probably haven’t had a decent nights sleep in weeks! I’m not shoving you on the couch!” I glare at him slightly. “Then I guess we share the bed. I sure hope it’s a double.” I almost want to slap myself as I say that. Even though they call it a double, PC and I will be in very close quarters if he only has a double. As if he could read my thoughts, PC’s eyebrows raise a couple time suggestively. “Only a double, huh? Well, I’m sorry, but I have a queen size.” I’m sure I’m blushing, but I do try to save some of my dignity in the face of his smirk. “All the better,” I say with a smile, moving into the bedroom and depositing my bag. He grins, shaking his head a little. “I’m sure.” I enter the small apartment quietly, not wanting to wake PC. It’s late and I’m sure he’s gone to bed already. I sneak into the bedroom and carefully put my bag down before noticing that he’s watching my every move. “You’re still awake,” I observe, surprised. He rolls over onto his side. “You really think I could sleep not knowing where you were?” I frown at him. “What difference does it make? I mean, why do you care so much? I’m just the lost little gild you took in.” PC smiles slowly and shakes his head. “You’re more than that, Bandit. You’re my soulmate. I love you.” I’m sure I look completely dumbstruck as my eyes widen and my mouth drops open. “You love me?” I ask, hoping against all hope. “Do you really?” He nods. “Yeah, Bandit, I love you. More than anything.” I laugh and throw myself onto the bed, landing half on PC. “I love you so much, my Prince. So much it almost hurts.” My laughter stops as he smiles and kisses me. He’s kissed me before, but not like this. This kiss speaks of love and desire. It speaks of forever. “Let me make love to you,” he whispers against my lips. “No,” I mutter and he pulls away, hurt. “I want you to make love with me.” The hurt in his eyes fades and he smiles again, leaning forward to kiss me again. “PC, are you sure this is a good idea?” I ask as we approach the small tattoo parlor. “C’mon, B, don’t you want me to have your mark and you to have mine?” He smiles at me as he says this, melting my reservations. “Yeah. Okay, let’s go.” That said, PC pushes open the door and a small bell rings. A short woman with a tattoo of a teardrop at the corner of her left eye walks toward us. “Can I help you?” she asks, her voice soft and pleasant, not at all what I expected. “Yeah,” PC says, grinning at her. “We want to get branded.” I roll my eyes and the woman smiles. “Of course. I have several books, what kind of theme do you want?” PC looks at me and I think for a moment before saying, “Roses. Roses and ivy.” The woman goes to a bookshelf and searches for the correct book. “You tryin’ to make me a laughing stock of the Navy?” PC asks, laughter in his voice. I roll my eyes again. “It doesn’t have to be anywhere where they’d see it!” The woman comes back and silently hands me and PC a book, then goes to stand behind the counter. We look through the book for ten minutes before I see it. “Oh, PC, its *perfect*,” I breathe. And it was. The tattoo was circular, two red roses flanking a white one, with the stems intertwined together and with ivy. “Yeah, it is,” PC agrees. We both get up and walk to the desk. “Ooooh, this hurts,” I whine as we walk out of the tattoo parlor. “Why did we agree to have it done around the left nipple?” “I don’t know, it just hurts.” PC rolls his eyes and I smack his arm. “So, I guess you’re a future Jarhead, huh?” I smile. I was wondering how long it would take him to ask that. “Gee, PC, whatever gave you that idea?” PC snorts. “Could be the ‘Semper Fi’ you asked her to add to your tattoo. That sorta gave it away.” I cross my arms. “I like it!” I exclaim defensively. “So do I, B.” I can hear the sincerity in his voice and see it in his eyes, so I relax. I sit on the bed, tears coursing, barely noticed, down my cheeks. I don’t know what to do. ‘How did this even happen?’ I ask myself. But I know how. My mind goes back over every little detail… _I creep into the apartment, fear guiding my every movement. PC can never know about this, although I highly doubt he’ll just let it go. I said I’d be gone 20 minutes, but I was gone for two hours. I walk into the bedroom where PC is laying, watching me. “What took so long, B?” I shrug and try to appear nonchalant. “Got turned around and lost.” PC frowns. “Bandit, you’ve been here for a week and a half and never gotten lost.” I shrug again. “First time for everything.” PC stares at me for a long moment. “B, what’s up? What happened?” This is the first time I’ve ever hated the bond that we have. He can tell that I’m lying. “Nothing,” I ask shortly, suddenly losing my patience. “Nothing happened. Everything’s fine.” He grabs my arm and pulls me onto the bed beside him, forcing me to meet his gaze for the first time since I got back. “Bandit, everything is not fine. What is it? What happened?” I feel tears prickling my eyes and I push myself away from him. “You want to know what happened?!” I yell. “Do you?!” PC’s eyes widen slightly at my reaction, but he says nothing. “What happened is that I cheated on you! Okay?! You happy?! I went out, intending to go to the drugstore, but some guy propositioned me and guess what! I accepted. I went to his house with him, and he screwed me! It meant absolutely nothing, but I guess it was my teen years coming back to me! One guys just isn’t enough!” At the end of my tirade, I finally look at PC again through teary eyes. What I see breaks my heart and makes me cry harder. “Why?” he asks softly, tears falling down his cheeks, hurt, anger and betrayal taking over his features. I shrug, feigning indifference. “Just something to do. I way to pass the time.” “I’m not enough?” he asks, his voice tortured. “My love for you isn’t enough? I thought you loved me, B.” “I do!” “Obviously not!” PC yells, suddenly angry. “Obviously you don’t love me like I love you, ‘cuz if you did, you wouldn’t have gone out and screwed the first horny bastard to look at you twice!” “PC! PC, I *do* love you! It was just a mistake! I didn’t mean it! It was nothing. PC, I love you more than anything in the world!” I’m begging now and I know it, but I can’t stand the thought of PC being angry with me. “Not more than sex.” PC’s voice is so cold that I barely recognize it. He gets up off the bed, leaving me there, then says, “I’m going for a walk. You have one hour to get out. Don’t come back.” Then he leaves._ And here I am. It’s been half an hour and my bag is packed, I’m ready to leave. Well, not quite. I take a piece of paper from PC’s desk and grab a pen. Slowly, I form the words from my heart. When the letter is done, I slip off my ring, the first piece of jewelry I ever bought, and place the rolled up letter through it. I leave it on the pillow that had been mine ad take one last look around the room, picking up my bag. In this room my heart will forever rest, broken by my own betrayal. I step out of the door.