Page 24 of Stay with Me
“I love that you and Aunt Trish freshened Noah’s old room but—” Drew stopped talking as Brody stepped into the room and stared at him. Drew was sitting in a wheelchair, dressed in sweats, holding his phone to his ear with one hand, the other against his body in a sling. Brody wasn’t interrupting an in-person argument. A little better but still.
He fidgeted as Drew looked him up and down. Brody couldn’t identify the look on Drew’s face when he met Brody’s eyes. He did a mental check of his scrubs; no spills during the shift so they should only be a bit wrinkled.
“Uncle Mike, I’ll call you when I’m settled at Brody’s,” Drew said as he pulled the phone away and stabbed his finger against the screen. “Thanks to all the saints that you arrived when you did.”
“Um, you’re welcome? Sorry, I didn’t make it up to help you get changed. All your stuff ready to go?” Brody asked as hevisually inspected the room. He didn’t see anything that wasn’t hospital property. Drew really hadn’t been here long enough to collect a lot anyway.
“Considering the uniform I wore in was toast and all I’ve got is my phone, charger, and the change of clothes that Keith brought me? Yeah, I’m all set.” Drew sounded tired. Looking close, Brody could see lines around Drew’s eyes and mouth and he would swear that there was sweat rolling down the side of his face.
“Did you take your pain meds this morning?” Brody would put money that Drew’s answer was going to be no.
Instead of answering, Drew lowered his good hand to the wheel of the chair and tried to push himself. Brody tried to control his laughter but his store of control must have left the building because before he could process it, he’d dropped his backpack and was holding his stomach as he fell against the wall laughing. Drew’s glare only made him laugh harder. After a minute or so, Brody started to calm down, wiping the tears from his face. Yup, he’d broken up so hard he’d cried.
“Are we finished now, cadet?” Drew asked, impersonating Lieutenant Colonel Robbins which ramped Brody’s laughter back up.
Using strength he didn’t know he had, Brody stopped laughing though he did continue to snort. “Sorry but all I could picture as I watched you try and move yourself was one of those wind-up toys that’s got something stuck in one wheel and can only go in circles. Where am I taking you? To the lobby to wait for the sergeant major?” Brody leaned over and picked up his pack, sliding it over his shoulder. He walked over to the back of the wheelchair and released the brake.
“Oh, hell no, please and thank you. You said you’d rescue me from my family and watch over me. Are you backing out?Because if you are, just drop me at my apartment. I’ve worked too long and hard for them to let me stand on my own two feet. So, I’ll ask you, where are you taking me?” Drew shot back.
Brody didn’t hesitate. He might be setting himself up for a huge let down but there was no answer that he could give other than, “Let’s go to my condo. I put clean sheets on the bed in the guest room.”
§ § § §
Drew tried to get comfortable on Brody’s couch. He’d asked to rest there. After the number of hours he’d spent in the hospital bed over the past few days, he didn’t want to lay down. He was sure he was going to slide down and crash out eventually but for right now, he was swallowing down the pain he was still feeling from the ride over.
Time for distraction because he was not going to take more pain meds. Yeah, he’d suffered a nasty wound to his back, side, and arm but there was no way he was going to open any doors to becoming reliant on drugs.
“Are you done being stupid?” Brody asked from the entryway. Drew glanced over and would have fallen over if he hadn’t been sitting. Brody was leaning against the corner of the hall, a pair of low-slung sleep pants barely holding on to his hips. And nothing else. Drew had never thought he had a fetish for what a man was wearing. Yeah, he appreciated a good pair of jeans and a tight shirt just like the next gay boy. He’d listened to his aunts and uncles talk about the beauty of a man in uniform. Never fazed him; he wore one every day. But when Brody had stepped into his hospital room in his navy-blue scrubs? Drew about swallowed his tongue, and all the moisture in his mouth dried up. Now? Standing there in just a pair of flannel pants? Oh yeah,please? Could he slide them off Brody and start from his ankles with his tongue?
“Huh?” Oooh, Drew was being all articulate and everything.
Brody pushed off the wall and walked closer, a bottle of water in one hand; the other he held out palm up. “Take the pill, Drew. Whatever is holding you back, I promise I’m here.”
How was he going to explain this to Brody without sounding like a loser?Drew shrugged. “I just don’t want to come to rely on them, you know?”
Brody half-smiled and shook his head. “I promise. I won’t let you become dependent. You need these few days to let things heal a bit more and they won’t be enough to hook you. The dosage is a lower one. I’d be surprised if you needed anything more than some Tylenol in a day or two. Close your eyes. I’ll be here. Trust me?”
Drew’s gaze bounced between Brody’s face and his hand. Brody didn’t have any reason to lie. Should he take a leap of faith? Something in Drew told him this was the biggest decision he would ever make. That this was the moment his future was set on a path. Not when he chose a branch or a major but whether to metaphorically jump into Brody’s arms. Taking a deep breath, he reached for the pill and bottle of water. After he swallowed the medicine, he held his hand out to Brody and asked, “Stay with me?”
Chapter Sixteen
Drew stood at the stove, stirring some eggs. He couldn’t remember if Brody liked his eggs scrambled or not but this was what he’d made so… The past few days at Brody’s reminded Drew that he really didn’t like living alone. He hadn’t realized how much he missed having someone else around, even if they weren't doing anything. Just the presence of another in the house settled him. Maybe he needed to look at getting a pet. He'd love to adopt a retired MWD like Uncle Mackey had done multiple times. If he couldn’t work with them, he could have one waiting for him, though. Drew needed to reach out to Uncle Mackey and find out where he’d gotten his dogs. Of course, with the hours he was working these days, a cat would be more practical. His nose wrinkled at that thought. He was not a cat person.
“Whatever you’re thinking? Yeah, I need to know what brought that look to your face,” Brody said as he walked into the kitchen. Drew looked over his shoulder and had to fight to hold in the groan that filled his chest. There Brody was, low slung sleep pants on his bodyagain. How much was he supposed to fight himself?
Drew blinked as he tried to figure out the answer to Brody’s question which apparently made Brody laugh.
“Okay, that look is even better. Care to share your thoughts with the class?” Brody teased as he stepped up to the counter and poured a cup of coffee. He took a sip then sighed. Two thoughts went through Drew’s brain simultaneously — eww, black coffee, and hmmm, wonder what I needed to do to Brody to make him sigh like that.
Taking another leap of faith, Drew turned off the burner and closed the distance between him and Brody. Instead of answering vocally, he put his hands on Brody’s hips and lowered his head to kiss him. It was a small brush of his lips against Brody’s; asking for permission for more. He didn’t have to wait for an answer. He heard Brody’s cup hit the counter right before Brody’s hands were on either side of Drew’s face, pulling him closer… if that was even possible. Either way, Drew wasn’t a fool. He opened his mouth slightly and ran his tongue along Brody’s bottom lip before biting it. The sound that came out of Brody wasn’t the sigh he’d made for the coffee; it was low and dirty and Drew felt it to his core.
Drew pressed up against Brody and forced him into the counter. He attacked Brody’s mouth with a harsh kiss. All teeth and tongue and lips. Their heads shifted one way then the other, searching for the best angle. Brody slipped his arms around to Drew’s back and when his hand touched the bandage, Drew almost jumped out of his skin.
“Shit,” he hissed, dropping his head to Brody’s shoulder.
“Fuck, I forgot.” Brody lowered his hands to the top of Drew’s ass, rubbing slowly. “I’m sorry. I just…” Brody trailed off.
“Halt. I don’t need nor do I want an apology from you for putting your hands on my body. I am one hundred percent consenting to you doing just about anything you want to do to me. We probably need to wait until I get the stitches out, though,” Drew said, barely restraining a pout.
