Made to Order by Brigham Vaughn

TWENTY-THREE

Tyler was half-dozing on Donovan’s shoulder again when a woman in scrubs appeared in the doorway. “Family for Eduardo Silva?”

They rose to their feet as a unit as the woman approached Andrea. “Please, follow me to the surgical waiting area. Someone was supposed to come get you and take you there earlier, but it’s been chaos tonight. There was a big pile up on I-96 and we’re a little short-staffed.”

“It’s okay,” Andrea said quietly. “Just … tell me one thing. Is he out of surgery?”

“Not quite yet. The surgeon is closing up now, but he wanted you to know that it went well, and they’ll be sending your husband to recovery soon. The doctor can give you more details once he’s done.”

“Oh, thank God.” Andrea sagged against Tyler, and he hugged her close. Donovan stepped back to give them some space. “Can we all go?”

“Yes, of course. We’ll put you in a private waiting area. We have several we use for large families.”

They quietly followed her through a maze of hallways until they reached the waiting room. She pointed out the bathrooms and a small area with vending machines before ushering them into the private area.

“Please, have a seat. The surgeon will be with you as soon as he’s able.”

They were all silent a while. Donovan noticed the tension thrumming through Tyler’s body again as he sat, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees, staring at the floor. Donovan made slow, sweeping strokes up and down his back, hoping the soothing gesture would help.

Hayes, who sat next to Tyler, glanced over at the two of them. “So, how’d that happen?”

Tyler lifted his head. “We work together.”

“Oh, wait, is this the guy who was pissing you off?”

Donovan let out a little snort, pausing his strokes to squeeze the back of Tyler’s neck. “Yeah, that was probably me. Unless Tyler has a beef with more chefs than I’m aware of.”

Tyler nudged him with his knee. “It was you.”

“Ahh yeah. Well, hate sex is fun.” Hayes grinned at them.

“Who did you have hate sex with?” Jackson asked, his expression curious.

“You never met him,” Hayes said with a dismissive wave. “We were stationed together at Fort Hood when I was in Texas. Well before we were … anything.”

“Ahh.”

“We were constantly getting on each other’s nerves,” Hayes continued. “It was hot though.”

“Not hotter than sex with your husband, I hope.” Jackson’s voice was deep, and he glowered as if jealous, but there was amusement in his eyes.

“Never.” Hayes leaned into him.

“How is it that every dude I know has a fucking boyfriend or husband and I can’t find a girl to save my life?” Gordo groused. “Statistically there’s fewer of you. It makes no fucking sense.”

Tyler snorted. “Maybe if you were less of an asshole, you’d have better luck.”

“Fuck you.”

“Thought you weren’t into that.” Jackson smirked at him. “But if you’re having no luck with girls, you could come over to this side.” He waggled his eyebrows.

Gordo snorted. “Not a chance man. You do you, but … no.”

“Poor, sad, lonely man,” Hayes teased. “Nothing but his hand and tears for lube.”

Gordo crossed his arms over his chest. “I fucking hate you all.”

Donovan, who had been observing their banter with amusement, asked the question that had been lurking on the edge of his brain all night. “Is this some sort of military thing? Just giving one another shit constantly?”

“Ugh, yes,” Andrea said with a roll of her eyes. “It’s how they cope with stress. It’s funny for the most part but sometimes I just want to throw things at their heads.”

Jackson leaned forward, frowning at her. “Hey, if we’re bugging you now—”

“No.” She waved it off. “I get it. It’s fine. Honestly. It just took me a while to get used to it.”

Jackson slipped an arm over her shoulder. “Hey, show me some pics of the kids. It’s been a while since I’ve seen any and I bet they’re getting big.”

“Sure.” She shot him a little smile and reached for her phone.

Jackson bent his head over Andrea’s phone as he looked at pictures while Tyler flipped through a men’s magazine. Donovan resumed rubbing Tyler’s back as he scrolled through his phone, not really seeing the words on the screen.

He liked Tyler’s friends. They were a bit loud and caustic, clearly not worried about being overly PC. But there was real warmth and affection there and no denying they would do anything for one another. He understood the laughter and joking now. He could only imagine what it was like as a soldier, knowingly stepping into danger. He imagined you had to laugh, or the fear would become crippling.

Half an hour later, when the surgeon walked into the room, Tyler stood up straight. Donovan stood too and he reached out, settling his hand on the back of Tyler’s neck again, reminding him he was never alone.

The surgeon raked a hand through his graying hair. “Eddie Silva’s family, yes?”

“Yes.” Andrea stepped closer. “That’s us.”

The surgeon glanced at them, then back at her. “Would you like to speak privately or …”

She shook her head. “These are his brothers. Maybe not by blood but they were in the service together and …”

He nodded. “I understand. I just had to check because of HIPPA laws.”

“How is he, Dr. Doyle?” Andrea twisted her hands together, clearly not willing to wait another moment. “Please, just tell me. Whatever it is.”

The doctor appeared calm, but Donovan assumed after years of this, he was used to delivering bad news. Donovan desperately hoped the surgeon had good news for them tonight. He couldn’t imagine what it would be like for Andrea and all these guys if the surgery hadn’t gone well. But mostly his heart ached at the thought of what it would do to Tyler.

Donovan held his breath as the doctor cleared his throat.

“Eddie’s surgery went well. We were able to remove the spleen and stop the bleeding in his liver. He will likely need further surgery on his leg, but he’ll need to see an orthopedist about that. He made it through the procedure, and he’s stable now. He’s in recovery and it will be a little while before you’re able to go in, Mrs. Silva. After he’s woken and settled in a room, the rest of you can visit. That probably won’t be until morning, so I suggest the rest of you go home and get some rest.”

“He’ll be okay though?” Andrea asked anxiously.

The doctor gave her a serious look. “The spleen removal was textbook perfect, and I have every reason to believe his bones will heal with proper treatment. However, as we discussed earlier with the police, your husband had a rather high blood alcohol content when he was brought in. In the course of removing his spleen, we discovered his drinking has caused some liver damage. It’s not critical at this stage but it is something that will need to be monitored closely. And if it isn’t addressed, I’m afraid he’ll be in for a very rough road. Alcohol abuse is one of the leading causes for liver failure and he does not want to be dealing with a transplant on top of his other struggles. I’m not trying to pass judgment. I simply want to be sure you understand the gravity of his current situation.”

“I know.” She sagged against Gordo who’d had his arm around her. “I know it’s bad. We’re trying to get him help.”

Tyler had also slumped against Donovan, and he rubbed his shoulders for a moment.

“He’ll pull through this accident, Mrs. Silva,” the doctor said in a kind tone. “He’s at a point where his life can go one of two directions, and neither will be an easy road. But for now, he’s out of the woods. You can take solace in that.”

* * *

“God I’m fucking beat.” Tyler dropped onto the bed with a sigh.

After long hugs and plans to meet the others in the morning, they had left the hospital, driven straight to the nearest hotel, and checked in.

They had nothing with them, not even a toothbrush or a change of underwear, because they’d left the tavern and driven straight through to the hospital. But they’d gotten a few toiletries from the check-in desk, and they’d make do.

Donovan held out a hand to Tyler who looked half-asleep already. “Come on. Into the shower with you. Then we can sleep.”

Tyler let out a little grumble, but he took Donovan’s hand and let him drag him upright. “Fine, fine,” he muttered. “Could’ve passed out right there though.”

“You seem to be able to pass out anywhere,” Donovan said drily. Not that he minded.

“Hazard of being in the military. You snatch sleep whenever you can.”

“I get it.” Donovan led him into the bathroom and closed the door. “Strip. I’ll get the shower going.”

Tyler let out a jaw-cracking yawn. “So bossy tonight.”

“That’s ‘so bossy tonight, Sir’ to you.”

A small smile played on Tyler’s lips as he lifted his shirt off. “Oh, right.”

Donovan chuckled as he cranked the shower handle to the on position. “Did you forget already?”

“No. It kinda got crowded out by everything else though.”

“I know. I’m not going to push tonight. You’re in no shape for it.”

“No?” Tyler dragged a hand over his abs with a tired little smirk before he reached for the button of his jeans.

“Mentally,” Donovan amended. He stripped off his clothes as quickly and efficiently as possible.

“Yeah, that was fucking stressful,” Tyler said with a sigh.

“Hey, Eddie is out of the worst of it,” Donovan reminded him. “There’s hope.”

“There is.”

They stepped into the shower together and Donovan made a little circle in the air with his finger. “Turn around. I’ll wash your back.”

“Yes, Sir.” Tyler shot him a cheeky look before he did what he was told.

“Just can’t resist, can you?” Donovan asked with a smile. He put some of the hotel-provided body wash in one palm then rubbed them both together. He used his soapy hands to wash Tyler’s back, digging his thumbs in to the spots that were tightly knotted.

“Fuck. That’s … unnnghhh.”

Donovan pressed a kiss to the back of his neck. “I’m proud of you, you know?”

“For what?”

“For coming out tonight.”

“Oh.” Tyler leaned forward, letting his head hang, so Donovan moved up, using his thumbs to dig into the muscles along his spine. “It wasn’t as bad as I expected actually.”

“Good.”

“It’s not like I thought they’d all stop speaking to me or something. I mean, maybe it was dumb to worry at all. Andrea was fine with it when Jackson and Hayes got together, and Gordo was a dick at first but he came around with them too, so it feels stupid now. But …”

“It was a valid fear,” Donovan acknowledged. “Sometimes, you just don’t know how people will react and it’s incredibly stressful to think that you could be rejected. I understand your reluctance. I guess you were right when you said you always go big though.”

“Guess they all suspected anyway. I thought I was being all stealthy with the blowjobs but apparently not. I almost wish they’d said something then.”

“Would you have believed them?” Donovan dropped his hands, then stepped forward, encircling Tyler’s waist with his arms, and hooking his chin on his shoulder.

Tyler was silent a moment. “Probably not. I had to meet you to get it.”

“I’m glad you were open to it then.”

“I am too.” Tyler turned in his arms and pressed a hand to his cheek before leaning in to kiss him deeply.

The rest of their shower was done in silence. There were long, lingering kisses as they soaped each other’s bodies, and they were both hard by the time they were done.

“Will you fuck me, Sir?” Tyler’s voice was ragged as he turned off the water.

Donovan shuddered, as much from the heated words as from the blast of cooler air as he pulled back the shower curtain. “I’d love to. But we don’t have supplies.”

“Damn it. We should have stopped somewhere.” Tyler let out an annoyed grumble as he toweled off. Donovan hastily dragged a towel over his body as well. “We don’t have to use condoms anymore, you know. I told you that a few weeks ago.”

“You did,” Donovan acknowledged. He just hadn’t been ready then. But given the steps forward they’d taken tonight, maybe it was the right time now.

Tyler looked at him imploringly. “I don’t have much more in me but after the night we had I just want … I need …” He swallowed hard. “I need you.”

“I know.” Donovan dragged a thumb down his cheek. “I do too. We’ll just have to be creative.” He reached for the lotion on the bathroom sink. It was unscented. Good.

“I trust you, Sir,” Tyler said. There was nothing but open, honest submission in his eyes. Donovan still wasn’t entirely sure how that switch had flipped for him but clearly it had. Tyler was in. One hundred percent. It appeared that was just how he operated. Questioning everything up until the moment he decided to take the leap. Donovan found it a little frustrating but mostly endearing. He could work with it.

“Come here.” Donovan dragged him to the bedroom, shivering in the cool air. He tossed the lotion on the bed. “Kneel.”

Tyler tipped his head back as he sank to his knees and Donovan felt a catch in his throat. The look in his eyes was powerful, tugging at Donovan’s heart with its intensity. The gesture was without hesitation. Whereas before Tyler had been struggling with an internal battle of accepting this role, there was a calm sureness in his expression now.

“You are so beautiful like that.” Donovan’s voice was husky as he brushed a thumb across Tyler’s lower lip. “So perfect. You’re everything I’ve ever wanted.”

“I didn’t know I wanted you, but I did.” A strangled little sob left Tyler’s throat. “I needed this, and I had no idea. I just knew I was searching for something.”

Tears glittered on Tyler’s lashes and Donovan pulled him to his feet, then tumbled him onto the bed, pressing him down against the white sheets. There were no words, just heated kisses and their bodies reconnecting. He swept his hands across Tyler’s muscular frame, letting the touch become possessive and needy.

He ravaged Tyler’s mouth, pressing his arms up over his head, feeling the needy little movements of Tyler’s hips as he rubbed his cock against Donovan’s hip.

Donovan fumbled for the bottle of lotion and poured some into his palm, barely able to stop kissing and touching Tyler long enough to do it. He slicked both their cocks, stroking them together for a few minutes. Tyler’s whole body was strung tight with tension, his breath short and rasping against Donovan’s mouth.

Tyler reached for Donovan, but he shook his head. “On your stomach.”

Tyler rolled over and Donovan groaned at the sight of him stretched out, arms over his head. There was nothing for him to grip onto on the headboard, so Donovan pressed his palms against the sheet. “Don’t move from this position.”

Donovan smoothed his hands over the muscular swell of Tyler’s ass, parting his cheeks to stare at his hole. God, he desperately wanted to bury himself inside Tyler’s tight, clenching heat. He used the lotion to slick himself again and settled over Tyler’s body, sliding his cock along the groove of his ass.

“Mmm.” Tyler let out a helpless groan.

Donovan covered Tyler’s body, surrounding him, boxing him in. He nipped and licked at Tyler’s neck and shoulder as he fucked between his cheeks. Heat built between their bodies, slicking their skin with sweat.

He let the fear that he might lose Tyler flow out of him and drift away, secure in the knowledge that Tyler was his. He slipped a hand under Tyler’s chest and settled his palm against Tyler’s throat, pressing in just enough to let him feel his presence.

“Is that what a collar will feel like?” Tyler whispered.

“Yes.” Donovan’s voice was hushed too. “It’ll be a reminder that I’m with you. We can find you something discreet for every day. Maybe just a necklace to wear under your shirt. But I want you to carry me with you every day.”

Tyler let out a groan, fucking back against him. “I want that too.”

“I want something heavy for play though.” Donovan pressed harder as he imagined it. “Something thick and sturdy to remind you you’re owned.”

The helpless jerk of Tyler’s body made Donovan grin. “Oh, you like that, do you?” he whispered roughly.

He liked it too. It did something to him, feeling this strong man submit to him. Feeling him soften and settle into his role. He was awed by Tyler’s strength, his willingness to embrace a whole new side of himself.

He dragged the head of his cock over Tyler’s entrance, making him tremble.

Tyler let out a needy little whimper and pushed back, encouraging him. Donovan rose on his knees to get a better angle and sank forward, pushing into Tyler’s body. The lotion was slick but he hadn’t prepped Tyler otherwise so he took it slow, knowing it would burn.

Tyler’s breathing was harsh, but he was pliant in Donovan’s hands as he rocked slowly in and out.

“Do you have any idea how amazing I think you are?” Donovan whispered.

Tyler shook his head and Donovan pressed against his throat a little tighter, rocking his hips a little harder and faster. “You are. The most amazing man I’ve ever met.” Donovan crouched over him, knees on the outside of Tyler’s thighs as he nipped at his ear, licking his way down the side of Tyler’s throat. He let up on the pressure at his throat and drove into him again. Over and over, until his head swam and the pressure inside him built.

“I love you, Sir,” Tyler rasped and the helpless need in his voice made Donovan’s cock jerk. He’d never felt anything like this, buried to the root inside Tyler, slowly claiming him. For all their combativeness at first, this sweetness was equally intense, piercing into Donovan’s heart. He’d wanted this for so long and to have it now was almost more than he could take.

“I love you too,” he said roughly. He drove his cock deeper into Tyler, dragging a strangled sound from his throat. “I love you so much it aches.”

He pressed tightly to Tyler’s throat again, feeling him begin to shake.

“And I’m going to make you mine.”

With one last savage thrust, Donovan came, spilling into Tyler’s body, his whole body shaking with helpless shudders as he emptied himself like he could mark Tyler as his from the inside out.

He’d barely reached underneath Tyler to stroke his cock when he erupted, coming with a desperate roar that he muffled against the pillows. Releasing his neck, Donovan jerked him through the release until he whimpered and shook.

After, Donovan rolled them onto their sides, still joined, as he finally eased up on Tyler’s dick.

“Love you,” he whispered, because now that he could say it, he wasn’t going to let the opportunity pass him by. “So much.”

Tyler let out a little murmur of agreement. They lay there a while, their ragged breaths smoothing out as Donovan held him close, their bodies still joined. Eventually, he’d have to get up, but for now, he simply wrapped his arms around Tyler’s chest and held him close.

Mine and only mine.