Let Freedom Ring ~ Day 2

Sunday - 1 July 2012

Deuce slowly began to fade into consciousness, trying to figure out where the hell he was. He could hear the television in the background, the sound of the news anchors soothing voice making its way into his head. He shifted slightly, his eyes still closed as he began to realize that he was laying on something… no, someone. He could hear the steady beat of a heart and feel a firm body beneath him as he felt an arm come up to slide around his waist. The murmur of other voices reached his ears, his brain immediately recognizing his brother’s voice, his brow furrowing when the body he was using as a pillow rumbled slightly as it answered Ty.

The smell of coffee hit his nose as he tried to snuggle back under the blanket, turning his head to nuzzle against his human pillow as the scent of Old Spice over-powered the smell of coffee and that familiar smell was all it took to wake up his brain and for him to know exactly where he was and who he was lying on. Nick. A sleepy smile crossed his face as he slowly opened his eyes, blinking a bit at the slightly blurry room. He felt the hand that had had been around his waist move up to slide into his hair, tugging gently as Deuce turned his head up to place a light kiss on the underside of Nick’s jaw.

“Mm morning.” He murmured sleepily before laying his head back down on Nick’s chest, not wanting to move just yet.

Nick chuckled softly as he stretched his head down to kiss the top of Deuce’s head. “Morning sleepy head. About time you decided to grace us with your presence.” He couldn’t help but tease as he rubbed Deuce’s back, not minding the fact that his body felt numb from holding Deuce’s weight for several hours.

“Time ‘s it?” Deuce asked sleepily, stretching slightly, causing one pajama clad leg to escape the blanket cocoon they had made for themselves.

“Time for you to get your lazy ass up!” was the answer that came from above him as Ty thumped him hard on the leg. “I thought I fucking told you to sleep upstairs.”

Deuce didn’t even bother replying verbally, choosing instead to silently flip his brother off as he placed a hand on either side of Nick’s chest, pushing himself up.

“I swear to fuck, if you’re both naked under there, you’re going to die in about two minutes.” Ty threatened as he walked around the couch, crossing his arms over his chest as he glared at them.

“I’m wearing pajama pants, dammit.” Deuce grumbled as he carefully pushed himself the rest of the way up, wincing when his bad leg protested the way he’d been sleeping all night. He shrugged it off as he looked over at his brother, giving him a little grin. “Don’t worry, we didn’t defile your couch the way that I’m sure you and Zane have done more than once.”

“Tried to.” Nick muttered as he pushed himself up, yawning as he rubbed his fingers through his head. “D wouldn’t let us.” He continued regretfully as he sat up. “And fuck Ty, you need a new couch. This damn thing is uncomfortable.”

Ty shook his head as he walked back into the kitchen to Zane. “I swear to God, I just might kill them both before today is over.”

Deuce laughed, overhearing his brother’s last comments, calling back to him. “You can kill Nick, but Ma would murder you if you killed me!”

He didn’t even wait for a response as he leaned over to give Nick a proper good morning kiss. “I smell coffee!” he announced happily as he got to his feet, tugging Nick up with him. They shared a few more kisses before making their way into the kitchen, Deuce immediately walking over to the coffee pot, making himself a cup of coffee, smiling as he inhales the aroma before taking a sip.

“Feeling human again?” Nick teased as he nudged Deuce over, pouring himself his own cup.

“Getting there.” He grinned as he reached over, snagging a piece of bacon off of Ty’s plate before leaning back against the counter. “Any plans for today?” he asked as he looked over at the clock on the microwave to see how late they had let him sleep in.

Ty looked at Zane before shrugging. “Thought we might go to a game this afternoon. Sundays are early games and that’ll give us time afterwards to head out to dinner or do whatever. You know we don’t plan shit around here.”

Deuce shrugged as he stole another piece of bacon. “You know I’m good with whatever. Game sounds good, though.” He nodded toward Nick. “Think we’ll get him into an O’s shirt?”

Nick growled softly. “If you kill me first and dress my dead corpse.”

A chorus of laughter went around the kitchen as Deuce lightly bumped his shoulder against Nick's. “You should come back to Philly with me. I mean, you’ve seen Baltimore a ton and…” he broke off with a shrug, a slight blush crossing his cheeks at how desperate he imagined he must have sounded.

“Sounds like fun. How long do I have to annoy you in the car?” Nick asked with a grin as he looked over at him while he ate his plate of bacon and eggs.

“Two hours on a good day. Three if traffic is shitty. It’s why I make the trip so often to visit Ty and he comes up to see me. Just a hop, skip and a jump away! You can either switch your flight back to Philly or I can drive you back to Baltimore.” He shrugged a bit, a grin on his face, leaning in to give Nick a kiss once he realized that Ty and Zane had left them alone in the kitchen with the breakfast dishes.

“I’ll look into changing it to Philly. A couple hours extra with you is more than worth it.” they moved over to the sink, quietly starting to do the dishes together with Nick washing and Deuce drying and putting them away since he knew where everything went.

“When did you want to leave?” Nick asked once the small sink of dishes was done and put away, studying  Deuce carefully before planting his wet hands against his bares chest with a laugh.

“Asshole!” Deuce laughed as he led Nick up the stairs to the guest room. “Uh, either after the game tonight or early in the morning? Either is fine with me.” He dug into his small bag, pulling out a shirt and a pair of cargo shorts.

“Tonight.” Nick said almost immediately, unable to keep the smirk off of his face. “If I don’t get to have sex with you tonight I just might go completely fucking insane.”

Deuce glanced toward the open door as he laughed. “Fine, fine, we’ll head home tonight. Game is an early one, so we’ll see if we can skip dinner with Ty and Zane and head back to Philly and have dinner ourselves.”

Nick grinned happily as he gave Deuce a kiss before turning toward the door. “I’m going to go find some clothes before Ty kills me for walking around in just shorts.” The grin was still on his face as he grabbed his bag, leaving Deuce alone in the guest room.

By the time they made it back downstairs, Ty and Zane were already in the living room, an old action movie playing on the TV. Ty turned to look at them, raising an eyebrow as he gave them both a once over than nodded slightly once he was satisfied that they were properly dressed and hadn’t gotten up to anything naughty upstairs.

The four of them were in the middle of a deep conversation about baseball; the only thing they could all agree on was their deep seated hatred of the Yankees, when Deuce’s phone started to ring from where it was charging in the kitchen. He groaned as he pushed himself up off of the couch, limping into the other room, answering his phone without even looking at the display to see who it was. It was a ringtone he used for patients and patients families, if he was being called on his vacation when he was supposed to be deep in the mountains, then he knew that it couldn’t be anything good.

Deuce listened quietly for a few moments, his voice low as he spoke to the person on the other end of the phone, resting heavily on his elbow as he leaned against the counter. “No, no I’m closer than planned. Something happened with my friend and I didn’t make it to West Virginia. I’m in Baltimore with my brother.” He explained softly as he closed his eyes, worry trickling its way down his spine as he heard footsteps behind him that was quickly followed by a gentle hand on the back of his neck. He nodded, making a sound of affirmation as he rubbed his hand over his face. “I’ll be there as soon as I can. If I leave now, I should be able to get the next flight to Philly.”

He heard the soft gasp of surprise coming from behind him, opening his eyes to glance over his shoulder at Nick, giving him an apologetic look as he said his goodbyes into the phone before ending the call. He immediately started to look up a phone number before glancing up to give Nick a quick kiss. “Go into the living room with everyone else. I’ll explain in five minutes, I promise.”  It was obvious that he was shaken by the news that he had received, doing his best to keep his calm doctor face in place as he found the number for the local cab company. He did his best to give Nick a reassuring smile as he watched him walk into the other room, letting his mask fall and the worry cross his face as he spoke into the phone, getting a cab to the airport. He knew that he could drive back to Philly, but if he could get to the airport and catch the next flight out, it would be a hell of a lost faster than driving and hitting Sunday traffic.

Once the cab was confirmed, he walked into the living room, well aware of three sets of eyes on him. “What’s going on?” Nick asked, looking up at Deuce from where he was sitting in one of the arm chairs.

Deuce sighed softly, dropping his car keys into Nick’s lap. “I have a cab coming. I need to go back to Philly. I can’t go into details, but I have a patient that needs me. He won’t talk to me on the phone and I’m afraid if I don’t get there soon…” he trailed off, the worry evident in his voice.

“Can’t you just call someone else? Like an ambulance or one of your shrink buddies?” Nick asked as he looked down at the keys in his hands, hating the thought of the idea that Deuce was leaving him already.

“I can’t, Nick… this guy… he’ll only talk to me. It took months to get him to open up. Things were getting better…God I don’t know what happened to put him in this mood today.” Deuce shook his head slightly, his hand drifting down to rub through Nick’s hair.

Zane nodded sympathetically. He and Ty knew what it was like to get a call in the middle of what was supposed to be a relaxing day off and have to race into work with little to no warning. “Hope everything is okay with this guy.”

Deuce smiled his thanks as he squeezed Nick’s shoulder. “Go to the game, have dinner, do whatever you three want to do tonight. Then drive to Philly and God, I hope I’m home by then. ‘Kay?” He smiled down at Nick, giving him a quick kiss as he heard the cab honking outside. “Grab my bag when you leave?” It was nothing he needed right this moment, but he’d need some of it eventually and he didn’t want to have to drive back to Baltimore just to get his bag.

Nick nodded as he leaned up for another kiss. “Be careful and let Ty know what’s going on since I don’t have my phone?”

“I will. Promise. Call me when you leave Baltimore, okay? I’ll let the front desk know to let you up.” He gave his brother and Zane a hug before stealing another kiss as he hugged Nick tightly. “See you in a few hours.” He said with a slight grin as he double checked his pockets for his phone and wallet before hurrying out the door.

While they were at the game Deacon had sent a text to Ty telling him that he hadn’t gotten to Philly in time and that his patient was in the hospital in critical condition. He didn’t know how long he would be there, and didn’t really have time to talk, so he told him to let Nick know to go to dinner with them and to take his time. Nick couldn’t quite enjoy himself completely. It wasn’t that Ty and Zane weren’t good company, or that it wasn’t great getting to spend some time with them, but he was worried about D and whether his patient was going to be okay. Besides the fact that he missed him already, and honestly he’d had a lifetime of being the odd wheel on couples outtings and he was more than ready to be a set.

After the game they went over to The Green Turtle for dinner. When they were seated Zane excused himself to use the restroom and Ty turned to face Nick. “I know we’ve discussed this on the phone,” he said, “But I need you to look me in the eye O and tell me why you and my brother are a good idea.”

Nick swiveled in his seat to look into his best friend’s face, a face he knew so well. He adored this man, not in the way he used to, but still, he’d cherish Ty Grady until the day he died. He held eye contact with hazel eyes that were similar to Deacon’s but didn’t mesmerize him in the same way, “I’m crazy about him, Ty.” He started, “I’ve never felt anything even close to this. I would gladly die for him, kill for him, if it meant keeping him safe. He’s…he’s it for me.” Nick looked at the worn wooden table for a second, “I know I haven’t shown you much in way of me being capable of a relationship, “ He looked back up at his best friend, “But you weren’t either, until you met Zane. I guess you could say Deacon is my Zane.” Nick shrugged, “I guess guys like us hold out until we find the one, yeah? And now we both have.”

Ty pursed his lips and nodded as if he approved of the answer. “You are two of the most important men in my life besides Zane, so I want you both to be happy.” He said, “That it’s with each other…yeah, still kinda bat shit crazy, but…it’s cool.” He held out his hand and Nick clasped it. Ty pulled him close with the grip to speak into his ear like they’d done before on countless missions in the past. “But best friend or not, Irish, you hurt him and they will never find your body.”

“Never.” Nick laughed but held his voice firm, “You have more of a chance of him hurting me.”

“Nah,” Ty shook his head as he pulled back some, “I know my brother better than anyone and I’ve never seen him like this. He didn’t take his eyes off of you from the time you arrived until the time he left. He’s got it bad.” They unclasped hands and settled back into their seats, “Lord knows why, but he does.” Ty added with a smirk just as Zane came back.

“If you two are planning on running away together don’t let me interrupt,” Zane said with a raised brow, “But I’m not footing the bill for dinner.”

“Nah, I’ll stick with you,” Ty assured his partner, “He’s no good in the mountains. I would have died up there if I was with him.”

“It was the hottest summer West Virginia had seen in years!” Nick protested when they all laughed, “I’m never gonna live that down, am I?”

“Nope,” Ty answered with a satisfied grin as the waitress approached their table.

By the time they had gotten back to Ty and Zane’s place it was nearly six. Nick tried to give Deacon a call from the house phone before he left to let him know he was about to get on the road but it went right to voice mail so he left a message. He assumed D was probably still at the hospital and didn’t have reception. He grabbed his and Deacon’s bags and said his goodbyes to the guys before setting the navi in Deacon’s BMW for D’s address and headed for Philly. The normally two hour drive took Nick closer to three due to all of the traffic coming in from the Jersey shore so by the time he showed up at the building he felt disheveled and in need of a stiff drink.

After checking in at the front desk and letting himself into Deacon’s place he was surprised to find an empty penthouse. Damn, D must still be at the hospital, Nick picked up the cordless house phone to try his cell. Again right to voicemail, so Nick left another message, this time letting Deacon know that he’d arrived. He dropped their bags on the couch and turned in place to look around. The penthouse was enormous and very nicely decorated, and the view…the view was something else. Large ceiling to floor windows replaced most of the outside walls revealing the Ben Franklin Bridge lit up in all its glory. Nick walked over to peer out, not really sure what to do with himself until Deacon came home.

Deuce groaned as he leaned his elbow against the bar, rubbing his eyes as he wobbled slightly on his ever faithful barstool. He had been too fucking late. He hadn’t had a very long career, but so far the only way he’d ever lost any patients had been to natural causes. But this time? Fuck, this was his fault. If he hadn’t gone to Baltimore or if he’d tried to drive home instead of flying or if he’d just waited a few more fucking hours to leave Philly then maybe, just maybe his patient would still be alive. He reached for the shot of whiskey that was sitting in front of him, managing to get more of it on his shirt than in his mouth, his hand shaking with exactly how drunk he was.

The bartender and an old friend reached out to pull the almost empty glass of beer away from Deuce, replacing it with a glass of water. “Deuce, you need to get home. You have a way to get there?” Max gave the younger man a worried look as he wiped the bar in front of the doctor. He had been serving Deuce for years and he’d never seen him quite this drunk when he didn’t have a group of friends around him. Sure, he’d come in and have a couple of beers and shoot the shit a couple times a week, less if things were crazy, but him getting this smashed in such a short period of time had him worried.

Deuce shook his head groggily as he blinked at Max. He had taken a taxi to the bar and his car was who knows where with Nick. Wait. Nick. Nick could pick him up. But shit, Nick fucked up his phone… he groaned as he rubbed his eyes, feeling like his eyeballs were floating from the sheer amount of liquor and beer he’d had that evening. House phone. He’d call the main phone at the condo. He pulled his phone out of his pocket, blearily staring at the phone as he tried to dial the right number, grinning sloppily when the call went through.

“Nick… ‘m so fucking drunk right now.” He slurred once Nick had picked up the phone, but just the sound of Nick’s voice made him feel just a little more sober.

“Deacon? Where are you? I’ve been here twenty minutes, are you okay?” Nick asked, the worry evident in his voice as he picked up the keys he had just dropped on the kitchen counter.

“Bar.” Was the only thing he managed to get out as he shoved the phone toward Max, knowing he would never be able to give Nick directions on how to get there.

Max shook his head slightly as he took the phone from Deuce, speaking into it as he kept a close eye on the man that was wobbling on his bar stool. The conversation was a quick one, Max giving the man on the other end of the phone directions to the bar, trusting that he could find his way.

Less than ten minutes later Nick walked in the door, shaking his head slightly when he saw the state that Deuce was in. He nodded at Max before sliding his arm around Deuce’s waist, helping him to his feet, ignoring the pain in his ribs as he helped Deuce out to the car. He helped him into the passenger seat and looked around to make sure they were alone before kissing Deuce’s temple gently. “What happened, baby?” he asked as he put the car in gear, driving toward Deuce’s place.

Deuce grumbled softly. “Can’t talk ‘bout it. Even dead ‘s still private,” he muttered as he closed his eyes, the sight of the city passing by him through the car window making him queasy.

Nick winced at Deuce’s words, reaching over to gently rub Deuce’s shoulder. “We’re almost back to your place. Then we’ll get you poured into bed, ‘kay?” They could talk things over when he was sober and less likely to spill things that he wasn’t supposed to.

Deuce nodded slightly in agreement as he leaned his head back against the seat, mentally convincing himself that it would be bad to puke all over his new car. He protested slightly when the car came to a stop, slowly opening his eyes once the familiar voice of the valet registered in his brain. He made a mental note to tip the young man extra the next time he came out to grab his car, looking blearily up at him as Nick helped him out of the car and into the building.  Deuce didn’t even remember crossing the lobby or going up the elevator, but he did remember the feel of falling face-first into his pillow without even bothering to take his clothes off. His bed felt really fucking good right now was the last thought he remembered as he slipped into unconsciousness.

Nick shook his head slightly as he reached over to the bed, quickly removing Deuce’s clothes, dumping them into a small pile on the floor before covering him with the blankets, making sure the rooms small trash can was within arm’s reach for when he woke up. He watched him for a moment or two, smoothing his hair away from his forehead before kissing his temple softly, turning off the lights as he exited the room, leaving him to sleep.

After making sure Deacon was settled in bed, Nick changed into a pair of basketball shorts with no shirt, and debated what to do. He was oddly comfortable in the penthouse already but he wasn’t at all tired. He padded into the kitchen in bare feet, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge and leaned against the counter to weigh his options. He thought about watching TV, but even with D dead to the world he was afraid of disturbing him. He stood there drinking his water for a minute before setting the bottle down and finding himself wandering around the place. He hadn’t really gotten a good look around earlier, and Deacon sure as hell wasn’t in the state for show and tell when they’d arrived back from the bar.

Nick peeked briefly into what was obviously Deacon’s office before moving down the hall. He flicked on the light in the next room revealing a decent sized guest bedroom, larger than Nick’s cabin, tastefully decorated with a few modern dressers, a king sized bed and a flat screen TV mounted to the wall. There was a large standing mirror in one corner, and a Fichus tree in the other. A few modern artwork pieces hung here and there with some family photos and different stylish décor scattered around the flat surfaces. Nick nodded, very nice.

He moved on to the guest bathroom. Tiled in large cream squares, much like the master bath, a double vanity and a large tub shower round. Now this was a VIP guest head.

Everything was so pristine and modern, looking brand new yet somehow very comfortable. Even though the penthouse was enormous, every room at least twice the size of Nick’s place, it still felt cozy and homey for some reason. He wandered if D had hired an interior designer who’d planned it that way, or was it perhaps due to a woman’s touch. Nick decided on decorator and he resolved not to ask Deacon so he wouldn’t possibly contradict that thought.

Nick peered into the master to make sure Deacon was okay before continuing on. There was a small utility room with washer, drier and cleaning supplies followed by a hall closet. Finally a smaller guest bedroom containing a decent sized couch, still large by the 580 standard, that apparently also doubled as the catch all and extra storage room as well. He almost turned to leave and go back to the living room when something caught his eye. Two shopping bags stuffed full were next to an older looking hutch, and sticking out of the top of one was a long picture frame. Smiling sideways at Nick was a beautiful blonde woman with her arms around an equally grinning Deacon. The curiosity got the better of him and Nick peered over his shoulder quickly, not the first time tonight he had the feeling he was being tracked, before entering the room.  At first he reached out with his index finger and pushed at the handle to look down inside the bag. The long frame was sort of a collage and there were a few smaller frames in there along with a photo album.

“Fuck it,” Nick sighed and sat down on the floor crossed leg facing the door and started to empty the bag looking at each item as he did so. They were all pictures of Deacon and who Nick assumed must be Livi, several of them also containing mutual friends. It pained Nick to admit that they were a very handsome couple. Individually either one of them could have been a model, put them together and it was like Ken and fucking Barbie. The photos ranged from vacation memories to bar shots to ones taken inside the penthouse or other residences and other random places. Some carefully positioned, others candid, but in all D looked so happy it hurt Nick’s stomach. Of course he’d been happy with his girl at one time, he admitted to Nick not too long ago that he’d loved her, and they’d been together for a couple of years, but still it hurt. Then Nick’s insecurity reared its ugly head, pointing out to Nick that even though D was happy now, maybe that would change eventually too. What if he found someone he liked more than Nick? What if he decided he missed T & A? Well, T & P because Nick had an A, but still…what if Deacon started missing the fairer sex?

Nick told his brain to shut the fuck up before he puked as he closed the album and carefully placed it, and the frames, back into the bag. He started to slide the second bag towards him when the hair on the back of his neck warned him again he wasn’t alone. He glanced up to the doorway and found an orange fur ball of a kitten sitting there looking at him.

“Have you been stalking me the entire time?” Nick whispered to him, but Winchester didn’t move, just sat there and blinked his large green eyes at him.  “You’re pretty quiet, you should be a ninja.”

Nick glanced into the other bag and caught sight of women’s clothes and decided not to go there. He looked back at the kitten as he stood, “Don’t tell your daddy I was being a snoop, okay?”

Winchester looked over his shoulder towards Deacon’s room as if he knew what Nick had said, then back at Nick. Nick nodded, “Yup, him. Let’s keep this between us.” Why am I having a conversation with a cat? Nick thought and chuckled at the absurdity of what a guilty conscience would make you do.

“Deal?” He smiled, figuring what the hell, D loved that damn cat so they might as well get used to each other, but as he took a step forward the cat took off in the direction of Deacon’s room.

“Fuck, don’t wake him.” Nick hissed, making haste to catch the traitorous fucker. Winchester was a fast little shit though, and by the time Nick reached the bedroom he was on the bed and trying to worm his way under Deacon’s chest.

“No, Win, he needs his sleep,” Nick uttered quietly, “Come on, you want a treat or something?” Did you even give cats treats like you did dogs? Nick had never owned a cat, had never really been around any except for that wicked thing that Jenna’s mom called Darling but that hated everyone else and Ty’s old cat that was a recluse and would hide whenever there was company. “Ah…toy? Food? Want to eat?”

At the last question Winchester stopped trying to burrow and whipped his head around to face Nick. Jackpot. “You hungry? You want to eat?” Nick repeated hopefully, “Come on.” Nick started towards the door but the kitten just looked at him speculatively.

“Well, let’s go,” Nick encouraged him, trying to make his voice higher and none threatening, “I could use a snack too.”

Nick turned and headed down the hall quietly, hoping the kitten would follow and leave Deacon be. When he got to the kitchen he opened a cabinet and found a pouch if that fancy tuna fish, shrugging he tore it open and pulled a fork from the utensil drawer. Nick loved tuna, it was a good source of protein and delicious to eat on its own, plus cats liked fish, right? He found a dessert plate in the dish strainer and set it on the counter where he dished a small amount of tuna onto it. He felt soft fur brush his ankle followed by a meow and Nick smiled. He bent to scoop up the kitten and set him in front of the plate where Winchester proceeded to dig in. Nick leaned his elbow on the counter and began to eat the rest of the tuna with his fork right out of the bag, looking at his nibble mate, “You were so trying to bust me, weren’t you?”

Winchester paused to peer back at Nick as he licked his chops. “Yeah well, keep your mouth shut and I’ll keep slipping you the good shit. We need to be friends, you and me, I plan on sticking around awhile so we’re gonna have to share him, yeah?” Win blinked once than went back to his treat “I’ll take that as a yes.” Nick smirked as he continued to eat as well. Maybe this little dude wasn’t so bad. He loved to eat and he loved Deacon, they already had two things in common.

Deuce awoke with a groan, his stomach lurching before he even opened his eyes. He kept his eyes closed, feeling the comforting weight of Nick in bed next to him along with the feel of Winchester’s furry body curled up against his leg. He tried to convince his stomach that it wanted to keep in the contents of everything that he had eaten and drank that entire day, but no matter how much his brain tried to convince his stomach, his stomach had other ideas. He slowly pushed himself up, trying to be as quiet as possible because he didn’t want to disturb Nick as he got out of bed, and managed to stumble across the room. He ran his shoulder into the doorframe, not even bothering to turn on the light before falling to his knees in front of the toilet and ungracefully losing everything in his stomach as he gripped tightly at the toilet seat. His entire body felt sweaty and clammy despite the fact that he felt overheated.

He reached up and managed to flush the toilet before leaning his head against the seat, groaning softly. Just the thought of actually getting to his feet and walking back to the bed was more than he could muster. The blankets and softness of his mattress combined with how damn comfortable Nick was sounded so fucking amazing right now, but he just didn’t have the energy to get to his feet and walk the distance, and crawling there sounded like entirely too much work.

“Fuck it.” He murmured softly as he stretched out on the tile floor, the coolness of the tiles making him shiver despite feeling a little warm. He reached an arm out, pulling over a towel to use as a pillow and closed his eyes as he felt a paw gently smacking at his face followed by a soft purr as the kitten nuzzled up against his shoulder. He licked and nipped at the skin there to announce his presence before curling into a little ball, purring the entire time as Deuce drifted off to sleep, hoping that Nick wouldn’t fall over him in the morning.

Nick woke as soon as Deacon left the bed, but knowing what he was stumbling into the bathroom to do, he left D to his privacy for a moment. After the toilet flushed and the next room got quiet, Nick crept in to check on D. The large bathroom has a warm yellow glow from the nightlight plugged into the outlet on the vanity. Deacon was lying in a ball, his hands tucked between his knees with his head resting on a rolled up towel and Winchester tucked against his chest.

Nick frowned at the pitiful sight and kneeled down, resting his hand on Deacon’s back, “D…come to bed, baby.”

“Can’t,” D mumbled “Gonna be sick again—“ he barely got the words out before he lurched up to hug the porcelain idol and toss much more than just his cookies. Nick winced in sympathy and Winchester scrambled into the far corner to watch with wide eyes. Deacon hung his head and reached up to flush without looking before collapsing back onto the floor. “Better stay here.” He rasped. “Besides, the cold tile feels kind of good.”

“I get that,” Nick nodded and got up to retrieve the throw from the reading chair in the corner of the master bedroom. He brought it back into the bathroom and covered D with it. “You don’t want to catch a chill.”

Deacon pulled it up around his shoulders and curled into a ball again, “Thanks,” He uttered with chattering teeth.

“Been on your end of this situation enough times to know what you want.”He opened the long linen closet door and pulled out a washcloth then went over to the sink. He ran the cloth under the cool tap and rung it out, then pulled a Dixie cup out of the holder and filled it with cold water.

He kneeled down next to D again, “Sit up a little and wash your mouth out so you’re not stuck with a bad taste.”

Deacon groaned but pushed up a little onto his elbow and reached for the little cup with a shaky hand. He took a good sip and handed it back to Nick and laid back down with a sigh, pulling the blanket back up again. Nick folded the damp cloth across D’s forehead once he was settled and sat down with his back against the wall behind Deacon, bending up his knees and resting his forearms on them.

“Anything else I can get you?” He asked.

“No,” Deacon croaked, “Thanks…go back to bed, I’m okay.”

“I’ll go in a minute.” Nick shrugged even though Deacon couldn’t see him, “You need to sleep, so just try to relax.”

Deacon didn’t respond other than to make a little noise, and Nick watched his back, observing his side rise and fall with his ragged breathing. Finally the cadence became even and the sound of D’s breathing heavier. Nick pushed himself onto his knees and crawled over to peer at Deacon’s sleeping face. He actually didn’t appear as grey and sweaty as before, maybe the worst had passed and he’d be able to get some sleep. Nick removed the wash cloth to dampen it once more, placing it back across D’s forehead before kissing his cheek tenderly and leaving to go to bed. He probably wouldn’t get much sleep knowing Deacon was uncomfortable in here, but he needed to try if he wanted to be in decent condition to nurse D’s hangover tomorrow. He stopped in the doorway to turn around and check on Deacon one last time, Winchester had made a little nest out of the blanket by D’s stomach and was sleeping soundly with his daddy. Nick couldn’t help but smile at the sight, unexpectedly thinking, ‘My little family.’

Nick's songs of the day

"Inside Your Heaven" ~ Carrie Underwood

(I prefer the Bo Bice version, but couldn't find it on youtube)

"Together Again" ~ Janet Jackson

"I've Fallen in Love with You" ~ Joss Stone

Pictures of Deuce's place

Entrance/Valet

Lobby

                                          

Den / Dining room in back

Kitchen

Deuce's Office

Let Freedom Ring ~ Day 1

Saturday - 30 June 2012

Nick had nearly missed his flight to Baltimore thanks to two drunk assholes on a traffic stop. As soon as he and Rico had pulled them over, the passenger decided it was a good idea to jump out and act like a belligerent fucktard. While Rico took care of the driver, Nick had gone over to try and get the scrub under control. Unfortunately the fucker was not tamable and didn’t want to listen to reason, swinging his arms and screaming obscenities, so Nick grabbed his arm, trying to get him against the car so he could place him under arrest. Nick’s mind was carelessly already on his weekend so he wasn’t fast enough when the guy spun away, wrenching Nick’s bad shoulder in the process, and reached into the car to pull out a tire iron. He aimed for Nick’s ribs and Nick curled and tightened his muscles to lessen the impact of the blow. It still stung, but he winded up wincing more when his phone went flying and shattered on the ground thinking, Damn, second one in a month.

In the end, seeing red from the pain and loss of yet another phone, he wrestled the dick weed into the back of the squadie as he read him his rights. Rico had insisted he go to the hospital, and despite all of Nick’s protests, that’s where they ended up. Seven x-rays later, and a chat with a doctor who looked younger than him, Nick was informed he didn’t have any fractures but was given a note to take the next five days off. Nick had just enough time to get back to the station and inform the captain as Rico helped him file the incident report, rush home to change and grab his bag where Johnny was already waiting for him, and drive like a bat out of hell to Logan. He reluctantly handed the keys to the GTO over to Johnny with a quick warning that if anything happened to his precious Judge while he was gone he’d die a slow death, and was on his way.

He’d called Ty from Rico’s phone at the hospital to tell him what had happened and inform him he might be late. Luckily though, he made it at the expected time. He paid the taxi driver than slung his duffle over his shoulder before making his way up Ty’s front steps. He knocked on the green door then turned his head and watched as two kids rode by on their bikes. When he heard the door open he looked back and smiled at Zane.

“Hey, man.” He held out his hand and Zane clasped it.

“Hey, Nick. How’re you feeling?” Zane greeted him.

“Sore,” Nick shrugged, “I’ll live. It’s good to see ya, man.”

“You, too.” Zane stepped to the side to let Nick pass the threshold then closed the door behind him. “We were just ordering some food.”

“Good, I’m starving,” Nick entered the living room, “I’ll just take my shit up to the guestroom?”

“Ah, I should probably mention…,” Zane started, but that was all Nick heard because as he looked towards the kitchen when Ty emerged he was stunned by who was behind his best friend. 


Deacon! It was as if time stood still and the room went quiet as Nick’s vision tunneled to include Deacon and only Deacon. D looked up and froze when he spotted Nick and their eyes held. Nick’s heart was doing double time and his mouth went suddenly dry. What was Deacon doing here? He was supposed to be in West Virginia on that camping trip with his childhood best friend. Nick sure as hell wasn’t complaining that D’s plans had apparently changed, and all he wanted to do was cross the room to take D into his arms and squeeze him, kiss and lick him everywhere. Ravage him. He had to curl both of his hands into fists and concentrate on keeping his feet planted to stop himself from doing just that. They still hadn’t quit clarified what their relationship status was, yet though it was unspoken, it was pretty clear that they were together. Still, he was sure Ty and Zane wouldn’t appreciate the reunion show. 


God, D looked fantastic. Thick, shiny brown hair, full lips, perfectly structured face and those amazing hazel eyes. Was it possible he had gotten better looking since Boston? It sure didn’t seem like Nick’s memory, or the few pictures he had had on his now deceased phone, did Deacon enough justice. Even their video chats seemed to lack the depth of D's true beauty and Nick's gut clenched with desire. 

Ty’s face suddenly came into Nick’s field of view causing him to pry his eyes off of Deacon. “Are you just gonna stand there ogling my brother, or are you actually coming in, O?”  He asked with a smirk, breaking Nick’s revelry before giving him a bro hug with an extra hard pat on the back.

Nick! He’d finally gotten here! Deuce peered over Ty’s shoulder in a state of bliss as he stared at the man that he hadn’t laid eyes on in weeks. Their eyes met and it was like everyone else in the room failed to exist as they stared at one another. He took a step toward Nick, almost stumbling over Ty as his brother did the same. He shook his head slightly to clear his thoughts, taking a step back to watch Ty greet his best friend.

“I just ordered the pizza. Made sure we ordered four since the bottomless pit was joining us!” Deuce smiled as he stepped forward once Ty had moved toward the living room. He took a glance around the room, risking the chance of pulling Nick into a bone-crushing hug. “It’s about time you got here.”

Nick grinned and hugged him back just as tight. “What are you doing here? I thought you had that trip this weekend.”

“Alex’s kid got sick. His wife had to work, so he had to cancel.” Deuce’s eyes were shining as he stepped back to put a bit of space between them, unable to stop looking at Nick. “What’s this about you getting hurt, and why did I have to hear about it from Ty?”

“Before you turn that worried face on me, I’m fine. Just some bruised ribs and I pulled my shoulder. Tried to arrest some intoxicated dude with idiot strength. Got him in the end though.” Nick grinned, “Broke my fucking phone too, didn’t have a chance to get a new one before my flight. Ty’s number was the only one I knew by heart since it hasn’t changed in the last decade." Nick shrugged, "Figured you didn't have reception in the mountains anyway but I'd leave you a message when I got here.”

“You’re bad shoulder?” Deuce asked. Nick really needed to have that surgery; it worried Deuce that it was only going to get worse.

“Yeah,” Nick nodded with a smile, “But its fine. Really. Got some good meds to help.”

Deuce looked at him speculatively. Nick always downplayed his pain, but they’d talk about it later. Right now Deuce was just too happy to see him. “Well, you’ll have to memorize my number then, for now on you call me first.” Deuce couldn’t keep the grin off of his face as he pulled him into another hug. “Glad you’re ok.”

“You two are aware we’re in the same room, right?” Ty commented as he exited the kitchen with a beer for Nick before settling on the couch with Zane and switching on the TV.

“How could we forget?” Deuce said with a grin. He turned, planning to go sit in one of the big leather chairs, only to be stopped by Nick reaching out to grab his arm. He turned his head to ask what was going on when Nick moved forward, giving him a quick but hard kiss, pulling away with a smile.

“It’s good to see you,” Nick ginned.

Deuce’s smile grew and Ty let out a loud groan causing Zane to laugh.

Nick ended up sitting in the matching chair to D’s, which was coincidently across the room against the windows, and Nick couldn’t help but assume his best friend had planned it that way. It was okay, Nick got it, it would be really weird if Ty had started dating one of his sisters. Nick shuddered at the thought of having to watch them being intimate in any way, so other than that first kiss he couldn’t resist, he’d respect his best friend’s mental health. For now. Besides, with the way the furniture was set up in a C-shape, couch along the wall, coffee table in front, and each chair on either side of the couch but facing each other, Nick got to watch Deacon all evening.

They relaxed and watched the game, beers all around except iced tea for Zane of course, and Nick had to admit he admired that in the man. Addiction, alcoholism in particular, was something he was intimately familiar with. He’d grown up with a functioning alcoholic; his father always had a beer in his hand if he wasn’t working, but never missed a day at the job.  It wasn’t an easy thing to live with, or fight, and Zane was doing a really admirable job. Nick knew Ty was proud of him too.

While they waited for the pizzas to come, and all while they ate, Nick’s eyes couldn’t stop landing on Deacon, and most times D’s eyes were on him as well. Nick would wink at him, or they’d exchange a quick smile, before going back to what they’d been doing. They still participated in the conversation, still were watching the game and commenting on it, but it was like two magnets drawn together and Nick could feel the pull from across the long narrow room.

Finally Deacon stood and stretched as he went into the kitchen to throw away his paper plate and napkin. “Be back. Gotta use the bathroom.”

“Thanks for the play by play,” Ty commented.

Deacon just shrugged and Nick watched as he made his way to the stairs. His eyes traveled up and down that long lean body, wanting nothing more than to follow Deacon up there. Man, he wanted to pull Deacon into his arms and kiss the living hell out of him, among other things. All of the walls that Nick had carefully constructed around his heart since that fateful phone call were crumbling down quickly in D’s physical presence. Hell, they’d been covered in fissures anyway the last few weeks since Deacon had broken up with his girl and told Nick he wanted to be with him. They’d been texting every day, talked nearly every night if Nick wasn’t on third shift, and had even had phone sex more than a time or two, not to mention the Skype encounters, and there was no sign that Deacon was changing his mind. No indication that he regretted choosing Nick. He’d even told his friends about Nick, which spoke volumes really, and had meant so much to Nick it caused the first major crack in that armor that never really fit right in the first place.

Half way up the staircase D turned his head and looked right at Nick, he raised one eyebrow in a suggestive manner and gave him a little flirtatious smile before continuing up the stairs. What the…did Deacon want him to follow? Yeah, Nick remembered that playful look from their time on the boat; D definitely wanted him to follow. Nick glanced at Ty first who was enthralled with an O’s play on TV, folded slice of pizza half way to his mouth. Nick then looked at Zane and was momentarily startled to see Zane looking back at him. They held eye contact for only a second, Zane giving him a little smirk, before turning his attention back to the game. Did he see the exchange between Nick and Deacon? Probably. It wasn’t like Nick and D’s feelings for each other were a secret anymore, even if they weren’t technically together. Still, being it was his best friend’s brother, his supposedly straight brother until Nick had gotten his hands on him, still felt kind of bizarre. Nick thought a minute about how he was going to make his escape; he looked at the guys again to make sure they weren’t paying attention before making a split second decision and purposely dropped his slice on his shirt.

“Shit!” He exclaimed as he dropped the slice back onto his plate and looked down at himself. Ty and Zane both turned their heads to look at him.

“Clumsy idiot,” Ty snickered before narrowing his eyes, “You better not have gotten anything on my furniture or floors, man!”

“No, just on me.” Nick feint aggravation as he put his plate on the coffee table and made a show of wiping at his tee shirt with a napkin.

“You’re lucky,” Ty turned his attention back to the game.

“I better get changed,” Nick sighed, then turned and had to force himself not to take the steps two at a time to meet up with his lover.

“You didn’t have to ruin your shirt just to get some alone time with my brother, asshole.” Ty called after him, “but if I hear any sex noises I’m coming up shooting.”

Nick laughed at his best friend as he stopped at the closed bathroom door and knocked softly twice before opening it. Deacon was casually leaning against the sink, ankles crossed and arms folded over his chest.

“Took you long enough.” He smirked. God damn D looked delectable. Nick growled softly as he clicked the door closed and went at Deacon, their bodies and lips crashing together as they embraced.  Jesus Nick was so hungry for him, he felt like he’d been living on MRE’s for a year and Deacon was a big juicy steak and potatoes dinner.

Their kisses and groping were desperate and animalist as Nick slid his hands down Deacon’s back and let them rest on his ass, giving it a good squeeze. All of the fears and doubts he had were erased at having Deacon in his arms. At having Deacon’s intoxicating aroma fill his nose. He bent and grabbed the back of Deacon’s legs to lift him onto the sink, ignoring the painful twinge it caused his shoulder and bruised ribs. Deacon immediately wrapped his legs around Nick’s waist and pulled him in closer.

“Fuck,” Nick uttered as their hard cocks ground together. He and Deacon exchanged a quick smile before their mouths met again. God Nick had missed this so much, missed Deacon so much, everything about them fit together so perfectly it was as if Nick had been living as half a man this past month. He pulled their mouths apart to trail tongue and lips down the column of D’s throat.

“Jesus, I missed the way you taste, baby.” He murmured against Deacon’s neck. “Missed you so much…”

“I missed you too, so damn much.” Deacon murmured and ran a hand up the back of Nick’s head then gripped his hair and pulled him into another kiss. Nick slid his hands under D’s shirt and up the warm silken skin of his back. God, Deacon’s kisses were like water, he needed them, needed them to survive.

“Tell me the truth, are you badly hurt?” Deacon uttered against Nick’s lips, “Are you ok?”

Nick shrugged and delved in to deepen the kiss. He didn’t want to talk right now; he just wanted to enjoy having Deacon in his arms. Kissing him, feeling him, touching everything he could get his hands on, something for a time he didn’t think he’d ever experience again. Besides, he really was fine, he’d just gotten banged up a bit; he was more pissed about his phone than anything else.

Deacon let out a low moan, tightening his legs as their tongues slid together. Nick flexed his hips against Deacon’s, causing their cocks to rub together again. “Fuck Nick, I want you so bad.”

Nick licked D’s bottom lip and sucked it into his mouth as he hummed his agreement.  “Let’s go for a walk or something.” He panted between kissed.

Deacon chuckled, “What, are we gonna fuck in an alley?”

“If we have to.” Nick smiled, and then went in for another kiss. Deacon’s hands slipped under Nick’s shirt, his fingers running over the muscles of his abs and chest, grazing his nipples and causing Nick to shiver.

“God, I was going crazy not being able to touch you.” Deacon admitted.

“Me too,” Nick acknowledged, as he trailed his mouth down D’s neck again and Deacon lifted his chin for better access.

“Mmmm,” Deacon hummed happily, then gasped as Nick bit down and sucked. “Fuck, Nicky…”

Damn, he had to have D now or he was going to combust. He snaked his hands between their bodies and undid the button on Deacon’s jeans, intending to release that gorgeous cock so he could suck him off. God, he wanted his cock in his mouth so bad, he wanted to cause D to make those fantastic sounds, he wanted to taste and smell him and have Deacon come in his mouth.

“What the fuck!” Ty’s yell carried up the stairs and caused them both to jump.

“Shit,” Deacon pulled back, “Forgot where we were.”

“I know,” Nick licked his lips, his pulse thundering in his ears. “You do that to me.” He gave D a little smile and Deacon smiled back.

“We better get back down there before Ty breaks out his Sig.” Nick said as he disentangled himself from D’s legs and stepped back, running a hand through his hair. “I’ll go change my shirt and be down in a bit.” Nick gripped D’s elbow to help him down from the sink then stepped over and opened the door. “Let’s make sure Ty gets drunk so they go to bed early,” Nick whispered and wiggled his eyebrows. “He’ll maul Zane and they won’t hear a thing.”

Deacon laughed, “Sounds like a good plan.” He gave Nick another lingering kiss before he headed for the stairs and Nick watched him go feeling lighter than he had in a month. D stopped before descending and he and Nick exchanged another smile before he continued down. Nick spun on his heel and jogged up to the third floor to change his shirt.

Deuce grinned as he made his way downstairs, flopping down in the arm chair, well aware of his brothers eyes on him, searching him for any signs of what might have happened upstairs. He smirked over at Ty, holding his arms out to give his brother a good look.

“I’m fully dressed and in one piece. If you think that sex could have happened in that short amount of time we were upstairs, you and Zane must be doing it wrong.”

“Oh, I know you weren’t. If you two even think about having sex in my house I’ll know and I’ll fucking kill you both.” Ty pointed his piece of pizza at Deuce as Nick came down the stairs in a fresh shirt.

“And I know how your threats work, Ty, at least towards me. You’re not allowed to kill me or Ma would kill you.” He grinned as he reached up, grabbing Nick’s arm and tugging him down to sit on the arm of the chair. There was no protest from Nick as he settled onto the small perch, his hand trailing over Deuce’s shoulder to rub the back of his neck as Deuce settled into his chair, leaning his head against Nick’s arm.

Ty grunted, giving them another look before turning his attention back to the game. Deuce smiled as he reached over to squeeze Nick’s leg gently, completely satisfied to be this close to him after being apart for so long. It was hard not to let his hand move higher than where it was on Nick’s knee, but he liked them both being alive and uninjured. He smiled as they settled into the chair together, trying to focus on the game as Nick’s hand start to twirl through the hair on the back of his head.

After the game, some snacks and quite a bit of chatting between the four men, Nick having since moved back into his original chair, Deuce gripped the arm of the chair he was sitting in and pushed himself to his feet.“Okay guys, I’m heading to bed. It’s been a long ass day.”

“We’re right behind you. Had to deal with work and then you two assholes invading our space!” Ty laughed as he got up, dropping the remote to the television into Nick’s lap. “I swear to God, O’Flaherty, your ass better sleep on this couch tonight.” He then turned his attention to Deuce. “The same thing goes for you Deacon Grady, futon only. You may be my baby brother, but I’ll still kick your ass if you even try to get laid tonight.”

Deuce held his hands up in a gesture of innocence. “All I want is to fucking go to sleep.” He looked toward Nick and then back at Zane and Ty. “I’m giving you warning, I’m about to kiss him goodnight and if you don’t want to see it, I suggest you go upstairs now.”

He met Nick’s gaze as they both said their good nights to Zane and Ty, waiting until they were on their way upstairs before Nick stood and they closed the short distance between them. They kissing one another heatedly, finding it very hard to keep things innocent even with the other two men a few feet away. “Night Nicky…”

“Aw, come on baby, stay down here with me for awhile?” Nick’s hands fell to Deuce’s ass, giving it a gentle squeeze as he tugged him closer.

Deuce shook his head slightly before pulling away. “Not tonight… It’s been a long day. I’ll see you in the morning.” He leaned in for another kiss, giving Nick a quick smirk and a wink before making his way to the guest room on the third floor.

Once he was upstairs, he changed into a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt, attentively listening to the sounds coming from Ty and Zane’s room below his. He managed to doze off for a few minutes as he waited for the sounds to die down. He eventually glanced over at the clock, over an hour had passed and the master bedroom was quiet. Maybe it was safe? He quietly crept out of the bedroom, pausing at the top of the stairs and listened carefully. When there was nothing but silence he made his way downstairs, pausing in front of Ty and Zane’s room to make sure the coast was clear. He was a little surprised that his brother hadn’t set up a booby trap as he carefully descended the second staircase and smiled when he saw the flicker of the television and the sight of Nick sitting in the middle of the couch.

Deuce took in the view from the stairs, his eyes running over Nick’s shirtless chest before stepping down the last few stairs and walking over to stand in front of Nick. When Nick opened his mouth to speak, Deuce lifted a hand, putting a finger over his lips and shook his head slightly as he jerked his head toward the stairs. “Shhh…you know they’re both light sleepers.” He whispered softly as he moved forward, straddling Nick’s lap as he pulled him into a long and desperate kiss. Deuce felt Nick’s hands slide under his shirt as his own hands mirrored the movement over Nick’s bare chest, a thumb tracing over one of his nipples.

Nick broke the kiss long enough to pull Deuce’s shirt up and over his head. “Why the hell are you wearing clothes?”

“There’s no way in hell that I was walking downstairs naked!” Deuce laughed softly as he kissed Nick again, his hips grinding against his lovers.  “Mmm God baby, I’ve missed you so fucking much.” He looked down as he ran his fingers through Nick’s hair than griped it with a smile. “And don’t ever threaten to cut this again!”

Nick hummed his agreement to both statements, his hands on Deuce’s hips as he brought them down to grind up against him, “Deacon…” he uttered softly as he tried to tug  the faded pajama pants down to release Deuce’s cock.

Deuce hesitated before shaking his head. “No sex, not tonight… Hell, they don’t have sex at my place so I don’t feel right doing it here… “

“What is that, like some dumb Grady policy you two came up with?” Nick asked as he leaned his head back on the couch to look up at him.

“Not a policy, no,” Deuce shook his head again with a smile. “Just…you know, Ty and his quirks.” Chances were Ty’s couch and futon were lined up perfectly with the floor boards, or a picture frame, or who knew what else Ty’s OCD brain came up with. So he was probably afraid that if they had sex on the furniture they would move it even a miniscule and it would take him over an hour to get it all back just right. Or maybe it was a germaphobe craze? Who knew, but it was one of his brother’s things, and Deuce had to respect it no matter how desperately he didn’t want to at the moment.

“I’d say it was because you boys were raised in an old fashioned way, but I’m leaning towards Ty just wanting to break our balls.” Nick smirked as he glanced at the stairs.

Deuce shrugged, “He didn’t say anything about not making out like teenagers though!” he grinned as he pulled Nick into another kiss. They kissed for awhile, alternating between a tender meeting of lips and tongues sliding together, when Deuce licked the top of Nick’s palate causing him to shutter and pull back from the kiss to speak.

“Come on D, they’ll never know…” Nick tried to convince Deuce to ignore the fact that his brother was just upstairs, his hand snaking between them to rub Deuce’s cock through his pajama pants. “Thought you missed me…” There was a teasing tone to his voice, but his eyes were dark with desire as he pressed open mouthed kisses to Deuce’s neck.

Deuce laughed quietly as he lightly tugged on Nick’s hair. “Come on Nicky, this is Ty we’re talking about. He’d walk downstairs, take one look at the couch, and somehow he’d know.”

Nick groaned as he leaned his head against Deuce’s. “I fucking hate it when you Grady boys are right.” 

“We’re always right,” Deuce grinned, “Well, at least I am.”

Nick rubbed Deuce’s cock again and Deuce couldn’t help but rock into it. God, he wanted Nick so bad.

“Let me suck you off…” Nick pleaded, his voice low with desire and sending a thrill down Deuce’s spine.

“That’s still sex, babe.” He smiled.

“Not according to Bill Clinton.” Nick added hopefully and Deuce let out a burst of too loud laughter. They both glanced at the stairs as they covered their mouths and chuckled.

“Fine,” Nick groaned and tightened his arms around Deuce, shifting them both until they were stretched out on the couch with Deuce lying on Nick. “Making out like teenagers with their parents upstairs it is then.”

Deuce smiled down at him, overjoyed to be in Nick’s arms again. In a way it felt like forever since they’d been like this, then again it was so comfortable and familiar it was like they’d never been apart.

They resumed their kisses, not too passionately, both trying their best to ignore the fact that they were hard as hell and couldn’t do anything about it.  Deuce broke their mouths apart to trail his lips down Nick’s neck and felt, as well as heard, Nick’s hum of approval. Nick tasted so good, smelled so good, Deuce was surprised how much he missed those things as well. Sure, he’d liked the way women he’d dated smelled before, but nothing like this. This was almost intoxicating. Addicting even.

Over forty minutes later it was getting too intense and they knew they had to stop or risk painful blue balls, so they decided to cuddle down and watch TV. Deuce turned his head to kiss the underside of Nick’s jaw as the throw on the back of the couch was pulled over them.

“Fuck him if he complains. All we’re doing is cuddling and watching Kitchen Nightmares repeats.” Nick smiled as he hugged Deuce close, playing with his hair the way that Deuce usually played with his as Deuce rested his head on Nick’s chest.

Deuce hummed softly as he closed his eyes, the steady beating of Nick’s heart as well as the comfort of being in his arms taking no time to lull Deuce off to sleep.

Nick's songs of the day

"You and Me" ~ Lifehouse

"Edge of Glory" ~ Lady Gaga

Pictures of Ty's place

The bathroom *eyebrow wiggle*

Video Chats Are Awesome!

Deuce answered with a grin as he finished his beer, “Hey.”

"Hey," Nick was smiling from ear to ear. "So everything went really well."

Deuce smiled big at that, “Oh yeah~?” he asked as he carried the dishes from his late-night dinner to the kitchen.

"Yeah," Nick slid the Tupperware from Gran's into the fridge and leaned against the counter, "She said all that was important was that I was happy, and she's never seen me look so healthy and happy...then she grabbed my face in her hands and told me she loved me...looked me right in the eyes."

"That's so amazing, baby..." Deuce smiled as he leaned against the kitchen counter. "I had my fingers crossed for you all afternoon"

"I told her all about you," Nick just couldn't stop smiling as he made his way into the Salon, "she's pretty impressed I snagged a doctor!"

Deuce groaned softly, his voice teasing. "You told her I was a shrink? God help us all!"

"Yeah...she might expect a family discount now," Nick's smile turned warm as he sat down on the couch, "she's really looking forward to meeting you."

"I want to meet her too... I'll fly up to Boston for a weekend; take you both out to dinner. Sound good?"

"Sounds great, but she'll insist on cooking for you instead," Nick watched as he ran his fingers over the edge of the coffee table, "I suggest you don't argue."

Deuce laughed softly as he rubbed the bandages on his chest. "Sounds like Ma. You come to visit her and she insists on being the one doing the cooking!"

"Right," Nick sat back, "You won't be sorry, either. Just like your mom, the woman can cook."

"Ma swears that everyone that comes to see her needs to be fattened up!" Deuce grinned as he scooped up the kitten, cuddling him to his chest. "You should go visit Ma again... I think she just might have liked you back then!"

"I think she did too...although she might not anymore." Nick smiled, "Being you can’t get me pregnant."

Deuce is quiet for a moment or two before completely cracking up. "Oh God, can you see you pregnant?!"

"I'd rock a pregnant belly!" Nick teasingly protested, "I'd milk it too. Let people carry shit for me and all."

"Uh-huh. You'd be complaining about losing those amazing stomach muscles!" Deuce laughed as he moved out to the couch to sit.

"I'd work my ass off until they came back," Nick shrugged, "but I'd get to eat for two!"

Deuce groaned softly. "You already eat for two!"

"How did I know you were going to say that?" Nick laughed, "Have some cravings like a pregnant lady too."

"And just what are you craving right now? Carved up doctor?"

"Mmmm..." Nick licked his lips with a smile as he rested his head back "Not carved up, no."

“Gonna have to wait a while then. Little knives were carving me up a few hours ago." Deuce laughed softly as he leaned back against the couch. "Is it July yet?"

"Wait...what?" Nick furrowed his brows in concern, "Did you get hurt?"

"Kitten claws are incredibly sharp... and fuck, you should see my chest right now."

"Aw man, that sucks," Nick winced in sympathy, "Wish I could lick it and make it better."

"It was storming like hell earlier and he got scared... and thanks to the big ass windows I have, he couldn't find a place to hide. So he tried to hide under my shirt..."

"Another check in the "dogs are better" list." Nick teased.

"Hey, he's a baby! He was scared!" Deuce laughed quietly. "But I could use a big strong cop to protect me from the storms."

"Wish I could be there, D. There's so much I want to say..." Nick bit at his thumb nail lightly, "Did we say three weeks? That's entirely too long."

"I know, you and me both. God, Nicky, I just want..."

Nick smiled, "Let's save it for face to face, yeah? Because I really need to see your eyes and I'm gonna really want to kiss you."

"God, Nick. The moment I see you, it's all over. I don't fucking care that we're meeting at the airport. I'm gonna kiss the hell out of you."

"Not going to protest!" Nick sat up to fluff some throw pillows behind him and relaxed back, "should we do a whole chick flick reunion? You can jump into my arms and I'll spin you around?"

Deuce laughed softly as he propped his feet up on the coffee table. "I dunno. Might be a little much for the middle of the airport!" He's teasing, of course.

Nick laughed, swinging his legs up onto the couch, "God Deacon, I'm going to eat you alive."

"Now,now, Nick, have to wait until we get home for that one!"

"Don't know if I'll be able to, D," Nick was only half teasing, "Might throw you over my shoulder and carry you right into the nearest men's room.”

"Fuck no. Can you imagine how fucking dirty those bathrooms are?! If I have to get a room at the hotel nearest to the airport, I'll fucking do it!"

"We'll touch as little surface as possible. Just bend me over in the stall and hold onto me..." Nick hissed as he rubbed his cock through his shorts, "Shit, I don't know what I miss more, having your cock inside of me or fucking your tight ass."

Deuce moaned softly as he shifted on the couch. "Fuck baby I just want to touch you everywhere. Want to touch and kiss and lick you all over...."

"Mmmm, me too..." Nick closed his eyes and pictured Deuce than shot up and stood, "I hooked my camera up this morning!"

Deuce grinned at that thought. "Oh yeah? It is it working? I'll have to go grab my computer."

"Let's find out," Nick jogged down to his cabin where he'd left his laptop on the bed.

"I hope so! God, I want to see you..." Deuce made his way to his office and sat down at his desk as he lifted the lid on his laptop, quickly switching it out of sleep mode.

Nick plopped down on his bed and ran his finger over the mouse pad to wake the computer up and logged onto the Skype account he created earlier, "Ok, I'm logged on, now what?"

"Hold on a second... your computer should be ringing."

"Yeah I hear it..."

"Then answer it Nicky!" Deuce couldn't help but tease him as he watched the computer carefully, waiting to see if it'd work.

"Just hit the button...?" Nick clicked on the answer button, staring at the screen speculatively.

Deuce grinned when he saw Nick, pushing his glasses up his nose as he leaned back in his chair. "Well hi there sexy."

"Hey, baby! This is cool." Nick smiled big and settled back against the headboard, pulling his computer into his lap, "Damn, and you have the nerd glasses on...you're killing me."

"And you're in bed, that's just being a fucking tease!" Deuce couldn't keep the smile off of his face as he watched the computer. "And you get a view of my office~"

"I'm having all kinds of doctor fantasies right now, you have no idea!" Nick smiled warmly at the image in front of him. Man, he wished he could reach through the screen and touch Deacon. He looked so fucking good, "God, you're a sight for sore eyes..."

"You just like it ‘cause I'm half naked!" Deuce teased as he ran his eyes over Nick. "God, you look amazing."

Nick smiled big, "Yeah, we need to fuck in your office with you in nothing but a tie and your glasses..." He nodded, than added as the vision became clear, "and dress socks.”

Deuce groaned softly, shifting in his chair. "God, just that mental image... You need to be here. Now."

Nick stacked two pillows on top of each other and set the computer on top. He stripped off his shirt and laid down on his side to face the computer, Bent his elbow and rested his head in his palm, "They totally need to invent that molecule travel, like on Star Trek. I could be there in minutes."

"Oh fuck yeah... you'd be right here on my desk." Deuce reached out to touch the screen. "You're making me want to get more comfortable."

"Well then get more comfortable..." Nick adjusted a little closer, "Jesus, I never wanted to kiss someone so badly."

"In that case, we're moving!" Deuce laughed as he got to his feet, picking the computer up before turning off the light, moving through the penthouse

Nick laughed, "That's right, baby. Whisk me away to the bedroom."

Deuce laughed when Winchester started to meow at the sound of the unfamiliar voice. "You got someone's attention."

"I hope it’s you!" Nick teased.

"More like the meowing kitten!" Deuce grinned as he turned the computer around to face the room. "Meet the bedroom, where all the magic happens."

"Hey, no magic until I get there." Nick laughed, "Then we'll put David Blain to shame up in that bitch!"

"We're going to kill my bed, aren't we?" Deuce laughed as he set the computer down on the bed before crawling in himself.

 "Oh, yeah..." Nick winked, "and any other flat surface I can get you on."

"The counter, the couch, the gym, the hot tub... so many options!"

"Mmmm...and so little time."

 Deuce smirked at the computer. "What? You think I'm going to let you leave when you get here?"

"Oh?" Nick smiled and sat up crossed leg in front of the computer, tilting the screen back so he can see, "You're going to kidnap me? Should I bring my cuffs?"

"All I have to say is that the moment you step in the door, you're not going to be allowed to leave. Ever." Deuce smirked at the screen as he stretched out on the bed, scratching at the bandages on his chest.

"Aw, baby...your chest." Nick touched screen, wishing he could feel D’s skin.

 "I need someone to kiss it and make it better." Deuce smiled toward the screen, gently peeling back the tape holding the bandage in place. "See! I'll live. Looks awful, though."

"Aw, man..." Nick winced and hissed, "Little fucker..." he licked his lips "wish I could kiss it...kiss all of you. God, I miss the way you taste..."

"Just a few more weeks, baby...then you’re all mine"

"I can't wait...seems so far away."

Deuce smiled sadly. "I know... but it's the only time our work schedules were together..."

"Yeah…," Nick nodded, damn be wanted Deacon."Let me see you...are you hard?"

Deuce smirked slightly as he looked over. "What do you think? There's a sexy man talking to me right now."

"Please," Nick laid back down on his side, "stand up and take your pants off..."

"Only because you said please." Deuce smiled at him as he got to his feet, making sure he was in full view of the computer as he slid his pajama pants down.

"Fuck, baby..." Nick licked his lips and snaked his hands inside his shorts, "You're so gorgeous...I want to watch you touch yourself..."

"Gotta show me the goods, baby… let me see that body of yours." Deuce licked his lips as he slowly trailed his fingers over his own cock, his eyes never leaving the screen.

Nick hurriedly scooted off of the bed with a smile, positioned the computer to point at him and stood in front. He undid the button and zipper on his cargo shorts and slid them down, kicking them away. "Good?" He asked as he slowly started to stroke himself.

Deuce moaned as he stroked himself. "Oh yeah, that's just perfect..."

"I'm gonna sit on the bed, just a sec..." Nick put the computer on a pillow in the middle of the bed then sat with his back against the head board, spreading his legs, "How's that? Can you see everything?"

"God yeah I can..." Deuce bit his lip as he watched Nick, arching his hips as he strokes himself. "Can't wait to fucking touch you."

"Had a dream I was sucking you off last night," Nick couldn't take his eyes off of D, that long perfect cock sliding in his fist, as he leaned over and squirted some lotion into his hand and started to jerk himself, "Came in my sleep...haven't had a wet dream since I was fourteen…"

"That's fucking sexy, Nick... been thinking about you all the damn time. Can't get you off of my fucking mind. I wake up hard as fucking hell in the mornings from dreaming about you."

"Yeah? I like that." Nick pinched one of his nipples as he increased his strokes, "we'll fuck every morning when I'm there...Jesus baby, look at you...Stroking that gorgeous fucking cock for me..."

"Morning, noon and night... we're not fucking leaving the bed!" Deuce’s head fell back as he closed his eyes, moaning Nick's name softly. "Can feel you here touching me... feel you sucking my cock."

Nick leaned forward a little to get a better view, "Mmmm, I love your cock. Love the feel of it in my mouth...I'm sucking hard on the head...I can taste you already. Fuck...taking that cock down my throat."

"Oh fuck, baby..." Deuce shifted slightly, thrusting into his tight fist, lifting his head to meet Nick's eyes on the screen. "Fucking love how your mouth feels around me, love watching you swallow all of me."

"Yeah...I can take all of that big cock..." Nick squeezed his balls as he worked his cock faster thinking about it, "In my mouth and my ass..."

"Love fucking you... so damn tight, and those noises you make? God..." Deuce moaned as he moved his hand faster, his body on edge. "Close baby... "

"Oh, yeah, come for me, Deacon...wanna watch you," Nick groaned, close himself, "Feels so good when you fuck me. You make me come so hard..."

Deuce moaned loudly, his knees going a little weak as he lets go, his eyes never leaving the computer, moaning Nick's name as he came. "Oh... oh fuck, Nicky..."

"Oh, yeah...fuck." Nick moaned and stroked faster "so good..." His body tightened up as he came, pulsing jets landing on his chest and abs.

"Oh fuck, watching you come is sexy as hell..."

Nick rubbed his over sensitive dick and shivered "Well, I seem to do it a lot when we're together." he grinned.

Deuce grined back at him, sinking down onto the bed. "You do it so much cause it's the sexiest thing I've ever seen!"

Nick laughed and pulled some tissues out of the box on the end table, wiping himself. "You see my Deacon shrine necessities" He motioned with his hand like a game show hostess at the end table where the lotion and tissues were, "This and my phone, all I need."

Deuce laughed as he cleaned himself up with a dirty t-shirt, stretching out on the bed. "I need to stop using my shirts to clean up with!"

"Kleenex" Nick smiled, "I bought the economy pack! I got tired of having to wash my sheets every other day."

"I'll have to go shopping then." Deuce grinned as he curled his arm under his head, turning onto his side to watch Nick. "Maybe we need to take stock in the company if we're going to be apart!"

"Yeah..." Nick relaxed on his side and pulled the computer closer, "well...better than phone sex, but not as good as the real thing." He smiled, "I'm so fucking horny for you Deacon, it's crazy!"

"Just a few weeks and then you're going to be all mine." Deuce smiled back.

“I’ll put it on the schedule when I go in tonight and book the flight when I get home in the morning.” Nick said as his stomach did a little flip flop. He couldn’t wait to see Deacon in person, to clarify where they stood. It was pretty obvious that they were into each other and didn’t plan on seeing anyone else, but it would be nice to confirm it. Even nicer to kiss D, have sex with him…make love, knowing that there was no one else. That Deacon was his.

“Sounds good.” Deuce’s smile was as warm as he felt on the inside at the thought of being with Nick again. No guilt this time, no doubts or fears, just the two of them being able to fully enjoy each other in all ways.

“I should get a shower and start getting ready for my shift,” Nick said after glancing at the clock on his computer. After the emotional afternoon of coming out to Gran, and after having video chat sex with Deacon, the last thing Nick felt like doing was going to work. “I wanna eat some more of Gran’s Sheppard’s Pie before I go.”

“Figures your hungry again,” Deuce laughed, “food is like your post coital cigarette!”

“Hey, this was totally unexpected; I was planning on eating anyway.” Nick grinned. Unexpected, but fucking awesome! Being able to see Deacon naked and pleasuring himself? Actually, just being able to see D at all was incredible.

“Okay, call me in the morning when you’re done your shift, yeah?” Deuce requested. He hated when Nick worked overnights. He worried about him anyway when he was on the job, but for some reason third shift bothered him the most.

“Yeah, definitely,” Nick tilted his head to the side, drinking every inch of Deacon in he could see. “I’ll text if it’s quiet and not too late. You know how I get when I’m bored.”

“Oh, I know,” Deuce grinned. Nick text him at least one joke, random facts and whatever weird shit he encountered throughout the day. Now he knew what his brother’s inbox must have looked like all of this time, not that Deuce minded at all. He smiled every time he received one. “And it doesn’t matter what time it is. I don’t sleep much when I know you’re working anyway.”

“I’ll be fine, D, you don’t need to worry.“ Nick’s heart swelled, even though he didn’t want Deacon to worry, it still felt really nice when he did.

“Yeah well, too bad, I’m going to worry. You're on my list, remember?” Deuce smiled, “Go eat and get ready for work. I should make you call me back when you’re in your uniform!”

“Then I’ll be late for work because we know that’ll lead to round two!” Nick laughed.

“True…” Deuce smirked, “I really think you should pack it for your visit.”

“We’ll see…” Nick winked. Yeah, that bad cop/naughty doctor fantasy was definitely going to happen one day. “I’ll call you in the AM.”

“Ok, Nicky, I’ll talk to you then.” Deuce’s eyes moved around the screen, making a mental image of Nick to hold him over.

“Bye, baby.” Nick smiled.

“Bye…” Deuce clicked on the end call tab with a sigh. Three weeks couldn’t come fast enough.