LOVE & STITCHES at The Asylum Part Twenty-Four
Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and for those who don't celebrate, YAY for the weekend!
Also, some more Love & Stitches for you to enjoy.
Happy Reading!
****
****
There was something about disappointing his Doms that made it pretty easy not to break the rules. Danny wasn’t good at protocol and anticipating his Dom’s needs, like Wren or Avery, but neither Jacks or Shea expected that. They liked playing with him. Sharing fantasies.
Maybe doing a bit of that would help lighten things up now?
Worrying his bottom lip with his teeth, Danny reached out to brush his fingers down Jacks’ cheek. “I won’t ever storm the castle without you again, sir. And...I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you. It’s...there’s a curse on the secrets. And...a vampire that appears if you tell anyone. He swoops in and sucks the blood of everyone you love and no one can stop him. All the subs had to take a vow to...prove how much the protection here means to us.”
“How about how much Shea’s protection means to you, little mouse? Would you risk a vampire for him? You certainly seemed to be willing before. Because he’s got your back.” Swallowing down visible emotion, Jacks smoothed Danny’s hair from his forehead, careful to stay well away from where the whip had cut him. “I trust you. If you think it’s important not to tell anyone...then it is.”
Glancing over at Shea, Danny did his best to read his other Dom’s expression, but it was hard. Shea had stopped pacing and was leaning against the wall by the bed, observing everyone silently. There was a tension to the set of his shoulders, as though he kinda wanted to hit something. Or someone.
But instead, he kept glancing at the monitors. Grinding his teeth like he didn’t know how important they were to his general health. Danny would have to talk to him about that.
And...stop scaring both his Doms enough to get them this stressed out. He brought his attention back to Jacks. “Both of you mean so much to me, sir. I didn’t go to either of you because...I was scared. Curtis and Jared are… I’m not saying you’re not both amazing fighters, but they can be...intense. I didn’t want to put you in the position where you might get hurt. Lawson knows how to handle them.”
“I know, little mouse.” Jacks met Shea’s gaze for a wordless conversation, shaking his head a little at the end before he returned his attention to Danny. “I’m sorry you were scared and I let you take on too much. I should’ve stayed by your side. It’s not that I don’t trust you to handle things, but you shouldn’t have to. That’s what we’re here for.”
Danny took a deep breath. “But we all have our jobs, sir. You helped me with mine and I appreciate that, so much.” He smiled a little, picturing how Jacks had looked in his cloak, sweeping into the dance club. “I really like that cloak on you. Did you forget it in the dance club? Do you know you’re the sexiest Dom in the place? If it was put to a vote, I’d bet all my money on you.”
That got a bit of a lip twitch from Shea. “Nice topic change, my boy. But I can’t argue with you there.” He pushed away from the wall and moved to stand behind Jacks, rubbing his hands up and down Jacks’ arms. “You’re right. We all have our jobs. And the security here is one of mine. Things got so fucking out of control there was a damn brawl in the dance club, you got into the dungeon, and both you and Pike manage to get outside on your own. None of that should have happened and it’s...fuck, part of me wants to fix it all so it doesn’t happen again, but then I look at you and...it breaks my damn heart to see you hurt. I can’t look that far ahead.”
Reaching up, Jacks covered Shea’s hand on his arm. “We’ll get you healed, I’ll focus on making you into the real Despereaux because he had a suit of armor, and I’m sure Curtis knows something about metalworking.” Eyes glittering with a mix of tears and happiness, Jacks sniffed. “I love you, too, Danny. You and Shea are my world. I’m so...grateful we have this place and each other, but I wish we had done better by you than to bring you somewhere that this kind of thing...is your life.” Coughing, he looked away. “I never thought I’d miss L.A., but sometimes I wish we’d all moved there.”
The very idea of having to go back there made Danny’s stomach twist up in knots. He squeezed Jacks’ fingers. “Sir, please don’t say that. I hated it there. I was...miserable. I know I think of all kinds of disasters here, and...bad stuff happens, but...I get to be happy. So do you and Shea. I was never this happy before and I wouldn’t trade that for anything. I’m grateful for you...helping make this my home. Me and Jamie...neither of us had one before. Not really. That’s why Jamie fought Trevor like he did. Why we...why it’s so important to us. And...you are the one, in a way, who gave it to us both.”
When Jacks turned his head, Danny could see the wetness on his cheeks and the dark tips of his lashes that had stuck together in little spikes. “You two...” He smiled wetly, tilting his head to swipe at his cheek with his shoulder. “I used to love seeing you dance together at parties, how he always kept you close like he knew how uncomfortable you were. Now, watching you make the kind of music you love is wonderful. But...what happened tonight—” Jacks’ voice gummed up, and he cleared his throat. “I can’t lose you, little mouse. It would destroy me.”
“You won’t, sir. I promise, no matter what, I’ll always find a way to crawl back to you. Even if I’m...not so pretty anymore when I do.” Danny reached up to brush a fresh tear off his Dom’s cheek. “You get to be the fairest of them all. And I’m okay with that.”
“We will always rescue you from the dragon.” Smiling through his tears, Jacks leaned in to brush Danny’s cheek with a kiss. Then he laughed a little, pulling back. “You’re the princess. Pike’s a pixie prince. We need to do a role play.”
Glancing over from where he was brushing away some of the crumbs he seemed to have gotten on his Dom’s shirt—which was now missing three buttons—Pike grinned and licked some chocolate from the side of his lip. “That could be fun. And I can draw a whole comic about it which will keep me out of trouble for at least a whole afternoon. Wouldn’t that be awesome, sir?”
Patting Pike’s hip in a rhythm that seemed soothing, Seth swayed side to side. “As long as it makes you happy, pixie, it is...the awesomest.” Seth reached out to Quint as his other boy passed, catching his wrist to bring him closer. “Tomorrow, we’re sleeping in. You’re not leaving the bed. So you’ll need to use the new lap desk that arrived today. Quint will be with us.”
“I would like that very much, sir, but…” Quint gave Pike a slow inspection, as though he’d been wanting to do it for a while, and couldn’t resist any longer. “He should have been able to get to me. The gym shouldn’t have been that crowded. The dungeon either. We’re so focused on keeping things safe beyond these walls, but...what about inside them? There has to be a better way.”
“Curtis is learning, love. He had the run of the place while Lawson was incapacitated.” Eyeing Jared, who worked beyond the glass, prepping the surgical supplies, Seth lowered his voice. “We need to find a way to support everyone who is overworked or taking on too much. I plan to propose we close the club from Monday through Wednesday. We don’t get much business those nights, and it will give us a full weekend to relax plus one day to take care of club maintenance and books.”
Pike spoke around another mouthful of...something. He was making Danny full just watching him. “You should really propose Sunday off, too. Curtis would say it’s gonna have us all going to hell or something. He was always better with that religious stuff than I was. My mom said he was an altar boy before I was born. She had this picture of him in the white gown. You should make him another one, Jacks. I bet he misses it.”
Swiping the heel of his hand over his cheeks, Jacks finished drying his tears. A snort escaped him. “Seeing him in a confessional scene with Lawson might be the hottest thing I ever fantasize about. I might make Law a leather cassock just to fuck with Curtis.”
“That is...not something I ever pictured before, but now I don’t think I’ll ever get the image out of my head.” Danny’s cheeks heated and he shoved the blankets down a little so he could cool off. “Glam did a music video in a church once. My family wasn’t into anything like that ever, but...I’ve always found them super creepy. Except Jamie’s. He made it nice.”
“I’m with our little Despereaux.” Jared came in carrying a metal tray with a white cloth draped over it, setting it on a rolling table out of Danny’s view. “The next time I set foot in a church won’t be of my own volition. Jamie’s Youth and Performing Arts Center doesn’t count. I’m sure enough carnal acts have been performed there by now that it’s no longer a sanctified space.”
Shea’s lips slanted as he stood back a bit, like he wasn’t sure if he was in the way. “From some of the conversations I’ve overheard between our little mouse and your little cat? I’m damn sure of it. Your man apparently made it a mission to Christen every room. I mean, I’ve done that with Jacks, but never anywhere...quite so big.”
Twisting to meet Shea’s gaze with lifted brows, Jared paused in his task. “Oh? How interesting. I will have to remember to ask Noah for details. Or a demonstration. I’m sure Jamie’s voice lent itself to the acoustics quite nicely. Listening to him...sing is one of my chief pleasures when we have the time.”
Face blazing now, Danny tried to burrow himself under the blankets, yelping when one bumped the cup over his eye. “I need to be more careful about closing doors. You weren’t supposed to hear that, sir. Jamie was confiding in me. It’s very rude to eavesdrop.”
Shea chuckled, the sound a bit muffled by the blanket. “But it’s so fun to watch you both squirm when you realize you haven’t been very quiet.” He paused. “Should he be doing that...right now?”
“No. Anything that jars his eye puts the circulation in more danger.” Jared’s voice didn’t come closer. “Please be careful when you remove them.”
It ended up being Quint’s face Danny saw first when the blanket came off, neither of his Doms budging, like they were terrified to make the wrong move. Quint smiled at him as he smoothed the blanket over his chest. He touched Danny’s cheek, then glanced at Jared. “I’m going to administer an antibiotic and a stronger anti-inflammatory. He’s a bit feverish. We need to check the ETA again. They should be here by now.”
“Rhodey’s probably doing a deep cavity search before he lets them in. The pervert.” Jared chuckled to himself. “Please let me know what he says over that ear piece of yours, Shea. I’m interested to see if he’s managed to get his arm up to his elbow this time.”
Shea blinked at Jared, then pulled something out of his pocket. He moved away from the bed as he stuck it in his ear. “Yes, I’m here. No, I fucking forgot the stupid thing. He’s doing all right, he’s getting more meds now. Jared wants to know if you're fisting the specialist. Fuck no, I’m not telling him that. Yeah, I think everything’s ready. I told you… No, I get it. He’s calm. I’m sure...he’ll be all right.”
“You are absolutely no fun at all, Shea.” With zero rancor in his tone, Jared smoothly moved a few more pieces of medical equipment, including a large surgical light on a swing arm, closer to Danny’s bed. “Quint, scrub in first and then I’ll get myself ready as well. I want us on standby in case there are issues with these two. Bizzy, I need you to go in the other room and watch some videos on eye surgery. You know the password to the medical database Rhodey had Wren get us a login for. We need to be prepped for any eventuality.”
This was it. Danny sat up a bit against the pillows, watching Quint as he scrubbed his hands, then looking at the tray Jared had left covered. He wasn’t sure why he was calm, except...well, he had no idea what Quint had put in his IV. His heart beat a little faster as he imagined what Seth would be watching.
It would be like a horror movie. Only worse, because it was real. And it would be disgusting. He grabbed Jacks’ hand. “You can’t look at it, sir. I don’t...I don’t want you to see me like that. It’ll give you nightmares and you won’t want to be near me ever again.”
“That could never happen, little mouse.” Handsome mouth curving with his tender smile, Jacks adjusted the covers so they were absolutely perfectly folded at the top under Danny’s hands. “You want to know what I’m planning?” He waited for Danny’s nod to continue. “About a hundred eye patches in all sorts of colors, some with Pike’s drawings embroidered on them, and others with Reed’s sparkles. You’re going to take everyone’s fashion sense and turn it upside down so they’re wondering why they didn’t think of making a statement like this. And wait until you see how I match them with your shoes. I learned how to put bling on Vans like the ones Jamie used to have.”
Shoes. Yes, thinking about shoes was much better. And whenever Jacks got that smile, it made Danny’s heart melt. The beautiful things he made were like the purest expression of the soul that was a hundred times more stunning than his face. “I can’t wait to see them, sir. And I need new sneakers soon. Do you know how bad treadmills are for them? I tried to tell Shea the last time he had me on it and those light blue ones looked terrible after. Do you think there’s a special way to clean them? I love those ones you got me so much.”
“I’ll take a look, and if not I have a friend in L.A. who owns a shoe warehouse. He keeps them all in the original boxes and collects them three pairs at a time. I bet I can convince him to let me buy one.” Reaching out to Shea, Jacks laced their fingers together to tug him closer. “We’re going to spoil him rotten. Say it.”
Shea blew out a breath and nodded. “Anything either of you want, you won’t hear a complaint from me. I’ll even talk to Curtis about building you a bigger closet. One of those fancy walk-in ones you’re always drooling over. Fuck...two of ‘em.” His voice was a bit rough as he looked over at Jared. “Rhodey says Dallas is bringing them in.”
“All right. That’s good.” Glancing at the wall clock as he approached the bed, Jared seemed to be performing some sort of mental calculation. “Go upstairs and shower, change, and come back down with whatever you need to make yourselves comfortable overnight. You’re not leaving his side. I’ll make sure you have food and anything else you need brought in. You have absolutely nothing to do or to worry about until he’s better. Understood?”
Rubbing his hands over his eyes, Shea didn’t speak for a bit. Then he nodded, turning so Danny couldn’t see his face. “Thank you, my man. I...we appreciate everything you’ve done for us, for him, so much.”
“We’ve got him, my man.” Jared put his arm around Shea in a sideways hug. “We all love him too. You’re his, he’s yours, but we all are so grateful to you for bringing him here into our lives. And for your work protecting us all.”
Shea relaxed into Jared’s hold for a few beats, his voice low. “I know I’m not part of the board, but...we need to discuss this. I’m not blaming anyone, and I get that Curtis had a lot thrown at him all at once. He shouldn’t have to deal with that. Things shouldn’t fall apart because one of you is laid up. And the fucking members...the doors should never be blocked. It’s a safety hazard and they’re not fucking high schoolers. I just...I need to know we can...improve things.”
Grip tightening on Shea’s shoulder, Jared nodded slowly as he listened, seeming to absorb Shea’s every word. “If you’d like to be on the board, there’s no reason we can’t add another member. You do enough around here. You’ve more than earned it. That said...Lawson takes on too much, and we need to find another business manager who can tag team with him. Someone competent who he’d trust. I don’t know who that is, but there are a lot of new positions we need to create to keep up now that Danny and Jamie’s high profile has increased membership.” His gaze went to the door like he saw the gym in his mind’s eye. “And we might need more space. We have the money on the books. But maybe it’s time we put the gym in a building that is separate from the club. Where there’s not alcohol.”
Shea glanced at Jared, a little surprise crossing his face at the suggestion of him being on the board. Everything after that got thoughtful nods and relieved smiles. “If I end up on the board, you’ve got my vote for all of it. And I’ll see if I can come up with anything other than ‘shit’s got to fucking change’.”
“I mean…” Pike looked up with a chip halfway to his mouth. “You’re not wrong. And straightforward is good. I think you should put that shit in writing.”
“Did I tell you about my plan to put motion activated hand soap dispensers and disposable washcloths in every room in the club?” Jared’s tone was offhand, like he hadn’t heard Pike and continued his conversation with Shea. “And if we do move the gym to a new, state-of-the-art facility, perhaps combining space from the General Clinic parking that’s never used, we can construct a multilevel dungeon to house all of Noah’s equipment. We might even be able to invest in research for a mouth soaping robot. That would certainly fascinate Wren.”
As Pike stuffed a handful of chips in his mouth—probably to keep himself from swearing anymore—Quint frowned at him. “Slow down before you choke on that. And you will watch your mouth or I’ll have you sit in the corner with a bar of soap in it until the procedure is done.”
Danny's lips parted. “You can’t! That would be...inhumane. And he’d probably swallow it and you’d have to open up his stomach and… Please, just spanking is much better.”
“Please stop helping me, Danny.” Pike wrinkled his nose at Quint. “I’ll stop swearing, but you wouldn’t do that to me. You’d feel bad after five seconds.”
From the other room, Seth called, “But I wouldn’t.” His tone held a little humor, but Danny couldn’t quite be sure whether he’d lose the joking tone if pushed.
“Sorry, sir. I forgot about being good.” Pike settled down on the floor cross-legged and poured himself some ice tea. “I’ll do better. I have lots and lots of snacks.”
Shea gave Pike a sideways look and shook his head. “If he was mine, he’d never be able to sit. Not sure how you do it, Seth, my man, but mad respect.”
Leaning on his rolling stool, Seth peered through the door to meet Shea’s gaze with a fond glance at Pike. “Because I know what he needs, and that’s just enough room to be himself and just enough room to get into the right kind of trouble so I can remind him I love him no matter what.”
“That makes sense.” Shea’s attention shifted back to Danny, his lips curving. “Kinda like how our boy doesn’t get hell for stealing people’s shoes. Or biting anyone stupid enough to touch him when he’s in pupspace and doesn’t want to be touched. Or...if he just feels like chewing on fingers instead of sneakers.”
Chair rollers squeaked, Seth nodding as he slid back in front of the desk where he researched how to fix Danny’s eye. “That’s smart. I hadn’t thought of it, but you’re right. I like it.” There was a pause, the sound of a keyboard clacking quietly before Seth spoke again. “Pixie, would you be comfortable going into the bar to ask Matt to make me a cup of coffee if he’s around. I’m feeling lagged from waking up mid-cycle. Not as young as I used to be. It seemed easier ten years ago.”
“Ha!” Jared barked, laughing. “That’s because it was easier ten years ago, but you used to be crankier when we had a load of wounded dumped on our asses at two a.m. You’re easier to deal with now that you’ve mellowed.”
“Shut your mouth, McCleod. I’ll mellow when I’m dead. Until then, there’s caffeine.” Humor in his voice, Seth yawned loud and long.
Pike scrambled to his feet, almost tripping over one of the shoes he’d taken off at some point. “I can get you coffee, sir. Maybe I can see if there’s still some leftover roast while it’s brewing. Anything else while I’m at it? I’m gonna play service sub and be terrible at it.”
“Shoes. On your feet.” Quint pointed at them. “If Matt’s not there, don’t try to make the coffee yourself. Bring some of the RedBull stash Keiran keeps in the galley for Wren. And grab some ice chips for Danny, there should be plenty and he’s not drinking enough. His IV will keep him hydrated, but his lips are very dry.”
Somehow, Danny hadn’t even noticed that. He rubbed his hand over his mouth. “Does it look awful? I wish Jamie was here, he’d let me use some lip gloss. And tell me if I’m starting to look like...one of Wren’s monsters.”
“I have just the thing.” Jared snapped his fingers like he’d recalled something. “We got these kits for overnight patients.” Rummaging in a drawer, he came up with a little plastic pouch with the Asylum logo printed on the front, tossing it to Quint. “There’s lip balm in there. A little toothbrush and small tube of toothpaste. Some other odds and ends.”
Quint opened the pouch, taking out the balm and reaching out to hand it to Jacks, almost hitting him in the nose with it as he watched Pike leave. “Here you go, sir.”
Taking the pouch between his fingers like it might contain a dead animal, Jacks grimaced. “Oh no...we can do better than this. Who’s your cosmetics supplier? Has this been tested on animals?” He shook his head as he unzipped it, peering inside and sniffing. “I really need to sew a prototype in watered silk. An embroidered logo would be much more fitting.”
Coughing over a laugh, Shea caught Danny’s eye, his own sparkling with laughter. “You heard your Dom. You can’t use lip balm that’s been tested on bunnies, it’s bad luck. Also, I think clear is a crime against the fashion gods or something.” He winked at Jared. “Most people don’t know this stuff. You wanna see him really lose it? Pull out a tube you got at the gas station that you lost the top to and stuffed in your jacket pocket. Last year.”
Jacks’ lip curled, his gaze lifting from the generic tube of lip balm that he’d uncapped. “If I wanted to wear wax I’d kiss a candle. And pocket lint is not a fashion statement.” Sighing, he pulled out his phone. “I’ll text Jamie. He must have something more suitable.”
“All right. No.” Still laughing, Jared turned slightly serious. “I’m sorry to offend your sensibilities, but this has been deemed safe for a hospital setting. It’s new, unopened, and has no bacteria growing on it. It has vitamin E in it, and won’t burn his skin with mint.” One brow raised, he shared a look with Shea. “Look at me. Physician Fashion 101. Taking you all to school.”
Quint chuckled, opening a drawer and pulling something out. “There’s always Vasoline.”
Shaking his head quickly, Danny hissed when his face let him know it did not like that move at all. “Eww, no thank you. I’m sorry, but...that’s so much worse. We had to put it on our teeth sometimes for pictures. I’d prefer soap. And that won’t help my lips at all.”
The little white cap on the tube made a popping sound as Jacks removed it. He examined the shaft of lip moisturizer with a critical eye. “Hmph. I suppose if it’s been vetted as more than a hostess gift afterthought, we can use it. Just while you’re here...” He leaned in, dabbing the tube of vanilla scented lip balm against Danny’s lips, then made a motion with his own mouth like he wanted Danny to press his lips together to smoosh the stuff around. “Mwah mwah mwah... Like that.”
Mimicking his Dom, Danny added a bit of a fish face, giggling when Shea spat out a laugh. He gave Jacks his most innocent smile. “Did I do it right?”
“Try it again. I need to look closer.” Jacks leaned in, waiting until Danny pouted his lips, and stole a kiss. He leaned back, tilting his head. “Yes. I’d say that’s perfect.”
“You two are too much. I love it.” Shea folded his arms over his chest, lowering his brow at Jacks like he was trying to take control, but was enjoying the bit of fun they were having and didn’t want to ruin it. “Now if you start trying to do the rest of his makeup and accessorize his hospital gown, I’m gonna have to put my foot down before Jared ends up getting sick of us.”
From his spot by the doorway where he’d been quietly observing their interactions, a besotted glow on his own face, Jared straightened a little. “It’ll never happen.”
“See, Jared loves us.” Danny leaned over a bit to mock whisper to Jacks. “I bet he has different colors of hospital gowns and he’ll let you pick the nicest one. Maybe a pretty pink one? It’ll make me think of the dress you made me. Or...would that color look weird with…” He gestured to his face. “This?”
One of the best things about Jacks was that he didn’t take questions like that as something shallow and unimportant. He took his time studying Danny’s face. “No. You’re a little pale right now. I think the pink would brighten up your complexion and give you a glow.”
Jared crossed to the cabinet with the freshly laundered johnnies, taking one out in brand new packaging. He held it up, the fabric falling open to show the fold lines in little rectangles. “Rose pink. Better than the chalky pink ones that have been washed too many times and faded out.”
“I really like that one. Thank you, sir.” Danny grinned at Jared, who always thought of everything and was all kinds of awesome. “Should I get changed now? I...don’t want to do it in front of strange doctors. But I don’t mind with all of you.”
“Shea?” Jacks took the gown from Jared’s outstretched hand. “Would you help me sit him up? I don’t want to bump him while we...” He frowned at Danny’s hoodie. “Oh no...it’s alright. I’ll make you a new one, or steal one from Rhodey. That one...well, let’s just say that burning might be too good for it. It’s done for.”
“Why…?” Danny’s hands went to the hoodie, the only one he wore that wasn’t either Shea’s restylized ones Jacks fixed up for him or one his Dom made from scratch. It was big and cozy and smelled like whiskey and cigars even after a few washes. But...there was no zipper on it. “We have to cut it, don’t we? He won’t be mad, will he? I love it so much. Almost as much as I love the ones you make me, but different. You know what I mean, right?”
Jared shook his head, stepping close to Shea. “Get him a new one, merc.” He spoke like he talked to Shea, but not. “I don’t care if it’s off your back. Right this minute.”
Head tilted to one side, Shea winced, then nodded. “He says he’s sending Avery with one. And of course he won’t be mad— No, I’m not saying that. Ya think? No, you telling him you’ll throw him off the roof isn’t much better. Can you be fucking normal for once? How about ‘I love you and it’s just a piece of clothing’? Yeah, yeah, I’m sure he knows you mean that, but still.”
Fingers smoothing over the thick fabric, Jacks took some surgical shears from Quint. “Maybe...” His lips curved. “Yes. I know what I’ll do. I’m going to use the fabric to make your next puppy hoodie.”
“Really? Ooh, that would be nice. It’s really soft. Feel.” Just like that, Danny felt better about Jacks having to take the scissors to it. It wouldn’t be gone forever. Just different. “And maybe, if there’s enough, you can make a little plush dog with it? I love cuddling with those in my crate.”
“I’ll make sure of it.” The scissors snipped through the fabric, biting into them with a sound that was both rough and smooth at the same time. Jacks was careful, but his movements were sure. “I can already see it. You need floppy ears. A sweet pink lining. Maybe a piece that comes down from the brim in case you feel like hiding. It will roll from underneath and have a pup face on it. Somewhat sheer so you can see out but no one can see in...”
Danny closed his eyes, letting Jacks’ description paint out the visual for him. “Floppy ears are my favorite. I can’t wait to see it, sir. And I promise I won’t hit you in the face if I get them in my milk again.”
A door opened, strange voices, one with a thick accent, the other a bit smooth and affected, trailing in. Jared, in one fluid motion, reached out and swept the curtain around Danny’s bed, insulating him alone with Jacks and Shea. “We’ll be right with you, doctors.”
“Excuse me, coming through. Holy...hell, you’re tall. Sorry, was that your foot?” Pike’s voice sounded cheerful as it got closer. “Those are my snacks, but I guess you can grab something if you want. Don’t mind the crumbs.”
Quint’s voice followed a second later. “Here, let me take that. Seth will be happy to have his coffee. Come sit with him while he drinks it. Thank you for coming, doctors. If you’d like to have a seat I’ll get the patient’s chart for you to look over.”
Fingers shaking a little, Jacks helped Danny to shrug out of the cut open hoodie while Shea made sure he didn’t bump himself. “I’m going to bring my sewing kit down and start on this after Shea and I get ready to have a sleepover with you here. It’ll be nearly done except for the final fittings for little adjustments by the time you’re awake. Would you like a fleece lining?”
“Yes, please, sir.” Danny inhaled deep to keep his voice steady, smiling at Jacks and doing his best to focus on the design instead of the men in the other room. “I love watching you sew. I think hearing it when I’m waking up will be nice. And maybe you could spray some of that cologne you got last week on it? You always have the best ones but that’s my favorite. It’s so...you.”
“You got it, little mouse.” Fingers warm against Danny’s neck, Jacks did up the ties then smoothed the gown down before getting to work on his jeans and sneakers. “I’m glad you didn’t wear your new skinny jeans tonight. I’d hate to have to cut those off. They’re adorable with those little fireworks around the cuffs, if I do say so myself.”
Danny let out a quiet sound of agreement. “Those are the first skinny jeans I really love after getting so used to baggier ones. I don’t feel like I have to peel them off and on. They’re more comfortable than all the other ones. And a thousand times nicer than any of those dumb brand ones. Your brand is the only one I’ll ever care about.”
“Shea, can you ask Jared for some of those non-slip socks for his feet? I don’t want him to be cold.” Peeling Danny’s socks off his feet, Jacks paused to meet Shea’s gaze and lowered his voice. “And check out those mercs. I want to know if you think we can trust them.”
Blowing out a breath, then inhaling slowly, Shea leaned in to brush a kiss over Jacks’ lips. “I can do that. And I’ll see about some fresh blankets from the warmer. You’re right. He gets cold so easily and...Jared will make sure he’s comfortable.”
“Thank you, love.” Leaning over Danny, Jacks stole a kiss from Shea before he leaned back to fold Danny’s jeans. “As for my brand, I custom make all your pieces, but I can’t do that for everyone. I’ll take the compliment and run with it though.” Plump lips pouting into an air kiss, Jacks focused on Danny and set the jeans on a nearby counter. “I don’t know where the ice chips went, but do you need more lip balm?”
Danny nodded, cocking his head a bit and catching Pike’s voice on the other side of the curtain. “Pike probably brought it in with Seth’s coffee. Can we open the curtain just on that side? I just...want a few more minutes with you and...without them. Ice chips would be nice. I don’t love them like Wren does, but right now I don’t think they’ll make my stomach all queasy.”
“Uno pimento...” Holding up one finger, Jacks teased, parting the curtain at the head of Danny’s bed to slip out. He returned with a paper cup and a plastic spoon. He gestured with the cup. “Crushed ice. That okay?”
“Yes, sir. That’ll make me think of the snowcones I used to get with the other performers in Manhattan. Trevor would’ve said it was still too much sugar and the dye would ruin my teeth, but...it was tasty. And I loved getting all the bright colors and eating it in the park when it was crazy hot out.” Danny gazed up at Jacks. “We have to do that one day. I think you’ll love it.”
“I know I will. That’s a marvellous idea. Maybe the next time we run down to the City for fabric samples?” Jacks dug in the cup, scraping at the ice that crunched under the spoon. “I love grape. How about you?” He held up the spoon, gaze warm like he pretended to feed Danny his favorite kind. “Let me guess...bubblegum?”
Snickering, Danny shook his head. “No, but I love the color so I got it a lot. Grape is yummy, too. Guess again. It’s a fruit.”
“Hmm...watermelon isn’t a fruit...” Holding the spoon to Danny’s lips, again, Jacks frowned a little. “Strawberry is a berry...banana?”
“Strawberries and watermelons aren’t fruit?” Danny wrinkled his nose. “I didn’t know that. But it’s watermelon. I went through the whole faze of not eating anything else unless it was watermelon flavored. It’s fresh and delicious. And now my favorite is kissing you and Shea right after you’ve had some. It’s double yummy.”
“My charming little mouse, I do believe I know what I’m having for a snack before you wake up...” Jacks waited until Danny finished the mouthful of crushed ice, letting its coldness trickle down his throat, before he scraped up another little bite. “What about cherry? Or blueberry?”
Danny licked his lips, almost tasting all the different flavors, his lips feeling smoother now. “Those are great, but don’t mix them all at the same time. I tried and it ended up looking like frozen mud. And it didn’t taste great either.”
“Fruit salad shaved ice is not a thing?” Jacks looked up as Shea slipped back through the curtains. “Do we need to grab him and make a run for it?”
Shea sighed, shaking his head. “Don’t tempt me. They’re fine. One’s a sub and he’s warm and seems easy to talk to. The other one, his Dom, is...the exact opposite. But I didn’t get any bad vibes. Dallas disarmed them both without issue. And they had to go through Rhodey to even get this far, so...we can trust them. They’ll take good care of our boy.”
“Good. That’s...good.” Tucking the warm blanket Shea had brought with him under Danny’s chin, Jacks kissed his cheek as Jared stepped back behind the curtain. “We love you. We’ll be here when you wake up.”
At Danny’s side, Jared put something in his IV, watching his monitor. He glanced over, smiling his gentlest smile. “We’ve got you, my little Despereaux. Rhodey will come see you soon...” Over his shoulder, he called to whoever was on the other side of the curtain. “We’re ready for you now.”
Define ‘ready’. Danny did the breathing techniques Stephan had taught him as his chest tightened, failing miserably to find the ‘zen’ place Drew always talked about, but he didn’t start panting like he’d been chasing his tail for an hour while Jacks and Shea cracked up and told him to slow down before he made himself dizzy. The thought made his lips curve up a bit. “I can’t wait to put my play collar back on. This...this will get me there. I have to remember that.”
Squeezing Danny’s hand one last time before he let go and stepped back, Jacks cleared his throat. “Curtis mentioned something about learning leather working with Blain... I might join them to make you a million pretty collars. You’ll be the best dressed puppy The Asylum catwalk has ever seen.” He frowned. “Why isn’t it called a dogwalk?”
“We’ll have to petition to change it.” Moving in close behind Jacks, Shea wrapped his arms around his chest and kissed the side of his neck. “You really are gonna spoil him rotten. I can’t wait to see it. And...maybe I can help out with some ideas for the eye patches? I’m not as creative as the lot of you, but I can come up with some catchy phrases.”
“You know...” Jared’s deep voice rumbled warmly, his tone taking on a firmer edge. “The sooner you lot clear out the sooner we can have him back to you.”
Jacks nodded, but didn’t step back. “I love you, little mouse.”
“I love you, too, sir. So much. I’m gonna be okay.” Danny was so giving himself credit for the fact his voice didn’t crack. He even managed to grin as he stage whispered to Jacks. “I think Jared’s about to spank you and Shea. You better get out of here while you can.”
“Yes, and I’d rather not, as I’ve already scrubbed in.” Jared’s lips quirked at the edges. “If you’d like to get some scrubs and wash up with Quint showing you how, however, I’ll allow you to observe. If not, get the hell out of my OR.”
Brow lifting a bit, Shea seemed to visibly bite back the snarky reply he’d have given anyone else. His muscles strained a bit at the sleeves of his T-shirt as he held Jacks a bit tighter. “I haven't been spanked since my first few weeks here, when I got my ass handed to me in the ring. I’ll pass on that, thanks. As tempting as being over your lap must be, my man.” His expression became more serious as he spoke softly to Jacks. “He doesn’t want us to see him like this. I don’t want to leave him either, but...it’ll be better for him if we come back all refreshed and shit.”
Jacks nodded, squeezed Danny’s hand one last time, and looked around as if seeing the room for the first time. His nose wrinkled, making him look a little like Jamie. “It can’t be sterile in here, with Pike eating food, and us in our street clothes.”
Making an irritated sound, like the dam was cracking on his temper, Jared pushed them both gently out of the bay. “I have cut sutures with my teeth in the desert. Get the fuck out of my filty OR before I lose my goddamn mind.”
Yikes. They had reached the angry Jared stage. No sub ever wanted angry Jared. Or any Dom. Or any person with half a brain. Danny kept his mouth shut, saying a little prayer to whatever higher power might be out there that both of his Doms did the same.
Which must have been answered, because he didn’t hear Jacks speak again and there was the sound of a door opening and closing. A few moments passed, then several sets of footsteps returned. When the curtain pulled back, Dallas was there, a short man in a white coat whose white-blond hair matched the light tips of his lashes standing by his side.
The guy was only a few inches taller than Jamie, but the embroidery on his coat proclaimed him ‘Dr. Lewis’. And...he wore a finely woven leather and metal braided collar around his throat just above his pink polo-style shirt.
“Danny, this is the doc Vani sent. He’s done work on some big names that I’ve been told will get my tongue cut out of my head if I mention... So I won’t.” Brown eyes dancing with humor, Dallas clapped Dr. Lewis on the back. “Don’t fuck up. We like this one. And we’ll take it personal.”
Dr. Lewis’ mouth curved, his upper lip a little plumper than his lower in a way that would’ve made him either a hit or a humiliation in Hollywood. “Call me Briggs.”
Wetting his bottom lip with his tongue, Danny shivered as he looked the doctor over. He seemed nice enough, but Danny was so used to only being treated by Jared, it felt weird having a stranger to deal with. “I don’t think I can call someone who’s going to be operating on me anything except doctor. Do you think it’ll make him mad? And...I really wish I could be under the bed right now.”
A shadow beyond the doorway spoke in a deep voice with a thick Russian accent. “It’s not him who gets the mad.” The shadow moved, taking up the entire doorway, straight up to the top. A man, dressed in all black with equally dark hair and eyes, scrutinized the room, likely finding ways to use clipboards and paper clips as lethal weapons. “Ilya Kolvinskov. His Dom.”
The shivering wasn’t getting any better. Danny was seriously considering how much he really needed both his eyes. “Okay, then...” Dr. Lewis, who was by the sink, scrubbing his hands and already in a powder blue cap and scrubs, winked at Danny. “I think I can do better than your current setup. We’re going to help you take a bit of a nap, and then when you wake up you’re going to be as good as new. I promise.”
Danny swallowed, managing a bit of a smile. “Thank you...doctor. I’m a little...scared right now. My usual doctor, Jared, keeps me from thinking about the blood filling up the thing for tests, and whether or not the needle will break, and he guesses all the worst things I’ll think of…” His throat tightened as he shifted his gaze to Jared, then back, hoping he hadn’t just insulted the new doctor. “I couldn’t get through this without him. But I’m sure you’re very nice. And I appreciate you coming to...fix me.”
Seth cleared his throat, coming into the room with a tablet, dressed in blue scrubs that matched his eyes, a cap covering the dark golden waves of his hair. “Do you know...I worked with Jared for a very long time, and I’m fairly certain he’d tell you that this man is the best in his field. You have nothing to worry about because you’re with people who love you and wouldn’t let anything break or hurt you while you’re asleep. We’re all going to be here the whole time.”
“I’d like that very much, sir. Are you sure that’s possible? I get it if you need to do...stuff, but…” Please don’t leave me alone with them? That would be a selfish thing to say. And Danny knew he had to toughen up and get through this, but it was...really hard. “I’d appreciate it if you could be here as much as you can.”
“I won’t leave for a minute.” Seth’s voice was as kind as Danny had ever heard it, and his blue eyes were really soft when he wasn’t pissed off. “I give you my word.”
Nodding slowly, Danny held out his hand to Jared as the Dom returned to the OR, needing a minute of contact with someone he felt safe with. He was sure whispering didn’t stop the mercs in the room from hearing him, but he didn’t want to be rude, so he kept his voice as quiet as a...mouse. “Could you be the one to put me to sleep, sir?”
Jared’s thumb stroked over the back of Danny’s hand. “I will. And I’ll have my eyes on you and the monitors the whole time.”
“Okay.” Danny wanted to check out the monitor to make sure it was working, but he trusted Jared to do that. And...there was a generator if the power went out. He should probably ask someone to check the weather, but he didn’t want to distract them. Or scare Jacks and Shea by reminding them about his will. He really wished he’d been able to see Bram and Koda one last time...and the other subs...and the whole Core… He blew out a breath. “I think I’m ready. Tell Jacks and Shea I love them. And Rhodey. And...would it take very long to name everyone? You...know all the people I love, right? You won’t forget anyone?”
Seth held up his phone. “I’ll text them now.” His thumbs flew across the glass. A few seconds later, everyone’s phones buzzed. Then the staccato rhythm of a lot of return texts vibrated all the phones in quick succession.
Seth chuckled. “Avery says he can’t wait to tell you how sexy you look in a hospital johnny...” He made an irritated sound, talking as his thumbs moved. “Yes, I know how to send actual texts... Dick pic my ass.”
“Doctor?” The sub surgeon spoke up from behind a mask. “We should get him comfortable.”
Nodding, Jared squeezed Danny’s hand again, then held up an oxygen mask. “We’re going to give you some happy juice and extra good air to breathe through this. I’m going to place it gently on your face and you’re going to think of something really really happy. Got that thought in your head? Tell me when you do.”
“Yes, sir.” Danny closed his good eye. And the first thing he could think of was the party. Which would be scary, but what he pictured was the parts that wouldn’t be. All the decorations Reed would add sparkles to. And the music Jamie would have playing, the classic Jazz Wren loved dancing to with Jared. All kinds of special treats Keiran would set out, things he’d come up with to tempt Wren that he’d learned to make special for him over the time he’d been here. And Curtis, laughing at his own jokes, him and Pike being kinda crazy, but fun. Jacks and Shea not intimidated by anything, being themselves and having a blast with the men they’d become good friends with, and others they still had friendly rivalries with.
And it would be an amazing party, with the original founders of The Asylum. The people who’d been welcomed by them. A special day that what had happened tonight couldn’t take away from any of them.
Right before he told Jared he had his happy thought, he saw the Dom in his head. Smiling, satisfied that he’d pulled off...what seemed impossible right now.
And Danny promised himself, no matter what he had to do…
He’d help make it a reality.
****
And this is why Danny is my favourite, and everyone loves him, so sweet 💗
ReplyDelete