by Crystal Rose
“Ackers.” Brendon said, filling one. He passed the bottle to Ryan.
“Smith,” Ryan said. He filled the next one. “Marks.” He filled up one more and passed the bottle to Kenneth.
Kenneth looked at the bottle and back to the shot glasses. “Perry,” he said, quietly. “Williams.” He poured the shots and sat the bottle down gently.
They all stared at the glasses and what they represented. Seven glasses in a small circle. One by one their glasses were raised. “We're fucked in life and fucked in death but fuck it all anyways. Bottoms up, Troopers,” Ryan said.
They tossed their drinks back and then placed them next to their dead buddies' glasses.
For a long moment none of them spoke. Brendon broke the silence.
“Dude, do you remember back during the first week of Basic when I went down in that run? Brodrick stopped and put his arm around me, lifted my ass up and looked me straight in the eyes. He told me that I couldn't fall out of the first fucking platoon run. If I did I was a fucker that was gonna fall out of every fucking run. I fucking hated that guy.” Brendon said it with a grin; they all knew he didn't. They all smiled.
“I remember when Kenneth super glued the guy's toothpaste and toothbrush together. I thought we were gonna have to bury Kenny somewhere.” Ryan laughed. His eyes were bright.
Kenneth laughed. “He was so fucking pissed at me. He couldn't even say my name he was so mad. I was almost scared. He kept clenching and unclenching his fists like he was going to take my head off.”
“What was it that King called him?” Patrick asked.
“‘Angel’, ‘cause he was so purty. He looked like one of the cherubs, but even King said he thought it sounded odd to call him ‘Cherub’.” Kenneth snorted.
“Goddamn,” he muttered. “Fucking leaking.” He rubbed at his eyes and downed his mug of beer.
“Yeah. Me too,” Brendon admitted.
“Brendon, you fucking leak all the time,” Patrick said. His eyes were suspiciously bright too.
***
A few hours later they were back in the mood to party. They had made several trips back to the bar to refill. Patrick brought out the tequila and Mark was keeping them in fresh lemons and limes.
Kenneth was giggling like mad over a story Brendon was telling and Ryan was just leaning back in his chair watching them all. He loved when they all got together. It was a time when it didn't matter who they were, what they did. They understood each other better than most families did. Hell, he hadn't talked to his parents more than three times since he joined the Army, but he talked to these guys at least once a week.
The seven shot glasses remained untouched on their table. The place was picking up. A lot of off-duty guys came in and Patrick was up on the stage singing.
“Holy fucking Shit!” Brendon exclaimed. “He's fucking bigger!” Kenneth and Ryan turned to see who Brendon was talking about.
Ryan groaned and Kenneth giggled again.
Phillip had changed out of his uniform and to Ryan's drink-hazed mind looked pretty fucking edible.
Tonight he wore another shirt that on the front proclaimed him a ‘Cavalry Trooper’ and on the back, printed in big black block letters it read 'If you ain't Cav then you ain't shit.' It was a shirt guaranteed to cause a riot if any Infantry guys were in the bar. Of course, that was if they dared to attack a guy who was six and a half feet of pure muscle and steel. Ryan sighed like a girl. He fucking sighed. It wouldn't have been so bad if Kenneth hadn't chosen that exact moment to look at him.
“Dude...you are such a girl!” He laughed. “Gracin siiiiggghhhed.” He pointed at Ryan when Brendon turned to look at him.
“Dude! You're macking on Drill Sergeant Grabowski still?!” Brendon asked. “Holy shit!”
Ryan just ignored them. The best way to deal with Kenneth and Brendon was to ignore them. They were both like puppies. If you didn't give them any attention they would go away and play with something else.
“Well shit. Looky at who the cat dragged in!” Kenneth said when Phillip strolled up to them.
Phillip had that picture-fucking-perfect smile plastered on his face. “Rosey-Ass and Furry. Damn, y'all are lookin’ good.”
“I don't swing that way,” Kenneth said primly. He ruined the effect he was going for by giggling. “But our boy Ryan, now he does!”
“Kenneth, if you don't shut your hole I'm gonna have Mark cut you off,” Ryan warned.
“Now, Ryan! Don't be bitchy. This is a non-bitchy night!” Kenneth gave Ryan a look that dared Ryan to push him further.
Ryan knew Kenneth better than that. Even drunk Ryan knew not to push. Kenneth would just tell Phillip to take him in the back room and fuck him senseless.
Brendon stood up and shook Phillip's hand. “Good to know you made it back,” he said. He was much more relaxed now that he was drunk.
Phillip smiled. “Good to be back. Nice to see you guys. I'm gonna go over and hang with Mark.” He left quietly.
Ryan blinked. Well...that fucking sucked.
“Don't pout, Freckles. We'll get him back over here,” Brendon said, patting the other man on the shoulder.
“'M not poutin',” Ryan replied, pouring himself another shot.
Alexander Krutz strolled into the bar not long after Phillip did. He waved to Patrick and walked to the table that the others were sitting at.
“Hey ya Alexander,” Ryan said happily. “This is Brendon...and that's Kenny!” He introduced them. “Guys, this is Alexander, the coolest E-5 in the platoon.”
“Except for our new guy.” Alexander grinned.
Ryan just grinned. He didn't deny it but he wasn't gonna say he agreed either. He wasn't that drunk. He kept on glancing over to the corner of the bar where Phillip sat talking and laughing with Mark.
Patrick finally stopped singing and came back to the table. “You guys have to love me,” he proclaimed.
“Why'z that?” Kenneth slurred.
Patrick pointed at the two girls at the edge of the stage.
“'Cause I found y'all dates.”
Brendon was practically drooling. Kenneth was grinning like a mad man.
“Patrick, I love you man. In a purely non-gay way. You are like my fucking God,” Brendon announced drunkenly.
“I know. Bow down and worship the greatness that is Smith.” Patrick laughed.
Kenneth gave Patrick a look that said 'thank you and kiss my ass' all at the same time.
The two men walked, or stumbled, toward the women.
“Patrick, you are like the best,” Ryan said, with a sigh.
“I know. Hey Alexander. Pull up a chair.” Alexander sat down and took the beer that Lacey, the part-time waitress handed him.
“Thanks,” he said to her.
Ryan laughed when Lacey shuddered. “Dude. Stop doing the orgasm voice. The girl has to work still.”
Alexander just smiled and took a drink. “Enjoying the reunion?”
“Yup,” Ryan said. “'Scuse me. Gotta take a piss.” He got up and swayed on his feet. “Whoa. Beer rush!” He walked slowly into the bathroom.
“Ryan, don't pass out in there,” Mark called.
Ryan grinned. “Not that bad off yet, Mark.”
Phillip grinned.
Ryan walked by them and overheard Mark.
“Don't fuck him in my public bathroom, Phillip.” That was followed loudly by “I fucking mean it!”
Ryan pushed the door open and damn near fell on his ass when he was pushed further into the bathroom.
“We gotta stop meeting like this,” Phillip said, silkily.
God but the man had a fucking awesome voice. Ryan just smiled. “We did this one already,” he said and let himself be pushed against the wall.
“Did we?” Phillip asked.
“Uh huh,” Ryan said and waited until Phillip began to lean in. He moved quickly and gave a mental cheer when he didn't fall flat on his face. He pushed Phillip into the wall instead. “I think it's my turn.” He pulled P
hillip's mouth down to his and sealed their lips together.
***
Phillip realized something right away. This wasn't the twenty-two-year-old man who had allowed himself to be dominated. If Phillip was gonna be doing any dominating he knew he was damn sure gonna earn it. He opened his mouth and nearly moaned as Ryan's tongue slid in knowingly. The other man tasted like beer and tequila. It was enough to get Phillip drunk on just his taste alone. He groaned and his hands closed over strong hips. He pulled Ryan closer and rubbed against him.
They both groaned at the contact. When Ryan removed his lips from his Phillip took a much-needed breath.
Ryan's mouth attacked his neck and Phillip moaned. Fuck if he wasn't careful he would come in his pants like a schoolboy. They were moving against each other in delicious rhythm.
Cocks brushed against cocks. Thighs pressed against each other.
***
Ryan raised his mouth and looked up at Phillip over his specs. “Well,” he said. A small smile turned into a sexy little smirk. “I think I just proved it,” he said. His hand slid down to Phillip's erection.
He laughed when Phillip looked like he was going to strangle him.
“Cock tease,” Phillip muttered.
Ryan pulled back and smiled. “Dude! You can't just push me into a bathroom and expect me to get on my knees.”
“Well, how about my house then?” Phillip grinned.
“Can't leave. Brendon's spending the night,” Ryan said and almost regretted that Brendon would be at his apartment. He walked to the stall and did his business. The man behind him let out a resigned sigh.
“That I can understand.” And Ryan knew he did.
“Alright, Freckles, go back to your buddies.”
“Ya'know they wouldn't mind if you joined us. Technically you're one of us. Albeit the bastard that scarred us for life, but you're still one of us,” Ryan said. He couldn't believe that he was talking this frankly with Phillip.
“I know.” Phillip grinned and waited for Ryan to wash his hands. “But tonight is a good night for old Army buddies to get together and cuss their Drill Sergeants. We were mean bastards.”
Ryan grinned. “Yeah, but we know you just had our best interests at heart.” He laid his hand over his heart and laughed at that lie. “How many times did y'all stand back and laugh over the shit you did to us?” It was a question he hadn't had the guts to ask Mark.
“So many times y'all would have been highly pissed off if you knew,” Phillip responded with a grin. He pulled Ryan close again. “Freckles, one day in the not so distant future I’m gonna take you home and keep you in bed all fucking night.”
“Talk’s cheap, Drill Sergeant Grabowski.” Ryan smirked.
“We'll see,” Phillip said. And that was a fucking promise. Ryan knew it without a single doubt in his mind.
***
As it turned out Brendon wasn't the one who broke the bar up. It was Phillip.
It started out fairly innocently. An infantry guy took offense at Phillip's t-shirt. Phillip took offense at the guy’s offense.
The guy punched Phillip in the gut. It should have been laughable. Phillip had to have nearly a foot on the guy. Not to mention he outweighed the guy by a good fifty pounds. Phillip bent at the waist but blocked the heavy fist that came toward him. He sent the guy sprawling with a vicious upper-cut.
And of course the guy’s friends took offense at Phillip's offense.
Which led to Mark taking offense. He pulled one guy off of Phillip and was knocked backwards for his trouble. Of course Alexander took offense because he wasn't willing to leave their new Sergeant on his own. Patrick took offense because of two reasons, one was Mark, and the other was Grabowski; he was theirs too. Ryan and Brendon because of varying reasons. (And Ryan was using a drunk’s logic that at some point Phillip would be his lover and if he had to heal up...well that wasn't acceptable.) And Kenneth just wanted to fight.
All five stood up and headed toward the fray. They jumped in and the fight was on in earnest.
Chairs were overturned, beer bottles were thrown, cops were called. It was just a typical night at the ‘Fubar.’
Phillip, Ryan, Patrick, Brendon, Alexander and Kenneth all sat in the Killeen Jail waiting for Mark to bail all of them out.
When the cops came they all claimed they started the fight to keep Mark from getting into trouble, and when Phillip tried to take all the blame no one would let that happen. All in all Phillip thought it was a clusterfuck and informed them of it.
It didn't really matter though, because like in basic, if one guy got in trouble they all did.
Ryan wasn't real sure why Alexander had thrown himself into it. When he asked, Alexander just grinned.
“Simple. We're in it together. Besides, that was the first bar fight I’ve been in for YEARS,” the other man said. “My wife is going to kill me though. She said this would happen.”
Brendon laughed. “Welcome to the club, Krutz.”
Alexander and Ryan were surprised to see Lt. Kripke come into the jail.
“Yeah, those are my men,” he said with a sigh. He pointed to Alexander, Ryan and Phillip.
They were waved out, but Phillip and Ryan both shook their heads.
“Sorry Sir, We don't leave guys behind,” Phillip said easily.
Kripke sighed again. “Which ones?”
Phillip pointed toward Kenneth, Brendon and Patrick.
“They are too.”
Once they were out of the station, Eric Kripke turned on the three. “I don't even wanna know, but I would really appreciate y'all not doing this again.”
“Sorry Sir,” Alexander mumbled.
“Grabowski, if I didn't like you I would be seriously pissed off, but it's hard not to like the man who schooled me and kept my ass out of the shit. So, we'll say this was just a big misunderstanding and let it go. Don't fucking wear that shirt to a bar again!”
Phillip mumbled 'yes, sir'.
They all watched the LT leave.
“Y'all got a cool as hell LT,” Brendon said.
“'M Hungry,” Kenneth said and everyone realized that they were still hungry and that the LT had left them all alone.
“Come on, you fuck-ups,” came the call from inside a van. “I can't fucking believe this shit. Next time you guys keep me from coming with you I'll kick your motherfucking asses. We clear?”
This time everyone grinned at Mark.
“Of course, mom. And we didn't forget to wash our hands after using the jails’ urinal,” Phillip quipped. They all piled into the van and headed toward an all-night diner, if they could agree on one.
Chapter Ten
They decided not to go out for food. Instead they decided to go back to the bar.
Mark took them all back there except for Alexander, who thought his wife would be happy if he came home. Kenneth called him pussy whipped but said he understood. Brendon just smiled. They all waved as they pulled back out of his drive.
Once back in the bar Patrick went into the kitchen to make them all something to eat.
“Okay, buzz is wearing off must have more,” Kenneth declared and slipped behind the bar, filling mugs again.
“Damn Kenny...give a fella a break!” Brendon said, and then proceeded to drink his beer.
Both Ryan and Phillip shrugged and drank the beer given to them.
“Damn, Freckles, where did you learn all that fancy hand to hand stuff?” Phillip asked, grinning at the other man.
“Picked a few things up,” Ryan replied with a smile.
“I wouldn't fuck with Ryan too much, Phillip. He can almost kick my ass now,” Mark said after taking a drink.
An hour later Patrick came in with fried bologna sandwiches and chips. He looked around the bar and sighed. “At least the place didn't get broken up too badly.”
For the next two hours they all drank and ate. Laughing at silly stories. No one noticed that Phillip and Ryan grew progressively more affectionate.
It start
ed with little touches, progressed into hands running down sides. Soft little nuzzles and kisses followed quickly. By the time they were actually kissing everyone was watching.
Phillip slid his mouth over Ryan's and his tongue slid in to taste the younger man's mouth.
Kenneth and Brendon were watching them intently.
“Dude, I can't look away!” Brendon exclaimed.
Kenneth nodded his head drunkenly. “I can't either!”
Patrick giggled. “It's like a train wreck.”
Mark sighed. “Which one of you wants to go break it up? I'm not gonna let them have sex in my bar in front of us.”
Three pairs of eyes turned to Mark. All three of them blurted out excuses.
“I'm not doing it; they would break my poor face,” Kenneth announced. He was already sporting bruises from the fight earlier.
“Dude, that's not happening,” Brendon affirmed. “Phillip is like a fucking giant who could turn me over and spit in my ass if he wanted too!”
Patrick nodded at Brendon's announcement. “He's your friend. You do it!” he said as he looked at Mark.
***
Ryan and Phillip ignored what was going on around them. Ryan was starting to think that Phillip was some sort of witch or something. Every time he got near the man he wanted nothing more than to fuck his brains out...or let the man fuck his brains out. That was odd for Ryan. He was a top, he didn't bottom often. Not at all since Basic. But he knew if push came to shove he would bottom again for the man who was taking his breath away with those fucking lips. He also knew it wasn't if they had sex again, it was only a matter of when.
Ryan growled when Phillip's lips left his and trailed across his defined cheek bones. He whimpered when the lips settled against his neck. He should feel like a girl but he didn't. Phillip's hands were rough as he pulled Ryan off of the stool and over to the booths in the corner.