by Trina Lane
“How are you doing?” he asked, looking into Logan’s eyes.
“Good.”
“And the dizziness?”
“Better.”
Dr. Cleary looked through the nurse’s notes from overnight. “Well, everything looks good. I’ll tell the nurses to get your discharge papers ready, and you can be on your way home.”
“Thank you, Dr. Cleary, for everything.”
Cleary picked up the dry erase board and scribbled, “It’s my pleasure, Logan. I wish you the best of luck. It looks like you have a good partner here. I’m sure he’ll be with you each step of the way. Your world is about to open up again. Cherish it and each other.”
Clay read the doctor’s note over Logan’s shoulder, and his eyes went wide. His head flew up and caught the doctor’s wink before the message was erased and the man walked out.
He turned to see Logan’s eyes just as wide and fixed on the empty door. Their gazes met. “I’ll be damned.”
“Yeah.” Logan picked up the now clear message board. “You think he’ll say anything?”
Clay shook his head and picked up the marker. “No, he seemed happy for us. I bet that’s why he wrote it in erasable marker versus speaking. No incriminating evidence. Are you ready to go home?”
Logan nodded his head enthusiastically.
A few hours later, they had Logan’s discharge documents. Clay wheeled Logan out of the hospital and gingerly transferred his love to the front seat of their car. Logan was still a little unsteady on his feet but overall doing well considering the man’s head had been drilled into the day before. Clay thanked the nurses and ran to the driver side of the car, excited to get home and finally have Logan all to himself again.
Chapter Seven
The next three weeks were an exercise in patience. After about seven days of healing, the incisions on Logan’s head started to heal, and Clay continuously reminded him not to itch the shaved area where the implants had been inserted.
One of the consequences of the surgery was that Logan had zero residual hearing, so his hearing aids became useless. They’d tried to preserve what hearing Logan had left, but in his case, the procedure made that impossible. Logan was literally stone deaf.
They carried their smart-phones on them at all times and sent countless text messages back and forth. Everything from what they wanted for dinner to ‘hand me the remote’.
The good thing was that the time allowed Logan to really concentrate and improve his lip reading skills. Clay sat with him at night and did exercises to strengthen the ability, so when hook-up day came, Logan would have every tool available to ease his transition back into a world of sound.
Clay took a look at the calendar on the wall and was never happier to see the big red circle on tomorrow’s date. In the morning, they would head back to West Haven for Logan’s activation day.
Only in moments of solitude would Clay admit he was just as anxious and nervous as Logan. Although he tried, he knew there was no way he could really understand what it was like for Logan. The silence, the isolation, the fervent hope he lived with daily that this would work. Logan continued to see Matt, and Clay knew the sessions provided Logan with an outlet he desperately needed some days.
Clay dumped the steaming microwave popcorn in a bowl and picked up the DVD he’d rented off the counter. Tonight was a night for relaxation and pleasure. Logan lounged on the couch intently looking at the screen of his e-reader.
Clay froze as Logan’s hand snaked beneath his sweats and massaged his cock, which filled out the material in a mouth-watering display. What was Logan reading? And could Clay join him?
Clay slinked his way to the end of the couch behind Logan’s head, kneeling on the floor behind the armrest. He looked over Logan’s shoulder and blinked at the words on the glowing screen. Descriptions of two men engaged in hot, erotic, explicit sex burned into his brain. He continued to read as Logan pushed the button to turn the page. Each line was devoured faster then the previous. He felt as if he were there in the story. The author had managed with only a few paragraphs transport him into the world of the characters in the story.
His cock filled and throbbed in his sleep pants. His hands tingled, and his heart sped up at the visions in his head of him and Logan trading places with the characters. When the man in the story kissed his partner’s neck, Clay did the same to Logan. When he twisted the hard nipples of the man in front of him, Clay snaked his hands beneath Logan’s T-shirt and mimicked the action.
Logan’s head fell back on the headrest, and the e-reader fell forgotten into his lap. Clay saw that the slick head of Logan’s cock peeking out from the band of his sweats. He kept one hand stimulating Logan’s nipples, and the other skimmed down the washboard abs to snake beneath the elastic band.
His hand wrapped around Logan’s heated flesh, stroking slowly. Hot, velvety skin moved over a core of steel as he increased his strokes. His lips skimmed Logan’s neck, his tongue licked the strong column. Little whimpers escaped from Logan as he nuzzled his cheek into the biceps of Clay’s arm wrapped around him. Lithe hips arched up, begging for more. Logan shoved his pants down over his ass, and Clay had more room to work.
The swollen flesh in his hand steadily leaked Logan’s pearly essence from the slit. The silky liquid trickled over his fingers and eased the way as Clay increased the pace of his hand. The fingers of his other hand twisted the turgid nipple he’d been playing with. The bite of pain fuelled Logan’s desire as his hips snapped up in demand.
Clay stood, releasing Logan’s nipple and smoothed his hand down the feverish skin of Logan’s stomach. He cupped the tightly lifted balls and rolled them in the palm of his hand. His head descended over one of Logan’s shoulders, and his lips attached around the nipple he’d been playing with.
One hand stripped Logan’s cock, as the other stimulated the heavy orbs waiting to release their offering.
Logan’s hand speared into Clay’s hair, holding him in place. Clay bit down, and Logan cried out at the same time the cock in Clay’s hand erupted. Hot, creamy semen coated Clay’s fingers as he milked Logan through his orgasm.
Logan lay like a zombie on the couch while the euphoria of a great climax infused his body. At the moment his brain was once again capable of higher thought, he tackled Clay who’d collapsed onto the floor beside the couch. His need to give Clay pleasure fuelled the fire lingering in his blood from the intense orgasm Clay had given him.
Logan knew the weeks since the surgery had been difficult. Clay had tried so hard to make things easier at home, even after working so many hours both day and night, and Logan wanted to reward him.
Clay sat up, and Logan straddled his hips. Together, they pulled Clay’s knit shirt over his head. Logan peppered kisses over Clay’s heated skin, and his hands traced the ridges of muscle roping across Clay’s torso. Logan pushed Clay back down to the floor and slithered down his legs. The soft cotton sleep pants Clay wore were quickly stripped, and Logan licked his lips at the sight of Clay erection.
He crawled up Clay’s body, pressing lingering kisses up the length of each leg. When he reached Clay’s cock, he used just the tip of his tongue as he licked up and down the shaft. Logan lifted Clay’s legs and pushed them back towards his chest, opening the body below him for his delight. His tongue swirled around the low hanging balls. The skin was as smooth and hairless as the rest of Clay groin except for a well groomed patch at the top. It felt like silk and tasted of man and musk.
The heavy orbs danced inside their sac, contracting with each play of his tongue. He flattened his tongue and, in one long lick, rose to the crest of Clay’s cock to circle the dripping head. His lips parted, and he took Clay into his mouth. He opened wider and sank down Clay’s length until his nose was buried in Clay’s crotch. Clay’s unique scent tantalised his senses. He slowly pulled back then took Clay deep, to the throat and just a fraction farther. The slight burn as the plum-capped head pushed into his throat was an aphrodisiac, all its own. Logan hu
mmed and knew Clay would feel the vibrations travel up and down his cock as he sucked the steel column over and over.
Logan pulled off Clay’s cock and glanced up to see of look of frustration and disappointment on Clay’s face. He kissed the sensitive angles of Clay’s pelvis and flicked his tongue across Clay’s belly button. He inched his way up Clay’s body until their lips and cocks aligned.
“I want to fuck you,” Logan whispered.
Clay stretched his arm up over his head and slid his hand beneath the cushions of the couch. After groping around for a few seconds, he revealed his treasure. The bottle of lube they’d left there the last time they played around in the living room. Clay quickly opened the cap then squeezed out a dollop of liquid.
Logan braced his hands on either side of Clay’s body, clenching his teeth as Clay reached between their bodies to slick up Logan’s cock. He breathed roughly as Clay’s fingers played on his skin and dipped down low to tickle the sensitive patch of skin behind his nuts. He knew if Clay hadn’t gotten him off a little while ago, he would have blown at that very moment.
Logan held out his hand, and Clay squirted out some lube onto his fingers. The hardwood of the floor pressed against his knees, but he didn’t care. Clay’s legs lifted and braced themselves on his shoulders. When Logan touched the skin around Clay’s hole, the stormy grey eyes closed and slim hips lifted.
Slowly, Logan pushed one finger inside Clay’s anus. He quickly progressed to two then pushed in and out of Clay’s entrance. Clay sought greater depth by pushing into Logan’s touch, and he obliged by pressing as deep as his could, curling his fingers to stimulate Clay’s gland. He scissored his digits, spreading the tight tissues of Clay’s channel.
His cock throbbed with need, and Logan removed his fingers from their snug, hot tunnel. He fit the head of his cock to Clay’s rim and held his breath as he canted his hips, penetrating an inch. He paused for a moment, relishing in the snug heat of Clay’s body before gliding into the depths to impale Clay completely. He watched as Clay’s mouth formed the word ‘more’ and his hips danced beneath Logan, seeking a harder, deeper possession.
“You want more?”
Clay’s head nodded
“You want to get fucked?”
Clay’s eyes flared; the storm clouds flashed in need.
Logan eased back, savouring the licks of pleasure that danced along his shaft. Clay hands clutched Logan’s forearms, his mouth parted as Logan felt the pants of breath on his lips when he bent to place a kiss. Clay’s body was nearly bent in half, and yet, the man looked as if he craved more.
In this position, Clay’s hips were lifted from the floor, and Logan shoved one of the throw pillows from the sofa beneath to keep them that way. In one hard thrust, Logan speared Clay with his cock. Despite not hearing the scream that came from Clay’s mouth, Logan felt its effect deep within his heart. He increased his speed, pounding strokes intent on claiming Clay’s ass. Being inside his love was like no other experience in the world. It couldn’t compare to what he and Adams shared or the adrenaline rush of combat.
Clay’s legs dropped and spread wider as he perched one on the sofa and the other on the ottoman. Logan watched his cock slide in and out of Clay’s ass. The wet, hot and tight tissues milked his shaft. Fire raced under his skin, and a massive orgasm pooled in the base of his spine. His muscles contracted as the tension in his body mounted. He needed Clay to come first. He had to give his lover that gift.
Clay’s head thrashed on the floor obviously in the throes of his own pleasure. It wasn’t enough. Clay had to give more. Logan had to know that Clay acknowledged his possession. He alone held claim on Clay’s body. He alone claimed Clay’s heart.
“Come for me, Clay. Give me what’s mine.”
He adjusted the angle of his cock and slammed hard. Instantly, hot ribbons of cum spurted from Clay’s cock. Clay’s body convulsed, and the creamy jets covered his abdomen and chest. The intensity of the orgasm tightened his sheath and sent Logan hurtling over the edge. His nerve endings exploded, and his brain went numb as pleasure swamped his entire existence. He emptied his soul into Clay and begged the heavens that the man would keep it safe.
* * * *
As Logan entered the doors of the West Haven Medical Centre, half of him was jumping out of his skin with excitement and the other was shrivelling in terror.
The drive down from Boston that morning had been tense. He’d spent the entire time surfing the internet on his phone, reading first person accounts of ‘hook-up day’. He knew the first thing the audiologist would do was test each electrode and find the point where his nerve responded. He’d read that it might sound like a phone ringing. After that was completed for both implants, the audiologist would effectively ‘turn him on’.
It seemed odd that many people said the initial sounds seemed mechanical or like a duck, but what did he know about brain processing? Many of the accounts focused on children or people who’d been deaf since birth, so it was difficult to get an accurate portrayal of someone like him who’d lost their hearing suddenly.
Clay walked beside him as they made their way down the sterile white hallway—Clay always walked beside him in everything. How had he gotten so lucky to find a man who loved all parts of him? The good, the bad and the ugly.
They arrived at the door to the audiology department. Logan took a deep breath, and Clay’s warm hand squeezed his shoulder in support. Tremors seized Logan’s hand as he turned the handle and entered the office.
Erin, his audiologist, greeted them and escorted them back to the room. Various pieces of equipment and a laptop sat on the desk, but his eyes zeroed in on the two processors innocently perched in their cases. Those small devices would change his life. If they worked, he would no longer think of himself as one of the thousand broken men who’d returned home from hell, but a survivor. Sure, he had a few bumps and bruises, but his life would once again belong to him. He focused on Erin’s lips, ready to read them as best he could.
“Mr. Callen, are you ready?” Erin asked.
“As I’ll ever be.”
“Have a seat.” Erin gestured to the chair beside the desk. She turned to see Clay standing behind her. Erin said something to Clay, but Logan didn’t have a good view. At first, he thought that she was telling Clay to leave but let out a relieved breath when Clay sat in the chair opposite him. He would be able to read Clay’s lips and see his expressions. Logan wouldn’t be left alone.
Logan sat and stole a glance at Clay. Clay gave him a little wink, and his nerves settled somewhat. He chastised himself at his earlier thought because he knew Clay would always be there. Logan once again focused on Erin, sitting at the desk beside him.
“Okay, so the first thing we’re going to do is attach your processors. I have us set up to do the programming simultaneously. Have you read about the procedures in the material we sent home with you?”
“Yes. We both did.”
“Then let’s get started.”
Logan sat still as Erin attached the magnets to his scalp where the implants rested beneath the skin. He’d chosen a black casing so the devices would blend in with his hair once it grew back from where he’d been shaved. When the processors were secured, he was surprised at how light they were. He definitely felt them, especially the magnet resting on the side of his head, but the overall presence didn’t feel quiet like the giant satellite dishes he’d expected.
“Okay, Logan, we’re going to check the impedances of the electrodes. You don’t need to do anything, but you may hear some beeping sounds. You can talk if you want. I’ll warn you before we activate the units.”
He couldn’t talk. He was too focused on listening for every little sound. He thought he might hear something, but he wasn’t sure. He locked eyes with Clay, desperate for some connection to the world outside his head. Several minutes passed, and he saw Erin turn away from him to face Clay. He saw her mouth move but couldn’t read her lips with her head turned away.
Oh God…oh God…please let this work.
Logan saw Erin gesture with her hand, and he jolted when he heard a light buzzing sound. He wasn’t quite sure what that was. Were the units on? He looked into Clay’s eyes, seeking some type of confirmation. Then all of a sudden…
“Welcome back, Logan.”
It’s Clay! That’s Clay’s voice! It sounds a little artificial but that’s Clay!
He watched Clay’s lips move and heard. He actually understood the words. For the first time since that fateful day that’d changed his life, he’d heard Clay’s voice. Moisture pooled in his eyes and spilled over. The beauty of sound had been returned to him, and the enormity of all he’d lost since the explosion, of all he’d taken for granted before, poured forth.
Clay’s face was a mirror of rioting emotions. Logan wanted to leap across the room into his love’s arms. Erin sat calmly in the chair beside him with a smile on her face. A box of tissues appeared, and he mopped the tears trickling from the corners of his eyes. Here he was a battle hardened Ranger, and the simple presence of his lover’s voice had him crying.
Once he composed himself, he started to notice other sounds around him. They kinda sounded like beeps and buzzes, but he’d been assured that was normal at first. It would take his brain a little while to rewire itself and match those beeps and buzzes into meaningful information. He had time on his side though. He was one of the fortunate few who’d been deaf for less than a year. That meant that the brain would remember quicker, and he would supposedly adapt much faster than someone who’d been deaf their entire life.
There was some kind of trilling noise and Logan swung his head around trying to identify the sound, then he heard a rumbling sound from his left. He turned to look and saw Clay’s lips moving. He focused on Clay’s face.