Clearing his throat, Devon held out his hand. When Dieterman grasped it, Devon pulled him into a tight hug, whispering in his ear. “It’ll be okay, man. I’ll be here for you.”
Dieterman smelled sour up close, like he hadn’t showered in days, and Devon had to tamp down a sudden sharp desire to smell Adrien, hold him closer than the comforting hug he held Dieterman in. He cursed himself yet again for forgetting his phone.
Dieterman pulled jerkily out of the hug. “Yeah, I know you will, Sarge.”
Devon looked closely at his former soldier, something in the man’s tone bothering him. Dieterman’s green eyes were fever bright, focused intently on Devon. He shook off the strange feeling of vulnerability attempting to overtake him.
“Come on, Corporal. Let’s get you in out of the cold.”
Dieterman sighed, the sound heavier than the occasion seemed to warrant. “That would be amazing, Sarge. Hey, I brought some of that chicory coffee you liked so much when my mom sent it. You want me to brew some up?”
Devon led the way up his walk, glancing back over his shoulder. The strange tension he’d been feeling in his old corporal’s presence eased at the mention of something so familiar between them.
“Yeah, I’d like that. I’ll show you where the brewing stuff is when we get inside. I have to grab a shower before I get ready to go out tonight.” Devon grinned as he hefted his bags from the costume shop.
Dieterman flicked a glance at the bags, and then his fiercely green eyes focused in on Devon again. “Sure, Sarge. That’ll be no problem. I’m just so thankful you could help me out with a place to stay and make time to get me all settled here. You really don’t know what that means to me.”
Devon’s heart skipped a beat in his chest. Aye Dios, Dieterman sounded so… lost. He felt fiercely glad he’d made time today to honor his promise to this young soldier. Okay, so Dieterman wasn’t his—or even a—soldier anymore, but he had been. As he fit his key to the lock, he smiled to himself. Once he made up with Adrien, he’d make sure to introduce Dieterman to his big hearted lover. Adrien was just—good, and somehow being around him was healing. Devon was convinced of this.
The lock clicked open, and the sweet scent of sage hit Devon from the two new plants that Adrien had gifted him with. He’d given Devon an aloe plant too, after Devon had burnt his arm while they were talking on the phone one day. Devon kept all three plants lined up on the back of his kitchen sink where they could catch some fleeting rays of sun during the height of midday. He really needed to get them a grow light.
After a quick pass through the kitchen to show Dieterman where everything was, as well as how to turn the futon couch into a futon bed, Devon hopped into the shower. When he walked out of the bathroom wearing naught but the scent of Drakkar and a plush green bath towel tucked tight about his hips, the rich scent of chicory laced coffee rolled up to meet him. The thick cloud of Drakkar scented steam pushing out of the bathroom behind him met up with the warm southern style coffee smell. Devon grinned to himself. Once Adrien had confessed to his very sexy, very visceral reaction to the scent, Devon ceased washing with any other cleansing product. Now, the two smells mixing together seemed very like paradise come to earth to him… if Adrien were close enough to put hands on. He stopped in the bathroom door to grab the actual cologne bottle and splash a touch more scent onto his skin.
Tonight especially, as he sought to win Adrien’s favor after his heinous mistakes earlier in the day, Devon was taking advantage of every possible mark in his favor. If a little Drakkar did it for his man, he’d bathe in the stuff until he was a wizened old man.
Dieterman wrinkled up his nose. “What the hell did you do, Sarge, bathe in the stuff? Must be a pretty hot date…”
Devon grinned. “Yeah, actually I did. Heh. And then I
Dieterman smelled sour up close, like he hadn’t showered in days, and Devon had to tamp down a sudden sharp desire to smell Adrien, hold him closer than the comforting hug he held Dieterman in. He cursed himself yet again for forgetting his phone.
Dieterman pulled jerkily out of the hug. “Yeah, I know you will, Sarge.”
Devon looked closely at his former soldier, something in the man’s tone bothering him. Dieterman’s green eyes were fever bright, focused intently on Devon. He shook off the strange feeling of vulnerability attempting to overtake him.
“Come on, Corporal. Let’s get you in out of the cold.”
Dieterman sighed, the sound heavier than the occasion seemed to warrant. “That would be amazing, Sarge. Hey, I brought some of that chicory coffee you liked so much when my mom sent it. You want me to brew some up?”
Devon led the way up his walk, glancing back over his shoulder. The strange tension he’d been feeling in his old corporal’s presence eased at the mention of something so familiar between them.
“Yeah, I’d like that. I’ll show you where the brewing stuff is when we get inside. I have to grab a shower before I get ready to go out tonight.” Devon grinned as he hefted his bags from the costume shop.
Dieterman flicked a glance at the bags, and then his fiercely green eyes focused in on Devon again. “Sure, Sarge. That’ll be no problem. I’m just so thankful you could help me out with a place to stay and make time to get me all settled here. You really don’t know what that means to me.”
Devon’s heart skipped a beat in his chest. Aye Dios, Dieterman sounded so… lost. He felt fiercely glad he’d made time today to honor his promise to this young soldier. Okay, so Dieterman wasn’t his—or even a—soldier anymore, but he had been. As he fit his key to the lock, he smiled to himself. Once he made up with Adrien, he’d make sure to introduce Dieterman to his big hearted lover. Adrien was just—good, and somehow being around him was healing. Devon was convinced of this.
The lock clicked open, and the sweet scent of sage hit Devon from the two new plants that Adrien had gifted him with. He’d given Devon an aloe plant too, after Devon had burnt his arm while they were talking on the phone one day. Devon kept all three plants lined up on the back of his kitchen sink where they could catch some fleeting rays of sun during the height of midday. He really needed to get them a grow light.
After a quick pass through the kitchen to show Dieterman where everything was, as well as how to turn the futon couch into a futon bed, Devon hopped into the shower. When he walked out of the bathroom wearing naught but the scent of Drakkar and a plush green bath towel tucked tight about his hips, the rich scent of chicory laced coffee rolled up to meet him. The thick cloud of Drakkar scented steam pushing out of the bathroom behind him met up with the warm southern style coffee smell. Devon grinned to himself. Once Adrien had confessed to his very sexy, very visceral reaction to the scent, Devon ceased washing with any other cleansing product. Now, the two smells mixing together seemed very like paradise come to earth to him… if Adrien were close enough to put hands on. He stopped in the bathroom door to grab the actual cologne bottle and splash a touch more scent onto his skin.
Tonight especially, as he sought to win Adrien’s favor after his heinous mistakes earlier in the day, Devon was taking advantage of every possible mark in his favor. If a little Drakkar did it for his man, he’d bathe in the stuff until he was a wizened old man.
Dieterman wrinkled up his nose. “What the hell did you do, Sarge, bathe in the stuff? Must be a pretty hot date…”
Devon grinned. “Yeah, actually I did. Heh. And then I
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