Page 61 of Men of Fort Dale: The Complete Series

Well, mostly.

“Well, then I’ll keep my offer to myself.”

“Was going to see if you wanted to join Sloane and me tonight, but if you’re going to be with your man, I’m not going to get in the way.”

“Raid.”

Troy blinked. “Really? I can’t believe you’re getting him to go.”

Dean cocked his head. “Why not?”

Troy shrugged. “I mean, you and him are together, but I imagine it must be weird for him with the whole, you know, gay thing.”

Dean laughed, shrugging. “Well, he’s not really...eh, he’ll be fine.”

“You just want to show him off,” Troy teased.

“You’re goddamn right I do. But that’s what the Gala is for.”

Troy blinked and then cringed, his memory taking a moment before lurching into gear.

“Oh shit, I forgot all about that,” Troy groaned.

Dean raised a brow. “Really? I guess that means you’re not going?”

The annual Fort Dale Gala was one of the biggest nights of the year for the men and women stationed on the base.

It definitely required formal dress to show up, as it was ostensibly meant to show the more dignified side of the base.

At the same time, it was an excuse for people and their guests to enjoy the free food and drink provided by the military.

“I didn’t even think about it,” Troy admitted as he spun his keys absently.

“And based on what you told me about you and Oscar, I’m betting you won’t be going together.”

Troy kept smiling but stopped spinning his keys.

There was no way in hell he would risk asking Oscar to take him to the Gala.

Sure, they might go, but they wouldn’t be together.

It would have been the culmination of so many of his hopes and dreams if they could have shown up as a couple, but Oscar was ill at ease with Dean knowing about him, let alone the whole damn base.

“I’m going to go out on a limb and say that’s not going to happen,” Troy finally said.

“Well, you two are free to come out with me and Sloane tonight if you want,” Dean offered.

Troy looked at his hands and chuckled. “That’s probably not going to happen either. He’s not even big on you knowing about us, so I don’t think he’s going to want to go to a gay club anytime soon.”

Dean looked him over. “Hey, don’t worry about it, okay?”

Troy shook his head. “I’m not.”

And he wasn’t. He had Oscar in his life again, not just as an awkward friend who pretended they hadn’t been crazy about one another.

Hell, still were crazy about one another.

No, Oscar was with him again, loving him, holding him, and spending most nights in his bed.

Troy wasn’t going to push Oscar as he’d done in the past. If Oscar wanted to come out, he had to do it in his own time.

“Must be hard,” Dean said.

“What? Loving someone and having to keep it a secret? Yeah, but I have him,” Troy said.

“Just give him time. He’s been through a lot lately, and coming out is a huge deal for him, more than it was for you and me. He’s probably freaked out.”

Troy laughed. “Yeah, you could say that, and he’s actually said it.”

“Well, take it from someone who knows a bit about patience. Just wait and be there for him. Right now, I think you’re doing the right thing just loving him.”

Troy winked. “You can bet your ass that’s exactly what I’m going to do. I’m not letting him go without a fight.”

Dean turned back to his computer with a chuckle. “Then go home and see your man.”

“Yes, sir.”

Troy stopped outside Oscar’s apartment door when he realized there were noises coming from the other side.

He strained his ears, listening carefully, and realized he could hear music and something sizzling.

He slid his key into the lock and opened the door slowly, smiling as he smelled whatever was cooking.

Taking off his boots, he made his way through the dining room and into the kitchen, where Oscar stood at the stove.

His back was toward Troy, and he quietly sang along to the slow, melodic tune from the Bluetooth speaker on the counter.

Troy crossed his arms, leaning against the doorway as he soaked up the sight.

Troy was so pleased when Oscar gave him a key but not nearly as happy as when he stood in the doorway.

The sight of Oscar at home in his apartment, comfortable enough to sing quietly while he cooked, was a balm to the nervous feeling Troy had been left with after talking to Dean.

Maybe not every problem he and Oscar had in the past was completely resolved, but by God, seeing Oscar so relaxed and happy was enough for Troy.

Oscar turned toward the fridge, freezing when he spotted Troy in the doorway. A moment later, his shoulders eased, and he scowled.

“I hate when you sneak around,” Oscar grumbled as he opened the fridge.

Troy chuckled, stepping forward to lean over the open fridge door. “It’s not really sneaking. I walked in.”

“It is when you’re not making any noise and scare the shit out of me,” Oscar said.

Troy watched him, waiting for Oscar to steal a kiss.

Despite his seemingly foul attitude, Oscar kissed him, and Troy swore he felt the corners of his mouth twitch upward.

Troy grinned as Oscar backed toward the stove, knowing that despite his boyfriend’s serious face, Troy had won that little battle.

“What’re you making?” Troy asked.

“Burgers, and they’re about done, so get yourself comfortable so you can eat,” Oscar told him over his shoulder.

Troy wouldn’t ignore that order, and he skipped to the bathroom with Oscar’s cooking echoing down the hallway.

True to his word, Oscar had finished preparing the meal by the time he returned.

Troy was glad he had what many like to call a ‘bottomless stomach’ since Oscar tended to make his meals monstrous.

The burger was several layers thick, dominated by the thick patty, and heaped with toppings.

On the side were Oscar’s secret fries, which were just frozen fries but topped with a combination of spices that Oscar point blank refused to share.

It didn’t matter much to Troy, though, as he was content to have Oscar make them so he could devour them by the handful.

Troy plopped down at the table. “Didn’t realize how hungry I was till I walked in the door.”

Oscar smirked. “You’re always hungry.”

“Not true. Sometimes I’m thirsty, or sleepy, or horny.”

“Yeah, you’re thirsty, alright.”

Troy stuck his tongue out to show his disdain but distracted himself by digging into his meal. He’d be more than happy to trade verbal blows with Oscar after he had a full stomach. Plus, it would be a total waste to let the delicious meal Oscar had made go to waste by getting cold.

Once the meal was heartily enjoyed, Troy helped Oscar clean up. Troy was generally content to let the dishes sit for however long it took him to get around to them, but Oscar was a little more fastidious.

“You can go sit down and rest,” Oscar told him as he scrubbed at the pan.

Troy snorted as he wiped down the stove. “And leave you to wash everything? I’d never hear the end of it.”

“You act like I nag you.”

“No, but you do like to remind me I’m not the cleanest of people.”

“This is where I remind you that you never got around to putting back the boxes of unused stuff after dragging them out earlier this week.”

Troy resisted the urge to glance out into the hallway, where a stack of boxes still awaited him to drag them down to the basement.

He also wasn’t going to give Oscar the satisfaction of knowing he was right.

Instead, he contented himself with watching Oscar’s arm muscles flex as he held the pan, scrubbing it vigorously.

He honestly didn’t think he’d ever get tired of seeing him do anything.

With everything scrubbed and clean, they made their way to the living room and plopped down on the couch.

Oscar beat Troy to the remote control, much to his grumbling, as the larger man cycled through the channels.

As Troy waited for Oscar to pick something, he found his mind returning to the conversation with Dean.

He glanced at Oscar, chewing his bottom lip before finally speaking up.

“So, are you going to the Gala?” Troy asked, hoping he sounded casual.

Oscar frowned. “Gala?”

“The Fort Dale Gala, you know, the one coming up?”

“Oh, right, that.”

Troy snorted. “You forgot, didn’t you?”

Oscar scrunched up his nose. “Not exactly my kind of thing, you know.”

No, he supposed it wasn’t. Despite his brother having found his place among dignified professionals, Oscar had always been content to be among the more blue-collar elements of life.

It was probably why Oscar had stuck with Infantry for so long rather than going for any off-the-field officer role or making a lateral move into a safer position.

Oscar hesitated a moment before looking askance at Troy. “Why? You going?”

Troy shrugged, keeping his eyes on the TV. “I was thinking about it. Never been to one before, so I figured I’d see what all the fuss was about.”

Another pause. “Do you want me to go?”

Troy hesitated before answering. “I mean, I wouldn’t pass up the chance to see you all dressed up.”

He knew there was no way Oscar didn’t know what was going on in Troy’s head.

The unspoken, possible argument about going together as a couple sat between them.

Troy, however, reminded himself not only that he’d just got Oscar back in his life and to drive him away at this juncture would be stupid but of Dean’s advice to be patient.

Troy finally looked at Oscar and grinned. “If only because it would give me the chance to take them off later.”

There was still discomfort in Oscar’s eyes, but he smirked. “I should have known that’s what it was all along.”

Troy sidled up, leaning against him with an approving nod. He would have liked to see Oscar dressed up, his hand around Troy’s waist, while they danced to some cheesy song. Maybe even find Oscar’s hand stealing around him during a conversation with other people and stealing a kiss.

A man could dream.

Oscar grunted, wrapping his arm around Troy and squeezing him. “Maybe I’ll go.”

Contenting himself to lay there for the rest of the night, Troy curled against Oscar’s side and made himself comfortable.

Oscar’s arm wrapped around him was the cherry on the sundae that made for a wonderful night.

There was a serenity to simply watching TV with Oscar, with barely a word between them as the hours ticked by.

It was just as good when they finally made it to bed, calling it an early night.

Of course, it wasn’t quite that peaceful in bed.

Hands roamed, and kisses were shared, and before long, Troy was pinned beneath the bulk of Oscar’s body as he drove into him until they both cried out in shared pleasure.

Sweaty, fulfilled, and happy with his life, Troy pushed against Oscar’s body and lay there comfortably, listening to the man’s breathing as it slowed.

The rhythm of his lover’s breath soothed the last ragged edges of Troy’s thoughts and dragged him slowly into the abyss of sleep.

Cozy and warm, Troy slept peacefully, drifting between pleasant dreams and comforting nothingness.

That was until the sounds of movement brought his consciousness back to the surface.

Grunting, he lifted his head to peer around the room curiously.

Beside him, Oscar continued to sleep, his breathing giving way to faint snores.

Troy smiled as he watched Oscar’s peaceful face in the dim light, knowing the man slept heavily, especially now he was on meds.

Just as he lay his head down to fall asleep, he heard something again. Troy’s head rose, sleep falling away rapidly as he realized someone was in the house. Worse, someone was coming down the hallway toward the bedroom with quick and purposeful steps.

Troy nudged Oscar as he sat up. “Oscar! Someone’s in the house.”

His hissed warning brought Oscar out of a dead sleep with a speed that scared the hell out of Troy.

Oscar’s eyes were wide, and he leaped out of bed as the bedroom door swung wide open.

A man stepped into the room, his arms raised and his mouth opening as though he were getting ready to shout.

The man’s eyes widened as he took in the sight of a very naked and very pissed Oscar standing beside the bed, his body taut and ready for a fight.

“Oh, shit,” the man said, turning to look at Troy, who was also sliding out of bed.

“What the fuck?” Troy asked.

“Wow, okay, um,” the man began before turning and walking out of the room slowly, lost and confused.

“Um,” Troy began, turning to Oscar in bewilderment.

Whatever he was getting ready to say died in his throat as he saw Oscar’s expression. All the fight had drained out of Oscar and with startling swiftness. Oscar’s shoulders had fallen, his hand limp at his side as he stared with huge eyes at the door.

“Oscar?” Troy asked with a sense of foreboding.

“That...that was…” Oscar began, words tripping over themselves and the sentence falling flat before it could begin.

Troy frowned, looking at the doorway and wracking his brain for an explanation of what had just happened.

A stranger in the house was bewildering enough, but he had a strong feeling the man was not a stranger since Oscar wasn’t chasing him.

In fact, there had been something eerily familiar about the man who’d stood dumbfounded in Oscar’s doorway.

Something familiar about the shape and strength of his jaw, the dark pitch of his eyes, and the shape of his nose.

Troy’s mouth fell open as he realized what Oscar was trying to say.

“That was your brother.”