War Torn (4 page)

~ Chapter Six ~

~ Tucker ~

I’m waiting nervously for the nurse to come get me to take me back for surgery. Right now, I’m in a prep room, in a hospital gown, IV already hooked up and ready to go. It’s an outpatient surgery, and as soon as I come out of anesthesia and am cleared to leave, I can go. Dennis is waiting patiently, sitting in a chair in the corner. He looks to be deep in thought, his dark eyebrows furrowed as he stares at the floor.

“Hey,” I murmur.

Dennis lifts his green eyes to meet mine. “Yeah?” his lips say.

“You okay?” I ask.

He gives me a small smile. “Yeah, I’m good. Just anxious.”

I nod. “Me, too.”

“I can’t wait to see if it works.” He smirks.

I smile. “I know, me, too.”

Just then, the nurse returns. She gives me a warm smile. “Okay, Tucker, are you ready?” she asks, making sure that she’s looking at me so that I can read her lips.

My heart jumps into my throat. “Yes, ma’am.”

She takes my IV stand as I get to my feet. Dennis stands also. He gives me a quick hug and a hopeful smile. I squeeze his hand before following the nurse down the hall to the operating room. I take a few deep breaths to try to calm myself. I swear my heart is trying to pound its way out of my chest. Once in the operating room, the nurse has me lie down on the operating table. Dr. Sterling comes and stands next to me as the anesthesiologist comes over to administer the drugs to put me to sleep. The last thing I see before falling to sleep is Dr. Sterling smile and wink.

I slowly start to come back to reality. I drag my heavy eyelids open and try to look around. The light is low and I’m not exactly sure where I am. A warm hand lands on my arm and I try to focus on who’s attached to it. I look up into the familiar face of Dr. Sterling.

“Tucker,” he says softly. “Can you hear me?”

My eyes widen, because yes! I heard him!
I HEARD HIM!
It was slightly muffled, but I understood him clearly.

“Yes! I can hear you,” I say and jerk in surprise when I hear my own voice.

I haven’t heard my own voice for four long years. Holy fucking shit! I forgot how I sounded.

“Wonderful!” Dr. Sterling replies happily.

“Dennis! I need to see Dennis!” I tell him urgently.

He nods. “I’ll go get him.”

“Don’t tell him, though.”

Dr. Sterling smiles. “I won’t.”

He disappears through the curtains and my nurse from earlier enters to take my vitals. She smiles gleefully.

“It worked?” she whispers. I guess she heard me talking to the doctor about not letting Dennis know yet.

“Yes,” I answer with the biggest smile I think has ever crossed my face.

“How do you feel?” she asks.

“Incredible.” I sigh.

She chuckles. “That’s great, but I mean, do you feel nauseous or dizzy, are you in pain? Anything like that?”

“Oh.” I laugh. “My ears are a bit achy and I’m still sleepy.”

“I’ll get you some pain medication to take before you leave,” she says. Her voice sounds young and sweet.

“Okay.”

She leaves me to go and get the meds. I sit there just taking in the sounds of the recovery area: other voices talking, machines making noise, footsteps walking down the hallway. It’s insane. Utterly insane that the surgery worked; that I am one of the 40% that it worked for. I was so afraid to hope. So afraid to be disappointed.

“The surgery went really well. I didn’t run into any problems.” I hear Dr. Sterling say just outside of the curtain closing off my little recovery room.

“So, can he hear or not?” a deep raspy voice, tinged with a hint of a New York accent, asks.

Dennis.

Tears immediately blur my vision. That’s Dennis’ voice. I’ve wondered for
years
what he sounds like and now I know.

“Why don’t you ask him yourself?” Dr. Sterling replies, his tone amused.

The curtain whips to the side and Dennis appears, his eyes wide and frantic. “Tuck?” he asks, and it’s like fucking music to my ears.

I can’t stop the tears from spilling over. I drop my face into my hands and just cry.

“Tucker, can you hear me?” he asks, knowing that I can’t see him to read his lips.

I nod. “I can hear you, Dennis,” I cry as the emotions overwhelm me.

“Oh my god,” he breathes.

He’s at my side in a second wrapping his arms around me and tucking his face against mine.

“I can hear,” I sob into my hands.

“I can’t believe it,” he whispers, his lips brushing against my face.

I shake my head. “Me neither.”

“So? Do I sound sexy?” Dennis teases.

He pulls back as I start to laugh. I wipe the tears away with the back of my hand. “Yeah, you do actually.”

Dennis grins. “Nice.”

“Tucker, I’m going to get your discharge papers and after care instructions printed out. I’ll be back,” Dr. Sterling says and leaves Dennis and me alone.

Dennis cups my face his in large hands and stares into my eyes, all of the love and adoration shining out of them. “I love you, baby,” he says softly.

“I love you, too.” I smile.

I let my eyes drift closed as he leans in and brushes his lips over mine. I sigh contently as he presses more firmly. All too soon, he pulls back and pulls his phone out of his pocket. He hands it to me.

“Call Duke,” he says.

I laugh and take the phone from him. I pull up Duke’s number and hit the call button.

“Hey man, how did the surgery go?” Duke asks, thinking it’s Dennis calling him.

“It went really well, actually,” I say.

The line is so silent that I have to look at the screen to make sure the call didn’t drop.

“Duke?”

“Tucker?”

“Yeah, man.” I grin.

“Soo, did it work?” he says, deadpan.

“You ass.” I laugh.

He laughs. “This is fucking great, Tucker! I’m so happy for you! And I’m so freaking glad that you can hear again.”

“Me, too, Duke. Me, too. Only problem now is that I have to listen to all of your bullshit again.”

“Oh, fuck you. Fuck you in your goddamn ears.”

~ Dennis ~

To say that I’m over the moon right now would be an understatement. Tucker can fucking hear! It’s a miracle. It’s incredible. And I thank the powers that be for making it so. We get back to Duke’s house and Tucker makes his way upstairs to take a nap. He’s still really sleepy from the anesthesia and pain meds. Duke is working on a case, so he isn’t home yet, so I’m pretty much alone. I go into the kitchen and find all of the makings for a sandwich. After I eat, I go upstairs. I kind of need to be in the same room as Tucker right now. I want to be close to him.

I open the door and see him startle in the bed, his eyes flipping open, and his body tensing. When he sees that it’s me, he starts to relax. “Fuck man, I’m obviously not used to hearing shit. Just the noise from the door opening frightened me.”

“I’m sure it’s going to take some getting used to,” I reply quietly and shut the door, locking it just in case.

Tucker notices that I lock the door and raises an eyebrow at me. “What are you locking the door for?”

I shrug. “Just in case.”

“In case of what?” He grins.

“In case Duke decides to come home early.” I smile.

I kick off my shoes then climb into bed next to Tucker.

“I’m loving your voice. It’s seriously sexy as hell,” Tucker murmurs as he reaches for me.

I hum my approval as I end up on top of him. I start kissing his neck. “Are you sure you’re up for this?” I rasp against his neck.

Tucker shudders under me. “Yes.”

“Want me to talk dirty?” I smirk before nipping at his earlobe.

“Fuck yes,” Tucker breathes as he thrusts his already hard cock against mine.

I nudge Tucker’s legs farther apart so I can settle my hips against his. He moans and shoves his hands into my hair. I drag my mouth along his stubbled jaw before capturing his lips with mine. His fingers tighten in my hair as our tongues glide along each other’s.

“I’m going to fuck you so good,” I murmur against his lips.

“Christ,” Tucker breathes, and pulls me back into a heated kiss.

Clothes are quickly removed and I grab the lube from the nightstand. We stashed it there when we got here. I pour a generous amount of the slick liquid into my hand then rub it over both of our cocks before fisting them together for a few leisurely tugs.

Tucker’s hands are running up and down the fronts of my thighs. As much as I want to see his eyes when I fuck him, the desire to take him from behind is too much to ignore. I release our cocks and give Tuck’s outer thigh a smack.

“Get on all fours,” I tell him.

He hums his approval and rolls over, pushing up to his hands and knees before glancing over his shoulder at me. Fuck, he’s so sexy. Those blue bedroom eyes of his get me every fucking time. Using more lube, I lather up his hole and use a couple of fingers to get him ready. Tucker moans loudly and presses back against my fingers. Good thing Duke isn’t home or he’d be getting an earful.

“Come on, Denny,” Tucker demands.

“You want my cock, baby?” I ask, slowly removing my fingers from him.

“Oh my god! If you keep talking, I’m gonna come before you even fuck me,” he rasps hoarsely. 

I chuckle low and fist my cock. I rub the tip over his puckered hole a few times before pressing forward, gliding in all of the way to the hilt with a moan.

“Damn, you’re so hot and tight, I fucking love it,” I grunt.

I pull back before snapping my hips forward.

“Fuck, yes!” Tucker cries, his hands fisting the sheets.

I grab onto his hips as I repeatedly shove my cock deep inside of Tucker’s ass.

~ Tucker ~

Dennis is panting and moaning behind me and it’s the most erotic thing ever. I’m in pure ecstasy with being able to hear his pleasure. I know the second I touch myself, it’s all going to be over. And I don’t want it to be over yet. It feels too good. Dennis’ hands creep up my back to hold onto my shoulders as his hips move faster and harder.

“Shit, babe, I’m getting close already,” Dennis huffs.

Then Dennis pulls me up so that my back presses against his chest. I have to arch my back a bit to keep him from slipping out, but that’s okay, because it feels fucking fantastic. One of his hands wrap around the front of my neck while the other goes for my rock hard dick. I reach back and hang onto the backs of his thighs.

Dennis’ already slick hand fists me tightly and starts to stroke in time with his thrusts. I don’t even know what the hell is coming out of my mouth, but it’s basically gibberish.

“I wanna feel you come, love. Make that hole of yours squeeze my cock,” Dennis whispers in my ear and that’s my undoing.

A guttural shout rips up my throat as I come hard. Dennis cries out, too, shoves himself inside of me, and holds himself there as he comes along with me. I can feel him pulsing inside of me. Goddamn, that’s hot.

Dennis slowly pulls out and we both collapse onto the bed on our stomachs. We turn our heads so that we are facing each other. We smile at each other.

“That was so great.” I sigh contently.

Dennis grunts his agreement as his eyes drift closed.

“It was definitely more intense for me now that I can hear you,” I tell him.

He smiles. Keeping his eyes closed, he reaches over blindly until his fingers find my hair. “It was more intense for me, too,” his deep voice murmurs, sending shivers down my spine.

“I love your voice,” I say softly.

Dennis grins. “I love
you
.”

I chuckle. “I love you, too, baby.”

After we find the strength to clean up, we take a little nap wrapped in each other’s arms. When we wake up and make our way downstairs, Duke is in the kitchen cooking dinner. He’s become so domestic. When Duke sees me, his face lights up and the biggest grin I’ve ever seen on him spreads across his face.

He crosses the room and envelops me in his arms. “Holy shit, Tucker. I can’t believe it,” he murmurs.

I hug him tight. “I know. I didn’t want to get my hopes up because the chances of it working were slim.”

He lets me go but only to grab my shoulders. “How do you feel? What are some of the side effects?”

“I’m feeling okay right now. My ears are slightly achy, but that’s most likely because I’m due for more medication. The doctor said that I could have some dizziness and pain. Not too much else. I just have to take it easy for a couple of weeks. No lifting anything heavy for a month.”