At Attention (Out of Uniform 2)

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“We’re bringing over food and that’s that.” Maddox’s tone didn’t allow for objections, and Apollo was already regretting calling Maddox to cancel their prearranged brunch rather than texting.

“I’m not ill. Just threw my back out.” Apollo rubbed his head. He was lying on the floor in the living room while the girls played tea party next to him. He was feeling substantially better than he had on Friday, but not quite up to going out with friends. “Don’t go to trouble for me.”

“It’s no trouble. And this way your house guest can get a break from cooking for your sorry ass too.”

“I’m not sure what he has planned,” Apollo hedged. Technically, Dylan was still asleep. Apollo had woken up with the birds and the girls. After Freaky Friday’s muscle relaxer-induced sleepover in Dylan’s room, he’d made a point of sleeping in his own bed last night, but the shitty thing was that he’d had a much better night’s sleep in Dylan’s double bed than his own Posturepedic king.

“Don’t tell me you were planning on leaving him out of brunch?” A rustling sounded like Maddox was opening cupboards and pulling out dishes. “I told you to bring him along.”

“I forgot to mention it to him,” Apollo lied. Really, he’d been putting it off, hoping to get out of socializing with his friends with Dylan around. Which sounded awful, but after hearing that Dylan had run into Ben at the Brass Rail, he wasn’t any too eager to be around Ben. Or let him flirt with Dylan.

Okay, mainly that.

And he’d spent the past twenty-four hours wondering what in the heck he’d agreed to with Dylan. Were they going to hook up on the sly now? Did that leave open the possibility of Dylan also hooking up with Maddox or Ben? Would it be wrong to decree that off-limits?

“Well, mention to him that we’ll be over in an hour and a half or so. You got any bacon and juice there or should I stop at the store?”

“Juice yes, Bacon no. And I’ll have to wake him up—”

“I’m up.” Dylan wandered into the living room with epic bed head, curls going in every direction. “What’s happening?”

“Maddox wants to bring us breakfast,” Apollo said with resignation. He wasn’t winning this war.

“Maddox is bringing breakfast. Bye now,” Maddox said on the phone.

“Excellent. I’ll pick up before they arrive.” Dylan started straightening the couch pillows. “Munchkins, how about you guys help me clean?”

The girls, who never willingly cleaned for Apollo, clapped their hands and morphed into some sort of angry dinosaurs to eat dirty things with Dylan cheering them on. Dylan’s ability to get them using their imaginations truly was unparalleled.

“Need help dressing?” Dylan asked once he had them picking up toys. He offered Apollo a hand off the floor.

“I’ve got it.” Apollo’s skin heated with the memory of Friday night’s “help.” After he stood, he pulled his hand away fast before he could be tempted to linger. “Can you handle the girls while I shower?”

“You got it, Lieutenant.” Dylan gave him a mock salute. Lowering his voice, he leaned in. “Think their early wake-up will mean an early bedtime? Hope so.”

He didn’t give Apollo a chance to reply before winking and getting back to the cleaning. He seemed totally capable of switching between helpful roommate and eager hook-up buddy in the same conversation. Why couldn’t Apollo do the same?

That question haunted him through his shower and getting dressed. Dylan was running around getting the last-minute cleaning done, probably completely forgetting his twenty seconds of flirting. This was never going to work. Apollo would have to talk to him after—

Ding. Dong. The doorbell interrupted his internal flailing. Maddox had a tray of muffins and two shopping bags of food while Ben seemed burdened by an epic hangover with a baseball cap pulled low over his unshaven face. They had Pike in tow as Zack had shipped out that week, and Maddox seemed to have made keeping Pike busy his latest mission.

“I didn’t have a chance to do much, but I made a fast frittata. Hope it came out decent.” Pike held out a dish. The dark circles under his eyes and tired tone to his usual upbeat voice said that he hadn’t been sleeping well.

“I’m sure it’s great.” Dylan went into a surprisingly efficient host mode, taking the food and leading people to the kitchen.

“Lead me to the pans!” Maddox was full of good cheer. That made one of them. “I brought enough food to feed a whole team. Let’s do the bacon in the oven in a big batch.”

“Here, let me get you the sheet pans.” Apollo came around the island only to be shoved back by Dylan.

“Go sit. You don’t need to do any unnecessary bending.” Dylan gestured at the table. “Go keep Ben company. I’ll help Maddox cook.”