“I wasn't the one who ripped the buttons off.”Ryan defended.
Phillip just sucked his own bottom lip into hismouth and then broke into that heartbreaking grin.
On his way out Phillip called him back. “Ryan,here.” Ryan warmed at the nickname and barely caught what Philliphad thrown at him.
It was a sewing kit.
***
The next morning Ryan woke slowly. He waswonderfully sore in all the right places. He didn't bother coveringup the hickey close to his collar. It felt good to have it there,like a sign to show him that he hadn't dreamed it. He stretched andwinced. There was a reason he didn't bottom and he was feeling itnow.
“Dude, come on!” Patrick said, poking him. “Wegotta get dressed.”
“Patrick?” Ryan asked huskily.
The other man rolled his eyes. “No, I'm a shortDrill Sergeant Grabowski.” Patrick laughed when Ryan's eyes poppedopen.
Kenneth and Brendon came in at that point andkept the conversation light.
Ryan rolled out of the bed and walked gingerlyto his wall locker.
“Dude!” Patrick exclaimed. “You alright? I meanyou always were bow legged but...damn is there something worse thanbowlegged?”
Kenneth watched Ryan for a minute and thendeclared, “You're walking like you had a two-by-four up yourass.”
Brendon blinked and didn't get right away whyeveryone burst into laughter.
***
There was something about marching in front ofthe view stands that made all of them stand a little taller. DrillSergeant Grabowski had marched them to the field. He called acadence that was low and sad. His voice fitted it perfectly.
Onto the field they marched. At the call of'Eyes Right!' everyone except the one closest to the stands snappedtheir heads to the right. It was a salute without being a salute.The ceremony seemed to go too fast for Ryan to remember it all thatwell.
Drill Sergeant Grabowski in his Class A's was asight to behold. He looked absolutely untouchable, which made Ryana happy man because he had already touched him.
They stood still for the speeches. Instead ofbeing bored out of his freaking mind by all the buttering up 'theycame here as boys and left as men' speech, Ryan actually listenedthis time. Hell, he thought he had tears forming.
His mind drifted over all of the trials they’dbeen subjected to since they arrived there. Brendon and sitting atthe Drill Sergeant's table; Ken damn nearly knocking Drill SergeantKing's hat to the ground; Patrick being called ‘Patricia’ by DrillSergeant Connelly. It was the small shit that Ryan would alwaysremember.
Running with Patrick to make sure he passed hisPT test; the look of pride in Drill Sergeant Grabowski's eyes whenBrendon gave up his goal of a perfect PT test; the small thingsthat made this whole mess the absolute best of times.
Being called DSL, Freckles, fuck-up and all ofthe assorted nicknames didn't make him feel any less of a man.Instead they seemed like badges of sorts.
Afterwards they marched back to the barracks. Noone was really leaving. Some would go straight to training whileothers were going home for a week or two. Ryan decided to just headstraight to AIT.
“Well. That's that,” Ken said. For the firsttime he sounded gruff.
Brendon who never was one to hide his feelingswas already crying.
Even stoic Patrick was 'leaking'.
“Yeah, I guess so,” Ryan said, taking a deepbreath.
“Without sounding like a girl, we have to keepin touch,” Ken said stiffly.
“AKO,” Patrick said.
“Patrick!” A middle aged woman came running upto the man. “God, you were great!”
