Luck of the Irish Ch.02

Thanks to my editor Gbc5452, couldn't do it without him. Sorry this chapter is a little late, it was my birthday and I didn't feel like writing ;). I have a BIG surprise coming up so it might be awhile before I post anything, have to finish that up and get that posted. Enjoy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Eric pulled up to his home and stretched as he climbed out of the car. His neck cracked as he stepped up to the door. He slid his key in and the door slipped open on its own. He furrowed his brow and frowned, he never left the door unlocked and his pet knew better than to leave the house without his permission.

"Corey, why is the door unlocked?" Eric called out as he pushed open the door. When he got no answer he became angry. That's three broken rules: Leaving the house, not greeting him at the door, and now not answering him when he spoke.

"Corey!" He shouted. He pushed the door open all the way and stepped into the hallway. He felt his foot slide out from under him and he landed on his hands and knees in a pool of blood. He looked up and saw his delicate Irish pet on the floor. He heard a door slam in the back and his doctor's instincts kicked in. He knew he wasn't a cop, but he did know that he could take care of his pet.

"Corey, hold still love." Eric took a strip of cloth from his shirt and wrapped it around Corey's neck. He scooped up his lover and, as gently as he could, placed him into the back seat.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Eric sat in the church of the hospital he was so familiar with. He held his head in his hands and prayed silently. He had never been very religious, but he would do anything if it would help his little pet now. He stood and left the shirt. He had changed into his doctors coat due to the blood that covered his street clothes.

"Hey, Jamie. " Eric walked up to the nurse on duty.

"Hey, Eric. How are you holding up." She asked, handing him a coffee.

"Not sure, honestly. I wish I could know how he's doing." Eric looked at the operating room. 

"I'm sure they won't notice if you just slipped into the observation room." Jamie winked. Eric smiled and walked down the hallway. He stood in the dark room watching the group of surgeons work on his pet. He couldn't see much but could hear them fairly well.

"Nice job, guys. Finish up the sutures and bandage up the neck." The surgeon in charge said removing his gloves and face mask. Eric smiled and thanked God once more. His lover wasn't out of the woods yet, but he was getting there. He watched as the team of surgeons closed the gash in his neck and made sure he was stable before moving him out of the operating room. They wheeled him into recovery, Eric standing back and watching them. He waited in front of the operating room until the lead surgeon stepped out.

"Harold." Eric stopped him.

"Eric." The surgeon smiled.

"How is he?"

"Well, we managed to close up the wound. Whoever did this missed most of the important stuff. His carotid arteries were just nicked, but his muscles are in pretty bad shape. They'll heal given enough time. The main thing is that you were lucky enough to get there so fast." The two men walked down the hall.

"How bad was the damage to his muscles?" Eric asked.

"It could have been a lot worse. We think he'll be able to speak again, of course there will be a fairly long recovery time." Harold said.

"Can I see him? I know I'm not family but-"

"It's fine, Eric. Just don't let the big men upstairs notice." Harold winked.

"Thank you, so much , for this." Eric hugged his friend.

"You're welcome, Eric. Go take care of your boy." Harold nodded his head towards recovery and watched as Eric jogged down the hallway.

~~~~~~~ 

It had taken four days for Corey to wake up. Eric knew it was a long recovery and that his body was just trying to repair itself, but it was still scary. When he woke he began panicking.

"Corey, calm down. I'm here, pet. I'm here." Eric stood and stroked his hair lovingly. Corey opened his mouth and a look of pain crossed his throat.

"Shhh, don't talk. Do you remember what happened?" Eric asked. Corey's face went blank for a moment before shaking his head and looking up at his Master, looking for reassurance.

"I came home early, another doctor came in and they let me off since I had been working late for the last couple of days anyways. I found you on the floor. You were naked and-" Suddenly Corey's eyes filled with tears as he remembered what had happened to him.

"Shhh, it's okay love." Eric stroked Corey's hair. He looked frightened and began struggling with the IV in his arm. He shook his head, thinking Eric didn't understand.

"I know, baby. They told me." Eric said. Corey froze and cried silently.

"I'm not angry, love. This wasn't your fault, and I'm fairly certain I know who did it..." Eric frowned at the last part. Corey nodded and put his head down.

"Don't be ashamed, Corey. Remember what I told you that first day we met." Eric winked. Corey's eyes were filled with sadness, but he had a faint glimmer of happiness. He reached for his Masters hand and Eric gladly gave it. He squeezed Corey's hand and stroked his arm.

"Now, get some rest. Sleep will help you heal faster. I know you're probably in a lot of pain and I'll see what I can do about that." Eric stood up and kissed him. Corey wouldn't release his hand when he tried to walk away.

"Babe, I'll be back. I just need to go tell the nurses that you woke up." Eric said. Corey shook his head and grabbed his hand with his other hand.

"If I stay with you until you fall asleep? Will that be alright?" Eric smiled. When Corey nodded he sat back down and stroked the young Irish man's soft hand until his eyes closed and the only sound in the room was the ventilator that kept him breathing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"Congratulations, Corey. Your first day without a ventilator." The nurse smiled as Corey choked on his first breath of fresh air, pulled in by his own lungs, in weeks. He smiled at his Master as his breathing became more regular. Luckily no infection had sat in while he was recovering, and the doctors thought he was healing up nicely. 

"Good, Pet. You're making good recovery time." Eric said, once the nurse had left. Corey smiled at his Master and pointed to the note pad they had been using for communication.

'Kiss?' He scribbled down. His Master smiled and leaned in to claim his mouth. Corey had a dizzy smile on his lips when his Master pulled away.

"I can't wait until I can take you home and care for you there. It will be so much better for you there." Eric stroked his hand.

"That may be sooner than you think." Corey's doctor walked in.

"What do you mean?" Eric smiled, excited.

"You are a doctor yourself, and will be able to care for him. He's off the ventilator, I don't see any real reason why he shouldn't go home with you in a few days." His doctor shrugged. Eric smiled and stroked Corey's hair.

"We just have to be sure that he will be able to be off the ventilator for long periods of time, after a few days I'll discharge him and place him in your care." The doctor smiled and walked out with Corey's charts. 

"You hear that, pet? You can be home soon." Eric kissed Corey's forehead.

Corey wrote 'Good, I was worried.' on the notepad.

"About what, precious?" Eric wondered.

'I wanted to spend Christmas with you, Master.' Corey scribbled down as he fell asleep. Eric sat up and realized what he had said. He hadn't even noticed that Christmas was only a few weeks away. He had never really enjoyed Christmas, with no one to spend it with. He looked down at the sleeping young man and gave a sad smile. He had finally found someone, he wasn't alone anymore. Eric kissed the sleeping man and leaned back in his chair, opening the book he had been reading while sitting at Corey's bedside. His eyes crossed over the words but they didn't read them. His brain couldn't stop thinking that one thought.

He wasn't alone anymore.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Corey felt more comfortable than he had in a long time as Eric wheeled him into their home. He was still too tired to walk and could only take a few steps before gasping for air. Corey looked at the large red stain imprinted into the wood floors. He felt a shiver go up his spine. Eric noticed and spoke.

"I'm sorry pet. I'll be getting new floors to replace those. I hoped to have it done before you returned home." Eric frowned.

"It's okay, Master. It just... scares me." Corey was honest. He could speak now, but his voice was raspy and slow.

Eric stopped the wheelchair and scooped him up. Corey wrapped his arms around his Masters neck and smiled as he felt the strong muscles under him flex. His Master carried him up to their bedroom and placed him on the bed. He tucked him in and gave him a kiss.

"Are you hungry, love?" Eric asked.

"No, sir. I'm feeling a little sick." Corey frowned.

"Probably just your meds. Let me know if it gets any worse and I'll see if I can find something else." Eric said. Corey nodded and watched his Master turn to leave.

"Corey..." His Master started, standing at the door facing the hallway. Corey turned his head, his Master only called him by his name when it was important.

"We haven't really talked about this..." His Master turned around and walked back over to the bed. "But I think you should see someone, about what happened." His master stroked his hair.

"Master, really I'm fine." 

"You may think that, but I worry. I know some very good doctors who might be able to help." Eric put a hand on Corey's leg.

"And I would give you complete permission to talk about anything you like. Even about our relationship, personally. I would even be willing to go with you if that's what you want." Eric said.

"But Master-"

"I know that you think that you're fine. But I can't help thinking that you're not. You've been through a lot Pet. I think you could really use this. Please? For me?" Eric begged. Corey was taken aback. His Master never begged. He stated what he wanted, and he got it. Corey saw the fear in his Masters eyes, he was worried about him.

"Okay, Master." Corey smiled. The truth was, he wanted to see someone. He had nightmares and didn't want to think about it anymore. He just wanted all of this to be finish, he wanted it to be just him and Eric.

"Thank you, Pet. I'll be downstairs. Call me if you need me." Eric kissed him on the lips and shut the door as he left.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

His therapist introduced herself as Henstridge. 

Corey got along well with her, but that didn't mean that he wasn't too scared to talk.

"Corey, I want you to know that whatever we discuss in this room is completely private. I won't share what we talk about with anybody." She said.

"Okay." He said quietly. It hurt to speak and his throat was still sore.

"And you don't have to talk if you don't want to." She smiled. Corey gave a small smile and looked around the office. He saw a large book on her bookshelf labeled 'History'

"What's that?" He pointed to the book.

"That's a photo album of most of my past patients." She smiled. "Would you like to see it?" She asked. He nodded, so she stood up and brought it over to him. She sat next to him on the couch and flipped through pages, naming all of her old patients. There were mixes of men and women, some she was hugging, some it was just a picture of them. Corey saw a picture of a young looking man with gray eyes.

"Who's he?" He asked.

"That's-" She was interrupted as the door burst open.

"Hey Henstridge I-.... Hello." The man stopped.

"Nikolai." Henstridge raised an eyebrow. The young mans face cracked into a huge smile and he winked at the doctor and Corey.

"What's this, Henstridge?" He asked, "You been cheating on me with another man?" Nikolai nodded towards Corey.

"I told you I rescheduled our appointment." 

"No you didn't." He frowned.

"Do you ever check your phone messages?" Henstridge raised an eyebrow. With a disbelieving glare he pulled out his phone and listened to his voicemail on speaker phone.

'Nikolai, it's Henstridge. I'm going to have to reschedule our appointment, something came up. Call me later and we will set up a different time.' Henstridge stared at him.

"That proves nothing." He stuffed his phone in his pocket. Corey noticed his scarred arms then.

"Now if you excuse us, I'm with a patient." Henstridge nodded towards Corey.

"Fine, I see how it is. Cheat on me with some other man. I'm not psychologically troubled enough for you. I'll just go jump in front of a bus or something, okay?" Nikolai rolled his eyes and walked out the door. Henstridge chuckled.

"I'm sorry about that."

"It's alright, he's very...."

"Nikolai." Henstridge laughed. Corey nodded in agreement with a smile.

"He's one of your past patients? Or current patient I should say." Corey blushed.

"Yes, he's a sweet man."

"He seems nice." Corey looked at the shut door.

"So tell me about Eric. I want to know what he's like outside of the hospital. If he even exists outside the hospital." She laughed.

"He does work a lot... But that's alright." Corey shrugged.

"I have to say, when he told me you're his brother I had a hard time believing it. You two look nothing alike and the age difference is quite obvious." She smiled. Corey's heart sank.

"He told you I'm his brother?" He frowned.

"Yes, why? Is that not true?" She asked, already knowing the answer. Corey didn't know what to say. Then he remembered what Eric had said to him, about talking about their relationship if he wanted to. He just didn't want to force Corey into it.

"I'm his.... uh... Boyfriend. I guess." Corey smiled.

"Oh, I didn't know Eric was into men." She shrugged and got back to the conversation.

"How long have you two been together?"

"Our one year anniversary is coming up in a month." He smiled, not realizing how long it had been.

"Wow, and he hasn't introduced you to everyone yet?" She raised an eyebrow.

"We have a... special... relationship." He looked down at the pictures of the book.

"Special how?" Corey blushed.

"Uh... well..." He didn't know how to answer that.

"You can talk to me about anything, Corey. I'm very open minded. I've heard everything, and that's not me just saying it." She smiled down at him.

"Well, I'm kind of... his... Uh..." He was blushing very hard now. "P-pet." He laughed.

"His pet?" Henstridge thought for a moment. "Pet how?' 

"Uh... well... I'm his... Slave." Corey could have been mistaken for a firetruck he was so red.

"Ooooh. I had no idea there was this side to Eric." Henstridge smiled. "I guess you don't always know people as well as you think. This is all consensual right?" She asked. Corey nodded.

"Do you want to talk about what happened?" Henstridge asked. Corey thought for a second and then nodded.

"My old Master did it." 

"So Eric isn't your first Master?"

"No, he saved me from my old one."

"Saved you how?"

"He was abusive, to me that is. Master Eric took me in. He's a much better Master."

"You enjoy your time with him?"

"Yes, I love being with Master Eric." Corey smiled. "I love him."

"I'm glad that Eric found someone to love and love him back." Henstridge smiled. Corey smiled back and set the book aside.

"How have you felt around him, since the rape?"

"Can we not call it that please?" Corey shivered.

"I'm sorry. What would you like me to call it?"

"I don't know. Just not that." Corey frowned.

"Alright."

"I guess I just feel bad."

"Bad how?"

"Like I don't deserve Master Eric." Corey whispered.

"Why would you feel like that?" Henstridge scribbled something down on a note pad she had in her lap.

"He hasn't.... taken me yet. I wanted it to be only him from now on."

"And you feel like your old Master took that from you?"

"Yes." Corey sighed.

"Has Eric said anything about it to you?"

"Only that he doesn't care that he touched me. That he still loves me."

"That should be reassurance enough, shouldn't it?"

"I don't know. I feel like he's lying just to make me feel better." 

"You think he would do that?"

"I don't think he wouldn't." Corey looked up at her.

"I'd like to have a session with the both of you next time, if that's alright with you." Henstridge said.

"Okay." 

"Do you think Eric would be open to coming here with you?"

"Yeah, he said he would."

"Good, I think it will be good for the both of you."

"Do you think he's mad at me?"

"No, I don't think so. If Eric told you he didn't blame you for what happened, then he doesn't blame you." Henstridge smiled. Corey rubbed the large scar on his throat carefully. The slight bump felt hard and it still hurt, but he found himself being able to think a lot more clearly when he touched it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"Here you go, Pet." Eric set down a bowl of soup. He sat at his seat at the table and began eating.

"Master, my doctor wants to have a session with the both of us next time." Corey spoke.

"That's fine. How did your session today go?" Eric spoke.

"Alright, she's nice." 

"Good, I'm glad you like her."

"So you two know each other?"

"Yes, we've worked together for a few years now." Eric spoke. "So you like Dr. Nelson?" 

"Nelson? She told me her name was Henstridge."

"Henstridge?" Eric thought for a moment before laughing. "Henstridge was a name one of her patients gave her a few months back. He was a class act that guy. Tried to commit suicide. He was an ass to everyone. Once, he crawled out of bed while no one was looking, he stole a pack of smokes from the nurses station and was sitting outside for an hour. The whole hospital went crazy trying to find him." 

"Was his name Nikolai?"

"Yeah that's the one."

"I met him today. He seemed... exactly how you described him." Corey smiled.

"I can't believe she kept that name." Eric laughed and shook his head.

~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"Glad you could join us, Eric." Henstridge smiled as Eric closed the door behind them.

"Nice to see you too, Henstridge." Eric put emphasis on the name. She blushed.

"You found out about that huh?" She smiled.

"It's hard to forget Nikolai."

"I think it's impossible." She laughed. 

"So can I ask why you wanted to speak with both of us?" Eric asked, settling down into the couch next to Corey.

"Corey was just having some feelings that I think would make him feel better if he discussed it with you." Henstridge shrugged.

"Like what, love?" Eric looked down at his lover.

"Just about what happened... with Master John." Corey looked anywhere but at his Master.

"Corey is afraid that, despite what you say, you resent him for what happened." Henstridge clarified.

"Not at all, Corey. I don't know what else I can do to convince you of that." Corey shrugged and his Master kissed his head.

"I assume he told you about our relationship?"

"Yes, is that a problem?"

"Not at all, I just want him to get better by any means necessary." Eric stroked Corey's hair.

"At least we're all moving towards the same goals." Henstridge smiled. Corey held his Masters hand and Master Eric looked down at him and smiled. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

It was late November now and Corey was able to move around the house without running out of breath. Sometimes he would have to stop and sit but he was glad to be out of the bed finally.

'If it wasn't so lonely in said bed I might not be so happy to be out of it.' He thought to himself. He looked at the clock and saw it was nearly time for Master to get home. He lit the candles on the table and brought out the large turkey. He heard his Masters car pull up and made sure everything was ready. He disobeyed his orders and didn't greet his Master at the door.

"Corey." Master sounded peeved. "You better hope that there's a damned good reason for you not-" His Master was cut off when he looked into the dining room. The table was set with more food than either of them could ever eat. The large turkey sat in the center of the table. Green bean casserole was to the left, followed by mashed potatoes, steamed carrots, yams, a tossed salad, red wine, bread rolls, cranberry sauce and a small ham.

"Happy Thanksgiving, Sir." Corey smiled.

"Oh Pet, this is beautiful. Did you make all of this yourself?" Master asked.

"Yes, Sir. I've been cooking all day."

"Thank you Pet. You truly are a great gift. But who is going to eat all this because we definitely can't." His Master smiled and hugged him to his chest, looking at the table stuffed with food.

"That's why I invited them." Corey smiled as several more cars pulled up.

"I called the hospital, and invited a bunch of your friends." Corey looked up at his Master.

"Happy Thanksgiving." His master smiled.

Everyone came in and sat down at the table. They began eating and talking. Eric made eye contact with Corey and winked. The group of guests sat around the house for a few hours after dinner, basking in their food coma. Soon everyone left and Corey and Eric were left to clean up.

"Thank you for doing all of this, Pet. It means a lot to me to have someone to spend the holidays with." Eric started scrubbing the food off the dishes as Corey washed them.

"I like spending the holidays with you, Master." Corey smiled. 

"Oh, speaking of the holidays." Eric walked upstairs without finishing his sentence.

"Master?" Corey furrowed his brow and followed him upstairs.

"I have a present for you. I've been waiting for the right moment and now seems like a good time." Eric pulled out a small brown bag. Corey remembered him picking it up the day he brought him home from the hospital, when he had first told Corey he wouldn't be going back to John.

"What is it?"

"Open it." Eric smiled. "I hope you like it, I picked it out because I thought it would look gorgeous on you. It's hard to make something look bad on you though, I guess." Eric smiled nervously. Corey reached into the bag and pulled out a leather collar. The collar had alternating blue and green gems around it, and a small silver piece where the tags for a dog would go. The gems matched his eyes and the silver piece was shiny and bright.

"Master, it's beautiful." Corey hugged Eric tightly.

"You like it?" Eric smiled wider.

"Yes, Sir. I love it. Can I put it on now?" Corey looked up at his Master with sparkling mismatched eyes.

"Of course Pet, turn around." Corey did as he was told and his Master secured the leather strap around his neck. He pulled something out of his pocket and, from behind Corey, began fiddling with the silver piece.

"What's that, Sir?" Corey asked, trying to see. 

"Hold still." Eric chuckled. Corey did as he was told, or at least tried his best. When his Master was done he nudged Corey towards the mirror. 

"Look." He smiled. Corey stepped up to the mirror and saw that a black heart shaped tag that was now attached to his collar. Corey smiled and looked at the silver print engraved into it. The tag was blank except for one word.

Corey

Corey smiled and turned around and hugged his Master. 

"Thank you, so much Sir." 

"I was going to wait until Christmas, but I have another surprise for you then. So I figured it wouldn't hurt to spoil you just for now." Eric smiled. "I'm glad you like it pet. It looks wonderful on you." The couple hugged. 

"So what's this surprise you had planned for Christmas?" Corey smiled.

"That would be telling, Pet." Eric winked and started folding back the covers, getting ready for bed.

"Just a hint?" Corey begged, folding over his side of the bed too.

"Spoilers." Eric smiled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Corey and Eric sat on the red couch across from the doctor. Henstridge had her notepad in her lap and pen ready to take notes.

"So lets talk about you, Eric." Henstridge said.

"What? Why? I thought this was supposed to be helping Corey?" Eric looked at his partner.

"It is, and I think that you opening up will be comforting to him. It will help him see the entire picture, not just the part with him in it." Henstridge said. Eric sighed and looked uncomfortable.

"So what do you want to talk about?" Eric asked.

"How do you feel about what happened to Corey?" Henstridge asked.

"What kind of question is that? I'm angry, and I'm sad."

"Why's that?"

"I'm angry because John is a dumbass who cant just leave us alone. And I'm sad because the man I love was hurt." Eric seemed more angry at the moment. Corey looked up at his Master and smiled. He liked it when Eric said that he loved him, he knew it, but that didn't mean that it wasn't nice to hear every chance he got.

"Do you feel anything else?"

"I don't know, frustrated I guess." 

"Why?"

"Because, there's not a whole lot I can do to help him." Eric frowned and took Corey's hand, squeezing it.

"And?"

"And... pissed off."

"Who are you pissed off at? John?"

"No." Eric sighed, knowing where this was headed.

"Then who, Eric? Who are you pissed off at?"

"Me." Eric finally relaxed.

"What? Why?" Corey turned towards his Master.

"When I agreed to be your Master, I swore I would protect you. As your Master, your boyfriend, your lover, and your friend I promised to protect you with everything I had. It was my fault this happened." Eric was on the brink of tears.

"I don't blame you, Eric." Corey said, calling him by his real name for the first time in a long time.

"I know you don't, and honestly I think that only makes it worse. I broke a promise to you and you just shrug it off. I feel horrible." Eric buried his head in his hands and his shoulders began to heave with quiet sobs. Corey was frozen. He had never seen his Master cry, and it wasn't something he liked. He put a hand on Eric's back and rubbed in small circles. He got close to his ear and whispered.

"Please don't cry, Sir. I don't want you to feel bad. You did your best, this isn't anyone's fault." Corey said. Eric turned and placed his head on Corey's lap. He continued to sob and Corey stroked his hair lovingly. 

"Seems like we're finally making progress, Corey." Henstridge spoke.

"You call this progress?" Corey frowned and looked down at his crying Master.

"Yes, because you just admitted that it wasn't anyone's fault, including your own." Henstridge smiled. Corey looked down at his Master. Eric's sobs had slowed and he looked up at Corey. Corey raised his hand to his lips and kissed it. Eric sat up and kissed his lips.

"I'm sorry."

"I know you are." Corey whispered back.

"I meant I was sorry for crying, not for letting you down. I don't deserve forgiveness for that." Eric said.

"I know, but I forgive you for both." Corey hugged his Master close and the two kissed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"Master?" Corey said. They were laying in bed naked. The act wasn't sexual, just sensual and comforting. Corey ran his hands along the patch of fur on his Master's chest. He twirled his fingers through the hair and rubbed his head against the spot where the arm connected to his chest. He could smell the soap his Master used and the manly scent that was his own. Corey lived for that scent.

"Yes, Pet?" Eric stroked his hair.

"When will we get back to my training?" Corey asked. Eric looked down at Corey and thought for a second. Corey was worried he hadn't heard him and was going to repeat the question when his Master spoke.

"Do you think you're ready, Pet?" 

"I don't know. I don't think so."

"Then we won't start again until you're ready." Eric said.

"But..." Corey trailed off.

"Yes?"

"I think that my training will help me recover...I'm just scared." Corey whispered the last part.

"Scared of what, Pet?" Corey was silent.

"You know I would never hurt you like that." Eric said.

"I know."

"Then why are you scared?"

"I don't know..." Corey buried his face in his Masters chest.

"We can start again, and start slowly." Eric kissed Corey's forehead.

"Master?" Corey said, after a moment had gone by.

"Yes?"

"What happened to Master John?" Corey frowned.

"Don't call him that." Eric snapped, and calmed down when he felt Corey's heart speed up.

"I'm sorry Pet, I just don't like you calling him a title that should belong only to me." Eric apologized. 

"Yes, Sir." Corey said.

"When I told the police who I thought it was they checked my security footage and arrested him. We have a court appearance in two weeks." Eric said.

"Do I have to go?"

"It would be good if you did, love. But I won't make you." Eric replied.

"Master?"

"Yes, Pet?" Eric chuckled.

"I didn't know you had security inside." Corey said.

"I do." Eric smiled. Corey was silent for a second.

"Master?"

"What, Corey?" Eric laughed, Corey liked the sound of it echoing in his chest.

"I just like saying it." He whispered. He rubbed his head against Eric's chest and sighed.

"Master..." Corey muttered, as he fell asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Two weeks later Corey straightened his tie. The suit he was wearing was tight and uncomfortable.

"You look fantastic." Eric smiled.

"Thank you, sir." Corey turned to look at his Master as he walked into their bedroom. Eric stood behind him and made eye contact with Corey through the mirror they stood in front of.

"Are you ready?"

"To leave, or to face him?" Corey asked.

"Both."

"I don't know. I mean yes, I'm ready to leave. But to face him...." Corey trailed off.

"You've been doing well in your sessions. You're down to one a week now, you're making fantastic recovery, love." Eric kissed his temple. He could feel Corey shaking and put his hands on his shoulders.

"I know, but what if I'm not ready. What if I mess up?" Corey trembled.

"You'll be fine." Eric slid his hands down the front of Corey's chest, bringing him into a tight hug. Corey turned around and allowed Eric to hug and kiss him.

"I'll be right there with you." Eric smiled. Corey smiled up at his Master and their lips touched. Eric slid his tongue into Corey's waiting mouth and soothed his lover with a passionate kiss. He noticed Corey stopped trembling.

"Better?" He asked, as he pulled away.

"Yes, Sir." Corey put his head on his chest. Eric raised his arm and looked at his watch.

"We'll be late if we don't leave now, Pet." Eric said, and with a hand on his lower back, led Corey to the waiting car.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Corey hated it. He hated seeing him there. He hated how obvious the scar on his throat was. He hated the way John looked at him and his Master. He hated how he hugged his Masters side like a frightened child. He hated how weak he felt. 

"That's such bullshit." Eric said, as they left the courtroom. He was furious and Corey was beginning to be scared of him.

"He got seven years, sir." Corey whispered.

"Yeah but he should have gotten more. If the stupid rape charges hadn't been dropped." Eric kicked the tire of his car. He paused and kicked it three more times until Corey thought he would break his toe.

"Sir?" Corey whispered. He had never seen his Master so angry. Eric looked up at him and anger filled his eyes. He saw the frightened look on Corey's face and sighed. He wrapped Corey in a hug.

"I'm sorry, Pet. I just think he deserves more for what he did for you." Eric brushed his fingers across the scar on Corey's neck. Corey shied away, pulling the collar his Master had bought him out of his pocket and snapping it on, so it covered the ugly scar.

"Pet..."

"Can we go home, please?" Corey walked away, climbing into the passenger seat of the car.

"Sure..." Eric started the car and they drove off silently. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

They arrived home and Eric frowned as Corey quickly headed upstairs, without saying a word to him.

"Corey..."

"Yes, Sir?" Corey stopped, but it was obvious he didn't want to.

"We need to talk. Come down here, please." Eric watched him pout as he walked down the steps.

"What happened back there?" Eric frowned.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Corey mumbled, looking down at the ground.

"Are you ashamed of your scar?" 

"Why shouldn't I be?"

"Why should you be?" Eric asked. Corey didn't answer. "You're a beautiful man, ever last bit of you."

"It's a reminder of how weak I am."

"It's a reminder of how strong you are. Not many people would be able to cope the way you have." Eric said. Corey continued looking at the ground.

"I want that collar back." Eric said. Corey snapped his head up, putting his fingers on the leather band around his neck.

"Why? What did I do?" Corey was close to tears.

"Nothing, I just don't want you to use it to hide yourself. You can have it back when you show me that you don't see your scar as a sign of weakness." Eric said. Corey took it off and handed it to Eric, staring down at the ground again.

"This isn't a punishment, Corey. This is to make you see you the way I see you, so beautiful." Eric raised his chin and kissed his lips softly. Corey returned the kiss and Eric stroked his hair.

"You're probably exhausted."

"Yes, Sir." Corey didn't lie.

"How about we go up and take a nap?" Eric walked them over to the stairs, arm around Corey's shoulders.

"That sounds really, really, nice Sir." Corey smiled up at his Master. They crawled into bed together and Eric spooned up against Corey. The Irish man's soft briefs were tight on his ass and Eric loved the feeling of them in his hands.

"Sleep, my Irish beauty." Eric kissed his ear softly. "Things are always better when you wake up." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Corey sat in the empty office for fifteen minutes when the door finally opened.

"Henstridge I-" Nikolai stopped in the doorway, looking at Corey who sat there awkwardly. "My bad, do you know where she is?" Nikolai asked, pointing to her empty chair. Corey shook his head.

"We had an appointment fifteen minutes ago..." He looked at his watch.

"It's not like her to be late.... do you mind if I sit around and wait for her a bit? If I stay out there my physical therapist will sniff out my fear and chain my arms to weights until I lift so many they fall off and then I would need another surgery and more physical therapy.... It's a vicious cycle of doom." Nikolai said with a completely straight face.

"Uh... sure." Corey smiled, and scooted over on the couch. Nikolai closed the door behind him and sat down, crossing his legs, next to Corey.

"So what are you in for?" Nikolai asked. He stood suddenly and started poking around Henstridge's desk.

"Uh... what?" Corey blushed.

"You must be a patient in here right?" Nikolai waved his hand around.

"No, not the hospital anyways..." Corey smiled.

"You mean you come here willingly?" Corey nodded. "Man, you're in the right place then because you must be crazy." Nikolai smiled.

"Do you still see her?"

"Twice a month." Nikolai rolled his eyes and sniffed a candle on the bookshelf.

"Why were you forced to see her? If you don't mind my asking." Corey blushed and added the second part when he realized how nosy he was being.

"Tried to off myself." Nikolai looked up from the paper weight he was fiddling with. "Take my advice, if you try it... don't do it with a razor blade." He waved his scarred arm around. "Hurts like a bitch, don't listen to anything Hollywood tells you, it's all a lie." Nikolai fell back in Henstridge's chair and opened drawers.

"I wouldn't ever do anything like that." Corey shook his head.

"Too good for suicide huh? Well then what are you in for?" Nikolai repeated his question.

"I didn't mean it like that... I wouldn't ever do it because I have someone who needs me." Nikolai looked up and stared at him for a second.

"I can understand that..." Nikolai said. 

"Do you have someone you care about?" Corey smiled. Nikolai sat back in the chair, hands crossed over his stomach. 

"Yeah, I guess I do." He smiled, staring off into space as if he was seeing something in his mind that only he could see.

"What's her name?" Corey asked. Nikolai snapped out of his daydream and looked back at Corey.

"There's two. The love of my attempted suicide life Clark, and his daughter Ana." He went back to rummaging through the drawers. He lifted a pen, clicking it a few times and scribbling on the desk before throwing it away. "And your significant other?"

"Eric." Corey smiled, using just his real name felt weird on his tongue.

"Kindred spirits." Nikolai winked and tried to start the computer on her desk, when he got to the password protected log in, he shut it down and went to the other side of her desk.

"I guess." Corey smiled.

"So, I repeat, what are you in for?" Nikolai asked for the third time.

"I..." Corey trailed off. "I was...assaulted." He thought that word sounded even worse than raped. Nikolai looked up, making eye contact again.

"I'm sorry." He went back to digging through drawers. Corey knew that he understood.

"Thanks... my M- Eric wanted me to see her, they're friends." Corey explained.

"What were you going to say?" Nikolai picked up a calculator and pushed a few buttons. "Dead batteries, why does a shrink need a calculator?" He mumbled and tossed it back in the drawer.

"What?"

"You said something with an M before Eric. What was it?" Nikolai didn't look up from the notepad he was flipping through.

"Nothing..." Corey lied.

"So Eric is a doctor then?"

"Yeah."

"Well that's hot." Nikolai chuckled.

"What's Clark do?"

"Fuck me." Nikolai cursed.

"Excuse me?!" Corey blushed.

"What?" Nikolai looked confused. "Oh, not... I didn't mean-" It was Nikolai's turn to blush. He waved the notepad around. "She doesn't think she should change my medication. I can't sleep with these ones though." He pulled a bottle of pills out of his pocket.

"Oh..." Corey laughed. Nikolai winked at him.

"I'm sorry I'm late Cor- Nikolai what are you doing?" Henstridge sighed. Nikolai looked up from her desk and smiled. He scooted in closer to the desk and leaned back in the chair, folding his fingers into a triangle shape.

"What do you think I'm doing?" 

"I think you're committing a felony by looking at anything in there." Henstridge shut the door behind her, setting her brief case by the chair.

"And how does that make you feel?" Nikolai drummed his fingers together in the triangle shape, his face blank of all emotion. Henstridge picked up the notepad that was on her desk and slapped him in the back of the head.

"Get up." She pulled the notepad back again like she was going to hit him, Nikolai laughed and ran over towards Corey before she could strike.

"What do you want?" She laughed.

"Wanted to talk to you about my new prescription, but my plan is moot, for I read your little scribbles!" He pointed at her accusingly.

"Patient abuse I say!" He screamed in a British accent.

"I thought I heard stupid from down the hall." A taller man walked in.

"Clarky! Mah baby! You've come for me!" Nikolai shouted in a high voice.

"I must have been mistaken, I thought I heard stupid, but it was really moronic." Clark rolled his eyes and hugged his partner.

"Corey my love, this is the 'Other man' I was telling you about." Nikolai looked at Corey, who was blushing and giggling to himself quietly.

"I hope he didn't cause any permanent damage. He chewed through his leash." Clark raised an eyebrow at Corey.

"Nope, everything still in place." Corey smiled, and spoke softly. Clark winked at him.

"I'll get him out of your hair, Henstridge." Clark pulled Nikolai from the office. Henstridge opened her mouth to speak to Corey when he popped his head back in.

"What if I told you the meds made me itch in the worst places?" Nikolai pouted. Clark's hand was seen covering his mouth and pulling his lover out of the office. Henstridge shut the door and locked it.

"You're probably traumatized from the talking tornado over there." She nodded towards the locked door. "If you need more therapy, I don't blame you."

"He's nice, a bit crazy... but nice." Corey smiled.

"He's been through a lot, if he hadn't have found Clark I don't know what he would have done." She sat down in her chair.

"I know what that's like..." Corey smiled distantly and thought of his muscular doctor waiting down the hall.