Erotic Spice - An Ongoing Story Blog

“He asked if we could drop it off on our way home,” Sasha explained with a smile as he handed Jonathan the heavy tome the Prince had promised to lend Vincent.

“Thanks, hon. I’ll give it to him when he finally pops his head out of his cave,” Jonathan told him with a chuckle. “Did you want to come in for a bit?”

Jerrett spoke up from behind Sasha with a sultry smile. “No. We have things to do tonight.”

The voice made Jonathan twitch and back a step before he could stop himself.

In a contrary mood, Jerrett decided not to let it go this time. With a mischievous gleam in his eyes, he reached out and stroked a finger along Jonathan’s collarbone. “What’s wrong, Johnny-boy? Don’t you like me?”

The spectacularly poor choice of words coupled with the condescending tone shot an icy wave of adrenaline through Jonathan. Heart slamming against his ribs, he no longer saw the condo or Sasha or Jerrett. The book dropped from his fingers with a heavy thud. A strangled cry caught in his throat and he swung hard.

Jerrett was startled, but not slow. He caught the fist before it landed. “Hey, now… easy.”

Drew came out of the kitchen when he’d heard the noise. He wasn’t quite sure what was going on, but he knew one thing. Jerrett that close to Jonathan holding his balled up fist couldn’t be a good thing. “Jonathan…?” Drew called to him as he crossed the room quickly.

Chest heaving, green eyes huge with panic, Jonathan’s head whipped around at the sound of his name. A familiar, beloved voice called him from down a long, dark corridor. Drew resolved in his vision, his bristle-short hair a poignant reminder of where and when he was.

He backpedaled two steps and fetched up against the wall. “Sorry…sorry…” he whispered as he buried his face in his hands.

Drew slid his arms around him, bright hazel eyes regarding Jerrett with hostility. He could guess what had happened now.

Jerrett bent and picked up the book. He handed it to Drew at arm’s length. “I didn’t mean to startle you, Jonathan,” he said, which was as close to an apology as he was going to get. He collected Sasha at the door and closed it behind them.

Drew held Jonathan close and kissed his temple. “Are you alright?” he asked softly.

With a shuddering sigh, Jonathan wrapped his arms around Drew’s neck. “Yeah. Mostly. He didn’t…he was just teasing. Not like he knows. Just wish it would stop happening. Just ‘cause someone’s the same shape and coloring. Damn…”

He held tight, waiting for his heart to slow again. Then he lifted his head to give Drew a crooked smile. “Thank you for saving me, though.”

Drew touched his forehead to Jonathan’s and smiled. “Any more dragons you would like me to slay before dinner, my sweet prince?”

“Oh, see, now…” Jonathan chuckled and ran a finger down Drew’s nose. “We can’t have any dragon slaying in this house. Would upset our resident Dragon too much. But you could set the table for me.”

“Okay.” Drew set the book down on the coffee table and headed to the kitchen to get the plates and silverware.

Jonathan leaned against the wall a few moments more to collect himself. It didn’t happen too often anymore but still sometimes in a supermarket aisle or on his walk home, the light would hit some tall, dark, sexy man just right…

He had to get over it with the people in their lives, though. It was just ridiculous. But Jerrett acted too much like Damien and Brandon looked too much like him. Dammit.

After dinner they all settled on the sectional in the living room to watch a little mindless TV and snuggle, Drew curled up close on Vincent’s right and Jonathan stretched out with his head in Vincent’s lap. Of course, since everyone was comfortable, the phone rang.

“Hi, handsome! Think I can borrow Jonathan on Thursday?” Der asked on the other end of the line.

“I’ll have to ask him. Borrow him for what, dearheart?”

“Ron Green’s in town and he’s playing at the Rose Café and I know our Jon likes him. Brandon and I thought he might like to tag along.”

Jonathan hesitated over the question when it was put to him. But, for chrissakes, if he was going to get over this, he needed to make an effort. “Tell him yes, babes.”

#

Brandon felt a curious role reversal as Der sat on the bed and watched him get dressed. Or helped him rather. Brandon was pretty causal about clothes. Whatever was comfortable and looked halfway decent was fine with him. But he had decided that for their ‘date’ tonight with Jonathan he should make a little effort. He wanted to look nice, but not threatening. Like he’d dressed up, but not like he was looking for anything. It was harder than he thought. Der’s taste of course ran a bit more flamboyant than his own.

In the end he went for simple. Gray slacks and a light blue button down. Pretty boring really but he was content to let Der and Jon shine.

In Der’s opinion, Brandon would have made a burlap sack look sexy. But it had been awfully fun to watch him get dressed and undressed over and over, so he’d refrained from saying so. “You’re perfect, love,” he rumbled and kissed Brandon softly.

He’d kept his own clothes fairly understated. The black leathers weren’t his tightest or his lowest cut, and only had a single chain. The black t-shirt with ‘Fallen Angel’ emblazoned in red was tighter than he remembered but then he’d been working out more. Brandon inspired such things.

When they picked Jonathan up, he was glad he’d gone for a bit staid since little Jon had pulled out all the stops and looked achingly drool-worthy. His gray slacks had no pockets, so nothing interfered with the smooth curve of his beautiful ass, and were made of some mysterious material that clung to him in all the right places and changed shade subtly as he moved. The green silk shirt was the perfect color for his eyes and hugged his lean muscled torso in enticing ways.

It still felt just a little bit odd to Brandon, to be picking another guy up and taking him out, but he told himself it was just for dinner and some fun and not to be so uptight. The fact that Jonathan looked hot enough to burn the place down helped distract him, sort of.

The café was packed that night but Der had reserved a table ahead of time so they had no trouble getting dinner. Jonathan seemed pleased to be there with them, chatty and charming, though Der did notice he was used as a buffer, with Brandon on one side and Jonathan on the other.

The artist was one of those old-fashioned troubadours who stood on stage with just a mic and guitar, told stories in between songs, interacted with the audience and took requests. A lot of his humor was dark and quirky, a lot of his songs were, too, but it was hard not to get caught up in his enthusiasm.

Bandon sat back and enjoyed the show and had a few more beers since Der was driving. The atmosphere was relaxed and so was he. Although he wasn’t consciously trying to, he was a bit reserved and let Der and Jon do a lot of the talking. Somewhere in the back of his head he still felt bad, remembering the way Jonathan had said he missed Der and was trying to let him make up for it.

When the performance and several encores were complete, Der stood and stretched. “All right, boys. I’ll go get the car and meet you out front.” Brandon wasn’t exactly drunk but maybe a little tipsier than would be good for a long walk through nocturnal city streets. Besides, with his long legs he could get there and back before either Jonathan or Brandon could make it two blocks.

Jonathan watched him go, swallowing a protest. Brandon…it was just Brandon. The love of Der’s life. The fireman who had helped save their house. “Um…I’ll meet you out front, Bran. Gotta take a whiz real quick.”

“Alright.” Brandon agreed, and suppressed a little sigh as Jonathan headed toward the back. Maybe he was just being too sensitive. Maybe he just imagined the tension in Jonathan. He knew that was a lie though. He knew now why Jonathan acted funny around him, after Der had explained it to him.

It was hard for Brandon to wrap his head around. Yeah, he was a pretty big guy, but he wasn’t enormous or anything and he’d never thought of himself as intimidating. He was Mr. Nice Guy for christsakes. He would never hurt anyone intentionally. He could count on one hand how many actual fights he’d been in, and those he hadn’t started. He knew Jonathan’s reaction had nothing to do with him personally, but it was still puzzling to deal with.

He finished his beer, got up and went outside to wait for Der and Jonathan.

The café’s door opened into an alley rather than to the street. During the day with other little shops open in the alley and people coming and going, it wasn’t bad. At night, with the only light coming from the café’s door and most of the patrons gone already, it had an eerie, menacing feel to it.

A crunch of broken glass drew Brandon’s head to the right. Four men emerged from the dark belly of the alleyway.

“Hey.”

Brandon tried to ignore them and turned to walk out to the street.

“Hey, faggot! I’m talkin’ to you!”

They surrounded him, cutting off every path of retreat.

“This the one, Jimmy? The one that was kissing the big freak?”

“Yeah.”

“Gonna teach you a lesson, you fuckin’ queer, about showing your face ‘round here.”

Brandon rolled his eyes, just enough beer in his system to make the situation feel more ironic than as dangerous as it really was. It was almost comical that he’d just been musing about how much of a nonviolent pacifist he was. The universe had a strange sense of humor. But then he remembered Jonathan wasn’t far behind him, and the situation no longer seemed as funny. Shit.

“Wow… there’s still some genuine homophobes in this city? You guys missed the bus, the last of you was exported to your own special island months ago. Didn’t you get the memo?”

Apparently his humor was not appreciated. They closed around him, then got brave and lunged. Instinctively Brandon tried to protect his freshly healed side, which unfortunately left him open in a few more vital areas like his face and stomach. He fought back hard, but there were more of them than him and before long one of them got his arms and suddenly Brandon was more worried about how bad this beating was going to get than if Jonathan popped out the door.

Jonathan sauntered down the hallway to the door, whistling softly. He really had been in the men’s room. While he didn’t touch alcohol anymore, the curry he’d had for dinner had been tingle-your-scalp spicy and he’d downed a heck of a lot of water.

His steps slowed as he approached the door and the familiar sounds of fists hitting flesh reached him. Damn. Oh, damn. He should go back in and call the cops. He crept closer and eased the door open a crack. Two big bruisers held Brandon’s arms behind his back. A third struck him hard enough in the stomach to make him double over while the fourth followed with a solid crack to his jaw.

“Shit. Oh, shit.” Jonathan flattened himself against the wall. The old urge to run rose up in him. Run far and fast. It wasn’t him out there and they hadn’t seen him…

Brandon cried out in pain when one of them kicked him in the nuts. The old Jonathan disappeared. Anger flooded through him. Bastards. Sons of bitches. Too damn cowardly to take on a fight except in packs. He grabbed the first thing at hand, a fire extinguisher, and rushed outside. Later he would see the irony in it, at the moment it was merely a heavy, hard object.

He took it by the handle and swung hard, connecting with the nearest man’s head. That one howled and fell to his knees, so he swung at the next one. “Leave him alone, you motherfuckers! Get the hell away!”

Perhaps it was the ferocity of the attack or simply the shock that anyone would dare, but the men attacking Brandon backed off. Two of them tried to seize Jonathan but he was too quick and too flexible. He twisted from their grasp like a little silverfish and swung his impromptu club into one’s head and the other’s nose.

An easy bit of fag bashing quickly turned into too much trouble. They ran.

Brandon had fallen to his knees, gasping. Jonathan flung the extinguisher away and rushed to him. “Bran! Oh…christ…how bad? Hospital bad or you better help me to the car bad?”

Brandon couldn’t answer Jonathan’s question. He couldn’t speak, he could hardly breathe. All he could do was kneel curled over while he tried to get his nuts to come down from being lodged somewhere in his stomach. He coughed and spit blood, though he was fairly sure it was from a cut in his mouth rather than anything more serious. The iron tight band around his chest eased ever so slightly. “Fuck…” he wheezed.

“I’ll call 911,” Jonathan suddenly decided.

Brandon reached out and touched his arm, his grip surprisingly gentle considering. He shook his head. “No… s’ok…jus gimme a minute,” he gasped.

Jonathan’s hands twitched and fluttered and finally settled on Brandon to stroke his back and hold him up. “Poor Bran,” he murmured. “Shit. I’m sorry. I should’ve been with you.”

He let Brandon lean against his chest, telling himself not to worry about the blood. There were always more clothes in the world. “Christ, I’m sorry.”

Brandon shook his head slightly again. “No, better that you didn’t come out with me.” God, that would have been a disaster. Him getting beat on a bit was one thing, he couldn’t imagine having to watch Jonathan get jumped. With that thought he pushed himself up. No good staying around here tempting fate. “C’mon…let’s go find Der.” As soon as he said it a jolt of fear raced through him. “Oh fuck, come on.” He was probably fine, probably just having trouble with traffic. He ran anyway.

Jonathan raced after him, wanting to tell him to slow down before he fell over but the hearse pulled up to the curb before Brandon even reached the street.

Der leaped out and caught Brandon as he staggered. “Hell’s gates, love! What happened here?”

Brandon held Der at arms’ length for a moment to assure himself that he was unharmed and then pulled him close as the rush of adrenaline receded. “Oh. Fuck.” He swallowed hard and took a deep breath. Der was fine. Everything was fine. One more deep breath before he could answer Der’s worried questions. “I got jumped. I’m ok, just got knocked around a bit.” Then something occurred to him and he had to grin. “Jonathan came out and scared them off.” He chuckled. It was funny because it was true.

“Damn, babe…” Der growled, looking around as if he might still see attackers to take his vengeance on. He held Brandon gently, though, and what he had said finally got through the testosterone-fog. “Jonathan? Really? How did that happen?”

Jonathan stood close by, twisting his hands together anxiously. “There were four of them. I couldn’t just stand there and watch. I grabbed a…” He stopped and a little hysterical giggle got out. “A fire extinguisher.”

Brandon grinned and then winced. He settled on a small smile. “He extinguished them.” He said solemnly, and then they all cracked up. Brandon held his side and groaned. “Ouch, fuck… let’s go home.” He sighed.

“All right, love, easy now.” Der had an arm around him and helped him into the back of the hearse. He raised an eyebrow in surprise when Jonathan got in the back with him but he kept his mouth shut.

Jonathan tugged gently on Brandon’s arm. “Lay down, Bran. I got you. It’s OK.” Brandon had said it was all right but he still felt so bad. If he had been there, well, those creeps might have thought twice about jumping two people instead of one. He kept tugging until Brandon lay down with his head in his lap.

Brandon sighed as he tried to relax. His jaw throbbed and his gut ached. Even with those distractions he noticed Jonathan smelled good. “I’m so glad you didn’t get hurt, Jonathan.”

“Wouldn’t have been the first time,” Jonathan said with a little shrug. “I’m a tough little bastard…” Something in the way Brandon said it stopped him, though. He really meant it. Bruised and battered, Brandon was still worried about him. “Thank you.”

Brandon smiled up at him. “And what would Vince have said if the first time we took you out we brought you back with a black eye or something? He might not ever let you out again.”

“Vincent understands I’m a trouble magnet.” Jonathan stroked his hair absently. “He wouldn’t have blamed you.”

Vince might not have, but Brandon certainly would have.

They got Brandon home and had to help him up the stairs. Jonathan insisted he be put to bed and stayed to fuss over him, bringing ice and helping him off with his shirt, giving no sign that he intended to leave anytime soon.

Brandon leaned back against the pillows after Jonathan whisked his shirt off and lifted the ice bag back to his jaw. “Um…you don’t have to do this, you know,” Brandon said gently. “I’m okay.”

Jonathan snorted. “Right. You couldn’t even get up the steps. Yep, ready to run a marathon.” He strode back out of the bedroom shaking his head and muttering about macho firemen, going back to the kitchen for hot towels.

Der snagged him around the waist when he got there. “All right, pretty Jon. What the hell’s this all about? Brandon’s home, he’s comfy, I’m here. What’s with the nursemaid routine?”

Jonathan struggled to get away, anger in every line of his body, but when Der wouldn’t let go, he leaned against him. “It’s not…”

“Come on, sweetheart. It’s me.”

“I should’ve been with him.” Jonathan bit his lower lip. “I…left him when you went to get the car. ‘Cause I didn’t feel comfortable alone with him. How moronic is that?”

“So it’s guilt?”

“I guess…I just feel bad.”

“All right. Lemme call Vincent, let him know you’re with us.” Which he did while Jonathan wandered back to Brandon.

“You should probably take him to the doctor tomorrow, though,” Der told Vincent.

“Oh, why?”

“Really bad case of White Knight Syndrome. Maybe the worst I’ve ever seen.”

In the bedroom, Jonathan started to undo Brandon’s pants. When he protested, Jonathan made an impatient sound and slapped his hands away. “Stop it. I’m not threatening your virtue. You need some heat on your poor nuts.”

Brandon nearly choked on a laugh. “My ‘poor nuts’ don’t need heat,” he tried to protest again even as Jonathan pulled his pants down. He was not normally self-conscious but it felt strange to have Jonathan yanking his pants off. He was wearing a clingy pair of red microbriefs under the pants at least, although he wasn’t at all sure Jonathan wasn’t going to insist on an inspection.

“Those are, um…nice…” Jonathan said softly, his green eyes wide. Without any further warning, he buried his face in his hands and started to sob.

Brandon sat petrified and frozen. What had he done? He started to reach a comforting hand toward him and then stopped, not sure if he should touch him. “Jonathan? Please don’t cry… did I do something wrong?” He let his hand settle gently on his shoulder. If he so much as twitched he’d move to the other side of the room.

Jonathan turned and flung his arms around Brandon’s neck. “I’m sorry…I’m so sorry…” he gasped out through his sobs. “You’re not him…and I’ve been treating you like him…and I can’t help it…and I’m so…damn…sorry…”

Brandon caught Jonathan up and folded his arms around him carefully. “Oh…hon, it’s alright.” Brandon murmured softly. “It’s alright, I understand. You couldn’t help it.” He rubbed his back soothingly. “Shh…” He quieted him and held him, rocking gently as if he cradled a child. Brandon truly had a gentle soul and that someone had done such vile things to him…created so much trauma and damage… it raised every sense of outrage he had.

Jonathan nestled against him and let that soft voice wash over him. So different…so very different…he even smelled so different. He lifted his face, his chest still heaving as he struggled for control, and nuzzled at Brandon’s throat.

“You’re such a…a nice man,” he got out between gulped breaths. God, that sounded so lame.

Nice, yes, but not a complete saint. Brandon couldn’t help the little tingle that went through him as Jonathan cuddled up. Not that he was going to act on it.

Brandon lifted his hand to take one of Jonathan’s from around his neck and draw it down. He kissed the back of his fingers, just a light brush of his lips, and smiled at him. “Feel better?”

Jonathan nodded, his eyes on their joined hands. “It’s all so stupid, really. Being ambushed by memories. It’s the memories of him I’m scared of still. Not like the real person could ever hurt me anymore.”

“Why’s that?”

“I shot him.”

“Oh…” What exactly did one say to that kind of revelation? Well, he supposed it must have been in some kind of self defense or Jonathan wouldn’t be sitting in his lap at that moment.

Jonathan shivered and put his head on Brandon’s shoulder. “I didn’t…didn’t want to. I was trying to get him to stop hurting someone else. He went for me. The gun went off.” Brandon’s arms wrapped tight around him again as he shuddered uncontrollably.

Der stopped in the doorway, leaned back against the frame and flung an arm over his eyes. “Oh, my poor heart. I turn my back for five minutes and you move in on my Jonathan.”

Brandon gave him a helpless little grin and a one-shouldered shrug. It did look rather incriminating sitting there in his skivvies, pants around his ankles, and Jonathan cuddled in his lap.

In no shape to respond to any teasing, Jonathan turned, eyes glistening, arms held out. “Der…”

“Ah, he needs me after all,” Der murmured and strode across the room to scoop Jonathan up in his arms. “One of those moments, is it?”

Jonathan nodded against his neck.

“It’s all right, sweetheart, I’m here.” Der kissed the top of his head. “You wanna snuggle in the bed, maybe?”

Another nod and Der put him down on the covers to slip off his shoes.

“I can do that,” Jonathan said, his voice small and strained.

“Ah, I see. You want to watch me strip,” Der said with a serious nod. “Anything to please.”

He even got a little smile as he peeled slowly out of his t-shirt to the beat of a striptease only he could hear.

Brandon kicked his pants off the rest of the way as he watched Der with a little smile on his face as well.

Der undid the first two buttons on his leathers, then laced his hands behind his head and took the two steps towards the bed, hips rotating in invitation. Jonathan took the hint and undid the rest of the buttons while Der’s head dropped back as if the simple act of undressing him might be enough to get him off.

The leathers fell to his knees and he realized he still had his boots on. “Oh, damn.” He plunked down on the carpet, striptease forgotten, to wrestle his feet out of his chain-festooned jack boots. Jonathan’s laugh eased his heart. In nothing but his black bikini briefs, he came up on his knees to start undoing Jonathan’s shirt buttons.

“Don’t…Der…stop that,” Jonathan protested softly.

“You either trust him or you don’t, pretty Jon,” Der whispered. “Time to decide.”

A little flare of anger flicked across Jonathan’s face and vanished. “All right, you big dork. Go on, then.”

Der slid the silk from Jonathan’s shoulders and slipped his arms out gently. Brandon’s view of Jonathan’s back couldn’t have been any clearer.

Jonathan couldn’t see Brandon’s face, but Der could. The slight tightening of his jaw and hardening of his eyes that said he was angry. Der bent close to Jonathan ear and kissed there, his eyes locking with Brandon’s for a second in silent communication. Better to not say anything then. Brandon took a breath and cleared away the flare of outrage that anyone could be so inhuman.

He leaned closer, taking the opposite side Der had. His hand softly caressed Jonathan’s shoulder and kissed the top edge in a little brush that asked, ‘is this okay’?

A shiver ran up Jonathan’s spine but it had nothing to do with fear. He lifted a hand to stroke the back of Brandon’s head, gentle, tentative but definitely interested. This was the stuff of wet dreams, after all, having two big, gorgeous men making him the center of attention.

Brandon almost hated to ask, but he felt compelled to. “You’re not going to get into trouble for this, are you?” he whispered over the curve of Jonathan’s ear.

Jonathan turned his head to nuzzle at Der’s jaw. “Did you ask?”

“About what?”

“About this.” He ran a finger down Der’s naked chest.

“Yes.”

“And?”

Der caught his lips in a tender, searching kiss. “Vince said I could keep you tonight if you wanted to stay. And that we could, yes. But I’m not allowed to spank you too hard.”

With permission thus granted, Brandon tipped Jonathan’s head back and brought his lips in slowly, giving him plenty of opportunity to turn away if he wanted to. When he didn’t, Brandon let his lips slide over Jonathan’s in a soft caress, his hand cradling the back of his head.

Jonathan’s heart sped, his breath caught in a sighing moan. Brandon was so damn sweet. No wonder Der spent so many nights in these days. He brought his hands to Brandon’s shoulders and slid his palms down to rest on his pecs.

When Brandon drew back a moment, Jonathan whispered, “You’re freaking hot for an apple pie, all American boy.”

“For apple pie, huh?” Brandon teased. He chuckled, somehow managing to make the sound slightly dark and sensual, and then kissed him again, bowing him backward and turning up the heat to scorching.

Jonathan let Brandon support his weight, dizzy from the passionate onslaught. “Piping hot, burn your tongue apple pie,” he whispered.

Der had moved farther up on the bed and slipped an arm under Jonathan as well and now the sensual assault came from both sides, as Brandon and Der took turns with hungry, increasingly demanding kisses.

Der had Jonathan’s lips so Brandon kissed a line down the side of his throat. His hand stroked over the smooth skin of his chest, a fingertip toying with his nipple before sliding slowly lower. He caught the lobe of Jonathan’s ear between his lips. “You’re so beautiful…” He breathed over the curve of his ear as his fingers skated lightly along the edge of his underwear.

“I think we should show Brandon just how beautiful,” Der said in a husky murmur. He slid a hand down Jonathan’s ribs and undid his fly. He wasn’t wearing much underneath, just a tiny Brazilian thong that barely kept his package contained, and Der decided that would have to go, too.

“Stand up for us, sweetheart, show Brandon one of those…thingies you do,” Der said with a soft smile.

Jonathan rolled his eyes. “And Vincent tells me to be more specific.” He knew what Der meant, though, and stood slowly to walk three steps to the center of the room. There he bent in half and then more than in half to put his forearms flat on the floor and kick up into a forearm- stand, his body rising from his elbows in a perfect, graceful arc.

Brandon made the appropriate appreciative sounds with a grin on his handsome face. “Ooo, flexible.” He chuckled.

“Mmm, yes,” Der purred. “And oh so much more.” He traced a claw down the back of Jonathan’s thigh to the bottom curve of his perfect ass. “With the sweetest buns you will ever set eyes on.”

“You are such a cornball,” Jonathan said with a snort and bounced back to his feet as if his limbs had springs.

“But you love me.” Der pretended an anxious hesitance. “You do love me, don’t you? I’d hate to think I was just being used.”

Jonathan slunk towards him and reached up to wrap his arms around Der’s neck. “I think you like being used. Doesn’t he, Brandon?”

“Sometimes…” Brandon said lightly. He traced a fingertip up the back of Der’s arm.

“Oh, baby.” Der closed his eyes on a shiver. “Tie me up and tie me down. You two can use me any way you want.”

Jonathan let out a soft laugh. “And I do love you, you big goofball.” Big, green eyes turned to Brandon. “What should we do with him?”

Brandon thought for a moment and then got up and went to the dresser. Opening a drawer, he looked and then pulled out a leather harness. It was a simple one, a large ring front and back with four leather straps, two over the shoulders and two around the ribs, making an X. From the front ring a fifth strap hung straight down the middle with a ring at the end.

He brought it to the bed with a smile for Der that was pure seduction. “Arms up.” Der put his arms up rather quickly and the corners of Brandon’s lips curled more. He slid the harness in place on his chest and removed Der’s undies. With more caresses and strokes than were strictly necessary he place the ring hanging from the fifth strap around Der’s stiff cock and carefully drew his balls through.

Taking his face between his hands Brandon kissed Der with smoldering heat. “I love the way you look in that.”

Der looked up at him, his voice smoky with desire. “I love the way you look at me when I’m in this.”

“Yum,” Jonathan murmured and slid up on the bed with an impish grin. “Could I watch for awhile?”

“Of course you can.” Brandon said and then flashed a gin at him. “The question is, how long will you be able to just watch?” He winked and got a little smile back that warmed his heart. Without further warning he slid his hands around the front straps of Der’s harness and pushed him back on the bed, prowling over him and searing his lips with a deep kiss. When he felt Der’s hands knead into the muscles of his back he moved slowly downward, kissing his chin, the crook of his neck, moving down his chest and over his sternum in hot little kisses and licks.

When he got into lower regions he slowed down even further, taking his time to stroke his lips and tongue over every inch of him. By the time he had Der panting, Brandon was ready to switch things around a bit and he took hold of the harness again, using it to flip Der over on his belly, and then gripping the back of the harness and pulled him up onto his knees.

The tug pulled on the ring around Der’s cock and balls. “Oh…gods…” he gasped out. If his erection stood up any straighter, he could use it as a level. “Mmm…nothing like being manhandled at the end of a tough day.”

Jonathan stretched out on his side, head propped on his hand, the picture of decadent ease though his heart pounded in his chest and in his groin. He traced a finger over the covers, his eyes never leaving the sensual play in front of him and while he wanted badly to touch, to join in, he knew he wasn’t quite ready.

Brandon slowed down, pushing Der forward a bit more gently than he’d done this far until he was on hands and knees facing Jonathan. He curled over his back to place soft kisses along his shoulders and down his back while he stroked soft caresses up and down his thighs and around his hips and adorable ass.

He purred at the base of his spine letting the vibrations travel along his tailbone. “I love you so much.” He whispered along his skin. “So much…” He squeezed a dollop of lube from the tube he snagged off the nightstand onto his fingers and pressed between Der’s cheeks, sinking first one, then two fingers inside.

“Love you…too…” Der gasped out as he was entered. He let out a little growl of pleasure as Brandon moved his fingers in and out. “Make me want to howl at the moon… damn… feels so incredible…”

Jonathan clicked his tongue in mock disapproval. “We can’t have that. Think of the neighbors. Do we have to get your chew toy?”

Der arched a brow at him, the movement only making his pleasure-soaked expression sexier. “You didn’t bring it, did you?”

“Sorry, no,” Jonathan answered with a sad little shake of his head. Then he brightened, slid feet first towards Der and spread his legs to either side of his hands. “But I’ve got something that might work instead.”

“Ooo, bring it here, little man.”

Jonathan scooted closer, grabbed Der’s harness at the shoulders and yanked down so Der’s head ended up over his crotch.

“What nice presents you bring me,” Der murmured before he licked a slow line up the underside of Jonathan’s hard cock.

Brandon experienced a little flash of memory, when Drew had been spread out almost just like that beneath his hungry mouth, and it had been Der who was about to slide into him. Rubbing the head of his cock between Der’s cheeks and teasing at his opening he waited until Der had taken Jonathan in his mouth before sinking inside.

Der’s muffled moan sent licks of fire up Brandon’s middle. His fingers curled around the bottom of the harness and he used the leverage to pull himself in deep, the slow smooth glide forcing a pleasure soaked groan from his own lips. “Ohhh…damn, babe…” he got out in a heated whisper. “So good…”

Jonathan stroked Der’s hair gently to get him to ease off sucking on him like a tootsie pop. “Slow down, hon. No need to rush.” He watched Brandon, willing the little shivers to go away. Tender and full of devotional passion, Brandon’s expressions were…angelic, to match the beautiful winged lady on his back.

Brandon slowed his pace as well, gliding in and out of Der in a slow rhythm. Still holding onto the harness with one hand he released the other to slide around Der’s hip and wrap around the jutting member between his legs. The palm of his hand rubbed over the tip of Der’s cock and spread the slippery precum there around. “Mmm… you like that, huh…” He murmured as he stroked him slowly. He bent low over Der’s back again so he could whisper along his shoulders. “Tastes yummy, doesn’t he…”

“Mmhmm,” Der got out in a desperate whimper. His hips rolled with Brandon’s stroking, the heavy, sensual pressure building at lightning speed. He pushed back against Brandon, pleading with his hips and muffled moans.

“You want your handsome fireman to fuck you, hon?” Jonathan said with a sensual little smile. “Is that what you can’t say? You want him to fuck you hard?”

Brandon felt a sudden flush of heat as his nerves sizzle-fried with Jonathan’s words. Der’s muffled groan of excited agreement only made it hotter and he eagerly responded with a hard groan of his own as he slammed his hips forward and yanked Der back to meet him at the same time. His head spun as he let his control slip and got a little rough.

Der met his thrusts with equal force while he wondered if his brain would melt all over Jonathan’s beautiful ripped abs. There was a little pain. Brandon wasn’t usually this fierce. But he was so far gone in the pleasure it only added extra bite.

He sucked harder on Jonathan, his heated gaze devouring every squirm and wriggle as Jonathan flung his head back and bucked up into his mouth.

“Oh, that’s our good wolf…ohgod…eat me up, baby,” Jonathan moaned as his fingers clutched hard at Der’s head.

Brandon pushed his knees farther between Der’s legs, making him spread more as his hips pumped in a quick rhythm over him. His lips and teeth grazed his shoulder and his hand stroked him faster as he grew closer and closer. “Come for me sweetheart.” He panted in Der’s ear. “Come for me… I want to feel you go before I do.”

The frantic little cries from Der, the way every muscle in his body tightened, they both knew he had only been waiting for the word. Jonathan grabbed a fistful of his hair and held his head still. Though Der still licked and suckled at him frantically, he could hold out. He wanted to watch.

Der’s whole body shook as his climax roared through him, the incredible combination of pleasures almost an overdose. His groans of ecstasy vibrated against Jonathan’s cock as his body pulsed and shot his seed into Bandon’s waiting hand.

“Oh…fuck… oh, Der…” Brandon shuddered as Der’s body gripped him hard. He curled over him tight and shoved into him as deep and hard as he could as he came, gasping as the spasms wracked through him.

So gorgeous together… Jonathan let go of Der’s hair and caressed his shoulders instead as Der’s head bobbed up and down the length of his shaft. His soft moans were the stuff of summer afternoon daydreams, soaked in erotic bliss.

Still panting and head spinning Brandon eased himself back. He lay down next to them, catching his breath and watching the incredibly lovely sight of Jonathan’s cock disappearing into Der’s mouth. He stretched an arm up over his head and lay on his side, then couldn’t resist leaning in to place a small kiss on the smooth curve of Jonathan’s shoulder.

Jonathan’s hand slid through his hair to the back of his neck and tugged up until Brandon’s lips touched his. He closed in to kiss him hard, Brandon’s little intake of breath the only indication of his surprise before he answered with passionate zeal. Jonathan arched and groaned into Brandon’s mouth as the first wave of his orgasm dragged him under.

Brandon eased his hand to the back of Jonathan’s neck and kissed him as each breathless shudder ran through his body. When he lifted his mouth he smiled down at him tenderly and kissed the tip of his nose.

The innocence of discovery suffused Jonathan’s smile, all coyness and mischief banished. “You’re such a sweetheart. I’ve been so blind.” He patted Der’s hip where he had collapsed on his side. “You’re damn lucky to have him.”

“Mmm, I know,” Der murmured against Jonathan’s throat. “You’re not gonna try and steal him from me, are you, pretty Jon?”

“Oh, probably not,” Jonathan said as he slid an arm under Der. “But I’m glad you don’t mind sharing.”

Brandon slid a little closer behind Jonathan as he cuddle up to Der. The line of his body and Der’s seemed to ensconce Jonathan between them. He was glad Jonathan seemed to have gotten over his fear. Brandon hadn’t quite gotten over his ‘carefulness’ though, and he didn’t know if that would go away or not. He supposed it would, in time.

As he let his mind wander a bit it stumbled on something. “You know, I asked you earlier if Vince was okay with you staying, but we never asked about Drew. I know you wouldn’t be here right now if it was a problem, I’m just curious what he thinks of…um, arrangements.”

Jonathan frowned and turned to face him and stroke a finger through his hair. “Drew doesn’t always say what he thinks. You don’t always find out until later. It’s funny. Before it was always him when there was someone else involved. And me being a jealous bitch, more often than not, ‘cause I’m insecure as hell. He’s probably talked to Vince about it. No, I know he has. But he didn’t say anything to me besides ‘have fun’.”

Brandon chuckled softly and kissed him, fingers trailing through his hair. “Dinner, music, friends, and playing white knight. I’d say it was a pretty fun night.”

~*~

Drew collapsed over Vincent’s chest, his sides heaving as he tried to catch his breath. This was his favorite place on earth to be, wrapped in Vince’s arms, head on his chest, with the warmth of his come and slowly softening cock still inside him.

It felt a little strange to have Vince all to himself for the night. Strange and nice, although he missed Jonathan. He wondered if this was how Jonathan had felt when he would spend the night over Der’s. Although, it was Der and Brandon’s now. He also wondered how their night went, although he supposed it was going pretty good since Jonathan hadn’t come home, and that made him wonder if Jonathan would be spending more time with them now… Not that he would mind. He just had to think about things like that so he could get used to it, he never did well with change, but he was getting better at it.

Vincent hummed his satisfaction and stroked Drew’s back softly. “Mmm, my love, you are perfection.” He wrapped his arms around him and held him tight, simply because it felt good.

He lifted Drew’s face to kiss his lips. “Are you worried at all about him, my kestrel?” he asked out of the blue. “Or for him or over him?”

Drew blinked long lashes at him, and then smiled a tired little smile. “I little, I guess.” He shifted to Vince’s side, one arm and one leg still draped over him. “I mean, I know he’s alright…or will be alright. He’d call, or come home if he wasn’t alright.” His fingertip circled slowly around Vince’s nipple, playing absently.

“Drew…” Vince waited until Drew looked up at him again. “Is there something bothering you?”

“No.” The response came just a little too automatically and Vince frowned at him. “No, not really. Does it bother you? Not that he’s with Der, but with Der and Brandon?”

Vincent gave a soft chuckle. “My kestrel has learned to deflect questions. Even so, I’ll answer. There’s a part of me that is all territorial Alpha. Can’t be helped. A small part that wants to storm over there and demand he come home where he belongs. I know this part is unreasonable and absurd. So I tell it to go hunt some elk and leave me in peace.”

Drew’s little laugh eased his heart, so he went on, “The majority of me knows how important this is for Jonathan. To regain his peace and his sense of safety. To reconnect with our Derelict in a way he felt he had lost. To face his fears and conquer them on his own terms.”

Drew nodded his head on Vince’s shoulder, knowing that what he said was exactly right. He knew Jonathan needed this as well, in more ways than just the obvious. More than just reconnecting with Der, more than just getting over his unreasonable fear of Brandon. If he could get around that hurdle maybe the next time he met some guy with his size and shape, he wouldn’t automatically tense up. Maybe he would never get over it, but at least he was trying.

So, did it bother Drew that he was away from them? That Brandon might be touching him right now, kissing him… He pictured that in his head and squirmed a little, but not with any kind of primal territorial whatever Vince called it. It just made him hot. Of course Der would be there, too… somewhat to Drew’s surprise the moment he thought of Der, there was that stab or jealousy he’d been trying to figure out. Not jealous Der was with Jonathan, jealous Jonathan was with Der.

It was utterly ridiculous. Der paid him plenty of attention. He was always the first one he greeted when he came over, he was the first one he’d told about Brandon, he’d taken him home from the hospital, patiently given his time and ear when he needed someone to talk to. Whenever Drew needed him Der was there for him. To feel in anyway neglected just because he took Jonathan out on a date was utterly infantile. Der had a lot of people in his life and he still made time for Drew, and it wasn’t like Drew was pining away for lack of affection either.

He sighed and rolled to his back, rubbing his hand over his eyes. Okay. He was not going to pout. He was not going to whine. Of course Der was going to spend most of his time with Brandon. And he had other friends that he saw even less than Drew. He hadn’t been over to see Quinn and Ethan or the Prince, or even Ms. Katya in forever. It would be completely and totally selfish to ask for Der to share any more of himself than he already did.

“Vince, sometimes I’m such an idiot,” he said softly.

“No, love, you’re not.” Vincent ran his fingers over his crew cut short hair. “You’re human.”

“We haven’t gone out in a long time. You want to go do something this weekend? We could invite Der and Brandon, or just go ourselves?”

But I have work to do and things to see to… Vincent told his practical side to shut up. There was more to life than work. “What a lovely thought. What would you like to do?”

Drew hesitated, hoping the little vibe of nervousness wouldn’t be noticed, but knowing Vince missed nothing. He rarely asked to do anything he knew Vince couldn’t participate in fully, or didn’t really enjoy… no, make that never, he’d never asked. He licked his lips. “We could go to Switchbacks.” He suggested, tilting his head to look at Vince, and hesitating slightly again. “Xavier said he could get us in.” Which he hoped would not get Xav in trouble.

The immediate negative almost got out before Vincent stopped himself. It wasn’t as if any of them would drink and it wasn’t as if Drew had never been there before…that stopped him a second time. That had been a different Drew, a different time, almost a different geological era as far as he was concerned.

“That would be nice,” he said with a kiss for Drew’s nose. “I’ve never seen Xavier dance. At work, that is.”

Drew almost said never mind, he didn’t miss Vince’s hesitation, but he did want to go. They hadn’t gone out to have fun in so long, not since before he got sick, and Vince and Jonathan both got so wrapped up in work… it would be good to get out. He smiled and kissed Vince back. “Thank you.”

Vincent laughed and hugged him tight. “I should thank you. Now Jonathan won’t torment me so much about being a shut in.”

Xavier sat with his knees bent, legs folded back, ass between his ankles in front of the TV shooting zombies and blowing things up.

“How can you sit like that? Don’t you get uncomfortable?” DJ asked him from the couch.

 “Nope. I’m flexible.” Xav said. Without taking his eyes off the TV he brought both legs around one at a time, putting the bottoms of his feet together directly in front of his crotch in what looked like it should have put something out of joint. “Better?”

 

“No, not really.” DJ laughed.

 They were waiting for Dave to get home. DJ was reading a medical journal while Xav played and occasionally he spouted out some bit of info that was interesting or that they laughed about. DJ liked to try and gross him out with the ER stories.

 “Geez, listen to this one. Some guy apparently was jacking off at work near a conveyor belt…”

 “Um… if this involves…”

“It ripped his testicle right off.”

 

“Gah… do you have to read me these things?” Xav asked, shifting around uncomfortably.

 

DJ chuckled morbidly. The next one though wasn’t really funny. DJ clicked his tongue. “Man, that sucks. Poor kid.”

 

“I don’t want to know!” Xav said while he plowed through the undead.

 

“What was this kid thinking? He tied a rope around his neck to choke himself while he was jacking off. He passed out with the rope still cutting off his air and almost died. Left him with brain damage.”

 

Xavier shook his head. “That musta been what happened to you.”

 

DJ laughed. “Naw, I never tried that before.”

 

“Really?” Xav asked, his interest piqued now.

 

DJ snorted. “Why, have you?”

 

Xav didn’t answer until DJ prodded him.

“I few times. We used to do it when I was a kid.”

 

“We?”

 

Xavier died on the screen. “Fuck!”

 

Dave walked in the door then, and Xav switched off the game.

“Your brain is going to turn into pudding playing that damn thing,” Dave muttered before he flung himself down next to DJ. Traffic had been hell and he was fighting a monster headache. “Maybe I need to get you one of those games where you actually move to play. Like with the guitars and drums and shit.”

Xavier arched a brow at him. “When I’m at work, I move. When I’m home I want to sit on my ass.” He got up and kissed Dave’s forehead on the way to the kitchen. “Don’t go fucking up my entertainment because you feel crapy. You need aspirin?”

 

“Yeah. Sorry. Damn head. Didn’t mean to growl.”

 

Xav came back in with the bottle of aspirin and a glass orange juice and handed it to Dave. He plopped down on his other side, draping one leg over the top of Dave’s and leaning back like it had been real hard work to get up and get him pills and a glass of OJ.

 

“So, who’d you play the game with?” DJ asked, picking up the earlier conversation Xav had abandoned.

 

“No one you know,” Xavier said. “Doesn’t matter.”

 

“Did it get you off?” DJ asked, with a little too much casual interest.

 

Xavier laughed and shook his head “You’re such a perv.”

 

“Takes one to know one,” Dave murmured, his eyes drifting shut as DJ’s thumbs dug hard into the tension in his shoulders. “Somehow I don’t think we’re talking about Zombie Apocalypse games. What perverted stuff did you two dig up now?”

“Some stupid kid turned himself into a cucumber.” Xavier said.

 

“Auto erotic asphyxiation.” DJ explained a little better.

 

“It’s the ‘auto’ part that usually causes the problem.” Xavier said. “You can’t lean back if you pass out. Not a good thing if you got a rope around your neck.”

 

“I don’t really get why anyone would do it anyway.” DJ said.

 

Xav shrugged. “Different reasons. Some people like the breath control aspect, it adds to the feeling of domination. Other people just like how it intensifies orgasm.”

Dave’s forehead wrinkled while he processed what Xav was saying. A picture came to his mind of his hand on Xav’s throat while he writhed under him. His brain said it sounded like a really dumb idea. His body wasn’t quite in agreement. He tugged on the leg of his jeans. “Even with someone else there, isn’t it kinda risky?”

Xavier did not miss Dave’s interest, despite how casual he tried to sound. Up until now they’d been talking theoretically, he thought, about someone else. Now he thought they might be talking about an experiment for themselves. He looked at DJ and back to Dave. Yeah, they were both interested, despite DJ’s claim that he didn’t get the appeal. “Well yeah, if your with a moron. You tell me how long you can go without oxygen?”

Dave snorted. “In your case, probably an hour since there’s nothing left up there.” He ducked the swat aimed at him with a laugh. “Hey! Ow! Seriously? About five minutes and your brain cells start cashing it in.”

“Yeah, and how long can you hold your breath before you start getting desperate? You start wanting air way before you even get  close to five minutes, and that’s if you’re just calmly sitting there.” Xav smirked. “If you’re doing something to exert yourself it’s even less time before you feel like you need air. If the person controlling your breath lets go when you start to struggle, you’re fine. If they don’t…” He shrugged in a casual way, but a guarded look skated over his eyes. “You’ll pass out, and if they let go at that point it’s still enough time before any permanent damage is done.”

Though not the best at reading reactions, Dave had gotten way better at reading Xav’s. He lifted Xav’s hand and kissed his fingers tenderly. “Is this something we should even be talking about, sweets?”

Xavier shrugged again, then tried to give Dave a reassuring smile. “No biggie.” He nodded his head toward DJ. “I just didn’t want you to go over his place and find him hanging in the closet with his pants around his ankles because he thinks he smarter than a dumbass kid.”

 

DJ snorted and rolled his eyes. “Thanks”

“Not a good image.” Dave closed his eyes on a shudder. “Thanks for sticking that in my head.” He put his head back and rested a minute, DJ’s hand rubbing his shoulder, Xav’s thumb stroking his fingers. They seemed to be waiting for him. “Well, since he’s so damn curious about it and since we don’t want any tragic incidents, maybe we should try it while we can supervise.”

Xavier laughed. “Oh, real smooth Brooks. Like I can’t tell you’ve been just waiting to get us naked?” He chuckled and leaned over to give him a soft kiss.

“It’s like some big surprise?” Dave said with a look of mock hurt. “Would you rather I just stomped in here and told you both to strip?”

“Works for me!” Xavier grinned.

 

DJ and Dave both laughed.

 

Xavier stood. He turned to face Dave, directly in front of him and popped the button on his jeans, slowly lowered the zipper, and slid his hands down inside. He bit one corner of his bottom lip and his eyes got a half closed sexy look. With his hands down the front of his pants it was a seriously hot look.

“You are so damn delicious, sweets,” Dave growled. “Go on.”

DJ slid his hands under Dave’s t-shirt and peeled him out of it.

 

“Hey! We got us a failure to communicate here,” Dave protested. “I said you two were supposed to strip.”

DJ chuckled softly as he kissed the nape of Dave’s neck. “I’ll get there, I’m just giving you a hand.”

 

“I bet.” Xavier said, sliding his hands to his hips and turning around. He had no underwear on, so when he slid his jeans down his thighs the peachy globes of his cheeks were almost under Dave’s nose. He brought his hands back up and snagged the edge of his t-shirt, pulling it off over his head and tossing it over his shoulder so it landed on Dave’s head.

With a grin Dave snagged the shirt and buried his nose in the fabric to breathe in Xav’s luscious vanilla and almond scent. Then he whirled the fabric around and snapped it towards those perfect cheeks locker-room fashion.

Xav flinched, but instead of jumping away he dropped back, falling into Dave’s lap and kicking his jeans the rest of the way off.

 

DJ had meantime shed his own shirt and was working on his pants.

 

Xavier wiggled in Dave’s lap and turned his head to kiss him.

After a slow, heated kiss, Dave whispered, “You looking for something special, hot stuff?” Before Xav could answer, Dave turned him around in his lap and pulled him hard against him before kissing him breathless.

DJ had finished getting out of his clothes and leaned back on the couch. He reached over and slowly let his fingers caress over Xavier’s shoulder and down his back following the curve of lean muscles under soft skin. He did have the most incredible body, and such a cute little ass. His fingers trailed over the crease and circled the little dimple at the top while Dave kissed him.

 

When Dave let him come up for air, DJ slid and arm around him and pulled him over for a heated kiss of his own, pulling Xav back until he was nearly laying flat across both their laps.

“Mmm, nice,” Dave murmured, his hand caressing Xav’s thigh. He curled forward to kiss the curve of his hip, then the nest of clipped blond curls around his erection and finally the tip of his cock.

Xavier rolled his hips, pressing his cock against Dave’s lips as DJ cradled the back of his neck and kissed him deep and hard.

 

When DJ finally let him up Xav shifted around so he straddled Dave’s lap and wrapped his arms around his neck, fingers diving into his hair an kissing him with smoldering heat.

With a groan, Dave reached under that gorgeous ass to adjust his badly angled erection and start working on his fly. He didn’t really care right then about any sort of kinky asphyxiation game. Xav had his head spinning and he just wanted him, so damn bad.

DJ ran one hand down Xavier’s back and over the smooth curve of his cheeks.

Xavier was a little surprised when he felt the light caress of DJ hand move into the crease of his ass and then the press of his fingers against his hole. Whenever things turned sexual DJ was usually all over Dave. He didn’t ignore Xav, they had touched and kissed and given each other blow jobs, but DJ hadn’t fucked him. Not that he was going to over analyze right now, he was way to horny for that!

 

Instead he slid back a little, bending foreword and moaning as DJ’s finger pushed inside him. Dave got his jeans down and Xavier rubbed his cock along Dave’s rock hard erection, taking both shafts in his hand to stroked them together.

“Hey, Deej,” Dave said in a soft, heated voice, his hands gripped tight on Xav’s biceps. “You’re both so damn hot. I wanna watch like you wouldn’t believe. But don’t you even think about taking him dry.”

DJ smiled at him, but there was a flicker of hurt in his eyes at the rebuke. “I wasn’t about to hon,” he answered just as softly. “Let’s head to the bedroom, hm?” he suggested, withdrawing from Xav and kissing the corner of Dave’s mouth.

“Sorry, sorry.” Dave turned his head to give him a soft, tender kiss. “Territorial snarling. Hormones taking over the brain and shit.”

He shifted to the edge of the couch, arms wrapped tight around Xavier and as he stood Xav helped out by wrapping arms and legs around him, too. He carried Xav to the bedroom and dumped him on the bed since it was so cool to watch him bounce. Then he turned and held out his hands to DJ, pulled him close and lifted his face for a hotter, lingering kiss.

DJ took his time, kissing Dave thoroughly, sliding his hands over his body and pulling him into a tighter embrace. He broke the kiss only to move to his jaw and down his throat, his fingers kneading into the muscles of Dave’s back.

Xavier laced his fingers behind his head and watched them. “So fuckin hot…” he murmured.

DJ turned his head toward him with a grin, releasing Dave so he could get the astroglide from the drawer beside the bed.

Dave moved around to the other side of the bed, but before he lay down Xavier scooted back, tipped his head over the edge of the bed and slid his hands up Dave’s outer thighs. He kissed and licked the balls hanging enticingly above his mouth, lipping at the loose skin and then sucking an orb into his mouth.

“Oh, now that’s enough to bring a man to his knees.” DJ murmured as he moved up onto the bed between Xav’s bent knees. He couldn’t resist stroking and lifting Xav’s cock so he could take it into his mouth.

Xavier moaned, sucking gently on the firm globe in his mouth and pushing his nose into the smooth stretch of skin behind Dave’s balls.

“It almost is, believe me,” Dave said with a soft moan, his hand on the headboard the only thing keeping him up. He moved back a bit and took his cock in hand to angle it down towards Xav’s eager, luscious mouth. “This must be what you’re looking for, yeah?”

Xavier took the head of Dave’s cock in his mouth, swirling his tongue around a few times before he plunged deeper. “Mmmmm….” He hummed around him to let him know how good he tasted, how much he loved doing this, his hands sliding up to cup Dave’s ass and pull him in even deeper.

DJ moaned around Xavier’s turgid cock as he watched him swallow Dave deeper. His now slippery lube-coated fingers wormed their way back between his cheeks and up inside him. Xavier’s hum turned into a longer moan and he pulled his knees higher, spreading his legs wider in encouragement. There was no one that made slutty look quite as sexy as Xav.

DJ slid his mouth up and down on Xav while his fingers stroked in and out and his other hand caressed his heaving torso. He pinched a nipple, rolling it hard between thumb and forefinger and Xav squirmed deliciously on the bed. DJ pulled his mouth off of him, letting his shaft slap back on his belly wetly. “mm… god, you taste so good…” He breathed over him. “I want to fuck you so bad.” He murmured and trailed the tip of his tongue up his belly and around his other nipple.

Xavier made a sound in his throat that was part bliss and part needy whine. He lifted his hips higher in invitation and that was all the encouragement DJ needed. He pressed the head of his cock into the snug passage Xav offered, slid his arms up under his legs and sank into him.

“Oh, yeah,” Dave growled. “Sweet.”

He put his hands on either side of Xavier’s chest and leaned forward on straight arms to give Xav better access and to reach DJ. His balls were already drawing up tight, Xav’s hot little mouth could do that. His enthusiasm alone could make a man weak in the knees. Dave caught DJ’s mouth in a searing kiss, a moan ripped from him as Xav sucked harder.

DJ locked lips with Dave, his tongue diving in for a taste of him while his hips drove hard into Xavier. His smooth tight walls clenched at him and DJ moaned into Dave’s mouth. “God… so damn tight…” he breathed as he moved in rhythmic thrusts.

“Rrrrmm,” Dave agreed, the low growl as close as he could get to verbal while Xav‘s fingers teased at his backdoor. He spread his feet wider for balance so he could support himself on one arm. His free hand slid down Xav’s smooth chest to wrap around his erection, thumb and forefinger closed around the shaft in a tight ring.

He pumped hard in time to DJ’s thrusts, his head spinning as Xav responded with desperate wriggles and moans.

Xavier was inundated with pleasure. Dave’s hard cock down his throat, DJ pumping between his legs, and the way Dave was working his cock… the minutes slid by and Xavier didn’t know how much longer he could go.

He felt the muscles of Dave’s backside tighten, heard the way his breathing suddenly sped, and then the long shuddering groan of release as the slightly bitter salty tang of Dave’s cum washed over his tongue. He pulled out of his mouth, the last little spurt landing on his chin.

Xav uttered a little cry. “So close…uhhh, I’m so close!” he panted. Perversely, Dave slowed the stroke of his hand, and Xavier pushed up desperately into his fist in quick little jerks.

“Easy, easy, sweetness. You were gonna show DJ how it’s done, remember?” Dave purred as he shifted around to sit on the bed. He leaned down for a heated kiss, his lips devouring Xavier’s and then lifting. He slid one hand to the back of Xav’s head to support it and with the other covered his mouth and pinched his nose shut.

Xavier’s eyes closed with a soft muffled moan in his throat. DJ had slid his hand around his cock where Dave had left off and was stroking him in time with his thrusts. Sooo good. Sooo fuckin good. He was going to explode any second. Before he could, DJ stopped. Xav gritted his teeth and made a tortured sound in his throat. He as at the limit of comfort with lack of air. He turned his head sharply and Dave’s hand slipped away, letting him get one deep cooling breath before he closed his hand back over his face.

DJ watched and he could not explain why it was so incredibly erotic, but it was. He edged Xavier up again, his own thrusts quickening. His thumb swept the leaking head of Xav’s cock over and over as he jerked him.

This time when Xav reached his limit of comfort and turned his head to the side Dave was ready and stayed with him. He was far from desperate for air, just a little lacking as his body tried to refuel the oxygen he was rapidly depleting from his exertions. Another few moments and he couldn’t stand it, he shook his head quickly back and forth and Dave lifted his hand for a second, letting him have another sip of air before he closed his hand over his face again.

He was climbing quick now, dancing right on the edge of orgasm. DJ fucked him harder, rocking the bed and panting hard as he got close too. The desire to breath started getting to him and this time Xav fought it longer. He was about to come, just a little more… that tingly buzzy feeling at the back of his head started and his balls tightened up…ohhh, he was gonna come so hard, he could feel it… black spots started to bloom behind his eyes and his back arched. The first powerful spasm hit him and the desperate need for air crashed into him at the same time. So perfect, the intensity made him cry out behind Dave’s hand and he pulsed again and once more before he violently yanked his head to one side, on the verge of passing out.

He got the first wonderfully beautiful gulp of cold air as DJ threw his head back on a pleasure filled cry and slammed into him, shuddering through an intense orgasm of his own.

Dave held Xav close watching both hot bodies writhe. He had shot a geyser all the way up to his throat when his climax first hit. Each successive shot landed only slightly lower.

“Wow,” Dave murmured as Xavier’s body relaxed in his arms. “I mean…fucking wow.”

“Uh huh…” Xav agreed shakily.

DJ eased out of Xavier, making them both groan and shiver. “Damn… that was so fuckin hot.” He breathed. He settled on Xavier’s other side and leaned down to kiss him softly.

Xav just lay there, floating on a body buzz, a tiny satisfied smile curling his lips.

“So there you go, Deej,” Dave murmured, his hand stroking over Xavier’s side. “Like a freaking fire hose. Still not interested?”

DJ chuckled softly and leaned over Xavier’s chest to kiss Dave tenderly. “Interested yes, for myself, no. It was hot to watch, but I think I’d freak out.”

Xavier hit his shoulder. “You are such a perv. You knew that to begin with, you just wanted to see it.”

DJ grinned unrepentantly. “It was worth seeing, beautiful.”

“Hell, yeah,” Dave agreed with a kiss to Xavier’s jaw. “And c’mon, admit it. You like DJ ‘cause he’s a perv.”

“I do not.” Xavier said.

DJ looked at him with a pout. “I think you hurt my feelings.”

“Shut up.” Xavier rolled his eyes.

“Oh, now that’s just rude.” He rolled Xavier over so he was half sprawled across Dave’s lap and smacked his adorable little ass.

“Hey!” Xav protested. “That is definitely not your prerogative!”

“No, it’s not.” Dave stroked the pink marks on Xav’s butt. “And if he does it again without asking, I’m gonna have to take him down. But you are being pretty damn rude, pretty boy. Say you’re sorry.”

Xavier just about snapped something back at Dave, and stopped. Hm, he was being pretty bitchy, and he wasn’t sure why. He teased DJ a lot, but it was a little unusual for him to go right on with it when they were in bed. He must be taking…something, out on DJ. He really wished his subconscious was in better contact with his conscious mind. This having to guess what was wrong with his own damn self was annoying.

“Sorry, Deej.” Xavier said, although instead of truly apologetic he looked a little confused. At least his tone was sincere. He got up. “I gotta go take a shower,” he murmured. He walked across the room naked, the pinkish imprint on his cute little butt like a beacon.

Dave scrubbed his hands over his face. “Great. Dammit. One of these days I’m gonna trust my first reactions.”

“What?” DJ asked, though he had some inkling.

“I think we stirred up something with the little game. And I don’t think it was something nice. And I don’t think Xav’s quite got a handle on it yet.”

DJ stroked his hand soothingly over Dave’s back, and rubbed his neck and shoulders. “Are you sure? I mean, he seemed pretty, uh… into it.” He said, although he was starting to feel a little guilty. He hadn’t meant to push Xav into anything. He thought Xavier was cool with everything, or he would have said something. “Couldn’t he just be being a princess right now?”

“OK, stop with the puppy-dog eyes.” Dave jabbed a finger at DJ’s bare chest. “Not. Your. Fault. Xav’s got stuff buried down so deep, he doesn’t know it’s there sometimes. And sometimes when he gets pissy or nasty, it’s this stuff trying to bubble up. And he’s got no clue where it’s coming from, yeah?”

DJ nodded, though he still felt bad.

In the shower Xavier stood under the hot spray of water. He knew Dave was probably sitting on the bed right now explaining to DJ how fucked up he was and he sighed.

It wasn’t like he was upset. Not really. The sex had been hot as hell. He’d come so hard he was still a little shaky, just like he thought he would. No, like he remembered he would. After his mom died and he went to a foster home, one of the other foster kids there had liked to play the choking game.

Xavier had, for a long time, blurred in his mind what had been consensual and what hadn’t during that time. Sharon had helped him work out that just because he’d gotten off a lot of the times didn’t mean he’d wanted or invited the other boy’s advances. He’d been thirteen, Mike was seventeen. The first few times Mike had come on to him he’d tried to fight him off. After a while though, it was just easier to give in.

Dave lay back down and pulled DJ into his arms. “Different kinds of hell, Deej. The three of us, we know what hell looks like. Just that we’ve been in different cities there.”

Xavier joined them a few minutes later, still slightly damp from the shower and toweling his hair. He was quiet as he slid into bed next to Dave but he smiled for him as he wrapped his arms around his neck and kissed him.

DJ put his hand on Xav’s shoulder, caressing lightly. “Hey, Xav, I’m sorry if–”

“Stop. Don’t be sorry. You didn’t do anything wrong,” Xav cut him off. He reached over and stroked his cheek. “I’m OK.”

“Yeah, yeah, we’re all OK,” Dave muttered. “How ‘bout we clear the air, yeah? Xav, if you never, ever wanna do that again, I need you to say so. Or if it’s something you need to think about. Or if it’s something you were into but it had old stuff hanging onto it and you need us to be, you know, careful.”

Xavier pulled away and rolled onto his back, lacing his fingers behind his head. He shrugged one graceful shoulder. “I liked it…just…Mikey used to put his arm around my neck, you know, from behind… I hadn’t thought about that in a while.”

Dave sat up, the blankets falling to his waist. “So, yes, Dave, that’d be the third one, you blockhead,” he grumbled, running his hands back through his hair. “All right, sweets. He was the most incredible asshole and, god, I hope he’s come to some bad end. Did you, at any time today, feel like I wouldn’t give you the choice?”

Xavier looked a little startled. “No, nothing like that.”

“Who’s Mikey?” DJ asked, trying to keep up.

Xavier glanced over at him. “He was one of the other kids in the foster home I was in after my mom died.”

“Oh.” DJ said. He had known Xav didn’t have any family, but he didn’t know the details, or that Xavier had been in foster care. DJ also realized Xavier just answered a personal question and it was the first time he’d done so without even trying to evade first. He wondered if it was because Dave was making him talk about stuff, or if he was finally starting to be a little more comfortable talking to him.

“Good. OK.” Dave blew out a long breath. “Just doing a spot check, right?” He leaned over to give Xavier a tender kiss. “You’re beautiful and wonderful and I love you.”

“You forgot sexy, intelligent, and fantastic in bed.” Xavier said while checking out his nails.

“Mmhm, all of those things and a royal pain with an ego the size of Montana,” Dave said in the same tender voice while he poked Xav in the ribs.

Xavier twitched and then giggled. He sat up, grabbed Dave and pushed him back, rolling on top of him and settling with his head on his shoulder with a contented sigh.

DJ lay on his side next to them, head propped on his arm. He looked rather contemplative as he traced a fingertip over the clean smooth line of Xavier’s back and the swell of his butt. He thought Xavier looked peaceful and so beautiful with his eyes closed and a little curl to his full lips. He understood perfectly why Dave called him his angel. Sexy, crazy angel.

This wasn’t the first inkling he’d gotten that Xavier had stuff in his past that was not pretty. He’d sort of ignored it because Xav skirted around talking about his past. Not that it really mattered to DJ that much, except for times like now, when he’d felt like he trod unwittingly into areas he shouldn’t have. It also reminded him that although Dave accepted him fully into his life, Xavier still didn’t really trust him. It was unexpectedly painful to realize.

What was worse was that he just let him fuck him, and DJ got the distinct impression it didn’t change a thing. What he couldn’t figure out was if it was an act, something to protect himself, or if he really didn’t give a shit one way or another.

He looked up and saw Dave watching him. He leaned in and gave him a soft kiss. “I should go.”

“What? I thought you were staying tonight.”

DJ sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. “I think…I just need my own space tonight.”

Xavier slid off of Dave, a curious expression on his face at he looked at DJ’s back, but he didn’t say anything.

“Deej, what the hell?” Dave sat up and reached for his boxers. Dammit, it was hard enough dealing with Xavier’s mood swings some days, now DJ wanted to start having them, too?

He slid off the bed to crouch in front of DJ before he could go any further. “Don’t go like this, babe. It’s not right and you know it.”

DJ reached down to push his fingers through Dave’s hair and kissed him again. “It’s nothing to do with you, sweetheart.”

“Which means, it’s something to do with me,” Xavier said quietly.

DJ didn’t turn around so Dave caught his expression instead of Xavier. Definitely that hit the nail on the head, and apparently caused some hurt with it. DJ took a breath and turned halfway to look at Xav. “Dave asked you if you thought he was pushing you into something, if you felt like you didn’t have a choice, and you said no. Were you lying?”

“No.”

“Xav… did you fuck me because you wanted to, or because you were just going along with it?”

Xavier rolled his eyes and got up, rummaging around for his jeans to pull on. “Do you have to analyze everything? If I didn’t want to fuck you, I wouldn’t have.”

DJ watched him for a few moments before responding. “Not having an objection to something, and wanting something are two different things. If I said it didn’t matter to me if it was you lying there or someone else I just fucked would it bother you?”

Xavier stood, arms crossed and stared at him. He wanted to say something soothing, something to at least diffuse the situation, but he had no idea what the right thing to say would be. “DJ, what do you want from me?”

“I want a fuckin honest answer, damn it!” It was the first time DJ had ever shown the least irritation to either of them. “I know you accepted my being here for Dave’s sake, but is that the way it’s always going to be? I’m just here on your sufferance? I mean, I don’t expect declarations of love or anything, but damn! You keep yourself so emotionally walled off I might as well be a piece of furniture in the room. The puppy Dave wanted and you wish he hadn’t brought home. I was willing to take that in the beginning because I thought it would just take some time to get to know each other and then you’d be more then just ‘cool with it’.”

Xavier hadn’t twitched a muscle. Standing in the middle of the room with his arms crossed, his stance rather defensive and his expression completely closed, he looked as walled off as DJ claimed. He chewed on his lower lip. “I…don’t know,” he finally said. “I don’t know, DJ. I can’t answer that right now. I’m sorry. If I tell you anything else it’s gonna be a lie, ok?” He let out a hard breath and walked over to them, sat down next to DJ and put his arm around him. “Just stay, alright? I don’t want you to leave.”

DJ stared back at him for a few moments, then wiped a hand over his face and finally put an arm around Xavier. He let out a slow breath. “Alright, alright…look, I’m sorry, too. I don’t mean to push, okay?”

Dave sat down on the floor and scrubbed his hands over his face. Dammit why did everything always have to be so complicated? He just wanted the men in his life to be happy.

Shit. Listen to me…the men in my life…

That’s what they were, though, and he just hadn’t been dealing with it. He loved them both. Not one. Not the other. Both. “I’m hungry,” he muttered and wandered out, raking his fingers through his hair.

Xavier was a bit surprised when DJ didn’t immediately get up to follow him out. He’d expected him to. Instead DJ sat looking at him. “What?”

“Aren’t you going to go after him?”

“He can make a sandwich on his own, and if he wants anything more elaborate he wouldn’t thank me for burning it for him.”

DJ drew back and stood up, then pulled on some clothes. “I meant to talk to him.”

Xav crossed one knee over the other and leaned back on his elbows. “When he’s ready to talk, he’ll talk. Right now he probably wants to eat and think for a minute.”

“Or maybe he wants someone to show they give a damn if he’s upset or not.”

“Or maybe he just needs his fuckin’ space!” Xavier snapped back.

DJ stood with his hands splayed on his hips, head tilted to one side as he blew out a breath. “Why do you have to be so difficult? Can’t you ever just agree?”

“If you’re right about something, yeah. But I’m not going to agree when you’re wrong just to placate your ego.”

God, he was so damn frustrating! DJ wanted to wring his pretty little neck. “What the hell is your problem? You ask me to stay, say you don’t want me to leave, then treat me like shit. I don’t get you.”

Xavier made a disgusted sound and his expression hardened. “Just fuckin’ go then. Go comfort him and make sure he’s alright and tell him how sorry you are.”

DJ turned around and walked out, closing the bedroom door behind him, although it took an effort not to slam it. The hell of it was he was going to do just what Xavier said. It was just what he did. He was the comforter, the one who would hold and soothe his lover for hours if need be. He didn’t know how to deal with Xavier. He was like trying to handle broken glass, no matter how careful he was he still got cut. He was afraid that if he didn’t figure it out soon though, Dave might decide this wasn’t working and ask him to back out of their lives.

In the kitchen, Dave opened the oven to put in the chicken he’d gotten ready. He turned his head when DJ walked in. “So what now?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re here. He’s not. What happened now?”

DJ sighed and gave a little shrug.

Dave thought a few seconds more, turned on the rice cooker and stared at the counter. Then he turned to give DJ a soft kiss and a pat on the chest. “OK, watch dinner for me, yeah? And don’t go off in a huff or anything.”

He made his way back to the bedroom and opened the door. Xavier still sat where DJ had left him. Dave plunked down next to him and nudged him with his shoulder. “Hey.”

Xavier lifted his eyes from the spot he’d been studying to meet Dave’s and for a few moments they simply looked at each other, Dave’s eyes searching and Xavier’s slightly guarded, as if he were waiting for Dave to yell at him or something. When he didn’t Xavier relaxed a little. “I told him to leave you be for a little while,” he said quietly. “He doesn’t listen for shit.”

“Hm, stubborn, isn’t he?” Dave said just as softly. “I appreciate you trying to look out for me, though.” He leaned in to kiss Xav’s forehead and then pulled his still-naked body into his arms. “Xav? Have I done a terrible thing? Pushing too hard, too fast? Foisting someone on you that maybe you’ll never have feelings for?”

Xav lay quietly in his arms for several long moments. “That’s not an easy answer, Dave,” he finally said, serious for once. “It’s not like I hate him or anything. I don’t know if I’ll feel different in a week, or a month, or not.” He fell silent again, and Dave seemed to sense his need to just think for a few minutes, or maybe he just wanted to be held.

After awhile he sat up, pulling a little away, although he took Dave’s hands. “Listen, I don’t know if this is going to make any sense, but it’s all I got.” He took a breath. “When I was staying at Vic and Cody’s, Cody asked me if I really never wanted to see you again. I said no, and that’s when I came back. When I did that I was thinking that I wanted you back no matter what.”

He paused again, even though he knew he was probably scaring the crap outta Dave about where he was going with this. “When I lived with Katya, I knew she loved me, but Richard is her true love. Yeah, I know everyone thought I was her favorite, and she did favor me a whole lot, but I think that was to make up for her loving Richard more. It’s not something that was ever talked about but if it had come to a choice between us it was a given that she would have picked Richard. I got that, I was ok with that.

“So, I thought to myself that if I had to I could do that again.” He held up a hand to forestall Dave’s protest. “I know, I know you didn’t ask me to and I know you’re not putting him first, and I know it’s totally stupid. I know. Logically, I know it’s not like that. But… I guess somewhere in the back of my head it hasn’t gotten through and I can’t help treating him like competition.”

Dave stroked his thumb over the back of Xav’s hand, his brow furrowed. “OK. OK, yeah, I get that. I do. And I know it won’t help the back of your head to say you’re the love of my life. And…well, I don’t know what to do.”

Xavier bent his knee, resting his chin on it and looked seriously at Dave. “Don’t think there is anything that can be done, sweetheart. We’ve been doing okay so far… DJ’s the one that suddenly wants more. I don’t know if he’s cut out for this kinda relationship.”

“Who is?” Dave murmured, his gaze on the floor. “I mean…territorial instincts and all that shit.” He sighed, feeling like he’d made a colossal mess of things. Again. “Look, I know I can’t tell you to love him. And I know I can’t tell him to not be hurt. I’m tired and I’m hungry and I can’t think straight. So could you maybe at least be…not mean to him while we have some dinner?”

Xavier unfolded so he could slide into Dave’s lap. He wrapped his legs around his waist and his arms around his neck. “I’ll try,” he promised and kissed him. Just a slow brush of lips, then another, and more, until he was kissing him like he wanted to make his toes curl.

Which they did. Dave moaned into the kiss, his hands stroking the hard muscles of Xavier’s back. “Sweets…chicken…oven…gotta…mmm….”

Xav carried on for a few more minutes, but eventually left off kissing him and got up. He followed Dave out to the kitchen, not bothering to put a stitch on.

DJ had kept busy, setting the table and making a side dish of some creamy noodle stuff.

“Well, that was nice of you, hon.” Dave smiled and kissed his cheek, then turned and ran a gentle hand over Xav’s bare butt. “You’re making me nervous, sweets, wandering close to the stove with nothing between your jewels and a nasty burn.”

DJ couldn’t resist a glance then and Xavier slipped an arm around his neck when he turned. “Alright, I’ll get outa here.” He said to Dave. “What to come help me shoot things?” he asked DJ.

“I suppose…” DJ answered and followed Xav out into the living room where they proceeded to decimate the undead hordes while waiting for dinner.

DJ’s concentration was not entirely on the game. Hard to keep focus when Xavier was sitting next to him naked. When he died Xavier resurrected him. When he died again Xav teased him that he wasn’t paying attention and DJ determinedly kept his eyes on the game instead of the covert glances at Xav’s cock.

Xavier died next and since dinner was almost ready anyway he set the controller down. He moved behind DJ and slid his legs around his waist, pressing up close to him as he wrapped his arms around him.

“Hey…” DJ protested, thumbs working on the buttons. “You’re gonna mess me up.”

“Uh-huh,” Xavier said, sliding his hands up DJ’s chest and kissing the back of his neck. DJ gave a soft groan and Xavier fingers kneaded while his tongue painted a wet line up to his ear.

DJ died and they both chuckled.

Dave shook his head on a little smile when he came in to call them for dinner. Xav was trying, he had to admit, and he tried not to question or analyze the motives. “So you two want to eat food or each other right now?”

Xavier let DJ answer, knowing he was going to pick dinner first, for several reasons. He wouldn’t want to let Dave’s work in the kitchen go to waste, and he knew Dave was hungry and it was more then a good bet Xav would be too. That was DJ. Xavier didn’t think he’d ever met anyone more considerate. Sometimes it provoked his contrary nature and irritated him, but he was trying to set that aside and just take him as he was. He was a sweet guy, and Xav knew he hadn’t been very nice to him in return.

“Why don’t we eat dinner first.” DJ said. “Shame to let it get cold.”

Xav grinned and shook his head as they stood together.

“What?” DJ asked.

“Nothing.” Xav said, and then relented when DJ looked at him worriedly. “Really, nothing… I was just thinking you’re a nice guy, DJ. My stomach thanks you for looking out for it.” He winked.

DJ let a small smile creep across his face and the three of them went into the kitchen to eat a quiet peaceful dinner, the ups and downs of personalities and egos and the complications of relationships forgotten for the moment.

A week later Anthony stood in Vincent’s living room, suffering through inspection.

“Christ, your nails are a mess,” Jonathan grumbled. “Don’t you ever even look at your hands?”

“What?” Anthony looked out of reflex. “They’re clean.”

Jonathan rolled his eyes while Vince and Drew tried not to snicker.

“He looks fine, beloved, very handsome,” Vincent offered. “You’re sure someone shouldn’t drive you, MA? You’re feeling up to this?”

“I’m good, I’m good, promise. Really. And if Jerrett gets too scary, I can just faint, right? I mean, he wouldn‘t beat up someone who‘s passed out. Would he?”

“I wouldn’t take that bet,” Jonathan muttered.

“Jonathan, that’s enough,” Vincent said softly. “He may look like Damien, he may even have some of the same mannerisms, but he is most certainly not the same man.”

“Sorry.”

Anthony tugged on the cuffs of his button-down shirt, self-conscious of the scars on his wrists. He had spent his convalescence with Vincent and his boys since the Prince insisted he needed looking after. The call from Jerrett had come the day before. The ‘I hear you’re doing better and we need to have that talk now’ call. So that morning he had showered and shaved and dressed carefully in slacks and a good shirt for his appointment with Mr. Hawthorn.

He arrived at the house two minutes before eleven and then fretted that he was early. At exactly eleven o’clock, he rang the bell, trying to calm his hammering heart. He didn’t really expect Jerrett to hurt him and if he did, well, he deserved it. His anxiety came from the things that might be said and what rules Jerrett had in mind. Not knowing was really bad for his nerves.

Sasha answered the door and let him in with a peck on his cheek. The man in question stood in the front room, dark, handsome and arrogant as always.

“Good morning, sir,” Anthony began and fought not to twist his hands together. “Did you want me on my knees again?”

“Why, Anthony? Do you like me, or are you just that eager to be on your knees?” Jerrett teased.

“Simply a gesture of respect, m’lord.” Anthony ducked his head on a little smile, relieved that the session hadn’t started right off with cold sarcasm. “Remember what I do for a living. Down on one knee lots of times any given faire day.”

“Ah, so it’s merely a professional interest then,” Jerrett continued with the slightly teasing tone. That he was in such a good mood today was largely due to Sasha’s efforts the night before. Still, there were certain things that needed to be addressed.

“Seems public humiliation and chastisement were not as good a deterrent as I thought,” Jerrett said softly. He watched the tiny curl on Anthony’s lips vanish. “I clearly remember saying that you could still see Sasha, as long as you realized he was mine. Selfish bastard, remember? So, where does that leave us now?”

Ordinarily that might have been a rhetorical question, but at the moment Jerrett really didn’t know the answer.

Anthony heaved a little sigh and ran a hand back through his hair. “Yes, sir. And I’m sorry about all that. And I think saying I’m sorry and I won’t do it again won’t work, since neither you or me would believe it.”

He looked directly at Jerrett, hands spread wide. “I’m kinda lost here, sir. I mean, do I ask for visitation rights or something?”

Jerrett turned his back on him and walked over to the couch where he flopped down. He drummed his fingers slowly on the arm, but he was watching Sasha, not Anthony. He looked curious, but calm. Jerrett might have found it amusing to know Sasha was calm because he was drumming his fingers, which meant he was thinking. If he’d done it only once, it meant he was angry.

His restless fingers stopped and he looked at Anthony. “Take your clothes off.”

The white-blond brows crept up Anthony’s forehead. He opened his mouth and snapped it shut again. Then he pulled the tails of his shirt from his trousers and set about unbuttoning. He neither rushed not hesitated, his puzzled gaze remaining on Jerrett, looking for some hint.

He dropped his shirt over the arm of the nearest chair, picked up one foot at a time to slip off his shoes and socks, and then undid his belt. Still not a twitch, no clue as to what was required, so he went on. Trousers joined shirt, neatly folded on the chair arm. Now he stood in nothing but a pair of black bikini briefs and still Jerrett watched silently.

Anthony blew out a slow breath, hooked his thumbs in the waistband and pulled the briefs off as well.

“Sasha…” Jerrett’s said his name like he caressed him with velvet. “Kiss him.”

“Yessir.” Sasha said as he slid off his perch on the arm of the couch. He knew he didn’t have to answer and he knew Jerrett well enough to recognize his sometimes odd sense of play but he wanted it clear where the direction had come from.

He glided across the floor to Anthony, who showed his own understanding by putting his hands behind his back, while Sasha circled him slowly. Such a beautiful sight, MA’s long, lean body. By no means as powerful as Jerrett, still he was all hard-packed muscle with those incredible, sculpted fencer’s legs and that perfect-sized tool kit with the shaft that curved to the left. Sasha stopped behind him for a quick perusal of his rounded, muscular butt. That brought him in line with the precision scars on his wrists, though, still an angry red. He managed to tamp down on the sorrow that welled up and turned again to face him.

Anthony had torn his eyes away from Jerrett, helpless to do anything but follow Sasha’s graceful, sensual movements. He shivered and closed his eyes as Sasha’s hand slid up his chest to the side of his face. He tried to think about cold, practical things, unsure how Jerrett would take his getting all hot and hard at that moment. Too late. The blood left his head in a dizzy rush as Sasha’s mouth brushed his and he couldn’t stop the soft moan that escaped when his lips pressed in for a tender, searching kiss.

Jerrett, for all he was a big man, could move as silently as any cat. When he spoke in Anthony’s ear, neither one of them had heard him rise from the couch. “I do understand how irresistible he is…” Jerrett said as his fingertips trailed lightly down Anthony’s arms. “You don’t get to borrow him, not ever, but you may join us, if you wish.”

A hard shiver raced down Anthony’s spine. His brain threatened to short-circuit in shock and confusion so he gripped his hands together tighter and concentrated on standing still. A stubborn, lunatic corner of his brain still screamed no! mine! He needed to shut that rebellious piece up before he spoke. His next words would be crucial.

“I…I…it’s…” he stammered out while Sasha kissed along his jaw. Good. Brilliant start. Really top-notch. “You’re absolutely smoking hot, sir,” he tried again. “But are you sure you can stand having me so…close? I didn’t think you liked me much. Probably not even as much as raisin toast, which a lot of people don’t like, and sure as heck not close enough to–”

“Sh, hush,” Sasha murmured as he caught Anthony’s mouth in a searing kiss to shut him up.

Jerrett’s warm chuckle tickled along the back of Anthony’s neck. “If I didn’t like you at all, I wouldn’t have invited you to get naked in my living room.” His lips touched lightly at the nape of his neck, his breath stirring the fine hairs there. “Nor would I have let Sasha kiss you like that,” he breathed. His fingers moved to trace lightly down his sides and over his hips while his lips brushed his neck to his shoulder, teeth ever so lightly scraping along his skin on occasion.

“Oh,” Anthony breathed out as his head tipped back onto Jerrett’s shoulder. “Oh…god… If I faint, it’s just cause I’m still a little shaky, all right?”

“Ah, well if you’re feeling faint perhaps we should go lie down,” Jerrett said.

He stepped back, and only then did Anthony realize how much heat the man threw off as the cooler air of the room swirled around his backside.

Jerrett turned toward the hall that led toward the bedroom, pulling his shirt off as he went.

Anthony pulled in one slow breath as he turned. “Sash?” he asked softly. “Am I in over my head here?”

Sasha wrapped an arm around his waist and coaxed him along after Jerrett’s broad, bare back. “No, hon. I’m here. Don’t worry.”

“I’m not really worried. Just, you know, overwhelmed. A little. A lot. He’s pretty damn overwhelming sometimes. Don’t tell me he isn’t.”

Sasha laughed, a happy, carefree sound. “Sometimes. But it’s wonderful if you just let him sort of wash over you.”

“Right. Preparing to be swamped. Boarded. Capsized.”

In the bedroom, Jerrett had already sprawled on the bed propped up against the headboard, still half dressed. Anthony crawled up from the foot of the bed to him, erection bobbing at the tops of his thighs, while Sasha stayed near the doorway and began a slow, sensual strip.

Anthony tried for a little nuzzle at the base of Jerrett’s jaw and when that didn’t receive any criticism, began to kiss down his throat. “Did you want me to keep my hands to myself, sir?”

“If I wanted you to keep your hands to yourself, you wouldn’t be here,” Jerrett answered in his direct way, but his eyes when he looked at Anthony were not hard or cold. On the contrary, there was a low banked fire in their dark depths. One hand languidly caressed up Anthony’s back. “I suppose I should ask… is there anything that’s going to freak you out?”

The laugh that leaped from Anthony was only part nerves. Jerrett’s strong hand on his back felt damn good. He let his long fingers roam across the perfect, ripped abs in front of him and trail along the black jewel line. “I’ve been described as a freak, sir. Many times. But it’s real, real hard to freak me out. Unless you’re into animals or something else unhealthy, no, not much is gonna faze me.”

“Good.” Jerrett answered simply. The hand that had been slowly making its way up stopped at the back of his neck, and Jerrett did a slow roll of his body, pinning Anthony under him as he claimed his mouth in a fierce kiss.

When he finally let him come up for air Anthony was breathless and Jerrett’s lips curled with a hint of smugness. He moved off Anthony, though. “Sasha…come here.” He crooked his finger at his waiting lover and smiled as he slithered across the sheets to him. He had planned on telling him to keep Anthony warmed up, but he couldn’t help snagging a kiss of his own first.

He slid his fingers along Sasha’s jaw and curled them around the back of his neck, thumb caressing his cheek as he kissed him long and slow. He let his lips go with reluctance, but smiled at him, that smile usually no one else got to see, the one that showed how totally in love he was with him. It took away all the arrogance of his usual expression. He kissed him once more, soft and tender. “Go ahead and show off, love,” he said with a wink. “I know you’ve been just waiting to make him crazy.”

Sasha’s smile could have lit up the depths of the ocean. He wrapped his arms around Jerrett’s neck for a hug, rubbing his cheek cat-wise against his newly shaved jaw. His heart sang with joy and a thousand thank-you’s wouldn’t have been enough. Jerrett had bent far enough to allow this wonderful day and he knew it was for him. Someone wanting to make him happy was miracle enough in the first place. Having both the men he loved in one place, being able to touch them both, hold them, kiss them, how could life possibly get any better?

Anthony watched him with a little bemused smile as Sasha took his ankles and spread them apart. He crawled in slow, sinuous movements up between Anthony’s thighs and stopped to breathe over the delicious hard-on lying on his stomach.

He didn’t touch, not yet, and continued up Anthony’s long body, holding himself up on his arms. He leaned in for a soft kiss while he gazed into those big, gray eyes. Soft kisses peppered Anthony’s face as Sasha memorized the lines and planes all over again, the long, blond lashes, the strong jaw, the handsome, straight nose.

When some of the nerves had drained from Anthony’s expression he started on his way back down, kissing softly along throat and collarbone. When he got to MA’s chest, he flicked his tongue over a pebbled nipple, took it into his mouth and sucked hard. Anthony arched off the bed with a soft cry, hands gripping Sasha’s shoulders.

“How long’s it been, hon?” Sasha murmured in concern.

“Oh…um, not so long,” Anthony panted and then hissed when Sasha turned to the other nipple. “OK, OK, longer than I want to say. A Sonoran desert of a dry spell. Oh, damn…. sweet thistle pie, that feels so good.”

Sasha chuckled as he continued down his sternum and on to the flat muscles of his stomach. He stopped to breathe in the unique scent of Anthony’s arousal, lighter than Jerrett’s heady spice, with a hint of something reminiscent of cocoa.

He lowered his body so his chest rested against Anthony’s balls. With a little smile, he licked up the gently curved shaft, center, left and right, just to watch Anthony gasp and fight not to squirm. The low, desperate moan he received when his lips closed over Anthony’s head told him just how very long it had been.

Jerrett had shed the rest of his clothing while Sasha was tormenting Anthony with soft kisses and licks, but he had missed nothing. Not one swipe of tongue, not one gasp, not one moan.

He slid next to them now, his large hand stroking up the back of Sasha’s thigh and coming to rest on the pert globe of his cheek. He kneaded and caressed lightly along the crease between, waiting until he took Anthony into his mouth before he probed a little deeper, the pad of his fingertip massaging over the tight ring of muscle between his cheeks.

The chain reaction was immediate and quite pleasant for him to watch. Sasha lifted his cute little butt higher on a soft groan, pressing back against Jerrett’s finger. The groan vibrated over the head of Anthony’s cock and made his head thump down on the pillows with a soft cry of delight.

Anthony’s hands stroked over Sasha’s hair, careful not to grab hold, guiding his movements in only minor ways. Usually with Sasha, he would have been more aggressive. He’d never manhandled him or hurt him but Sasha was always happier if he took top without asking. With Jerrett in the room, though, there could be no question who was top dog and he was more than content to take a passive role.

Jerrett kissed the corner of Sasha’s jaw and sunk his finger inside him. With as much of a workout as he’d had the previous night he wasn’t too worried, and he was right, Sasha opened for him easily. Heat unfurled in Jerrett’s belly, the combination of his ready body and watching him slide his lips down Anthony’s cock. He purred against Sasha’s throat, a soft rumble of pleasure as he wriggled his finger deeper and pressed against his prostrate.

With his mouth wonderfully full and his back door mercilessly teased, Sasha couldn’t help a few needy whimpers and a full out wriggle to slide his aching erection over the satin sheets. If Jerrett had said go, he probably could have come without much trouble.

He lifted his mouth from Anthony to whisper, “Love…mmm, want you so bad…”

The temptation to give him exactly what he wanted was nearly impossible to resist, but Jerrett managed. He rotated his finger slowly over the smooth gland inside, making Sasha moan and his hips buck. Jerrett chuckled softly and withdrew, swatting his cheeks playfully.

“Greedy,” he whispered over Sasha’s ear. His hand trailed up Sasha’s back and into his hair, pushing his head back down on Anthony’s throbbing cock. He controlled his movements for a little while, enjoying the way Anthony squirmed and panted as he tried to hold himself back.

His fingers slid out of Sasha’s hair and he left him to his own devices for a moment, returning from a rummage in the drawer for lube and condoms, which he handed to Sasha.

He lay back against the pillows and caught Anthony’s lips in a teasing kiss while Sasha backed off his cock before he popped. “I want to watch my sweet little Sasha fuck you silly. Any objections?” Jerrett asked

“I’d have to be really crazy to say there were,” Anthony said with a little chuckle. “None at all, sir. Any conditions on that?”

“I already gave him the condition,” Jerrett said, referring to the condom. He kissed him again and let his hand caressed down his chest, fingers lightly stroking over the curve of his cock.

A soft hum vibrated in Anthony’s chest. His head spun from an overload of sensation as Sasha bent his knees up, caressing the insides of his thighs. Hands and lips seemed everywhere. There were too many incredible things to look at. He tried to concentrate on one thing at a time, his lips answering Jerrett’s with more heat, his hand stealing up to stroke through his thick, black hair, but his thoughts scattered again as Sasha’s tongue touched his balls at the same time Jerrett’s fingers closed around his shaft.

He closed his eyes, wishing for a blindfold, or some sort of restraint to help him focus better. He reached above his head and curled his fingers around the spindles of the headboard. There, all right, that helped. Some.

Sasha ducked his head on a grin. Watching Anthony struggle for control was just too adorable. He lubed his fingers and teased at the puckered entrance offered to him. The panted groan he got when he sank one finger in brought a hard rush of heat to his groin.

Jerrett lifted his head from kissing Anthony, relaxing back against the pillows. His fingers still traced lightly over the hard shaft of his cock, but apparently he was serious when he said he wanted to watch. At least for the moment.

“You’re being so good,” Sasha murmured into the skin of Anthony’s raised thigh. “And you smell so good.” He leaned forward to nuzzle at his cock again while he rolled the condom on. Pitcher wasn’t his usual position and he’d never taken top with Anthony before but he certainly knew how.

One hand stroking the inside of MA’s hard thigh, the other positioning his head at Anthony’s back door, he sank inside in one, slow, smooth thrust. “Ohgod…and you feel so good. So hot. So tight.”

Jerrett watched Sasha’s face with intense eyes. His plan had been to let Sasha take the edge off Anthony first, but he wasn’t sure he was going to be able to wait that long. He was so beautiful, so hot… Jerrett shifted his position, coming up on his knees so he could kiss Sasha and caress along his torso and back while he picked up a smooth rhythm.

A soft hiss came from Anthony, filled so suddenly, assaulted on all sides with erotic sensations. He gripped the headboard tighter, his eyes glued to Jerrett’s hands gliding over Sasha’s smooth, pale skin. Jealous? Maybe. Somewhere in the darkest caverns of his brain. Too damn hot for any green-eyed thoughts to take hold. They just slid away on a torrent of desire.

He moved with Sasha, matching his rhythm, soft cries forced from him every time Sasha hit that sweet spot. “Sir? Ohgod…oh holy freaking…sir? I’m gonna…I hope it’s OK…I can’t…”

Jerrett said nothing, but he ran his finger up the underside of Anthony’s cock, stroking the sweet spot with a single fingertip and grinned as he came in a gusher. With his other hand he angled his own hard cock down, rubbing the silken head across Anthony’s lips.

The soft cries of pleasure were suddenly muffled when Anthony opened his lips to devour as much of Jerrett as he was allowed. The man’s equipment matched him, a thick, beautifully veined shaft that looked like it could be used as a portico column. He moaned around the cock filling his mouth, his body bucking and spasming around the lovely cock filling his back door.

Jerrett sunk his fingers into Anthony’s hair and hissed a small breath through his teeth as wet heat enveloped him. “Ohhh, that feels so good,” he purred, rolling his hips and sliding in and out of his mouth.

“Mmm…so gorgeous,” Sasha moaned, mouth watering at the sight. He slowed his rhythm but didn’t stop, delighting in torturing himself. “So good…oh…sir…want to come so bad…” That Jerrett would probably say no only added to the delicious torment.

“No, pet. Our guest needs one more before you get to come.” Jerrett said. He glanced at Sasha with a little grin playing on his lips. “Of course, you can trade positions with him if you think it’ll help you hold off.”

Sasha’s head fell back on a heated moan. The things Jerrett did to him. “Yes, please,” he whispered, though his hips still moved in long, slow thrusts.

Jerrett withdrew from Anthony’s mouth and lay back on the pillows once more, watching with hooded smoky eyes as his boy moved between the other man’s thighs. So beautiful to watch, but he wouldn’t wait long for those silky lips to wrap around his cock.

The command was crystal clear without another word spoken. Sasha eased out of Anthony’s body, tearing a hard groan from them both, and slid up the bed to put his head in Jerrett’s lap. He nuzzled at the black forest around Jerrett’s equipment and licked over one ball at a time. Jerrett would put him where he wanted him, he had no doubts there, so he simply enjoyed himself in the meantime.

The mingled taste of Anthony and Jerrett when he licked over his engorged head made him moan again and wriggle against the sheets.

Jerrett caressed Sasha’s face and slid his fingers back into his thick hair allowing a pleased rumble in his chest as Sasha licked and kissed him most delightfully. He looked over at Anthony with a slightly raised brow, as if to ask how long he was going to lie there and waste the banquet laid out before him.

Anthony’s large eyes grew even wider in surprise. He had thought for sure…but Jerrett seemed to like to keep people off balance. No problem playing along, none at all. Oh, merciful heavens, no. He wasn’t quite ready again but the little man was stirring and getting his morning coffee, it wouldn’t be long.

He rolled to his side to press against Jerrett’s leg, kissing his hard thigh and caressing Sasha’s back. His lips met Sasha’s over the big, beautiful cock he was so intent on and they teased each other, tongues and lips pressing and stroking while they licked and suckled on Jerrett.

Oh, now that didn’t take long… Anthony moaned at the heady rush of blood to his groin. He rolled to his hands and knees and smoothed both hands down Sasha’s skin, his eyes closing on a shiver of pleasure. That smooth skin, that lovely body, that wonderful, tender-hearted boy he thought he’d lost forever–he had to swallow hard and wait for the sting behind his eyes to go away.

Jerrett brought him out of his thoughts by nudging one of the condoms he dropped on the bed earlier at him.

Anthony shot him a grin. “Didn’t forget, sir, never fear.”

He peppered kisses over Sasha’s back and butt while he first rolled the condom on and then slid a well-lubed finger inside. Sasha’s graceful body undulated, his hips lifting into the touch, silently begging. Anthony had never let him rush things, though, and wasn’t going to start now. A second finger followed the first when Sasha relaxed. Only when the third was accepted easily did Anthony withdraw them and eased the head of his cock inside.

Jerrett caressed the side of Sasha’s face, enjoying his attentions. “Lift up Sasha, don’t want you to get yourself over-stimulated.” He knew Sasha loved teasing himself by wiggling against the sheets, but he didn’t think he was going to hold out that way.
With a sexy little moan, Sasha lifted his butt into the air, grinding back against Anthony at the same time. The sight was hot enough to melt granite as he spread his knees wider, his hips higher than his shoulders as he went to work on Jerrett’s cock in earnest, opening his throat to swallow nearly the whole length.

Anthony thanked Jerrett silently for making him come the first time. He wouldn’t have lasted three seconds otherwise. He took Sasha by the hips and pulled out and in in a long, hard thrust. Sasha gave a little cry of delight and wriggled back against him, so he did it again.

Jerrett’s fingers tightened in Sasha’s hair and he rolled his hips, sinking his cock even further into that delicious mouth. His head tipped back with a soft groan. He did such a good job of taking him all. He couldn’t resist bucking up into him while his hands held the sides of his face. Sasha’s throat accepted him readily enough and it wasn’t too long before he was feeling the urge to come. He drew it out as long as he could while Sasha moaned and eagerly serviced his two partners.

Jerrett pulled back until Sasha’s lips were wrapped around just the head of his cock. He let loose a low growl of satisfaction as the first jet of white cream spilled into Sasha’s mouth.

“Oh, sweet mother of us all,” Anthony said in a breathless rush as Sasha bucked under him, greedily swallowing every drop Jerrett offered. They were beautiful together, he had to admit, Sasha’s pale, slender beauty and Jerrett’s powerful physique. Perfect…oh, so perfect…

“Sir…” he got out through gritted teeth. “Did you want to say go this time?”

Jerrett took his sweet time, or so it seemed, disengaging from Sasha’s incredible mouth. He shifted on the bed and came up beside Anthony, running his hand down his back and over the curve of his ass while the other slid under Sasha to stroke and tease him. The tip of Jerrett’s tongue, hot and wet, traced up the outer curve of Anthony’s ear, warm breath caressing over the shell. Anthony made a sound like a strangled whimper and Jerrett whispered “Go.”

“Oh, thank you, sir, thank you, thank you,” Anthony breathed out, his hips speeding, pumping hard into Sasha’s tight sheath. Sasha’s soft cries grew closer together and more desperate as he shoved back into Anthony’s every thrust.

Anthony heard Sasha whisper his name, heard him call out to Jerrett, pleading, begging for release, but it was all far distant, drowned by the rush of blood in his ears as the pressure in his balls hit critical. “Ohgodohgodohgodohfuck…” he cried out as a wreaking ball hard orgasm rammed up through him.

Jerrett heard Sasha’s plea’s well enough, but he didn’t acknowledge them, nor did he slow his pumping hand as Anthony spilled himself into Sasha. He often denied Sasha, making him hold out and wait, bringing him to the brink over and over. Not this time. He knew Sasha wouldn’t be able to hold back if he kept going, and he’d no intention of stopping. There was something profoundly relieving to be given permission before release, but there was something very exciting about being pushed over the edge without that permission as well.

“Jerrett…Anthony…oh…ohgod…” Sasha gasped out. “I can’t…” A sharp cry swallowed any more words as Anthony thudded against that sweet spot deep inside just as Jerrett’s fist thumped down against his balls.

Unable to do otherwise, he let himself go, his body undulating in incredibly sensual ways while a bone-rattling climax took him. Oh, he loved this, having two lovers at once, two men to please who loved him so much. Heaven. Absolutely.

He floated content as he came back down, riding the aftershocks while Jerrett still stroked along his shaft. At some point he realized Anthony’s weight lay heavy on his back. “Sir,” he said softly. “I think he’s out.”

The thought occurred to him that Jerrett’s hands were gentle for his sake when he lifted Anthony off and put him on his back. He wasn’t too far gone. Already he moaned softly and his eyes fluttered open. Just a bit of leftover fatigue from blood loss, probably.

Sasha knelt on the bed, back straight, head down. He knew Jerrett had pushed him on purpose, which meant he wasn’t finished playing. “I’m very sorry, sir, that I came without permission,” Sasha offered with proper contrition, though his voice was steady and calm.

“So naughty,” Jerrett admonished, although he couldn’t keep the little smirk from his face. He reached over and pulled Sasha into his lap, placing warm teasing kisses on his lips and down the side of his throat. He turned him over then, laying him down across his lap and caressing the globes of his up turned cheeks. “What shall I do with you, hm?” he asked, as he brought his hand down with a firm crack.

Sasha’s head jerked up on a little yelp, not that it had been entirely unexpected. The momentary sting settled into his skin as a spreading warmth and he couldn’t help a little squirm against Jerrett’s lap.

Anthony had curled over on his side, eyes a bit glassy. Sasha mouthed to him, ‘are you OK?’ and got a quick high sign. Aloud he answered his Dom in a throaty husk, “I’m very bad, sir. I should be punished.”

“No, my love, you are very good, but yes you should be punished for your lack of restraint.” Jerrett somehow managed to sound sincere when he knew damn well there was no way on earth Sasha could have been expected to hold back. He smacked his cute little ass again, because he liked the way Sasha squirmed in his lap.

“Yes, sir, oh, yes,” Sasha said in an eager rush. He had no idea what Jerrett had in mind but being turned over Jerrett’s lap pushed all sorts of buttons. He was already getting hard again.

A bit woozy, Anthony snagged a pillow for his head and decided against sitting up. The dizzy spells weren’t as bad or as frequent as they had been a few days before but then he hadn’t been terribly active either. The sight of Jerrett smacking Sasha should have made him angry. He tried to convince himself it should. Didn’t work. Problem was, he couldn’t muster any righteous rage with Sasha clearly enjoying it all so much.

“I think you’re enjoying this too much.” Jerrett said, as if he’d plucked the idea from Anthony’s thoughts. His hand caressed over Sasha’s adorable cheeks, kneading the pink globes gently, and then he couldn’t resist sliding his fingers into the crease. He was still slippery and Jerrett had no trouble sliding two long fingers deep inside.

“Oh…yes sir…I’m so sorry,” Sasha moaned and pushed back, lifting his butt in the air. “I’ll try not to. But it’s…hard…”

“Yes, I can feel that it is.” Jerrett chuckled. He stroked his fingers in and out of Sasha a little faster, making him moan and squirm. Finally he withdrew his fingers and landed another swat to his butt, but this one was a little more playful than firm. “I think you will have to work hard before I let you come again, my sweet.”

“What sort of work, sir?” Anthony blurted out before he could stop his traitor mouth from shooting off. Oh, damn. Jerrett was going to throw him out on his ass yet.

Jerrett gave him a glance, but didn’t seem as perturbed as Anthony had feared. He let Sasha up and sat him on the end of the bed. “What do you think a suitable punishment would be, Anthony?”

Anthony sat up against the headboard, the pillow clutched to his chest, gray eyes huge with anxiety. “I–I don’t–that is, maybe…” He swallowed hard and squeaked out. “It’s–it’s not my place to say, sir.”

Jerrett scooted up on the bed and leaned back against the pillows, fingers folded over his middle. “Show me what you are planning on wearing to work tomorrow, Sasha.”

Sasha scrambled off the bed to his bureau. Actually going to work, he wore normal street clothes. Once there, he changed into whatever enticing little outfit he’d picked that day, sometimes with more cloth involved than others. For the next day, he’d already decided on a little pair of blue micro shorts which he pulled out of the drawer and held up for inspection.

Jerrett watched him and nodded approvingly, although he could have taken out almost anything and it wouldn’t have mattered too much. He stood and opened up a chest near the dresser. “I have a few…accessories for you to wear as well.” He said. He pulled out a good sized anal plug, one that had a small loop at the end, and a leather cock harness. A chain the thickness of a heavy necklace was attached to the part of the harness that went around the balls, and was obviously meant to run back between his legs and attach to the loop on the end of the plug.

The set up would be unbearably stimulating, and the tiny micro shorts Sasha had pulled out were going to do nothing to hide any hint of arousal.

“Oh, sir,” Sasha whispered and swallowed hard. This would be challenging but he needed a challenge sometimes. “Thank you.” He lifted his eyes from the toys to meet Jerrett’s gaze. “When did you want me to start, sir?”

“Tomorrow.” Jerrett said with a soft gleam in his eye. He didn’t want Sasha to get used to the feeling before then. “For now… you will forgo clothes while you’re at home, except for your collar of course. And tonight you can make sure Anthony is well tended to.”

Which meant that Anthony was staying the night. Sasha put the shorts back in the drawer and bounded back to Jerrett to fling his arms around his neck. He got a pleased rumble and a little caress when he kissed Jerrett’s jaw. “Shall I start dinner, sir? Are you hungry?” He chuckled at the look Jerrett gave him. “For food?”

The rest of the evening was spent in mostly domestic bliss. Sasha was delighted both that Jerrett let Anthony stay, and that he could spend his time pampering them both.

In the morning Jerrett ‘assisted’ Sasha getting dressed, making sure the plug was placed just so, and the leather harness securely fastened around his cock and balls before he ran the chain back between his legs and attached it to the end of the plug.

Jerrett kissed him tenderly. “Have a good day, sweetheart.”

Sasha had to cling to Jerrett for a moment, his eyes gone wide. The plug wasn’t the biggest he’d ever had inserted but it was perfectly shaped to stay in place and just the right size to stimulate if he even thought about moving. His cock had decided immediately upon its insertion that it wanted to come fully erect. It expanded to the limits of the harness where it strained against the leather until the discomfort made it subside again.

The whole process left him feeling dizzy. And he was going to make it through the work day like this? He caught himself and managed a little smile for Jerrett. Yes. Yes, he was. “Thank you, sir. You, too.”

Jerrett kissed him and let him walk away, before calling him back, just to watch. “Please tell the Prince to call me if he needs to, love. We can’t have you ‘too’ distracted.”

When Sasha arrived at work, he delivered the message and then had to explain the whole thing, his face burning with embarrassment.

“So. Could you kneel still, süsselein?” Elric asked, completely unfazed.

“I’m…maybe, sir.”

The Prince had him turn and turn again. “Good. It does make a nice…peckage in the front. You vill let me know if it causes you undue discomfort or if you are unable to concentrate.”

“Yes, sir.”

For the first couple of clients, Sasha’s face remained beet red. It seemed to him that everyone could see, not only the bulge in front but the plug in back as well, which, of course, they couldn’t. But every step reminded him it was there, every movement rubbed the chain between his legs and oh, god, he couldn’t stop thinking about Jerrett taking him hard.

By lunchtime, he was in something of a daze and retreated to the downstairs bathroom to get some cold water on his face. Every time he thought he had it under control, he would need to move in some new way, kneel, reach up to a top cabinet, go down the stairs, and the whole stimulation-erection-discomfort-deflation cycle would start all over again. It didn’t quite approach pain…all right, yes it did, and in a way, it was all deliciously decadent. He enjoyed it in a perverse sort of way but his concentration was shot.

“Caroline…” He poked his head around the door to where she had her desk. “How many more today?”

“Just three more, hon. Are you all right?” Caroline asked, her pretty forehead creased in concern.

“Oh, sure, fine. I just put the coffeepot in the freezer.”

She laughed and then clapped a hand over her mouth. “Oh, honey, I’m sorry.”

Near the end of the day, when Elric was expecting his final client, the Prince retired to his study upstairs to make a phone call. “Good afternoon, Herr Jerrett. Yes, thank you and you? Good…good… I vould like to make a suggestion, if you don’t mind. I think Sasha may need to be driven home today. He is no longer…focused enough to drive safely. I could hef somevone bring him to you if it vould be more convenient.”

Jerrett thought about that for a second. “Alright.” He said, and then had the audacity to ask, “Would you mind if I borrow Keit for the evening?”

Elric’s white brows arched up, though his voice remained as calm and chill as ever. “That vould depend largely upon vhat purpose this ‘borrowing’ vould serve.”

Elric could hear the grin in Jerrett’s voice. “If I can charm him into my bed, would you allow it?”

Gott in Himmel, why does the man have to push so? “No, Herr Jerrett, I vould not. Though I hef my doubts thet you could still do so in any case.”

Jerrett chuckled, a low warm purr of sound. “Easy, Elric…can you truly blame me for trying? Keit can drive Sasha home, and leave untouched then, I promise. Or you can send Orion with him if you don’t trust me.” Jerrett said with another small chuckle, inordinately pleased with himself that he’d managed to push Elric’s button’s.

Elric let out a little snort, both amused and annoyed at himself. “Keit may go vithout escort. To hef a small misunderstanding vith me is vone thing. Vith Orion? It holds the potential for tragedy of epic proportions.” His voice softened a hair. “And, no, I do not blame you. Not a bit.”

With the day’s appointments finished and Sasha changed out of his shorts, Keit went out to the car with him. Poor Sasha eased into the seat and tucked his feet up to sit sideways, unable to take the constant stimulation of sitting on the plug.

Jerrett met them at the door. As soon as Sasha stepped inside he said, “Clothes off.” Then he looked at Keit, who had walked Sasha up to the door. “Would you like to stay for dinner?”

Keit glanced from Jerrett to Sasha and back, a slightly amused expression on his face. “Do you want me to stay because you want my company, or because you want an audience while you torment Sasha?”

Jerrett grinned. “Both.”

Keit laughed and looked at Sasha, though he knew it wasn’t fair to him to ask, he had to anyway. “Will it bother you, Sasha?”

Sasha ducked his head on a shy smile while he wriggled out of his pants. “No. Not really. I mean…it’s you.” He leaned a hand on the wall and closed his eyes while his persistent cock tried the confines of its harness once again. He drew a few careful breaths. “Besides, I’ve had a roast in the crock pot all day. Shame if we don’t have someone to share it with.”

Jerrett lifted Sasha’s shirt off and gave him a sensual, if brief kiss. “Make sure you call the Prince and let him know you’re staying for dinner.” Jerrett said.

Keit rolled his eyes as he followed them farther inside. He didn’t need to be reminded, and he had already been reaching for his cell phone.

Sasha stopped by him to whisper in his ear with a little wink. “He’s just trying to be responsible.”

There was something liberating rather than embarrassing to be without clothes. In the right company, at least, people Sasha trusted. Not that he was entirely naked with his lovely…accessories. He hurried to the kitchen to get the rest of dinner started. Carrots and parsnips went under the broiler, potatoes went into the pot with the roast. As long as he didn’t move too fast or bend over or have to crouch, he felt completely unhindered.

Jerrett sat with Keit in the living room, casually slouched back on the couch. “I asked Elric if I could borrow you this evening.”

Keit lifted a brow. “I hope you weren’t too disappointed.”

Jerrett’s grin was wolfish. “How do you know he didn’t agree?”

Keit returned his gaze, completely unruffled. “Because he didn’t.”

Jerrett chuckled. “He also said he doubted my ability to charm you into my bed anyhow.”

Keit laughed. “Please don’t take that as a challenge, Jerrett. If it will assuage your ego you can tell yourself it’s just because I’m so besotted with Elric that you can’t turn my head.”

Jerrett did not stir, in fact he became very still, but his eyes seemed to bore into Keit with dark fire. “Are you sure?” he asked in a low softly caressing voice.

At one time, Keit would have melted into a puddle on the floor at that look and spent the night doing any number of decadent perversions with Jerrett. In truth, the way he looked at him and spoke to him still had an effect, making his heartbeat throb hard once and desire tighten his loins. He smiled back at Jerrett, his lips curling seductively and his eyes returning an echo of warmth. “Very sure,” he said flatly.

Jerrett’s laugh was genuine and exuberant. “Alright, just checking.”

The atmosphere changed, becoming more relaxed and less sexually charged as Jerrett conceded. It lasted only until Sasha returned from the kitchen and Jerrett watched him walking toward them. So beautiful, his Sasha. And so damn sexy. He beckoned Sasha to him, and removed the harness and unclipped the chain, but left the plug in place. He indicated he should kneel and caressed his perfect bottom while he did so.

Sasha’s stomach trembled with excitement and despite his best efforts, all the blood rushed to his groin when Jerrett removed the harness. He drew in a quick breath through his nose and closed his eyes, a wave of dizzy delight sweeping through him. He had to put his head on Jerrett’s knee to keep from toppling over.

Keit watched all this with amusement tinged with arousal. Sasha was gorgeous after all, and watching him fight against the stimulation he was receiving was hot.

“Mmm, thank you, sir,” Sasha got out in a breathy purr. “Dinner should be ready in about fifteen minutes.” Which was partly information and partly to let Jerrett know how long he could tease before Sasha would have to return to the kitchen.

Jerrett’s only acknowledgement was to stroke his fingers through Sasha’s hair while he made small talk with Keit.

While it might have seemed as if he was being largely ignored, Sasha knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that a heated storm brewed inside Jerrett. From his vantage point with his head in Jerrett’s lap, he could see the bulge in his jeans and catch hints of his growing arousal.

In the course of conversation Keit made a comment about the stone Sasha wore on his collar. “It’s a perfect choice,” he went on. “Beautiful.”

Jerrett smiled, pleased. “It had to be, if it was going to compete with Sasha.”

A little flush rose up Sasha’s throat though he smiled and nuzzled at Jerrett’s thigh. He had always known he was pretty but until Jerrett, he had considered it only in a slightly slutty, perfect-for-a-toy sort of way. With Jerrett’s dark gaze devouring him, he did feel beautiful, as if his heart made his body glow from within.

“Anthony was over yesterday,” Keit said.

Jerrett was not fooled in the least by the innocent sounding comment. “And you want to pry?”

Keit made a small face at him. “Nooo.” There was a long pause then Keit cleared his throat. “So, have you…settled things, then?”

Jerrett laughed. “Not that it’s any of your business, but, yes. Anthony is allowed to see Sasha, and, yes, I’m fucking him, too,” he said, just to watch Keit try and keep his expression neutral. He did a damn good job of it, too.

A subtle movement of Sasha’s hips distracted him enough so he managed to stifle a laugh. God, he hoped Jerrett didn’t make him do this for another day before he had some relief. His brain was turning into jello. And his cock was going to look like a permanent exclamation point.

“He looked a lot better this morning,” Sasha offered softly. “More like himself. Good thing he’s between Faire seasons right now, though. Don’t think he should be putting on the full plate and fighting on horseback yet.”

Jerrett had also said Anthony could come over on Wednesdays, if he’d behaved himself and not pissed Jerrett off during the week. Anthony had gotten on his knees and thanked Jerrett rather sweetly for his kindness, a thank-you that made Jerrett’s eyes cross before he was finished.

It wasn’t long before they were sitting down at the table to eat dinner. Or rather, Jerrett and Keit sat down. Sasha was having some difficulty finding a way to sit. Jerrett finally reached over and made him sit squarely in the chair. The look on Sasha’s face was a curious mix of desperate arousal, embarrassment and anxiety. The slightest movement made the plug move within him. Jerrett might as well have bent him over the table and had him right there.

“Jerrett, there is no way he can eat like that,” Keit scolded.

Jerrett tore a piece of bread off and chewed it thoughtfully as he watched Sasha with half lidded eyes. “I think you’re right. Sasha, you can go to bed and wait for me…or if you prefer you can entertain us.”

A little ashamed of his lack of control, Sasha ducked his head. He didn’t really want to leave, he wanted to be with Jerrett, and he was hungry, dammit.

He rose from his chair and let his fingers trail across Jerrett’s broad shoulders. “What sort of entertainment would you like, sir?”

Jerrett pulled him down into his lap, turning him so he sat between his knees facing the table. He breathed along the back of his neck and his hand caressed lightly over the top of his thighs and up his torso. “I wanna watch my beautiful one get off.” His words tickled along his skin.

“Jerrett,” Keit said, slightly exasperated. “Sasha… you don’t have to do this,” Keit said gently. Keit wouldn’t mind if he did, not at all, but he didn’t want Sasha to be made uncomfortable.

“I know,” Sasha said with a soft smile. He let his fingers trail up the underside of his own erection. “I don’t have to.” He leaned his head back against Jerrett’s shoulder, his eyes sliding half-closed. “I can always say no.”

Keit put one elbow on the table and rested his chin on his palm. Absently he skewered a root vegetable and popped into his mouth while he watched the sensual play unfolding at the end of the table.

Sasha leaned back against Jerrett, the feel of that hard chest against him adding an extra layer to his excitement. He trailed his fingertips over the tip to spread the little pearl drop already waiting there over the head. Jerrett’s thumb brushed over his nipple and he moaned, his hips rolling to tap the plug against his gland.

With a soft intake of breath, he wrapped his hand around his achingly hard cock and began to stroke.

Keit shifted on his seat, unobtrusively adjusting himself. Sasha was truly a beautiful sight. He remembered to chew, even though he no longer tasted the food in his mouth and he much rather would have had something else entirely in his mouth. The urge to get up and slide over there, to let his lips and tongue caress over those lovely orbs jostling gently between Sasha’s legs was almost overwhelming. He could see himself doing it in his head and he had to remind himself firmly that Sasha was off limits. He had to look down at his plate for a second and reorganize his thoughts.

He could enjoy watching, but he couldn’t and wouldn’t join in. He just hoped when he got home the Prince was in a generous mood. If not it was going to be a long night, he thought ruefully.

Jerrett all but forgot about dinner and Keit. His attention was more than just a little consumed by Sasha writhing in his lap. He kept his touches light though, a stroke of his thumb over a nipple, a hand caressing up his arm, the brush of lips across the back of his neck.

It had already been a long day for Sasha. Spending the day half-hard and increasingly desperate did wonders for the libido. His back arched on a long groan and he tightened his grip on his shaft, increasing the speed of his fist. His balls had already drawn up tight. Oh, sweet mother…

“Jerrett,” his voice caressed over the name. “Jerrett…oh, sir, this won’t take long…”

“Are you very sorry that you didn’t control yourself with Anthony?” Jerrett murmured, his lips pressed to the soft skin behind Sasha’s ear.

“Very sorry, sir.” Sasha got out breathlessly.

“And you will endeavor to try harder next time?” Jerrett asked, in the same softly teasing tone.

“Oh…yes…mmm, yes, sir.”

Jerrett chuckled, blowing a warm breath over Sasha’s ear and nipping the edge. “Then you may let go, my sweetheart. Come for me,” he whispered huskily.

“Thank you, sir, thank you, thank you,” Sasha answered in a breathless rush.

His eyes flew wide and his hips lifted as if the force of his passion might cause his body to leap into the air. Soft, short cries came while he climbed to a dizzying height, the pressure approaching a red zone near pain. His whole body arched and a louder cry escaped as he tipped over into rapture, the hard pulses shooting white jets into the air.

Yeah. No way was mere food going to satisfy after watching that, Keit thought. From the look on Jerrett’s face he was thinking the same, and was probably about two seconds from cutting dinner short.

Jerrett’s dark eyes locked on Keit’s lighter amber ones while he held Sasha’s boneless panting form.

“I’ll let myself out.” Keit offered softly.

Jerrett nodded once and lifted Sasha in his arms, heading for the bedroom. He heard Keit’s airy chuckle follow him and cared not in the least.

“Jerrett…?”

“Hm?”

“Dinner…”

“Can be reheated.” Jerrett finished as he laid Sasha down on the bed and practically dove on him. Sasha made a strangled sound somewhere between pain and pleasure and Jerrett remembered the plug. Well, at least he wouldn’t have to spend much time getting him ready. He turned Sasha over and gently pulled it free, hungry eyes watching the way his body flexed and opened as he did. “uhh, god I want you,” he murmured as he shed his jeans.

Sasha moaned and lifted his butt in invitation. “Want you, too,” he whispered. “Thought about you all day, sir. God it was hard…all day…visions of you taking me, ramming into me…”

Jerrett was preparing to fulfill his wish even as he spoke it, a dollop of lube smoothed over his very hard cock and he was sliding into Sasha’s tight sheath with a hard thrust. “Oohhh… fuck, you feel so good…” Jerrett straddled Sasha’s beautiful little ass and thrust into him again and again. That little performance in the kitchen coupled with thinking about how Sasha was handling his accessories all day had him near mindless with desire.

He grasped Sasha’s outstretched hands, twining his fingers with Sasha’s as he bucked ruthlessly into him. Lips and teeth moved restlessly over Sasha’s neck and shoulders, little kisses and nips mixing with murmured words of love and encouragement. It did not take too long before Jerrett hit his peak as well, spilling into Sasha’s clenching body with wordless cries of pleasure until he collapsed over him, his heavy body pressing him down into the mattress.

It only took a couple of wriggles more before Sasha came a second time as well, his body clutching hard at Jerrett, forcing a few more tortured groans from him. He smiled as he lay safe and secure beneath Jerrett’s weight.

When Jerrett’s breathing had calmed to a more normal rhythm, Sasha pulled one hand close and kissed his fingers. “You’re so wonderful.”

#

Elric looked up from his book when Keit came into the den. He had his glasses on that evening since his contacts had become an irritation, half spectacles he only used for reading. Orion sprawled beside him on the huge, leather sofa, his head in Elric’s lap.

“Something of a brief dinner, mein herz?” Elric said in a dry tone. “Vas Sasha’s cooking not to your liking?”

Keit nearly choked as he stifled a chuckle. “Sasha’s cooking was fine, sir. Delightful…it was only that Sasha had a long hard day and…” He had to pause and clear his throat to stop the metaphor thought train. “Um, Jerrett was being impatient,” he finished.

“Ah.” Elric put book and glasses on the side table and looked up at Keit with speculation in his ice blue eyes. “So. Are you hungry?”

Keit grinned, because that was the equivalent of a joke from Elric, and they both knew it. He didn’t laugh though, it was a little too close to the truth for laughter. Instead he sank to his knees before Elric and put his head on his knee, close enough to smile at Orion. “Very hungry, sir.”

Elric fisted his hand in Keit’s hair and pulled his head up. “So am I,” he said in a fierce whisper and leaned in to seize Keit’s lips in a ferocious kiss.

Keit responded with a flare of heat and passion. Ordinarily he would have kept his hands behind his back until invited to use them, but his head was swimming and he felt nearly drunk with the spike of arousal that shot through him. He lifted his arms to slid around Elric’s shoulders and his hands caress gently along the back of his neck while he kissed him deeply.

A soft purring hum rose from Elric’s chest. He would have to remember to thank Jerrett later for all this…stimulation. “Upstairs, both of you. Get each other undressed.”

Keit and Orion both got to their feet and headed for the stairs, Orion a bit steadier then Keit for sure.

Once in the bedroom they helped each other undress quickly, removing clothes between heated kisses and caresses.

Elric arrived silently for once, his boots exchanged for slippers hours some time before. He leaned against the doorway a moment watching Orion’s large hand slide down Keit’s back to caress his beautiful bottom.

“Liebchen, vould you like an otter sandvich this evening?” he asked.

Concern wrinkled Orion’s forehead and he pulled Keit into a protective embrace. “Mein herr?”

“Ach, not in a literal sense. Mein Gott.” Elric scrubbed a hand over the side of his face. “I only meant in that ve should share him, hef him betveen us.”

“Oh.” Orion loosened his grip. “Yes, mein herr. I would like that.”

Still shaking his head, Elric went to the closet. “Up on the bed, herzchen. On all fours.”

Keit slipped from Orion’s arms with a last little kiss and went to the bed. It was funny, when Orion was tied to it the bed looked normal size. When Keit knelt in the center and leaned forward on his hands the bed looked much larger.

The Prince returned from his rummaging with a rather complicated device of metal and leather. Unfolded, it resolved into an I-bar with straps at all four corners and a vertical swivel arm at either end festooned with more leather straps.

“Good. Knees a bit more…so, thank you.” Elric slid the whole thing under Keit and buckled his wrists and knees into the corner straps. He gave Keit’s perfect bottom a sharp slap and then slid up onto the bed to finish preparations.

“Chin up, mein schatz,” he ordered softly. The front swivel arm came up and the leather strap fastened around Keit’s throat before Elric tightened the nut to keep it and Keit’s head firmly in place. Then he slid onto his back between Keit’s legs and positioned the second metal arm under Keit’s genitals. The smaller straps went around cock and balls, just as an added incentive not to move too far.

Keit had been in a state of semi arousal since he’d taken Sasha home, now his cock pointed rigidly up from his groin and he was so hot he could hardly stay still despite the incentives to do so. He tested the give by shifting ever so slightly and found that even that little bit tugged on his package and sent shivers up his back. A little movement caused slight discomfort. Any more than that was going to get very uncomfortable indeed.

“I need you to be quite still,” Elric whispered in his ear. “If you damage yourself, I shall find it a difficult infrection to forgive.” He stroked a finger up the underside of Keit’s erection and the message was quite clear. Mine. Don’t forget it.

Orion had watched this little display, practically drooling. A little rumble came from his chest, his eyes slid half shut, his huge cock standing straight out from his body.

“Come, liebchen,” Elric ordered in a soft purr. “On your knees in front. You may offer yourself to our beautiful otter but you must help him keep his head still.”

The bed creaked under Orion’s weight as he hurried to comply, eager and more than willing. He rubbed the smooth skin of his head against Keit’s lips and took a firm grip on his hair.

Keit let his tongue come out to lick over the slit and swirl around the silky smooth head wetting it and his lips. Taking Orion was always a stretch, no matter from which end, Keit was reminded as he opened his jaws wide to accommodate him. He moaned softly, both from the taste and feel of him and the way his fingers tugged through his hair.

Elric watched his beautiful boys as he undressed. He let his head fall back on a sharp stab of desire, his unbound hair brushing softly down his back. In no hurry, he stopped at his dresser for a jar of Vaseline before he joined them on the bed.

He smiled to see how gentle Orion tried to be and yet Keit wouldn’t have been able to move his head in that grip if he tried. Elric dipped his forefinger into the jar, teased for only a moment at Keit’s puckered entrance, and plunged inside.

Keit squeezed his eyes shut and huffed a breath through his nose. His whole body quivered with electric desire. The force of the thrust rocked him forward. Not a lot, but enough to tug at his trapped balls and nearly make his eyes water. His toes curled and he moaned with heady pleasure around Orion’s thick cock.

“Mmm, my good boy,” Elric murmured and waited until Keit had adjusted to his precipitous invasion. He curled forward to rest his cheek on Keit’s back, suddenly wanting as much skin contact as possible. His hips rolled, teasing, tapping deep inside, while one hand stole down to stroke feather-light over Keit’s erection.

Keit’s needy whimper hummed in his chest. The urge to roll his hips and push back was driving him crazy. The pain this would cause was more encouragement than deterrent, but Elric’s displeasure kept him from testing the limits of the restraint. He shifted his focus to making sure Orion was lavished with all the sensual delights his mouth had to offer, and the slight movements he was allowed he made the most of for Elric’s benefit. Concentrating on his lover’s pleasure eased the burden of seeking his own.

A deep rumble of pleasure rolled from Orion. He wrapped his free hand around the base of his shaft, stroking where Keit couldn’t reach. The tight heat around him was heavenly, the sight of his eagle prince taking his pleasure almost too beautiful to bear. He wished he could be two people, to touch them both, hold them close at the same time. The otter sucked harder on him and his thoughts scattered like dry grain.

Elric’s fingers stroked over the leather trapping Keit and the gold cock ring behind that. He had no illusions about where the ferocity of his need had sprung from. Jerrett had yanked, he had responded in true territorial fashion, and now he reclaimed what was his in the most primal way imaginable. He pulled his hips back and thrust into Keit more forcefully.

Unable to beg for more, unable to even plead with his body, Keit took what was given and delighted in it.

Murmured words of encouragement in three languages spilled from Elric as he thrust deep and hard. There were times for discipline and times for wild abandon. At the moment, the wilds tugged at every fiber of his being.

Orion reached down to stroke his hair and something in that simple touch sent flames licking along his nerves. “You may come, my darlings, vhen you are ready,” he forced out through heated gasps.

A moan of grateful pleasure rose from Keit, all he was capable of at the moment. Elric’s plunging rhythm and the way his fist closed over the head of his cock now made his insides melt. A sharp tug on his balls as he moved just a little more in the confines of the restraint sent sparks racing through him. His breath huffed through his nose in increasing pants as he got closer and closer. The urge to buck wildly and his inability to do so crashed together and made him shudder under his partners as he came in hot jets over Elric’s stroking fingers.

Orion shivered, his hips jerking as Keit’s moans pulled him into the deeps. He forced himself to keep his eyes open since the sight before him was transcendent. The Prince gripped Keit’s hips, head flung back, back arched to show every chiseled line of chest and abdomen. The force of his thrusts vibrated through the bed and a spare, hissing cry rose from him as he climaxed, his soft white hair a waterfall of frost behind him. It was perhaps the most beautiful thing he had ever witnessed.

Keit held Orion within his mouth as he was suddenly flooded both front and back. Orion filled his mouth so completely he could not swallow fast enough and some spilled from the corner. He was so far lost in the zone he hardly noticed.

After the last earthquakes settled, Orion disengaged gently. He smiled to see his Prince collapsed, panting, over Keit’s back. Strong, white arms wrapped around the otter, holding him up at the same time.

“Mein herr, could I…help?” he asked softly.

Elric gulped a breath. “You may release him, liebchen. Begin vith the throat strap.”

Keit was grateful for that, his neck was starting to ache from being held in position so long. He let his head drop between his shoulders while Orion worked on unfastening the buckles around his wrists. When he was free of restraints he lifted up on his knees to give Orion a soft kiss and then turned, dropping down to nuzzle at Elric’s hip where he’d sprawled out on the bed. “Thank you, sir.”

“Bitte, bitte, herzchen,” Elric murmured as he stroked Keit’s hair. “I am glad you enjoyed it.”

Orion leaned over to kiss his lips and rumbled, “Danke schön, mein herr.”

A pleased purr came from Elric before he said, “You should teach our Keit some German. I vould like to hear it from him as vell.”

“Ich kann Deutsch sprechen, mein herr. Ich wusste nicht, dass Sie mich dass wünschten,” Keit said fluidly.

Elric came up on one elbow to regard Keit with a pained expression. “So. All this time. And you hef not uttered a single vord vhile I struggle vith your god-forsaken language? It is, wie sagt mann verwirren? Baffling.”

Keit cringed, realizing too late that he should have spoken up long before now. “I’m sorry, sir,” he offered meekly. “I-I just thought…when I was learning other languages I wasn’t allowed to speak any others. I got in the habit of not reverting to English just because it was easier for me. I didn’t think…I am so very sorry, mein herr.”

Elric snorted. “I hef been in this country far too long to still be learning the language. And vhile I confess to hef learned English a bit late in life, long after learning French and Czech and Russian and Italian and Japanese, I vould hope I manage fairly vell.” He rolled down on his back, a wistful tone creeping into his voice. “I simply like to hear German sometimes.”

Flustered and upset now, because he’d ruined what had been a wonderfully mellow mood, Keit curled on the mattress at Elric’s hip, but did not touch him. He hadn’t meant to imply Elric was still learning either. He’d just meant that he was used to sticking to one language, unless directed to do otherwise. However, every time he opened his mouth he seemed to stick his foot in it so he kept silent now. Why, why hadn’t he thought to speak up before now? How stupid could he be?

Orion gathered Keit into his lap, not certain why the little one suddenly looked so miserable. One was corrected, one learned. His highness wasn’t angry…

“Mein herr?” A sudden stray thought wandered through. “Do you speak Norwegian as well?”

“No, liebchen. Not more than a few vords here and there.” Elric turned on his side to look at him. “Is there some reason?”

Orion’s forehead creased. “I‘m…not certain, mein herr.”

Keit rested his head against Orion’s broad chest but his eyes caught Elric’s for a moment, sharing a fleeting look as they both turned over the significance, if any, of Orion’s question.

“You may sleep vith our otter tonight,” Elric said as he kissed them both and rose to pull on a robe. “I vill be up for some time still. Go to bed.” He wandered out, murmuring to himself about things lost and found.

Keit let his breath out slowly after Elric left the room. He still felt unsettled, which was an unusual state for him. He usually took everything in stride, but he had a feeling he’d done more than just annoy his Dom, he’d hurt him by the simple omission. For the first time in a long while he felt tears close to the surface. “Come on Orion,” he coaxed in a softly husky voice. “Do you want to sleep in my room, or yours?”

“The ship, little one,” Orion rumbled with a little smile. He kissed Keit’s eyelids, wishing he could take the pain away and led him by the hand up to his tower room.

They snuggled in and talked softly for a while until Orion fell asleep. He was wonderful to lie with, so warm and comforting, but Keit lay staring out the window, unable to drift off.

Well after two in the morning, he wandered out into the hallway. Elric’s bedroom door was still open and the room empty. A hint of light shone further down the hall, though, licking out from under the study door. With a soft knock, Keit pushed it open and found the Prince at his computer, still as stone.

“Sir? Is everything…all right?”

Elric’s fingers twitched, a muscle jumped in his jaw, and for an uncomfortable moment Keit wondered if he was too hurt to speak to him. Finally his right hand clenched and he whispered, “I know now. I know who he is.”

Mad Anthony Etienne Dupree woke to the soft beeps and chirps of vitals monitoring and knew the Valkyries had not come for him. He opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling with the weight of failure crushing his chest.

“Why the hell didn’t they just let me die?” he whispered.

“Because–” The deep voice startled him. Der settled on the bed beside him. “Because the world would have been an infinitely grayer and duller place without you, MA.”

“You did read my letter, right? I mean, I’m just going to have to try again.” Anthony tried to clear his throat, his voice nothing but a dry rasp.

“Yes, I read the damned fool letter, you idiot.” Der patted his hand, not truly angry. “And leaving me the Ferrari was a nice thought, but it’s too much car for me. But there’s a bigger miscalculation, bud, in your grand Machiavellian plan.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. If you had died, Sasha would have been sick with grief and guilt. As it is, he’s devastated but he should recover. You weren’t releasing him from anything, you dunderhead. You would have chained him to the anguish of your passing for the rest of his life.”

“Oh. But–”

“Sh. No more. I don’t want to hear anymore. You upset me pretty bad, too, you know.” A little crack leapt into Der’s voice.

“Sorry, big guy. I’m sorry.” Anthony lay quietly for a moment, too depressed to think straight. “What am I gonna do?”

“For now I’d say you need to rest and get better. And then we’ll figure it all out, OK?”

#

Sasha woke the next morning to Jerrett‘s snoring. Oh, he was not going to be happy when he woke up. He slipped out of bed and padded downstairs, started coffee and mixed a Starseeker since Jerrett hated tomato juice with a passion and was more likely to drink a hangover remedy with orange juice in it.

Aspirin and an ice pack joined them on a tray and Sasha glided back upstairs, fairly certain Jerrett’s own snoring was about to wake him.

Jerrett was just opening his eyes when Sasha walked in. He was not happy. Still, as hangovers went, this wasn’t the worst he’d ever had. He slowly rolled to his back and moved up a little as Sasha placed the tray beside him. He made an appreciative sound, not quite ready for speech, as he reached for the drink and the aspirin. He tossed the tablets back and downed the drink in a gulp. “Coffee?”

“Brewing, Sir.”

Jerrett managed a fairly ghastly smile. “Good boy.” He sat up further and swung his legs over the side of the bed. “I need a shower.” He yawned. “Care to join me?”

“Of course,” Sasha answered softly. He didn’t feel too great himself, even without the hangover. Every muscle and joint ached from the full-blown anxiety assault he’d endured. A hot shower sounded good and Jerrett wasn’t in any shape for serious conversation yet.

He held out his hands to help Jerrett up and was mildly surprised when those large hands settled in his.

For once Jerrett was more intent on actually washing in the shower despite Sasha’s naked body next to him. The smell of alcohol seeping from his pours was soon sluiced away though, and the needles of hot water pounding on the back of his neck felt damn good. He snagged Sasha around the waist and pulled him closer, pressing his chest to Sasha’s back while he nuzzled at the crook of his throat.

Sasha leaned into him and closed his eyes, grateful to let himself be held up and held tight for a moment. In Jerrett’s strong arms, though, his body soon had other ideas and despite the weary ache everywhere, his cock stirred and expanded.

He reached up and back to run his fingers through Jerrett’s hair. “Was there anything you wanted washed a second time?”

For answer he got a little growl that reverberated along his throat as Jerrett kissed his way upward to nip his earlobe. “Put your hands on the wall,” Jerrett husked in his ear.

Sasha hesitated half a heartbeat, not because he was unwilling, not because he didn’t want Jerrett, but he wasn’t certain either one of them was up to it. He brought his arms down slowly, realizing his mistake in raising them as his shoulder gave a sharp twinge but he obeyed and placed his palms flat on the shower wall which bent him forward nicely.

Jerrett drew his hands up Sasha’s arms, from wrists to shoulders and then down his back. His fingers pressed into the smooth muscles and he smiled as Sasha moaned. He kneaded his way back up slowly until he was at Sasha’s shoulders again. His erection lay hard and ready in the valley of Sasha’s cheeks, but he made no move to do anything about that.

Instead he leaned forward again to kiss the back of Sasha neck, his hands traveling around to his chest and gliding over his abdomen. “Does your shoulder hurt?”

Sasha drew in a slow breath, another sort of ache swiftly drowning out everything else. “A…a little, yes, sir.” He pressed back against Jerrett’s hard shaft, unable to help himself. “It’s not so bad if I keep my arms down.”

Jerrett’s hands dipped lower to caress between his legs, cupping his balls and stroking along his stiffening shaft. He kissed and licked down his neck and between his shoulder blades, and then reluctantly pulled back. “You’re sore, hurting, we can wait.” He sighed regretfully.

A soft whimper caught in Sasha’s throat. The stress and anguish from the day before had left him raw and then to have Jerrett’s hands all over him only to be taken away…he appreciated that his Dom tried to be considerate but it was just shy of cruel.

“Jerrett, please,” he got out in a ragged whisper. He spread his legs and walked his hands down the wall a little farther to expose himself more fully. “Please, love, I need you so. I thought…thought I might lose you. Please.”

A bottle of cream conditioner sat on the shower floor. He shoved it towards Jerrett with his foot. If he still said no, Sasha would have to go stick his head in the freezer.

God…now how could he resist that sweet ass when it was offered up so temptingly? With a soft groan Jerrett bent over him and trailed his tongue down the center of his back, collecting the beads of water there. His hands came to rest on the top of Sasha’s hips.

“How can I resist, when you beg so sweetly?” he rumbled at the base of his spine. Before Sasha knew what was happening, Jerrett knelt, his hands pulling those lovely cheeks apart to expose him and Jerrett’s slippery tongue was circling and probing into his delicate pink bud.

“Oh…sweet…” Sasha gasped out. His hips jerked once in Jerrett’s hands, the sudden rush of pleasure almost too much. He was going to pass out from it. He lowered his head, breathing carefully, able to see part of Jerrett between his legs.

Of all the wonderful things Jerrett had ever done to him and for him, he’d never gone down on his knees for him and he’d never done this. Sasha moaned and rolled his hips in encouragement, letting Jerrett know just how much he appreciated the privilege.

Jerrett wriggled his tongue deeper as he reached between Sasha’s legs. His hand was slippery with conditioner as he stroked over his rock hard shaft. The groan he pulled from Sasha echoed off the tiles. He kept his strokes light, teasing. His tongue fluttered around his hole and dove in, but not too long or too deep. He controlled just how much stimulation Sasha received, enough to keep him squirming, but not enough to edge him higher. Hearing him beg was sweet indeed, and he wanted to hear more of it.

Sasha’s breath caught as Jerrett’s fingertip slid over the head of his cock. “Oh…god…” His thighs trembled with need, head spinning from the redistribution of blood flow. “Jerrett…please…I love you so…want you so bad…please, sir, oh…please take me…fuck me…god…please…”

Jerrett smiled, kissing and caressing the pert globes in front of him. He replaced his tongue with his fingers as he smoothly stood behind him. The way Sasha pushed back, swallowing his fingers, and moaned his name had Jerrett’s head spinning. He had wanted to tease and tease until Sasha was a puddle on the floor writhing with need, but he was getting there so fast and he was turning him on so much he wasn’t going to be able to draw it out all that long.

He moved up closer and pressed the head of his cock into his opening, leaning over him again to kiss and bite along his shoulders. “This what you want, sweetheart?” he murmured huskily.

“Yes…oh, yes…” Sasha tried to wriggle backwards but Jerrett held him tight around the waist. “Please, sir, please…I want you inside me…”

A long groan vibrated in his chest as Jerrett pushed in slowly, just the head of his impressive member. “Oh…Jerrett…please…more…”

Jerrett bit harder into the muscle that ran from his neck to his shoulder, his fingers digging a little harder into his hips. He meant to sink into him slowly, but the way Sasha moved against him made it impossible. His groan came up all the way from the bottom of his lungs as he felt Sasha’s legs tremble and heard his pleasure filled cry, not all of which was pure pleasure.

He let go of his hips. One arm wrapped around his chest, the other snagged one of Sasha’s hands and brought it down to stroke his throbbing cock. Another dizzy wave of ecstasy swirled in Jerrett’s head as his hips thrust against Sasha’s warm receptive body.

The pain had reached that perfect pitch for Sasha, just enough to set his nerves singing but not detract from the erotic joy of being taken so forcefully. He needed this so badly, Jerrett’s hands and lips and teeth, his hard body covering him, filling him, plunging into him again and again.

His good arm held him up against the wall, anchoring them both, biceps straining from the odd angle. He writhed back against Jerrett as if he wanted to get closer still, to meld with him. Jerrett’s hand guided his along his aching erection, those strong fingers forcing his to close tighter, to stroke faster.

“I love you…” he whispered as the pressure climbed to the red zone behind his groin wall. “Jerrett…ohgod…I’m coming…”

Jerrett shuddered as his cock was squeezed in that vise-like sleeve. His head tipped back and his arm tightened around Sasha, pulling him up tight to his body as he slammed into him with quick hard thrusts. “Sasha…oh, my Sasha…uhhh!” He held his body still, buried as deep as he could go while his orgasm rippled through him and his balls emptied in delicious spasms.

He finally put his own hand on the wall to hold himself up as they panted into the hot steam rising around them. When his eyes could focus again he saw that he’d left marks on Sasha’s neck and he’d probably have grape sized bruises on his hips later. Sasha would not only not complain, he’d wear them like a badge of honor. He was probably the only lover he’d ever had who matched him perfectly in the level of intensity he wanted. He liked it rough enough to be spicy, but not so much that Jerrett had to focus more on safety than his own pleasure. He was perfect. How could he have almost lost him?

He turned Sasha as he slipped from his body, and pulled him close again, just wanting to hold him tenderly now.

Sasha wrapped his arms around Jerrett’s ribs and snuggled close, grateful to rest his spinning head on a broad shoulder. He smiled. A few minutes before, Jerrett had looked like death warmed over for leftovers. He looked much better now.

While he would have been content to stay there forever with Jerrett’s hands slowly stroking his back, his clean, masculine scent filling his head, they would eventually need to leave the shower. He lifted his face to kiss Jerrett’s jaw and smiled up at him. “You still need your coffee.”

“Mm.” Jerrett rumbled contentedly. He let Sasha slip from his arms and they finished cleaning up and shut off the water.

When they were dried off he let Sasha go get dressed and get coffee while he shaved. He timed it perfectly, he’d just put the razor away and stepped out of the bathroom and Sasha was there handing him a mug just the way he liked it. He sipped and sighed appreciatively.

Sasha knelt on the bed, sipping at his own mug. The peace they’d had this morning was heavenly and he hated to disturb it but the mammoth in the room wouldn’t go away just because he closed his eyes. “Sir?” he began softly. “I’d…like to go to the hospital this morning.”

Jerrett sighed, but he nodded. “Alright.” He took another drink. “Sasha… something will have to be done. Something has to change. Anthony obviously can’t accept the ‘just friends’ thing.”

“I know.” A hollow laugh nearly got away from him. Jerrett was so good at understatement. He chewed on his lower lip a moment, his next request more difficult to voice. “Sir? Come with me? Please? I think it’s important that you…you see each other.”

Jerrett sighed again and wiped a weary hand over his face. “No, it‘s not. I’d probably only scare him if I showed up.” He held up his hand before Sasha could speak. “But, I will go for you, because I don’t want you to be there alone.”

Sasha slid off the bed to wrap his arms around Jerrett, a huge lump in his throat. “Thank you.”

He stopped in the kitchen before they left the house. The emerald winked from the table where he had left it. Without a word, he picked the collar up, fastened it back around his neck and felt a little more…whole again.

At the hospital, the halls were relatively quiet, not a lot of visitors on Tuesday morning. A voice became audible as they neared Anthony’s room, the soft, rhythmic rise and fall indicating that someone read out loud.

Sasha turned the corner and blinked in surprise. Jonathan sat at the foot of Anthony’s bed, reading from a book of Arthurian tales. Strange enough that he was there, reading, but Sasha had the oddest feeling he’d done it before. Anthony lay with his eyes closed, his skin still gray and waxen, though his fingers twitched from time to time.

Jonathan’s head jerked up when they came in. “Oh, hey.” His eyes flicked from Sasha to Jerrett as he offered his brightest smile. “He’s not asleep. Just resting. MA?” He shook Anthony’s foot gently. “Visitors.”

“Visi–” Anthony cracked an eye and then both eyes flew wide. “Ah. Well. Visitors.” His voice was still scratchy though not the sandpaper rasp it had been when he first woke. He fumbled for the bed control and raised the head to nearly sitting, not willing to face what came next lying down.

“Sasha, nice of you to come,” he said with a polite nod. “Jon, do you think the two of you might excuse us?” He saw Jerrett bristle and went on hastily. “I think Mr. Hawthorn and I should have a few minutes alone.”

Jerrett’s hand did not lift from Sasha’s shoulder, and for a moment he debated telling him to stay, just to be spiteful, but since he actually wanted a word or two with the man he finally lifted his hand. “Go on with Jonathan,” he said softly, and waited until the two walked out, his lips twitching slightly at the way Jonathan scooted around the end of the bed so he didn’t have to get too close.

Dark as sin eyes came to rest on Anthony, Jerrett’s expression the picture of handsome arrogance. “You are an idiot, do you know that?” he said, disdain dripping from his voice. “You are absolutely the luckiest bastard alive that you’re in that bed right now, or I’d beat you to a pulp for what you’ve done to Sasha. Do you have any idea how terrible he would have felt had you actually succeeded? I should throttle you anyway!” Jerrett let out his breath, feeling a tad better now that he’d gotten that out.

“Yes, sir,” Anthony agreed in a hoarse whisper. “If it would make everything better, I wish you would.”

He half expected Jerrett to take him up on the offer but when the man didn’t move, he heaved a tired sigh. “I broke my promises to you. That was bad enough. But then I got your message. About confusing Sasha. And I thought, well, I need to take care of this, don’t I?”

His gray eyes met Jerrett’s gaze steadily, too heartsick and exhausted for fear. “I thought I was doing the right thing. Taking myself out of the picture. The piece off the board. No more confusion, no more getting in the way. Sasha could go on with his life. With the man he’s needed for so long.”

He lifted a hand, staring at the heavily bandaged wrist. “Der says I miscalculated. He was being nice. I fucked up. And, yeah, I’m an idiot.”

Jerrett snorted. “And you take all the fun out of berating you,” he said in a deceptively mild tone. “Now, shall we get to the truth? Or would you like to go on for a while with the justifications and self-sacrificing crap?”

He held Anthony’s eyes, watched the little frown of confusion and denial between his brows, and when he opened his mouth with what Jerrett was sure was only going to piss him off, he raised a brow and leveled a finger at him. “Don’t. Don’t do it. I came here for Sasha’s sake. I have not had the best twenty-four hours. I’ve told him I will not keep him from seeing you, but so help me if you don’t stop the lies I’ll change my mind and we’ll leave now.”

“But…I-I don’t…”

Jerrett sighed. “You didn’t try to off yourself to free Sasha. You might have told yourself that, and even convinced yourself of it. But people who want to set someone free stop calling, they don’t drop by, they move away…they don’t try and kill themselves. Even you aren’t that stupid.”

They stared at each other for a few moments. At one time Jerrett wouldn’t have given him the answer, he would have played with him or forced him to admit the truth, but right now he was tired and still hung over, and Sasha was in the hall fretting.

“You tried to kill yourself because you love him, and you can’t have him, and you’re miserable without him. You can spin it any way you want, but that’s the truth.”

Anthony dropped his eyes, a sudden unexpected pressure behind them. He nodded once, and that was good enough for Jerrett.

“When you’re better, we’ll talk.” Jerrett said in a softer tone. “About how things will be. Right now though, Sasha would probably like to see you, and hear that you are better, no?”

“Yes, sir,” Anthony agreed in a strangled whisper. “But could I have a minute? And…and the–” He waved a hand in a helpless gesture at the tissue box out of reach on the tray.

Jerrett was kind enough to hand it to him and even waited while he put up a valiant struggle against bursting into tears. So many things collided in his brain, guilt and pain and the terrible seed of hope Jerrett had planted, blossoming into something too bright for him to look at yet.

He managed to compose himself, though his chest burned with the effort, and raised his eyes to Jerrett again. “Thank you.”

Jerrett went to the door and looked out to see Jonathan and Sasha a little way down the hall talking. Vincent’s pretty green-eyed boy shut his mouth mid-sentence when he saw Jerrett, and Jerrett’s lips twitched in amusement again. “You can come back in, we’re done talking for now.”

Jonathan kissed Sasha’s cheek and said something in his ear before he went on his way. Sasha hesitated, then came down the hall with overly deliberate steps, trying not to break into a run. When he poked his head around the door, though, all seemed well, no hysterics, no bruises, no blood. Not that he had expected his Jerrett to pummel an ailing hospital patient but sometimes Anthony brought out the worst in people.

He stopped to give Jerrett a quick kiss, a thank-you for his restraint, and then continued to the bed.

Anthony held out a hand towards him. “Sash, I’m sorry. Truly. I didn’t mean for you to–”

Sasha hauled his arm back and slapped him hard across the face.

“I guess…I deserved that,” Anthony murmured in shock.

“Yes. But not for me.” Sasha’s voice was soft but held enough heat to melt titanium. “Bad enough that I sat here bawling over you when I shouldn’t have been with you but you made Derelict cry. And upset Vincent to the point where he hasn’t slept. And disrupted his highness’ schedule so he could deal with the cops for you. And hurt god knows how many other people, you jerk. You don’t even know half the misery you caused with this little stunt, do you? You think it was just me you were hurting?”

“I…I…oh…” Anthony hung his head, a slight flush coloring his pallor. “I’m sorry.”

“All right.” Sasha leaned in and kissed his forehead gently. “But you just remember you’ve got a lot of people to apologize to.”

“Got it,” Anthony whispered to his blankets.

Jerrett’s eyes had widened at the slap and the dressing down. He hadn’t expected his Sasha to do that. He had expected him to fawn over Anthony and give him all kinds of sympathy and attention, not actually to know what damage he’d done or to be angry about it. That bore taking note of.

Sasha sat down on the bed and took Anthony’s hand in his lap. “How are you feeling?”

“Ready to get back in the saddle. Yep. Tie my feet to the stirrups, I should stay up OK.”

“Seriously.”

Anthony shrugged. “Tired. And more tired. They say that’s normal. I’m supposed to be a good boy when they let me out and go to bed early and eat right and all that.”

“And no booze,” Sasha said firmly.

“Right. None o’ the devil’s brew.” Anthony tried for his best Highland accent but it came off listless and flat.

“When do they let you go?”

“A few days more. They wanna be sure I won’t just leave and step in front of a bus or something. You know. Shrinks and stuff.”

“Oh.” Sasha reached out to stroke a hand over Anthony’s blond spikes. “I’m glad you’re such a screw up. And that it didn’t work.”

Anthony managed half a smile. “Thanks, I think.” He heaved a shaky breath. “I think maybe I’m a little glad, too.”

The message from Jerrett was quite clear. Anthony put the phone down on his dresser and crawled back into bed. He was to leave Sasha alone until further notice.

Jerrett had been all business, no nastiness, no sarcasm. But he had said something both cutting and vital. Anthony was upsetting Sasha. Confusing him. It had to stop.

“Right. You’re right, Mr. Hawthorn,” Anthony said to the ceiling. “I’m so sorry, Sash. Gods be damned fool, that’s what I am. Damned, blind, moronic fool.”

It had to stop. Yes, yes it did.

#

Two days later, Sasha kissed Jerrett goodbye while he still read his morning papers and headed off to work. The Prince’s house looked the same from the outside, all in order, perfectly normal. Inside, things weren’t right at all.

Keit and Caroline sat on the sofa in the front room. Orion knelt at Keit’s feet with his head in his lap, obviously upset.

“What is it?” Sasha asked in a hushed whisper. “What’s happened?”

“We’re not sure yet,” Caroline said gently. “His highness was called to the police station this morning. He didn’t say why. He just said to cancel his morning appointments and he’d be back soon.”

Sasha sank down in a chair to wait with them, a hard knot in this stomach. What could it be? What if the Prince was in trouble? What could they do?

The mantel clock ticked loudly, a cold sentinel metronome in the terrible anticipatory silence.

Finally, two hours later, the Mercedes purred into the drive. The Prince eased out as if his bones hurt and made his slow way to the house. Alarmed, everyone leaped up to meet him at the door, shocked at the gray pallor of his face.

Keit took his hat and coat, Orion took his arm to support him. No one could recall ever seeing him so shaken.

“Sir? Are you all right?” Sasha whispered.

“I am…vell enough,” Elric said softly. “Let us sit, my dears. I hef grim news.”

When they had all settled again, Elric pulled an envelope from his jacket. “Early this morning, Anthony’s landlady knocked on his door. He hed not paid his rent this veek. She let herself in vhen he did not answer. She found him, dressed in his best suit, lying on the kitchen floor. He hed cut open the veins in his wrists.”

Sasha let out an anguished cry and Caroline groped for his hand.

“He is…alive, my dears,” the Prince went on. “In hospital but they think they vere in time. They hope he vill recover.” Keit moved over to lay his head on Elric’s shoulder and the Prince accepted the gesture with a soft sigh. “He left a letter, addressed to me, vhich is vhy the police called me. There are instructions for the distribution of his belongings…”

He hesitated, opened the letter, and looked over at Sasha, “And a passage concerning you, süsselein. Do you vish to know?”

“Yessir,” Sasha choked out.

“‘Please tell my beloved Sasha,” the Prince read. “That he is free now. That he need never hef a moment’s confusion again. I release him from all guilt and obligation. I do this to allow him to hef the life he so deserves, vith somevone who loves him and who can give him all he needs. I shall no longer stand in his vay.’”

Sasha burst into tears. Oh, dear god, how could Anthony have done such a thing? How could he have reached such a terrible chasm of despair? Someone who was more full of life and energy than anyone else he knew? “God, no…oh, Ant…”

Several sets of arms were around him before he stopped sobbing and then he asked the Prince to please excuse him for the day. He had to go see Anthony. There simply was no choice.

#

Towards evening he returned home, sick at heart and exhausted. He’d lost track of the time, keeping watch at Anthony’s bedside. The doctors assured him Anthony’s heart was strong and he was receiving the best care, but he had yet to wake.

He stopped short with a jolt when he saw Jerrett waiting for him in the front room.

“And where have you been, little one?”

Sasha fought to speak against the desert in his throat. “I went…I went…to see Anthony.”

“Really.” Jerrett placid tone said well enough he was seething, but before he got out a more scathing comment he noticed Sasha was so pale he looked like he might pass out and the redness around his eyes told him he’d already been crying his eyes out. “Why?”

“Because…because…he’s in the hospital. He tried to…to kill himself.”

Jerrett sighed and held his arms out. “Come here, sweetheart.” He waited until Sasha flew into his arms and then held him close, drawing him up and carrying him to the couch. He sat and held him, rocking him until the shuddering and sobs stopped. Yes, he was angry, and, yes, he was going to put a stop to this, but not tonight. Tonight he would simply be there for his lover.

Jerrett was good to Sasha, he held him and gave him every bit of support he needed. He made sure he was comforted and secure. The next morning he sat with Sasha at the breakfast table and cleared his throat. “Sasha, I know you care about Anthony. I understand why you went to see him. What I don’t understand is why you didn’t call me,” he said softly.

Sasha stared at his plate. “I…don’t know. I was so worried. He was so pale and lifeless. So unnatural for him to be so…so still. I couldn’t…couldn’t think about anything except that he’d done it because…because of me.”

Jerrett drummed his fingers on the table, once. “Yes, he did it for you. So you would get the message loud and clear. If he died, you’d live with the guilt for the rest of your life. If he lived, you would come running right to him.” He watched Sasha wince at the harsh words but the time to handle him like spun sugar was over. “Sasha, you didn’t call me because you knew I wouldn’t want you to go. This cry for attention is–” He stopped and took a breath. “I’m not heartless, but I’m not buying into this game. You choose who you want to be with.”

For a moment, Sasha fixated on the wrong part of his speech. Anthony had wanted to die; his letter had been so well-ordered and thorough, covering everything from what should happen to his swords to where his savings were to send to his mother. Not to make anyone feel guilty, either, but to make everyone else’s lives easier, at least as he saw it. Sasha knew all about suicide attempts for attention. He’d seen it often enough. This wasn’t one of those.

Suddenly the important part of what Jerrett had said sank in. “Choose?”

“Yes. Him or me, Sasha. What’s it going to be?”

A wave of ice washed down from Sasha’s scalp to his toes. Choose. Between them. Never see Anthony again or lose Jerrett forever. His sight wavered, he gripped the edge of the table as if he might pitch into some invisible abyss otherwise.

Then he caught himself and rose slowly, went upstairs, found his suitcase and packed a few necessities. When he came back down, he stood in front of Jerrett with the suitcase beside him, his voice so soft Jerrett had to lean forward to hear, a voice which sounded a thousand miles distant in his own ears.

“I can’t make decisions,” he began, his heart full of anguish and worry. “At least I’m not good at them. And they don’t come easy. I need some…space. To think. I can’t think like this. I’ll be at my place. Until I figure this out. I’m sorry, love. I’ve screwed everything up. And I don’t know what to tell you right now.”

He reached up and unfastened his collar to place it on the table. “A sub doesn’t make decisions. He has someone to do it for him. If you want me to do this myself, I have to be just me for a while.”

Jerrett nodded, he didn’t trust himself to speak. He watched Sasha turn and leave. The hurt was surprisingly sharp. Break-ups were something he usually took in stride. Even when Keit left him it had hurt, but not like this. He hadn’t cried since he was a six-year-old, and he wasn’t going to now, but he almost wished he could.

He didn’t pick up the collar, he left it on the table where Sasha had put it. It was eight o’clock in the morning and he wanted a drink. Well, Sasha was gone, there was no one he needed to stay sober for. Today he’d crawl into a bottle of cognac and tomorrow he’d move on.

Sasha, on the other hand, had no qualms about tears and no illusions about moving on. He sat in the cheerful front room of his apartment and cried until he made himself sick. The thoughts kept running in circles, he couldn’t get any closer to any sort of answer. He loved Jerrett with every fiber of his being but he wasn’t sure he could do what Jerrett needed him to do. He loved Anthony with the slow and tender fire only friendship and shared heartache could build and couldn’t bear the thought of never seeing him again.

He crawled under his sofa and ignored the phone the several times it rang.

#

The day after they heard about Anthony, Sasha didn’t show up for work. Keit called and got no answer at Jerrett’s or at Sasha’s. By evening, he really started to worry. A call to the hospital revealed Anthony was stable, no changes in his condition, and he hadn’t had any visitors all day.

Keit found Elric in the library. He knelt beside him and waited until he acknowledged him to speak. “Sir, I’m worried about Sasha. He hasn’t been to the hospital, and there isn’t any answer at Jerrett’s or his apartment. Would it be alright if I went to check on him?”

“Please do, herzchen,” the Prince leaned down to give him a soft kiss. “Things are not right. Not at all. His apartment key is on the rack in the kitchen. Just in case.”

Keit went to Jerrett’s first. After ten minutes pounding on the door, Jerrett finally answered. Keit didn’t think he’d ever seen Jerrett quite this drunk. He swore softly under his breath.

“Keit?” Jerrett took a second to focus on his face and reached out to stop him from weaving back and forth. “Did you come back to me, sweetie?”

Keit rolled his eyes and half walked, half stumbled with Jerrett back inside. “Jerrett, where’s Sasha?”

Jerrett flopped back onto the couch. “Gone.”

“Gone?” Keit repeated inanely. “Gone where?”

“I dunno. To figure out what he wants.” He waved a dismissive hand.

Keit tried not to grit his teeth. “What happened?”

“I told you, he left.” Jerrett had the remarkable ability to sound almost completely sober even when he was blind drunk. “I told him not to see his ex anymore, and he needed time to pick who he wants.” Jerrett snorted. “Can you believe that shit? Like I should sit an’ wait for him while he makes up his mind?”

Keit found this rather fitting karmic retribution for all the hearts this man had broken, but he didn’t say so. “Alright. Did he say where he was going?”

“Apartment.” Jerrett muttered, his eyes closed.

“Jerrett?”

He started snoring softly and Keit threw up his hands in frustration. He headed to Sasha’s apartment. He knocked, and got no answer, so he used the key. “Sasha? Sasha, are you here?”

A soft, desperate whimper came from somewhere in the front room. It took Keit a few minutes to realize it came from under the couch.

“Sasha…?” Keit knelt down to look underneath. “Sasha, what…? Oh, honey, have you been under there all day? Can you come out?”

A shaking hand made its way out and Keit took that as an invitation. He grabbed hold and pulled gently until the rest of Sasha followed. Not a Sasha he would have recognized on the street, this one looked like a Dickensian waif, hair a rat’s nest, face and hands smudged with an unholy combination of tears and dust, eyes wide and staring.

He crawled to Keit, breathing ragged and tortured, as if he had been fighting hyperventilation for hours, and lay down with his head in Keit’s lap.

Keit was having a bit of trouble not hyperventilating himself. He petted Sasha with trembling hands. He reached for the phone in his pocket. He wanted to call Jerrett and bitch him out, but Jerrett probably wouldn’t answer and besides, he needed someone who could help. He called Elric.

“Sir,” he said when Elric answered. He had to clear his throat because it barely came out as a whisper. “Sir, Sasha’s not doing so good. I-I need your help, I think.”

“Calm, herzchen,” the Prince soothed. “Find something to cover him. Hold him tight. I von’t be long.”

True to his word, Elric arrived within fifteen minutes, Orion in tow. He found his boys on the floor, Sasha burrowed under an afghan and wrapped in Keit’s arms.

“So. Good. Vell done, mein herz.” He stopped to stroke Keit’s hair before he lifted the blanket to peer at Sasha. “Arme kind…poor boy. The anxiety takes hold almost like a seizure sometimes, all of his muscles tensed and spasming. Ve need only help him relex again.”

He took Sasha in his arms and began issuing soft orders. “Orion, put the box down and start the bath. Hot, though not scalding. Keit, süsse, start some tea. Orion hes chamomile in his box.”

Keit ended up stripping and getting in the tub with Sasha so he had someone to hold him and make sure he didn’t slip under. The heat of the water did seem to help unclench his tight muscles, as did Keit’s soothing hands.

When they got out Orion took over, wrapping Sasha in a big towel and helping him to dry off while Keit got himself dry.

While Orion carried Sasha to bed, Keit fetched tea and aspirin and reached the bedroom in time to see Elric wrapping a soft blanket tight around Sasha’s lower three-quarters, like swaddling, except with a full grown young man and the end result left his arms and head free. The Prince sat beside him on the bed, helped him drink and waited, for what, the other two had no idea.

“Sir?” Sasha finally whispered. “How long have you been here?”

Elric smiled. “Guten Abend, süsselein. It is good to hef you beck.” He smoothed a stray lock of hair from Sasha’s eyes. “Now, perheps you vill tell me vhat upset you so.”

Sasha sketched it out for him in short, halting sentences and ended with, “I’m supposed to choose. He said I had to choose. One or the other. How in the world can I do something like that?”

Keit fumed, silently because he didn’t want to upset Sasha again. Goddamn it! Why did Jerrett have to be such a jerk? “Sir…” he called softly to Elric. “I’ll be in the other room, if you need me.” He needed to remove himself before he said something he shouldn’t.

“Mein herr…” Orion rumbled and received a nod to go after Keit.

“Sasha, liebling,” Elric said softly. “This is not something I can do for you. Or answer for you. It is a hard thing he hes demanded of you. Perheps not a fair thing. But such demands might alvays be part of who he is, this man you chose freely to give yourself to.”

“Yessir. I…I know.” Sasha stared into his tea.

“You are a grown man, Sasha. Sometimes vone must choose. Betveen this and thet. Betveen love and duty. Home or a brighter future.” He gave Sasha a quirk of a smile. “Red vine or vhite.”

“It’s just so hard, sir. If I choose him, what happens to Anthony? If I choose Anthony, I’ll…” Sasha dropped his head into his hands.

“Perheps you should only concentrate on vhat you need most, my dear. You alvays vorry so about those around you. Neither choice vill be entirely heppy for you, I know. But if you must make a choice, think vhich leaves you more bereft in the long run.”

Sasha nodded, miserable still but calmer.

Keit paced in the living room. Not that there was a lot of room to pace, especially with Orion standing in the center of the room watching him, his head slowly pivoting back and forth.

“Little otter, you are distressed?”

Keit gave a curt nod.

“Is it because the minnow is upset?”

“It’s because Jerrett made him upset,” Keit answered. “He’s so damn selfish. Anthony is Sasha’s friend. He’s being a total jerk to make him choose between the two of them!”

“Did the panther not already choose for him?” Orion asked.

Keit stopped his pacing and looked at Orion. “Well, sort of. He told Sasha he didn’t want him to see Anthony anymore.”

Orion nodded. “And the minnow does not accept his decision.”

Keit waved an irritated hand. “That’s not the point. Jerrett doesn’t have to forbid him to see Anthony.”

“But he has,” Orion said placidly.

Keit drew in a deep breath and let it out. “He’s just jealous, Orion. Anthony isn’t going to hurt Sasha.”

“No. Maybe it is the panther who is hurt.”

Keit stared at him. He didn’t know what to say to that.

Sasha had appeared in the doorway, pale and hollow-eyed. “The big guy’s right. I’ve hurt Jerrett. I didn’t want to or mean to but I made it clear my heart was divided. I can’t do that to him anymore. I won’t just abandon Anthony, not while he’s in the hospital, but we’ll have to make things clear.”

“It sounds as if you hef made your choice, my dear,” the Prince offered softly.

“I have. I have to get dressed.”

“Um…” Keit looked at Sasha uncertainly. “Maybe…maybe you should wait til tomorrow, Sash.” When he saw that wasn’t going to be enough of an explanation, he continued with a sigh. “He was really, really drunk when I left him.”

#

Jerrett at that moment was wishing he were dead. He’d woken up still drunk and it was one of those rare occasions where the alcohol he’d consumed decided to rebel on him. He lay shivering and moaning on the cold tile bathroom floor.

God he missed Sasha. Had it only been one day? Not even a full twenty-four hours. Pathetic. What was worse, he was getting all maudlin. Maybe he should just call the boy, ask him to come back. Fuck it, he didn’t care if he wanted to see his damn ex. He just wanted Sasha back.

Where was the damn phone? He tried to get up and his stomach lurched to the right. He heaved into the toilet again. Fuck.

He managed to wash his face at the sink. Weaving his way out of the bathroom he clipped the door jam and went sprawling. God dammit. Where was that fuckin phone? The room wouldn’t stop spinning long enough for him to get up, so he crawled through the bedroom.

#

“Oh,” Sasha’s new-found confidence deflated a bit. Oh, sweet mother…he’d hurt Jerrett badly enough that he’d gotten completely trashed in the middle of the day.

“And you may vish to be better rested, too,” the Prince added. “You are exhausted, my dear, and, if you vill pardon me, you hef looked better.”

The phone rang and Keit had to suppress the urge to pounce on it. He knew, just knew it was Jerrett. Even though Sasha seemed to have made up his mind, Keit still wanted to tell Jerrett what an asshole he was being.

Even if he had jumped for the phone, it was a pretty sure bet Sasha would have beat him to it. He fumbled it off the hook and stammered Jerrett’s name.

“Sasha, come home.” Jerrett sounded hoarse and tired. “Just come home. I don’t care if you want to see that lunatic. I just want you.”

Oh, my poor Jerrett… “I’m coming, love. I was just on my way,” Sasha said softly. He glanced around at the expectant faces as he hung up. He explained even as he rushed to get some clothes on. “He’s asking me to come home. He says he doesn’t care anymore. About MA.”

Dressed and ready in thirty seconds flat, Sasha turned at the door. “Thank you all for coming. Thank you for everything.” Then he was gone.

Keit shook his head. Some things didn’t change. Jerrett snapped his fingers and the pretty boys came running.

At the house, Sasha careened to a stop in the drive and dashed inside. Something in Jerrett’s voice had yanked at his heart and he felt nearly frantic by the time he arrived. “Jerrett?” he called softly as he rushed from room to room turning on the lights.

He found him in the bedroom, sprawled on the floor, the phone still in his hand as if he couldn’t bear to let that connection go.

“My poor love,” Sasha murmured and knelt beside him to stroke his hair. Unshaven and un-showered, Jerrett looked rough and smelled worse but he couldn’t possibly have cared less. “Jerrett? Can you hear me? We need to try to get you to bed.”

“Baby?” Jerrett smiled a sleepy, drunken smile up at him. “You came back.” Instead of giving in to Sasha’s urging, he pulled him down, wrapped his arms around him from behind and held onto him while he buried his nose at the nape of his neck. “Mmm…” he purred contentedly.

A happy little laugh bubbled up in Sasha’s chest before he could help it. That deep purr vibrating against him again simply felt too damn good. He turned in Jerrett’s arms so he could hold him and stroke a hand along his stubble-bristled face.

“Yes, I came back. I’m sorry I hurt you, love. I’m back.” He wanted to say so much more but he had the feeling anything important would be wasted at the moment with a good chance Jerrett wouldn’t remember in the morning. “Let me help you to bed. We can snuggle there. And it’ll be better when you wake up tomorrow not feeling so good.”

Jerrett somehow made it into bed, though he didn’t really remember the journey.

#

In the Prince’s kitchen, Elric leaned against the counter while Orion and Keit put away the little box of supplies they had brought to Sasha’s. They both turned to him when he let out a little bark of laughter.

“Sir?”

“The turnings of the human mind never cease to amaze me, herzchen,” he began with a little shake of his head. “Here ve hef two personalities, opposite in every vay, driven apart by a knot of jealousy and hurt vhich they might only undo avay from each other. And vhat heppens? These two so very different people come to the same conclusion, almost in the same moment: I no longer care vhat or who else is in our lives, I cennot live vithout you.”

“Mm, I just hope Jerrett remembers that when he’s sober,” Keit said.

Anthony rolled onto his back to stare at the ceiling. “Look, I’m sorry. Maybe give me a few minutes, just a couple, and we can–”

“You can get your shit and get out, is what you can do,” the pretty redhead lying next to him snapped. “I’d never have brought you home if I knew you’d turn out to be the Limp-Dicked Wonder.”

“You don’t need to get bitchy about it, hon,” Anthony said as he sat up. “Not like I planned it this way. ‘Oh, let’s see if I can’t go out and pick up some cute boy so I can humiliate myself.’”

“You might as well have. And don’t start any shit about needing to cuddle for awhile. You were all hyped up at the club and I get you back here and–nothing. All promise, no delivery. Get the hell out.”

Anthony was already moving, fishing his clothes off the floor. “Yeah, well, the only reason I picked you out in the first place was ‘cause you reminded me of someone else but, fucking hells, was I wrong. You’re not even that good-looking, sweetheart.”

Coat, keys, and wallet snatched up, he heard the parting shots about his probable eunuch status and such in a distant way as he clomped out of the apartment with his boot laces still untied. Damned stupid mistake, that’s what it had been. Just because someone had Sasha’s coloring didn’t make the boy Sasha.

And why was he torturing himself like this, anyway? Christ on toast, no one else would be Sasha, it wasn’t fair to expect it. So why did he keep going after the ones who could play stand in for him?

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed. “Der? Hey, big guy, wassup? Where you at?”

“Hey, MA. I’m home right now.” The deep voice sounded odd, a little strained.

“Hells bells, Der, it’s freaking Friday night! What’re you doing home? There’s a whole city out here! Come out, dammit, come meet me–”

A soft moan drifted over the phone line.

“Oh.” Anthony stopped at his car. “That kind of ‘at home’. Sorry, big guy. Didn’t mean to interrupt and stuff.”

“S’OK. You all right, Ant?”

“Yeah, oh, yeah, I’m good, I’m great, no worries. You get back to whoever, I mean whatever you’re doing. I’ll give you a buzz tomorrow.” He hung up, got in his Ferrari and banged his head on the steering wheel for a few minutes. There were lots of other people he could call if he just wanted company but only a handful who wouldn’t send him into screaming fits of irritation right then. Time to pack it in, go home and go to bed.

Third disastrous weekend in a row. Somehow, some way, he had to find a way to make the lonely ache go away.

Seeing Sasha so obviously happy and well cared for when he visited the Prince was both a delight and a torment. He truly wanted him happy and content, had hoped for that for so long. Yet he watched carefully for any little sign of unhappiness, any hint of misuse. He told himself he was only concerned, but in his heart of hearts a tiny, dark kernel wanted to find reasons why Sasha shouldn’t be with Jerrett anymore.

At that moment Anthony’s very secret want could not have been farther from reality.
Jerrett, the same blatantly and unashamedly selfish, dominant, and egotistical Jerrett, had found he rather liked spoiling his new lover. Sasha’s reactions made spoiling him so much fun.

He had told Sasha to get ready to go out, dinner first and then they were going to a club.
He made him change clothes twice. Sasha tended to dress more…conservatively wasn’t exactly right, but he covered more skin when he was going out with Jerrett because he knew Jerrett got jealous easily. Tonight he wanted to show him off.

When Sasha came out wearing a painted on pair of pvc pants held together on the sides with laces and a microfine mesh shirt in black, Jerrett finally nodded. “That will do. Just one thing though…” He curled his finger and waited until Sasha knelt in front of where he sat on the couch. “I think this will go perfectly.” He handed Sasha a long box and watched his face carefully as he opened it.

Inside was a thin band of black leather from the center of which hung an emerald pendant the size of his thumbnail.

Sasha’s breath caught. He lifted his big blue eyes to Jerrett’s in undisguised wonder, then ducked his head to return his gaze to the box. “Oh…Sir…it’s…it’s…sweet mother of…” He swallowed hard, trying to keep hold of his galloping emotions, and managed to whisper, “It’s beautiful.”

Jerrett caught his chin with the edge of his finger and lifted his face. “You are beautiful.” He smiled. He took the box back from him, lifted the collar from it, and tossed the box casually on the seat beside him. The light caught the intensely dark gem and made it sparkle with green fire. “I have asked you to be mine, and you have accepted. I thought it was time you had my mark as well.”

He took the ends of the collar and held them out, just in front of Sasha’s throat. “Do you still want to be mine, Sasha?” he asked in the warm and tender a voice he so rarely used, and Sasha was the only one privy to.

Sasha felt as if he might melt and fall into those dark eyes. His legs had turned to water and he fought hard to find his voice. “Y-yes…yes, sir,” he whispered. Part of him wanted to say ’it’s too much, I can’t accept this’ along with ‘you don’t mean this’ but he knew Jerrett well enough by now. Jerrett wanted what he wanted and there was never any doubt. “Oh, yes,” he said more firmly. “Very much.”

Jerrett slid the band around Sasha’s neck and fastened it so the pendant hung perfectly in the hollow of his throat. It looked stunning on him.

One slender hand flew to Sasha’s neck as a smile blossomed to light up his face. With a happy laugh he flung his arms around Jerrett. “Oh, thank you, thank you! You’re so wonderful.”

Jerrett nuzzled into Sasha’s hair, inhaling the clean scent of him mingled with his shampoo, and pulled him into his lap. The warm press of his body and his scent filling his head made him swell with desire. He caught Sasha’s lips and kissed him ravenously, forgetting all about dinner and going out. Right now all he wanted to do was peel Sasha out of those tight pants he’d made him change into. He had to chuckle at himself. “Will it bother you to be a little late for dinner, love?”

“No, sir.” Sasha ran a finger down that hard-packed chest with a little smile. “I’m not really starved…for food.”

“Ah…and what are you hungry for, little one?” Jerrett teased while he leaned Sasha back on the couch and slowly tugged the laces of his pants free.

Sasha bit back a moan, determined to form a coherent answer with the blood rushing from his head. “You, sir,” he got out in a husky murmur. “Your hands, you hard body.”

Jerrett grasped the top of his pants and pulled down slowly. They were not the kind of pants one just slid down, he had to peel them off. “Then you shall have me,” he murmured huskily. He undid his own pants and slid them off as he moved between Sasha’s thighs. Caressing up the inside of his legs he pushed them up and spread him, then moved his hands inward to cup his balls and stroke his already straining cock.

He stayed there only a moment before caressing lower, his fingers searching between his cheeks. A delighted smile crossed his handsome face as his digit slid easily into his tight slippery heat. “Such a naughty boy…all lubed up and ready in those tight pants.” The fact that he had prepared himself for Jerrett like this sent a jolt of erotic heat straight to his cock.

“Very bad…terribly naughty,” Sasha agreed in a heated whisper. The instructions for him to put on skimpier and skimpier clothes had given him the hint and started the burn of anticipation in his middle. Now he trembled with desire and need, his hands stroking over Jerrett’s sculpted arms and chest. Those wonderful, wonderful arms that held him so tight, that lifted him without effort.

Jerrett sunk another finger into him and pressed deep, his lecherous grin widening as he stroked his fingertips over the smooth little gland inside. Heat flooded him as Sasha’s fingers spasmed on his arms and a needy little whimper escaped him. So damn hot, this boy. His boy. “Like that, do you?” he breathed over his skin.

“Yes, sir…oh, yes.” Sasha squirmed and spread his legs farther. “Want you…so bad.” He knew he couldn’t rush Jerrett but it was all part of the game they both loved. “Please, sir, please, I want you filling me…impaling me…your cock deep inside me…”

“Mmm…tonight, little one, you shall have exactly what you want,” Jerrett promised in a heated whisper. In a smooth shift he withdrew his fingers and pressed the head of his very hard erection in their place. He sank into Sasha without pause. “Oh, god, you feel so good,” he murmured, his lips fastening on to the side of his throat and his arms wrapping around him tight.

Sasha cry of pleasure melted into a heated moan. His legs slid around Jerrett’s hips, his arms around his neck. “Jerrett…oh…so perfect…” His lithe body undulated under Jerrett, heating them both up further. His heart thudded hard against his sternum as if it wanted to leap across the distance to Jerrett. Oh, dear god, how he loved this man.

Jerrett planted heated kisses beneath his ear and down his throat, brushing his lips over the leather of his collar. “Sasha…oh, my Sasha…” He plunged into his receptive body over and over with utter abandon.

Back and neck arched to expose as much of his skin to Jerrett as possible, Sasha moved with him, meeting his every thrust, writhing with delight at each thump against his pleasure gland and each hard rub over his aching erection. The emerald lay heavy against his throat, a sensual reminder of who he belonged to, almost as if it helped Jerrett hold him down.

“Sir,” he whispered as his hands stroked up and down Jerrett’s broad back. ‘Sir…I won’t…last…”

Jerrett’s teeth scraped over the tender skin of Sasha’s throat, nipping at him. His hands crept up into his hair and tugged his head back even farther. Sasha gave another little cry, pleasure-filled and desperate; his fingers dug harder into the muscles of Jerrett’s back. “Come for me, angel…” he managed in a hoarse whisper as his own orgasm slammed up through him.

Sasha heaved with him as he cried out Jerrett’s name. His hard-muscled thighs tightened around Jerrett’s waist and the heavy feeling in his balls exploded upwards in hard spasms. His cries grew softer with each pulse until he floated content and sated in Jerrett’s arms. He nuzzled at Jerrett’s shoulder, too deliriously happy to find words.

It took Jerrett several long minutes before he could move. When he did he looked down at Sasha with a tender expression and then helped him up. “Let’s clean up and go get something to eat.”

Sasha stood on tiptoe to give him a kiss. “Yes, sir. Now that we’ve worked up an appetite.”

#

Anthony had gone home with every intention of going to sleep. Once in bed, though, his heart pounded, his brain raced and he knew it would be a night of tossing with screamingly bad dreams in the wee morning hours.

“Dammit.” He swung out of bed again and pulled on a comfy pair of jeans and a t-shirt that proclaimed ‘Strumpet’ across the chest in bright red letters. No more pick ups. No more stupidity. He was just going to have a few drinks and be where the music would drown out his thoughts.

#

The club was a typical Friday night scene. Packed and loud. Jerrett was definitely showing Sasha off. He kept in constant contact with him, a hand on his arm, or the small of his back, or seated on his knee, and kissed or nuzzled him often in case anyone missed the big neon sign proclaiming Sasha as his.

They were sitting with a group of Jerrett’s friend, drinking and talking, or more like yelling over the music. Jerrett caressed Sasha’s hip and leaned close to his ear. “Go dance.” He knew Sasha wanted to. He also knew no one would come near him with Jerrett hanging over him.
For awhile Sasha did just that. He had no lack of dance partners, though he gently kept any wandering hands at bay and ducked away from kisses, and the fact that Jerrett watched lent an extra bit of heat to the way his graceful body drank in the music. His hips undulated like water, his limbs moved in flawless, beautiful arcs and every so often he would turn and catch Jerrett’s eye with a smile.

Until he turned around and didn’t see him any more.

Jerrett, having grown tired of waiting, had gone to the closest bar for a refill. The crowd had swallowed Sasha up, but he wasn’t worried. He’d find him again eventually.

The club’s first floor was something of a maze of platforms and nooks, dance floors mixed with tables and three bars set up strategically for the patrons’ convenience. Sasha stood on tiptoe, craning to see above taller patrons and then stopped in confusion. Jerrett had said not to go looking for him. Maybe he had…no, he didn’t think any of the people they had met had been those sorts of friends.

The best thing was to stay visible just in case and maybe find a place to be where he wouldn’t be jostled about. He made his way to the little bar near the back of the room and ordered a whiskey sour, his first drink of the night. While he waited for the hot-pants clad bartender to fix it for him, he heard the oddest bit of overly-loud conversation.

“See, now, that’s what everybody thinks but Henry VIII wasn’t a fat, disgusting pig all his life. It was, you know, like a sports injury.”

Sasha turned towards the voice to see a familiar figure perched precariously on a bar stool, waving his half-full glass in sodden fashion in an irritated patron’s face.

“Dude, I don’t know what the hell you’re yapping about but if you don’t back off, you freakazoid, I’m taking your head off,” the man next to Anthony snapped.

“Yeah? Well, you don’t look like you could take the hind-end off–”

Sasha slipped in between with a smile for the angry man. “Sh, Anthony. Hush. Sorry, sir. I’ll keep him out of your hair.”

The man grunted and took his drink elsewhere.

“You shouldn’t be drinking, MA, you know that,” Sasha said in a lull in the music. “And especially not alone.”

“Hey, there, sweet thistle pie.” Anthony lurched closer and nearly missed in his attempt to kiss Sasha’s cheek. He waved a hand to the packed room. “I’m not alone. Lookit all the company I’ve got. Practically fall over all the company. Nope, not alone. Not me.”

“You have someone to take you home, then?” Sasha put an arm around him to guide him to an empty booth. “You didn’t drive, did you?”

Anthony blinked, big gray eyes wide with confusion. “Which question was which now?”

“Don’t, Anthony, please. I know you’re not that drunk. Stop the act. Did something happen tonight?”

“No, no, nothing in particular. Just out having a little fun. It’s good to see you, though. Yep. Just out on the town…” Anthony trailed off, staring into his glass. “Sash…”

“What’s wrong, hon? You know you can tell me.”

Anthony’s face abruptly crumpled. “Sash, I miss you so.”

“But you see me every week. And I’m right here,” Sasha said as he guided Anthony’s head to his shoulder.

“I know and I shouldn’t be here with you now. Not the way I’m feeling. Not with the things I’m thinking. You suddenly materialize like you’ve walked out of a dream and I’m not supposed to…” Anthony wrapped his arms tight around Sasha and seized his lips in a hungry kiss.
He forged on until Sasha melted a little against him, no longer trying so hard to pull back. One hand slid down to cup his perfect, rounded butt, the other sank into the soft silk of Sasha’s hair. “I miss you. I want you. Christ, oh, Sasha, I’ve been so miserable…”

Sasha knew he needed to get up, to shove back, to do something but it was so damn hard. The misery in every line of Anthony’s body, the desperation in his lips and hands, it simply wasn’t in Sasha’s nature to be so cruel.

“What do we have here, hm?”

Sasha and the man he was sucking face with turned toward the asker of that question. Robbie smiled and lifted his hand in a little wave. He had a few more questions, but most of them were answered by the look on Sasha’s face. No, he and Jerrett hadn’t broken up, and no, Jerrett did not know he was sitting there making out with some guy. Ordinarily he would have been thrilled to go immediately and rub Jerrett’s face in the fact that his current boy was stepping out on him, but he owed Sasha one.

Then he noticed the rock dangling from the leather choker around Sasha’s neck. “Wow, nice haul.”

A crimson wave rushed up Sasha’s face. He ducked his head, shame warring with confusion and compassion when Anthony buried his face against his shoulder. “Um… thank…thank you,” he managed in a stricken murmur.

Robbie smiled. He tried for reassuring but the mischief lurking around the edges made it fall a little short. “Relax. I’m not going to tell him. I owe you one for taking care of me when Matty kicked me out, alright. But, listen, if you’re going to sneak around behind his back, I’d suggest going somewhere else. He comes here a lot, people are bound to see you and him together.”

“I’m not sneaking around, Robbie,” Sasha informed him softly. “I came here with Jerrett. He’s here somewhere.”

“Jerrett’s here?” Robbie’s eyebrows shot up in surprise and he gave a glace around, although it wasn’t likely he’d pick anyone out in the dim crush of bodies. He gave a low whistle. “Damn, you got some balls, honey. Good luck, I’m taking off now. Don’t want him thinking I did this somehow.”

Anthony sat back on a slow breath, scrubbing his hands over his face. “I’m sorry, sweets. Hells bells, I’m sorry. I just…” He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head, fighting the jagged rocks pressing on his chest. “Go find your man, Sash. I’m going. I…think I’ve caused enough trouble for you already.”

It was a little too late for Sasha to go find his man. Jerrett had already found him. “Hello Anthony,” he said politely. His gaze shifted to Sasha and of course, the first thing he had to ask was, “Are you behaving yourself, sweetheart?”

Sasha had made a number of specific promises to his Dom, all of which were tumbling down on his head now. He would not let things fester and he would not lie to avoid something unpleasant.

He bowed his head, knowing his expression and his actions said as much as any string of words. “No, sir.”

Jerrett’s eyes flicked from Sasha to Anthony. “I see,” he said simply, without any heat. He held out his hand toward Sasha. “Come, Sasha. I think we need to have a talk.”

“Yessir.” Sasha rested his hand on Jerrett’s palm and rose without question.

“Sir?” Anthony began, though his voice cracked. “I guess…saying it’s my fault won’t help. But it was. I’m…I’m going now. I’ll be home if there’s…anything…you know…” He waved a hand helplessly and rose to go.

Jerrett didn’t speak again until they were in the car. “I can guess what happened. I don’t think you had time to fuck him, though. So, tell me Sasha, what part of you’re mine and I don’t share you didn’t you understand?”

It was hard to say which burned more, Sasha’s face or his throat. So ashamed…he had to answer somehow but it took three tries before anything came out as more than a strangled squeak. “I…I…understood, sir.” He tried for a deep breath and nearly choked on it. “All of it.”

His hands twitched in his lap, his insides trembling. “Anthony was…was…he wasn’t… doing well. I know it’s not…not…it’s not…any excuse. There was a man…at the bar…he was about to start a fight…he…he…it’s just…he was so miserable. I…I just wanted to…to hold him. I shouldn’t have….shouldn’t have…let him…” He pulled in a hitching breath, the shakes moving in little earthquakes through him. “Kiss me.”

Surprisingly Jerrett’s flare of anger was directed more at Anthony than Sasha. He dropped the car in gear and pulled out too fast, cutting someone off, then turned recklessly onto the street without any thought to traffic. He let Sasha worry and nearly shake himself to pieces, not saying another word on the way home.

When they got there he strode up to the house, expecting Sasha to follow, which he did.
Once inside he headed toward the bedroom, Sasha trailing dejectedly behind. He opened Sasha’s closet and pulled out the box he hadn’t used since Elric brought it over. “Strip,” he ordered.

When Sasha was down to nothing but the collar and reached for the fastening at the back, Jerrett stopped him. “No, leave that on.” He took a breath and tried to make his tone less icy. “I’m angry with you and we will talk about this more, but right now you need the box, and I need to cool down. Get in.”

Sasha only nodded, his jaw locked by the violent shaking. He moved slowly, not out of reluctance but because he had a hard time getting his limbs to do what he wanted, and climbed into the padded velvet cell. Curled up with his arms about his head, he nodded to Jerrett to let him know he was ready, and let the tears fall when the doors closed to leave him in the blessed, confining dark.

Jerrett fixed himself a drink and sat brooding. He listened to the sounds which emanated from the box, small at first, then a little louder as Sasha began to sob in earnest. He hated the thought of putting him a fuckin box for Christ sake, but he knew it was what Sasha wanted…what he needed, to calm down. Jerrett could cheerfully have killed Anthony right then.

It was nearly an hour before the sounds quieted. Jerrett lifted the lid slowly. He hadn’t even locked it, though Sasha didn’t know that. He lifted Sasha out, and sat on the edge of the bed, enfolding him in his arms. He stroked his hand over his back and hair and murmured soothingly to him. “Alright, now…” He started, in a much quieter and calmer tone than he’d managed earlier. “I know you were put on the spot, sweetheart. I know you didn’t mean to break the rules. Are you calmer now?”

“Yessir,” Sasha said on a soft sigh. “Thank you.” Infinitely calmer, actually, ready to face whatever came, his heart filled with love for this man who knew what he needed, who was angry and still held him gently.

Jerrett felt some of his anger drain away. Hard to stay pissed when Sasha cuddled up to him. That was odd. Usually he had no problem being a cold hearted bastard to some boy who had earned his ire. But then, he supposed he didn’t think of Sasha as ‘some boy’. He sighed and shook his head at himself. He used to make fun of men he saw doing exactly what he was doing right now.

However, there was still the matter that needed taking care of. “Anthony should have known better, too. I did warn him.” He let Sasha lift his head so he could look at him. “I know he’s your friend, and you care about him, but he was also a lover and it seems to me he’s not getting the hint that he needs to find someone else. I don’t want you to see him for a while.”

“Yessir.” Sasha chewed on his lower lip. With anyone else he would have let it go at that, no questions, no discussion, because before Jerrett he felt he had no voice and no right to an opinion. So many things had changed. “Sir? Is it all right to call him sometimes? I’m… kinda worried about him.”

Jerrett almost relented, because he knew Sasha would worry and stew. But on this he had to stay firm. Anthony had played on Sasha’s sympathy, showed no self-control, and had gotten him in trouble. Besides that, he meant what he said about how he didn’t think Anthony would move on as long as he still had a link to Sasha. Some guys were just like that; there could be no friendship after sleeping with them.

“No, Sasha. He’s got a lesson to learn, too. Your friendship isn’t enough for him? He’s got to push and see if he can get in your pants? Make you worry and feel guilty because he’s pining after you? No. I don’t want you to have contact with him. Not until he’s gotten it in his head that he can’t have you that way.” Some of the anger had crept back into his voice and he made an effort to squash it before it got out of control. “I will ask the Prince to check on him though, so you won’t worry so much. Alright?”

“Yessir. Thank you.” Sasha ducked his head again. It was a hard thing to explain, or rather Anthony was hard to explain. Maybe best not to try too hard. It would probably just annoy Jerrett. But he couldn’t quite let it alone yet. “He’s a good man, sir. Really. I think…” He gave a little shrug. “He shouldn’t drink. It’s bad for him.”

Jerrett’s fingers drummed once on Sasha’s thigh. “Just because a few drinks gives a man the courage, or the lack of inhibitions he usually has, doesn’t mean he didn’t have the intention in his head to begin with.” Jerrett said. Something else occurred to him then too. Sasha agreed to his requests, but that didn’t mean he agreed, it just meant he was trying to placate him. Hence why he kept talking rather than doing something more pleasurable like offering to suck his cock.

“Sasha…” He tried to think of a subtle way to put it. “Do you want me to say you can go fuck him if you want to?”

Sasha stilled, eyes gone rabbit in the headlights wide. What had he said wrong? How had he said it wrong? It wasn’t as if he was asking. If Jerrett never wanted another man to ever make love to him again, even Anthony, that was how things would be.

He swallowed hard against the lump in his throat. “I wouldn’t ask that. I wasn’t…” He sniffed and took a shaky breath, trying to catch himself. “I wasn’t asking that. I just wish…sometimes…you liked him a little better. I wish…he wasn’t so…alone right now.”

Jerrett tried not to grit his teeth, he didn’t want to make Sasha a shivering wreck again. “I know you wouldn’t ask. That doesn’t answer whether you want to or not. Just because you agree to do what I say doesn’t mean you are agreeing mentally or emotionally. So, tell me, do you want him?”

Sasha slid from his lap to kneel on the floor, back straight, head up. Oddly the position made him appear more independent rather than submissive. “That’s not fair, Jerrett,” he answered softly. “Just because I want something doesn’t mean I’d do it. It’s not like I’m three. There’s history. There’s things between us. I won’t lie to you and say I don’t feel anything for him anymore.”

Jerrett was silent for a few heartbeats. “That’s exactly my point. You are agreeing not to see him because I don’t want you to, not because you think it’s right, not because you don’t want to see him. You’re not really agreeing, you’re letting me force you to do something you don’t want to do.”

He stood up and ran an agitated hand through his hair. He paced back and forth a bit, then abruptly left the room. He needed a drink. No, he needed to get drunk.

Sasha stayed on his knees, eyes on the carpet, though every fiber of his being wanted to rush after Jerrett and beg and plead…what? Something…anything…but he didn’t know what to say. Of course he let Jerrett make the decisions. That was the deal, wasn’t it? He couldn’t make decisions himself, couldn’t be trusted with them, so he had a Dom to make them for him.
Wasn’t that how it was supposed to work? And wasn’t he supposed to be a good boy and do as he was told even if he didn’t necessarily agree? The tears stung his eyes again but didn’t fall. He suddenly felt so tired.

An hour later Jerrett returned to the bedroom, nowhere near as sober as he’d left it. He leaned in the doorframe, his fingers wrapped lightly around the neck of a bottle of beer. He’d switched from shots to beer because he was angry, but not so angry he thought a destructive rampage was a good idea.

He looked at Sasha’s lovely body where he knelt, head down. For the first time ever he was in a relationship where he wanted more than obedience, he wanted him to be happy. He could give in, he could let him see Anthony. What was the big deal? It wasn’t a big deal if he wanted to fuck someone else, why should it matter if Sasha did? He let the image of Anthony kissing him creep into his mind, and he got cold inside. No! Mine!

He downed the last of the beer and walked into the room. He slid his fingers into Sasha’s hair and caressed along his scalp. “I’m sorry Sasha, I want you to be happy…but I won’t share you with him. I just can’t.” He looked down into Sasha’s eyes and caressed his cheek. “Can you understand?”

“Yessir,” he said in a whisper and then surged up to wrap his arms around Jerrett’s neck. “Jerrett, I love you…I want to make you happy. That’s what I want.”

Jerrett folded him back into his arms and held him tight, closing his eyes as he bent his head to nuzzle into his hair. “I love you, too. I-I don’t hate him, Sasha. I just can’t stand the thought of someone else touching you. You can talk to him again, but not for a while, alright? He needs to know he can’t just kiss you because he wants to.” He tilted Sasha’s head back so he could brush his lips over his. “Come to bed, love.”

The soft kiss Sasha gave him in return was all the answer he needed. He helped Jerrett undress and climbed into bed with him where they made love for the second time that night, slow and sweet. Jerrett fell asleep with his head on Sasha’s chest. He held him close until morning since Jerrett seemed to need it.

Brandon sat on the edge of the bed with a small amused smile as he watched Der fussing over clothes. He held items up and examined them, asking Elektra’s opinion. Brandon was already dressed, ready to go for twenty minutes, but he certainly didn’t mind watching Der wandering around naked as he tried to decide what to wear.

He had to admit, the low rise leather pants coupled with a body-hugging, sleeveless shirt in a dark rust color was worth the wait. He looked good. Mouthwatering actually. His expression said as much.

Der topped it off with a waist-length black jacket trimmed in black braid, changed out one of his plain hoops for a pendant dragon earring with ruby eyes and called it done.

“Ready?” he asked with a bright smile and tucked Brandon’s hand into the crook of his elbow when he rose. His heart banged against his ribs but he wasn’t going to let it show.

Brandon rose slowly, more out of habit now than any real stiffness or pain. Better to be careful. He was mostly healed, but the scars were still pink and tender. He smiled at Der and stopped him, kissing him softly just because he could. He didn’t really understand why Der was so nervous. He hadn’t been like this introducing him to any of his other friends, but he’d said this one was special.

Brandon wasn’t sure he liked all the mystery, but he was trying to behave and didn’t force Der to tell him more.

It was a nice day, and a nice drive. The house they pulled up in front of Brandon remembered. It was where Vincent and the boys had stayed after the fire. He didn’t have the most pleasant of memories of his only brief visit here, to tell Drew that Susan Reed had hanged herself. He tried to push those thoughts away as they walked up to the door.

The remarkably lovely, copper-haired boy who opened the door wore painted-on pvc pants, a little blue velvet collar and nothing else.

“He’s just finished up his appointments, Der,” Sasha said with a shy smile. “He said you should wait in the library and he’d be right down.”

Der paced as they waited, pretending to look over the vast array of books lining the dark oak shelves. The Prince didn’t keep them waiting long, though, and soon swept in, a vision in silver leather and silk.

“Mein Schatz, you hef kept yourself avay too much lately.” Elric held out his hands and waited for Der to come and kiss his cheek. Then his red eyes traveled up and down Brandon. “Though I certainly see the reason.”

If Brandon was at all disconcerted, either by Elric’s appearance or his frank appraisal, he gave absolutely no sign. He looked as completely at ease as he always did, his smile warm and friendly, the quiet confidence that had first attracted Der firmly in place. He extended his hand in greeting, which Elric took. “Hello, pleased to meet you,” Brandon said in his soft, polite way.

“My Prince, this is Brandon Grant, about whom I’ve spoken.” Der put a gentle hand on Brandon’s shoulder. “Bran, this is our Prince, Elric von Melnibone.”

“My dear, he understates,” Elric said with a twitch of a smile. “He hes not spoken about you, he hes rhapsodized. I do hope you are feeling better these days? I’m afraid your vork mishep nearly caused Derelict to hef a nervous collapse.”

Brandon’s lips twitched. Work mishap? He liked that. “Yes, I’m much better. Got a good caretaker.”

“I doubt you could find better,” Elric allowed with a little chuckle. “Come, sit. Be comfortable.”

Sasha glided in to pour tea when everyone had settled and slipped out again without a word. Formalities seen to, the Prince sat back and coaxed conversation from his guests, small, polite things at first.

Eventually Brandon asked the question he knew would come. “If you don’t think I’m rude asking, what do you do?”

Elric put his cup and saucer on the table to lean his head on his fist. He regarded Brandon steadily for a few moments, wondering how much the young man knew and how experienced he was. Ah, well, he was an adult and obviously no babe in the woods.

“I am a professional Dom, my dear,” he answered softly. “Of the bondage and discipline variety. Part counselor, part coach, part tyrant, I suppose.”

Brandon’s eyebrows rose just a fraction. He tried hard not to look at Der, but he couldn’t help a glance. He was not surprised at all to note that Der was watching him with way too much feigned casualness. He wanted to laugh at that expression but didn’t because he was afraid it might be misconstrued. He could not stop his mouth from curling into a grin though. “Der, relax. What did you think? I’d go screaming off into the night holding my wounded modesty?” He chuckled.

Der ducked his head, a scarlet flush creeping up his throat, a small pang of hurt lodged in his chest. Not that he truly thought Brandon was making fun of him–

“Perheps he hes been anxious thet you may reach your limit,” Elric said in that same cool, soft tone. “Every person hes a step they cannot go beyond.”

Brandon reached for Der’s hand and gave it a squeeze, regretting that he’d teased him. His smile softened and then took on a more serious cast, as he had the thought that maybe it wasn’t whether or not he’d accept the Prince as his friend, but whether or not he’d accept something about himself.

“Der?” He waited until Der looked at him. “Is there something you thought I wouldn’t like about Elric, or were you worried about something else?”

“I–” Der’s gaze dropped again though he turned his hand to lace his fingers with Brandon’s. “Of course I want you to like each other. And, yes, I’ve been terrified you might not like some of my friends. Or the other way around.” He took a slow breath to slow his babbling.

He leaned in to kiss Brandon’s forehead. “But I wasn’t sure, I’m still not sure, how much you can accept. That I’ve been the Prince’s pupil, and his lover from time to time, and all that entails.”

Brandon started to say the automatic response that came to his lips, that it didn’t matter what Der was into, he’d still love him. Which was very true, but what stopped him from saying so was the thought that maybe Der needed him to see that he would accept Der no matter what. More than that, he wanted to know all Der’s likes and dislikes…and he knew that he’d been holding some things back.

“Well,” Brandon began carefully. “Do you want me to know what ‘all that entails’?”

“Yes,” Der got out in a small, hushed voice.

Elric allowed a hint of a smile. “Vould you like to see my vorkspace then, my dear, since you hef been so kind as to inqvire?”

Workspace? “Um, ok,” Brandon answered.

They rose as one and Elric led the way to the dungeon.

Brandon was bemused but respectful as the Prince showed him various contraptions and implements. His mind turned things rapidly over, though. He was well acquainted with Der’s toy drawer but the restraints and blindfolds were pretty tame compared to an entire basement dedicated to BDSM. He watched for Der’s reactions almost as much as what Elric showed him, but Der was quiet and watchful himself, not giving anything away. Brandon couldn’t tell if there was one particular thing more than another that did it for Der.

At least until they reached a complex mechanism of chains and pulleys. Suspension, the Prince said and described how it worked. Der stood hipshot, seemingly relaxed, but as he gazed up his breath caught and his eyes slid shut on a little shiver.

Brandon, of course, missed nothing. “This is what you like?” he asked Der quietly, making sure his tone could not be construed as judgmental in any way.

Der nodded, bottom lip caught carefully between his sharp teeth.

“For you, or for who you’re with?” Brandon asked.

“There are–” Der heaved a long breath. “Lots of things here I like for someone else but this would be for me.”

“Oh,” Brandon said wittily.

“If you like I could show you,” Elric offered. “Both the mechanism and vhat it does to Derelict.”

“Sure,” Brandon answered. “I mean, if Der wants to.”

The corners of Elric’s eyes crinkled in amusement. “And do you vant to, herzchen?”

“Yes,” Der whispered. “Oh, please, yes.”

“So.” The Prince moved away to gather things from the wall. “If you vould undress him for me, please. There are hooks over there for his clothes.”

Brandon turned to Der slowly. He felt a little strange about this. They had talked about the whole ‘sharing’ thing, and Brandon had decided he was okay with it, but still he couldn’t help but feel a little weird undressing his Der in front of someone else. He knew he was making Der worry and gave him a little smile he hoped looked reassuring.

His hand’s moved to the small buttons of Der’s shirt and he kissed him softly as he began to undo them.

Der’s return kiss gathered heat as Brandon slipped his hands under the shirt and slid both shirt and jacket from his shoulders. He poured his love and his passion for him into that kiss, reassurance mingled with his growing arousal.

“No cuffs today, I think.” Elric’s voice drifted back to them as he laid items out on his table. “I hef concerns still over the recent injury to your lung.”

“Yessir,” Der murmured, his hands guiding Brandon’s to the button fly of his skin-tight leathers.

Brandon finished undressing Der unhurriedly. When he stood in all his naked beauty he ran a light hand down his chest, his hand coming to rest over his ribs, feeling the beat of his heart under his palm for a moment as he kissed him again. This still felt a little bit strange, but he didn’t get the stab of jealousy he feared he might as he let Der turn toward Elric. Brandon stayed where he was, knowing enough to sort of stay out of the way, for now.

Out of habit or design, though, Elric simply couldn’t help taking the opportunity to instruct. He beckoned Brandon to him as he shook out the leather harness with a jingle of rings and buckles.

“Down, herzchen,” he ordered softly and waited until Der sank to his knees. He handed half the harness to Brandon so he could help lift it over Der’s head and then showed him how and where to tighten the buckles around ribs and thighs.

“Our Derelict is that rarest of gems,” Elric said with a soft smile as he ran a fingertip over the curve of Der’s ear. “A man who is comfortable playing Alpha vhen the mood strikes him but who is equally content offering his complete surrender.”

He waved a frost-white hand to the wall where the floggers and paddles hung. “I von’t touch any of those vith him in harness, though. You may hef discovered by now, or perheps not, but he cannot abide the sight of anyvone’s pain nor does he relish it himself.”

“I’m perfectly fine with that,” Brandon murmured. He didn’t particularly like, or get, the idea of getting off on pain either, his or someone else’s. In that he and Der were a match. Actually the part about him being able to take the lead or to let himself be led, they were a match there, too. He’d never really thought about it that way.

“So. Good.” For once Elric’s soft smile held no irony at all. He had agreed to this meeting with every ounce of wary caution firmly in place but he found he liked this soft-spoken young man. In the short space of an hour he had witnessed humor and sense, tenderness and a kind heart, all things Derelict so desperately needed.

“Hends in front,” he demanded and handed Brandon a length of red nylon cord when Der had crossed his wrists. “If you vould, please. Only tight enough to restrain.” He strode around to Der’s back to fasten soft leather cuffs around his ankles.

Brandon moved to where Der had his arms outstretched, feeling slightly awkward. Yeah, they’d played the tie up game with each other before, but not with anyone else involved, and this felt different. There had always been a sense of playfulness when they got restraints out, or sometimes a feel of deeply passionate urgency. This felt very…calculated. Almost like he was tying Der up to do something sinister to him. Awkward as it was though, he wasn’t turned off by it. Especially seeing the effect this was having on Der.

He was definitely excited as he knelt there while Brandon caressed his wrists and gently wound the red cord around them. Seeing Der’s excitement created a stir in his own cock down below. He tied off the cord with a bow. Perhaps not the most professional of bondage techniques but the cord was tight enough not to leave any wiggle room without cutting off circulation and he liked the way the bow made Der look like a present.

The soft chuckle from behind Der told him the Prince agreed. “Very well done, my dear.” He took Der under the arms to support him. “Straighten your legs out in front. Good. Are you ready, herzchen?”

Der gulped a breath and nodded, not trusting his voice with speech.

“My sweet boy,” Elric purred and leaned in to give Der a soft kiss. When he straightened he was all business again as he strode over to sort through the chains hanging from the ceiling. When he had the ones he wanted, eight in all, he pulled to get some slack to hook them to Der’s harness and cuffs, one for each ankle, one for each thigh and four supporting his long torso. “Lie down, mein schatz. Brendon, vould you like to do this yourself?”

Brandon didn’t frown, but his expression was rather serious. He didn’t know if he should, but then it wasn’t really that complicated to clip the chains to the appropriate rings.

The Prince noted his hands were completely steady as he hooked Der up. Brandon might be a bit concerned, but he wasn’t nervous. Nor was he nervous or hesitant when Elric showed him how the winch for the chains worked, although there was no doubt he gave his complete attention and absorbed everything he was told.

“Perfect, just so.” Elric nodded in satisfaction as all the slack was taken up again. “Derelict knows how to relax into this. Take him up, slowly so you get a feel for it.”

Relaxed may have been an understatement. Der had gone ragdoll limp as the chains pulled his body up, a soft moan escaping as he lost contact with the floor. Every bit of tension drained from him in an instant, every part of him pliant and unresisting except the iron-hard erection lying eager and ready on his stomach.

The bemused expression had returned to Brandon’s face as he watched Der. Hanging about waist height with his head dropped back like that, he instantly saw certain possibilities. Not that he would take advantage of them right now. He left Elric’s side though, so that he could run his fingers lightly down Der’s arm, his chest, over his hip and down his flank. Just the lightest trace of his fingers over his skin.

Der’s cock jumped at the touch. “Bran…oh, gods…” he breathed out. “Your hands…love your hands…”

Brandon bemused expression slid into a grin. He loved when Der got hot. His hand glided across Der’s belly, his fingertip circling around his navel. He took a step that put him at Der’s shoulder and leaned in to place a feather light kiss on his pebbled nipple.

The chains swayed as Der squirmed a bit, his hair nearly brushing the floor as he tried to arch into the kiss. His eyes were open, glazed with desire and heated need. “Gods, how I love you.”

He felt Brandon’s lips curl into a smile as his hand finally slipped a little lower, his fingers still light as they traced over the length of his rigid cock. He let the pad of his fingertip bump slowly over the little silver balls, one at a time.

“I love you, too.” Bran murmured.

Der’s only answer was a heartfelt groan, his body on fire. The little pearl drop on the head of his cock added an exquisite, subtle bit of pleasurable torment as it slid down. He could come just like this, floating on the incredible cloud this completely helpless position wrapped around him.

Brandon’s eyes slid half closed, an answering groan of pleasure in his throat. Seeing Der so obviously turned on did things to him. He let himself forget there was anyone else in the room.

When his finger tip reached the tip of Der’s cock he made a small circle around the slit and another slippery drop oozed out. He made a ring out of his fingers and slid over the head, his other fingers closing around his shaft as he slowly stroked him.

Elric leaned against one of the bondage tables, careful not to make a sound. This was their exploration and he refused to interfere in any way this first time except to supervise the suspension. The two rock-hard bodies complemented each other so perfectly, one long and lean, the other more powerfully built.

He would have been lying if he had said he wasn’t enjoying his role as voyeur.

Der’s chest lifted and fell more rapidly as his breathing grew deeper with his excitement. The sounds of increasing pleasure filled Brandon’s head and melted his knees. He was aching behind his zipper, but they could take care of that later. Right now he wanted to focus completely on Der.

His inarticulate groans began to take on a different pitch as Brandon’s firm sure strokes picked up pace, and he said Brandon’s name quickly, almost desperately. Brandon didn’t know anything about training orgasm control, but he knew what he wanted. “Let go… come for me Der.” He whispered over Der’s heated skin.

Two soft, gasping cries leapt from Der’s chest. His stomach muscles stood out in washboard relief as he arched in his bonds. He let out a hoarse bellow, something he never did at home, as the first white jet shot from him.

Brandon felt his limbs go watery and he had to remember to breathe he was so turned on watching Der’s body in the throes of such an ecstatic release. Only after he’d coaxed every last bit of pleasure from him did he let his hands travel back up Der’s body in a slow caress. He wanted him down now, and was about to turn to go do that, but Elric must have known what he wanted because he heard the stay being released and then Der’s body was slowly lowered to the floor.

Brandon unclipped the chains from the harness and knelt so he could gather Der’s head and shoulders into his lap, caressing and murmuring soothingly to him, instinctively knowing he needed the extra care and attention right then.

A white hand appeared over his shoulder to give him a warm, damp cloth. When he’d cleaned Der up, Elric tossed the cloth in a nearby hamper and came down to one knee beside him to unbuckle the harness and cuffs.

“It may take a few minutes before he drifts beck to us,” the Prince explained softly. “Please don’t be alarmed. Ve should get him somewhere more comfortable, though.” He slid his hands under Der’s body and gave Brandon a half ironic ‘may I?’ look before he lifted Der in his arms.

“Come, my dear. In here.” He led Brandon to the cozy little room with the bed, placed Der on the mattress and covered him. “I’ll leave him to you. Please take your time. For Derelict, I might suggest you climb in vith him. I’ll be in the kitchen vhen you feel ready to come beck up.”

Brandon slid under the blanket with Der and wrapped his arms around him protectively. Not that Der needed protecting, but it made Brandon feel better.

It didn’t take long for the glazed-over look to fade from Der’s eyes. He blinked and heaved a contented sigh before he rolled to his side to wrap his long arms around Brandon. “Hi, there,” he offered with a huge, silly grin.

Brandon grinned back at him and kissed his forehead. “Well, now I know what to get you for Christmas.”

“And what would you like, little boy?” Der ran a finger down Brandon’s nose, his voice at its deepest.

Brandon caught his finger with his lips before he could pull it away and gave a playful nip. “Peace on earth, good will toward men, and you with nothing but a bow on.”

“Would you settle for me, right now, with nothing on?” Der’s smile melted to achingly tender as he leaned in to place a soft, searching kiss on Brandon’s lips.

The heat with which the kissed was returned nearly took his breath away. Brandon may have banked the fire while he was so focused on Der’s needs, but it took only a touch of lips to stir up the flames. His fingers slid into Der’s hair as he kissed him with a desperate longing.

Der tightened his grip and rolled to put Brandon on top, answering his need with searing passion. Lips and tongues caressed in a sensual duel as if they might devour each other. He snagged the back of Brandon’s t-shirt, yanked it off and let his hands stroke the hard muscles of his back before they wandered down to undo his fly.

Brandon groaned as his erection was freed “Der…” He swallowed hard. “You got me so damn hot.” He leaned back and caressed Der’s cheek with the back of his fingers. “That was so amazing. I thought I was going to bust right there with you.”

“His highness does have the best toys,” Der said softly as his fingers trailed down Brandon’s chest. “You wanna ride the bull, cowboy? I might not have a nose ring but there’s enough others to make up for it.”

Brandon leaned down to kiss his lips while he shoved his jeans off. “Hang on a sec while I get my spurs on.”

There was a bottle of some kind of slippery stuff within easy reach on the headboard and Brandon wasted no time pouring some in Der’s hand and coating Der’s rigid cock while he made sure the ride would be nice and slick. By the time he was ready for Der to enter him, Brandon was dizzy with need.

He angled Der’s cock back and they both sang out a long groan as he sank down slowly onto his turgid shaft. He put his hands on Der’s chest and rolled his hips in a slow grind. “Oh god, Der…that feels so good,” he got out on a husky breath.

Der was frankly amazed at how quickly he’d come erect again. The simple touch of Brandon’s skin, the quiet intensity of his passion did incredible things to him. He rested his hands on Brandon’s hips to hold him and encourage him while he rolled up into Brandon’s tight heat.

“You’re just about the hottest cowboy I’ve ever seen,” Der murmured with a soft smile. He slid a hand forward to wrap around Brandon’s thick cock.

Brandon gripped the headboard for leverage as their bodies moved together. His breath came in a short gasp as Der drove up into him. “And you are by far the sexiest bull I’ve ever ridden,” he said with a tender expression that quickly melted toward erotic as Der stroked him and bucked into him at the same time.

With a convincing taurean snort and toss of his head, Der planted his feet and started to buck upwards in earnest. The little crease in the center of Brandon’s forehead, the way his lips parted as he panted out his growing pleasure, the flush that rose up from his chest, all whipped up Der’s tenderness and passion for him to the point of meringue.

He felt his balls tightening, his own excitement rushing upwards. “Bran…oh, gods, you’re so wonderful…”

“Uhh, oh god…so fuckin good.” Brandon’s head dropped down, his eyes closing as he felt the pressure suddenly burst. He groaned from deep in his chest as he spurted in sticky hot stripes across Der’s belly.
The tight spasms of Brandon’s orgasm pressed against Der’s silver balls in amazing ways. His fingers closed around the thick cock he held and he arched and twitched as his second climax of the day roared over him.

His ecstatic cries were softer this time, the rush far more tender and warm. Suspension was amazing but nothing beat having Bran wrapped around him.

Brandon stayed where he was, waiting for his breath to return to normal and the rushing in his ears to stop. When he could move again he leaned down to kiss Der and then eased off him, curling to his side. It was still rather amazing, how well they fit together, on many levels. Now it was Der’s turn to hold him and nuzzle softly into his hair while Bran floated down contentedly. “I love you, Der. So much.” He had to smile at how easy it was to say now.

“I love you, too, Bran,” Der murmured. His heart threatened to burst with joy at any moment but at least he would die deliriously happy. As so often happened with him in moments of intense emotion, a song welled up. He held Brandon close and sang to him softly, “Ooo, he’s here again, the man with the child in his eyes…”

Why Kate Bush, why that particularly odd little love song, he had no idea. But it felt just right.

Brandon smiled. He didn’t find Der’s penchant for bursting into song at any given moment odd at all.

“Bran?” Derelict called from the front closet while he retrieved his coat. “Would you be OK if I stopped at Vincent’s after work?”

He shrugged into the leather and blinked when he turned to find Brandon right behind him. “Honesty being the best policy all around, right?” He kissed the end of Brandon’s nose and then dipped lower for taste of those luscious lips, decorated with a bit of strawberry jam from breakfast.

“Sure, Der. You don’t have to ask,” Brandon said. Then he realized he might be asking for another reason. He expected a rush of jealousy to hit but it didn’t. Instead a vivid image of Drew spread out on the bed while Der took him from behind rose in his memory. “Say hi to Drew for me.”

Der gave him an odd look, then he chuckled. “I’ll bring you along next time. Just asking in case you weren’t feeling too good today. And wanted me home earlier. And…” He stopped and blinked on a sudden realization. “I think I’ll just feel better if you know where I am.”

Brandon kissed him again, a soft caress of lips. “Okay. I’ll see you later tonight, then.”

Whistling to himself, Der swaggered down the stairs, feeling a bit on the cock-of-the-walk side that morning. By the time he’d finished the panel van he’d been working on and it was time to knock off work, he didn’t feel nearly as confident.

As he drove to Vincent’s house, the knot in his stomach grew. What if Drew was upset? What if he…well, Drew didn’t usually burst into tears in front of people. What if Jonathan was upset…now there was an odd thought.

He found them all in the living room, comfortable and relaxed, with Drew snuggled in Vincent’s lap. “Boys, I need to talk to you. To all of you,” Der began and cleared his throat before his voice could crack. “But I’d like to talk to Drew first, please, if I could.”

It was unusual enough that Der would announce he wanted to talk about something instead of just saying it, but that he did so and then wanted to talk to Drew first, not Vincent, was so unusual Drew immediately felt a knot form in his stomach.

Drew rose slowly, almost warily. “What’s the matter Der?” he asked. Der took his hand and led him down the hall to his room, and Drew felt his anxiety grow with each step.

Once he’d closed the door, Derelict swept him up in his arms to hold him since all the color had drained from his face. “Sugar bear, it’s nothing horrible. I just…I have some news and I’m not sure how the news will be received. Not…well, it’s like this…”

He sat down on the bed with a huff, Drew in his lap. “I’ve been a free agent for a bit now and I thought I was happiest that way. Not that I’m getting engaged again or anything so scary as that. But Brandon.” He had to stop chasing his tail and get on with it. “I asked Brandon to move in with me, with the understanding that there are other people in my life and he agreed and he did and now he is, living with me, that is.”

“You…y-you…” Drew took a breath. “Der, it…it’s a little, um…” He stopped. Telling Der it was too soon or he was going too fast was more than a little hypocritical. He lifted his eyes to Der’s and he was still for a few moments. “I want you to be happy, Der,” he said, hardly more than a whisper. “But I don’t want to lose you.”

Der pulled him into a fierce embrace. “You won’t, you won’t. This is why I had such a hard time telling you. I love you, sugar bear. I don’t want to lose you, either.”

Drew wrapped his arms around Der’s neck tightly and buried his face at the side of his throat. He did want Der to be happy. He so did. Even though Der was a free spirit Drew also knew at times there was aching loneliness inside him. A loneliness Drew could only sometimes fill. Maybe Brandon could fill that lonely place better. “I love you, too.” Drew breathed. “Is Brandon… he knows, he said it’s ok, for you to still see us?”

“I’ve been very honest this time, sugar bear,” Der answered against his hair. “With him and with myself. Laid it all out on the slab. He knows, he’s good with it. We’ve agreed on rules and regs. But it’s not like it was with Tam or with Georgie where I made promises I couldn’t keep.”

Drew lifted his head and kissed Der lightly. This was supposed to be good news. And it was. How could being in love be bad news? And Drew was not losing him. He caressed his hand over Der’s cheek. He wasn’t unhappy, he just had a hard time with change. It scared him. But Der had done a good job with reassurances. Drew would still worry, but he wasn’t going to panic.

“You should tell Vince and Jonathan. They’re probably wondering what’s going on in here.”

“I know, hon. But I wanted to tell you first, like this. So you could ask anything you needed to ask.” He picked Drew up again and carried him back to the living room. Not necessary, of course, but he wanted Drew in his arms at that moment.

He repeated his news, with Drew still in his lap, and was met by a long moment’s silence.

“Oh.” Jonathan finally got out with his eyes on the carpet. His voice shook as he said, “So that means we’re finally getting rid of you, you big nuisance?”

“No, beloved, I don’t think Der’s saying goodbye.” Vincent patted his knee, not fooled one bit. “My troubadour, I don’t enjoy saying this but do you think this is a good idea?”

“You know, I feel like I’m having the same conversation over and over again.” Der rolled his eyes.

“Perhaps there’s a reason for that,” Vincent said on a little shake of his head. “You’re obviously in love. We’re happy for you. But forgive us if we worry. And if some of us are sad that things might change.”

“It’s not…” Der stopped and pieced his next words together rather than just blurting things out. “It’s not like I’m breaking up with you. Like you said, I’m not saying goodbye. It’s more a matter of asking you to add Brandon to the family.”

A quiet fell over them all. Their ordered little world was being shuffled and that caused some discomfort, in particular because Drew had already broken rules and created such grief when he’d slept with Brandon and Der. They knew Der didn’t exactly mean he was asking them to share their bed with Brandon, but in a way he was. Jonathan and Drew were quiet, waiting for Vince to speak first.

“Not all of us move at the speed of light, dearheart,” Vincent said softly. “We love you. If you reach a place where things aren’t…good any longer, we will be here still. You understand that?”

Der nodded, gray eyes fixed on Vincent.

“We will proceed slowly,” he went on. “And Brandon is certainly welcome. He is our hero, after all, despite other things that may have happened. But please don’t expect me to allow him in my bed quite yet.”

Der, for once, looked like he didn’t know what to say. Drew kissed his cheek. “I knew you liked him a lot, Der. I didn’t know you loved him so much.”

“I didn’t know either until I almost lost him,” Der said softly.

Jonathan buried his head in his hands and burst into tears.

For once, no one mistook where the outburst came from. Vincent pulled Jonathan into his arms. Jonathan knew very well about not realizing you loved someone until you almost lost them.

Der set Drew aside and settled on the sofa to stroke Jonathan’s back. “I’m sorry, pretty Jon. I didn’t mean to bring up anything that would hurt you.”

Strange how that little phrase, once meant to annoy Jonathan, had turned into an endearment. Jonathan nodded, though he still sobbed for a bit, arms wrapped tight around Vincent as if he might disappear otherwise.

“Sh, beloved, it’s all right now.” Vincent kissed the top of that dark, curly head and reached over to pat Der’s hand. “He’s certainly a better choice for you than some I won’t mention. I hope it works out better this time.”

Der thumped his fist against his chest in a Roman gladiator salute. “It shall, oh Prince of Night, or I’ll crawl back here and beg Jonathan to beat me.”

#

Brandon spent the day cleaning. Not that he needed to, things were already pretty clean, but he had to do something. Sitting around all day was going to make him crazy. He was not an invalid, still a little slow and sore, but he could move. He had even driven to his apartment and packed a few things. Nothing big, just some clothes and necessities.

Der’s apartment was a little smaller, but in a better location, and Brandon’s did not allow pets so it had been an easy decision. By the time Bran had gotten back he was amazed how tired he was from just doing that little bit. Laying around was not good for him. He fought against the urge to take a pain pill and a nap and instead set about slowly and methodically scrubbing the shower, tub, and sink. He finished cleaning the already clean bathroom and then decided he might as well make Der dinner.

He didn’t fool himself that he was as good a cook as Der, but he could throw something edible together. He settled on spaghetti. If Der got home really late that was a good bet to re-heat. He set the sauce to simmering and then decided he couldn’t have spaghetti without garlic bread, so he headed to the store. This turned out to be a mistake.

He realized before he even got to the grocery down the street that he was pushing it too hard. By the time he paid and walked the two blocks back to the apartment he was wondering if he was actually going to make it or not. The stairs were a daunting obstacle, but he gritted his teeth and forced himself up. His fingers shook as he unlocked the door, and he set the loaf of bread and fresh garlic down on the counter, no longer thinking about anything but lying down.

He switched off the stove and headed for the couch where he curled on his side with all three of the kitties around him.

Der made his way home before six-thirty, a nagging worry at the back of his brain. What he saw when he came into his living room didn’t relieve the worry one bit.

“Bran? Gods…are you OK?” He went to one knee to put a hand to Brandon’s forehead. “You’re so pale…and cold.”

Brandon managed a wan, sickly smile. “Hi, sweetheart,” he murmured. “Did too much today, I think. I’m alright, just tired.” Exhausted, beat down in the dirt exhausted. Why did pain take so much of one’s energy? “You’re home early.”

“I wanted to get home to you. I had this…feeling.” He shook his head as he smoothed Brandon’s hair back. Then he slid his arms underneath and lifted Brandon gingerly. “Up you come, Mr. I-Can-Do-It-All-Myself. I’m taking you to bed.”

“Mm, okay,” Brandon murmured. “I made dinner, if you’re hungry. Just needs to be warmed up.”

“That was a really sweet thought, hon. And I appreciate it. But maybe hold off on that kind of stuff another few days, don’t you think?” Der settled him on the bed and tucked him in. He lifted Tamerlane’s fluffy bulk up next. “Mr. Lane will keep you warm. I’ll be back in a little.”

Der hurried to the kitchen to make sure nothing was on the stove or in the oven burning. Not that he should have worried about that. He lived with a freaking firefighter, for gods’ sakes. The man knew to turn off the appliances. But if Brandon continued to be so listless, he wasn’t sure he should wait the night out with him before calling the doctor.

When Der returned to the bedroom Brandon was asleep. Der did not want to disturb him so he went to the living room, though he did check on Brandon every ten minutes or so. He seemed to be sleeping peacefully, his chest rising and falling with deep, even breaths.

About an hour had gone by when Der went to check on him again and Brandon was just waking up. He smiled at Der in the doorway. “My guardian angel watching over me?” He said, sitting up. He stopped suddenly, and then moved more gingerly. Oh yeah, he’d really overdone it. He could feel it all down his side. He was trying to go easy on the pain meds, but he needed some.

He looked up at Der’s worried face. “Ok, you were right. Too much too fast.”

Der eased onto the edge of the bed and took his hand. “There’s times I’d be happy to say I told you so. This is so not one of them. I’m gonna get you a little to eat. You shouldn’t take the meds on an empty stomach. Then you’re gonna see if you can’t go to sleep for the night. I’ll turn in early, too, and there’s no work for me tomorrow so I’m off until Monday.”

The pain on Brandon’s face yanked at his heart. “Easy, hon. Hang on for me a few minutes. It’ll be OK.”

He hurried to the kitchen and finished the job Brandon had started earlier, though he kept a piece of toast plain in case he couldn’t eat the garlic. Meds and all went on the bed tray and he hurried back.

Brandon let Der fuss over him, he hadn’t a choice really, and he didn’t mind. Both the food and the painkiller helped a great deal and he started to feel a little less strained. By the time Der was patting his lips with a napkin he was feeling that pleasant lassitude that came with the opiates in his system, which also had the effect of loosening his tongue.

“You are the most beautiful nurse ever, you know that?” He asked with a little grin that felt silly on his face, but he couldn’t help it. “Can I get you to dress up in a sexy little outfit? With the stockings and the little hat?” he teased.

Der put the tray down on the floor. “If it would help you get better I’d even put on the stiletto heels for you.” He leaned in to kiss Brandon softly. “Seriously, do you like drag? Or are you just feeling giddy?”

“My guilty pleasure. I don’t like over the top campy, not usually anyway, but I like a touch of androgyny,” Brandon answered, his hand caressing lightly up and down Der’s thigh.

Der laughed. “So the mascara was actually a turn-on. Good to know.” He caught Brandon’s wandering hand. “But not tonight, handsome. You need to sleep. And I do mean the Morpheus sort rather than the sleeping-with sort.”

“Are you sure? I’m feeling much better…” Brandon said, grinning.

“That would be the pain meds talking, bucko,” Der tapped the end of his nose. The smile vanished as he went on, “When I came home I was wondering if I’d have to call in reinforcements. I don’t mean to hurt your feelings but you looked really bad.”

Brandon kissed his fingertip. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I’m okay. Really. Just tired.” He paused. “So, how did it go, over at Vince’s?”

“All in all, really well.” Der rose to slide out of his jeans and t-shirt and into bed beside him. “Drew was a little upset until I told him I wasn’t going anywhere. Jonathan cried but only ‘cause I said something stupid. And Vincent is cautiously optimistic. He likes you, he just takes a while to really warm up to people.”

Brandon chuckled softly as he curled to Der’s side. “I’d say it’s sort of like being under the scrutiny of your family, only if they were your brothers it would just be so wrong.”

“You are one sick puppy,” Der said on a snort. “I like that in a man.”

“Mm,” was Brandon’s sleepy reply. A moment later he was asleep again, a faint trace of a smile still on his lips.

#

A few days later, Der was in the kitchen, happily working with dough for a pie crust, flour on his hands, his clothes and in his hair. Brandon was finishing a shower, alone, since he was much steadier and stronger than he had been earlier in the week and Der had ceased his hovering.

Brandon dried himself carefully and was pulling on a pair of track pants when the doorbell rang.

“Can you get that, hon?” Der called from the kitchen. “I’m an unholy mess right now.”

Brandon’s lips quirked. It sounded so Ward and June Cleaver-ish, Der asking him to get the door while he made pastry. He opened the door and found himself staring into the most gorgeous, dark-honey colored eyes.

“Hello.” Ethan said with a smile. If he was surprised at having the door answered by someone else, a someone else who had obviously just come from the shower, he gave no outward sign. “Is Derek home?” he asked, politely ignoring that he was being checked out.

Brandon snapped out of it. “Oh, um, yeah. Come on in. I’m Brandon, by the way.”

Ethan shifted the carry crate to his left hand and took the one that was offered to him, introducing himself. “Brandon? Would you be the same Brandon who rescues kittens and Der has been so worried about?”

Brandon smiled a slightly self-conscious grin that made Ethan instantly see what had made Der all weak in the knees when he talked about him. “I suppose that would be me.”

“Ah, then you might be interested in what I have here,” Ethan said, indicating the crate as they moved farther into the apartment.

Der came out of the kitchen drying his hands on a towel. “Ethan!”

“Hi, sweetheart.” Ethan smiled at him and caught him up in a hug as he set the carry crate down on the sofa. “Guess who I brought to see you?” He asked, as he let him go and went to open the door of the crate. A familiar gray bundle came out at Ethan’s coaxing.

Der had taken care of the kitten Brandon had rescued for a few days while the family she belonged to was getting situated and Brandon was still in the hospital. When her owner had moved in with family, Ethan had been the one who picked her up and took her back to them.

“It looks like the new apartment they’re moving into doesn’t allow pets. The little girl was really upset, but they can’t keep her. So, her mother called to see if I would take her. I thought I’d ask you first,” Ethan explained.

“Smoke! Psst, psst, come here, sweetie pie,” Der called and the gray fluff ball skittered to him, tripping over her own feet, all kitten-clumsy eagerness. She climbed his denim clad leg and mewed pitiably until he had her cuddled in his arms. “It’s so nice to see you again.”

Elektra stalked up to give kitten and Der a rather disgruntled sniff and sneeze.

“What? Don’t you want her back?” Der asked his Queen of Cats.

“Meeew-rah.”

“Oh. She won’t smell funny for too long.”

“Mrah.”

“Elektra says she can stay.” Der looked up at Ethan. “But…does Quinn want her? I mean, I do have a tribe already and he loves kitties, too.”

Brandon came up behind Der, one hand touching him lightly while the other reached to stroke between the kitten’s ears and under her chin. “Hm, I don’t know how she managed not to get crushed,” he mused as the little ball of fur started purring.

Ethan looked from Der to Brandon and back. “Maybe Brandon would want to take her home?”

“Um, about that…” Der managed to raise his head to meet Ethan’s eyes. “See, handsome, I was going to tell you. Things have been a little hectic.” He let out a slow breath when Ethan gave him a ‘yes, and?’ look. “Brandon is home. Here. With me.”

The surprise Ethan hadn’t shown when Brandon opened the door was unmistakable on his handsome features now. “Oh…” he said, for once not knowing exactly what to say. He recovered quickly though, his eyes traveling over the wonderfully sculpted body standing next to Der. He smiled; a charming, heart-melting smile that definitely created cardiac palpations. “Oh. Well, congratulations are in order then.”

Ethan’s smile widened when Der relaxed several degrees. “Am I the last to know, or the first?”

“Neither,” Der answered. “”I already talked to Vince and the boys though.”

“Ah, good.” Ethan said. “Vincent gave the appropriate admonishments to be careful, Drew worried over you, and Jonathan shed just enough tears, I take it?”

Der blinked and then burst out laughing. “You got it.”

Ethan moved closer to them, his large comforting hand coming to rest on Brandon’s shoulder. “Let me be the first to welcome you into the circle of friends, then. And since no one else is likely to give you the warning, if you hurt our Der, I will personally kick your ass. Capiche?”

Brandon smiled, though it was slightly more nervous than it had been. “My plan is to make him so happy he doesn’t have time to wise up and dump me.”

Ethan grinned. “Good plan.”

Der put Smoke down so he could hug Ethan tight. “Thank you. For making everything so easy.” When he backed up, flour decorated the front of Ethan’s shirt. “Oops, sorry. And you didn’t answer my question. You think he’d want the baby? Where is our lovely Quinn anyway?”

“Quinn’s at work, extra hours this week. I’m picking him up,” Ethan answered.

“Der,” Brandon gently interrupted before Ethan could answer the other questions. “I know you’ve already got a bunch, but can’t we keep her?” Brandon had sat down on the couch and the her in question had already climbed into his lap and was busy making muffins on his thigh.

“The man’s gone all sentimental on me,” Der said with a tender smile. “Of course we can keep her, hon. I just wanted to be sure Quinn didn’t have his heart set on her but if he did, I guess Ethan wouldn’t be asking.”

“Well, he did risk his own neck for her, I suppose it’s only fitting he keep her,” Ethan said. He picked up the cat carrier again. “Sorry to drop a kitten and run, but I need to go get Quinn.”

Brandon and Ethan made polite goodbyes, Ethan telling him to stay where he was with his new friend, and then Der walked with him to the door.

“Why don’t you and Quinn come back for dinner?” Der offered.

“Sounds good.” Ethan said, dusting at the fingerprints still on his shirt and laughed. “Since I’m already wearing some of it.”

Der opened the door for him and Ethan leaned in to kiss him goodbye without thinking, as he usually did. He left to go get Quinn and told him they would be back in a half hour or so.

Der returned to the living room where Brandon was still holding Smoke on his lap. Brandon had seen that kiss, and it didn’t take a genius to guess they were more than a little familiar with each other. He had thought seeing his boyfriend kiss someone else like that would have make him all kinds of jealous, but he wasn’t really. A bit uncomfortable, yes…enough to avoid Der’s eyes.

“Bran?” Der tilted his head to try and catch Brandon’s gaze. No luck.

He settled on the edge of the couch. “OK, now, here’s the part where you tell me what’s going on in your head and ask any questions you need to.” When Brandon still hesitated, he said gently, “I’m not going to babble about Ethan if you don’t want to hear it. But I don’t want you stewing over things either.”

“I’m not stewing.” Brandon said, although he said it with a little smile rather than defensively. “I just…it was a little unexpected.” He finally turned on the couch so he could look at Der. “Made me think about how many other gorgeous guys are going to walk through the door and kiss you like they belong here.”

That sounded bad, and Brandon knew it. “I’m not jealous, exactly…” he added quickly. “I mean, I didn’t get that feeling like I wanted to go rip his hands off for touching you or something.” He chuckled weakly. “Maybe a little. Reflex reaction. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, love.” Der lifted a hand to stroke his cheek. “There aren’t really that many. Truly. And now you’ve met them all except two. One of them you’ll meet when Ethan comes back and the other…well, we’ll have to arrange an audience.”

Brandon turned his head slightly to kiss Der’s hand. “So, tell me about them, so next time it won’t be a surprise.”

Der let out a little chuckle, part amusement, part embarrassment that he had let Brandon be surprised like this. “When Ethan comes back, he’ll have Quinn Delgado with him, his lovely live-in. Quinn’s…he sees the world differently. To say he’s blind is a gross misnomer. He just doesn’t see with his eyes anymore. He’s definitely Ethan’s, all the way through, but he’s not some prissy little pretty boy. Call him pretty and he’ll probably slug you.”

He shifted to take Brandon in his arms. “The Prince, though, you’ll just have to meet, I think. He’s…difficult to explain and I think I’d rather let you draw your own conclusions.”

“The Prince? Why do you call him that?”

“Because, my love, he is. You’d never mistake him for anything else. The urge to fall to your knees for him isn’t unusual. Elric von Melnibone, our own local royalty, our prince in exile.” Der laughed. “But I promised to let you draw your own conclusions and here I am feeding you preconceptions anyway.”

Brandon patted his leg. “Alright, I’ll be good and won’t ask for more.” He leaned over and kissed Der, once softly on the lips, and then a deeper kiss full of hunger. “Not for information anyway.” He said on a huskier note. With a sigh he got up. “I better go get dressed if we’re having company for dinner.”

While Brandon went to do that, Der got up and went to the kitchen to finish his preparations. Almost half an hour later exactly Ethan returned with Quinn.

“Hey, sweetpea!” Der called as he came out of the kitchen.

Quinn let go of Cricket’s harness and used Der’s voice to bound to him and throw himself into his arms. “Hey, trouble, how’s it hanging?”

“With bells on,” Der said with a grin. “You hungry? I hear they’ve been working you too hard.”

“Oh, hell, no. It’s not hard. The work that is. And, yeah, for your cooking, I’m starving.” He planted a hard kiss on Der’s lips. “But I hear we’re kinda celebrating, right? So where is this dog who’s got you all wrapped around his finger?”

Brandon hadn’t said a word or moved from where he stood but Quinn turned unerringly towards him, hand extended. “Brandon, right? They had you on TV and shit.”

“Hm, I suppose they did,” Brandon said as he took Quinn’s hand. His handshake was firm, and real, not the too careful sort of thing Quinn sometimes got from people who were uncomfortable with his blindness. “Are you going to threaten to kick my ass if I hurt him too, then?”

“If you hurt our Der, I’ve got a baseball bat with your name on it,” Quinn said with a bright smile, which abruptly faded into a puzzled frown. “Too? Der, did someone threaten your fireman?”

Ethan gave a semi-embarrassed little cough. “I was joking, sweetheart,” he answered for Der.

“Uh-huh.” Quinn’s eyes narrowed. “You oughta be ashamed of yourself, McFarland. Probably gave the guy a heart attack. Built like a freaking wreaking crane and you think people are gonna take it as a joke when you say things like that?”

He turned back to Brandon and patted his shoulder before Ethan had a chance to respond. “It’s OK. He really is just a big teddy bear. Most of the time. I’ve only been there once when he went after somebody and that dude deserved it. Big time.”

They sat down to dinner not too long after, and Brandon enjoyed getting to know them both a little. They were a cute couple. Ethan was smoking hot, Quinn was beautiful, although thanks to Der he wouldn’t make the mistake of telling him so. It was more than that though, there was a connection between them that was sweet, they were both so obviously in love with one another.
Eventually the conversation got around to how they had met and then on to people they knew. Cody and Vic and what they were up to lately, in particular Cody’s latest artwork. Xavier and Dave, and how they were doing. Vince and Jonathan and Drew and what was happening in their world. As the conversation continued Brandon got an idea of how close knit a group of friends Der had, and how many (a whole lot.)

Quinn was hardly silent, he told stories and asked questions and teased Ethan when the big man got too serious, but his ears were wide open. He absorbed every nuance and inflection of Brandon’s conversation, all the things said and not said.

Wary and suspicious at the best of times, he’d been ready to weigh Der’s latest with every scale he had, ready to find fault or flaw. Hard as he tried, he couldn’t find a thing wrong with the man. A little shy, maybe, a little more modest than he was used to, but, dammit, he found himself liking Brandon.

He helped Der clear the dishes while Brandon, who was sounding a little tired, went to the living room to chat with Ethan.

“Well? Do you like keeping me in suspense, sweetpea?” Der nudged his ribs.

“What the hell are you talking about, you nutcase?” Quinn said on a snort.

“What do you think?”

Quinn poked a finger at Der’s chest. “You’ve got a lot of nerve taking in strange men we’ve never met before.”

“It’s not like he was a stray,” Der said in a small voice. “He came with papers and shots and everything.”

“He’s a nice man, Der.” Quinn gave him a little smile. “You make sure you take care of him and we’ll let you keep him.”

Der’s long arms wrapped around him for a hard hug. “Thank you.”

The cavernous open space of the university gallery’s top floor had been divided into three rooms for Cody. The installation had been strictly under wraps, without graduate student assistance or anyone unauthorized permitted inside. Victor had helped with the heavy lifting, Derelict with some of the more hazardous items, like the ceiling work, and Nightshade with some of the more delicate things.

The official opening would be that evening but the afternoon was for a special showing, for two notoriety-shy Doms who would not appreciate the stares and inane questions of gawking gallery crawlers.

Elric tucked Katya’s hand into the crook of his elbow, an odd nervousness lodged in his stomach. “Are you ready, Prinzessin?”

Katya gave him a warm, sensual smile as she curled her fingers around his arm. “I am, my Prince.”

The plaque outside the installation read ‘Dominion of Ice and Diamonds’, a title Elric felt a bit ostentatious until he stepped through the doors. Two steps inside he stopped, struck speechless in wonder. Here were Cody’s palaces, writ large, floor to ceiling constructs of shapes fantastic enough to have made even mad King Ludwig drool. Lights shone behind the palaces, the myriad prism effects pulling the eye this way and that.

Amidst these soaring, glittering palaces were the pictures taken in Elric’s front room. A sign on the wall declared the room’s title to be ‘The Prince’s Court’ and he had to chuckle at how Cody had created just that feel, with Orion kneeling at his feet and Keit at one point on the arm of his ‘throne’ and Anthony coming to kiss his hand in greeting.

Katya had of course stopped with Elric, as bemused as he at the fairytale feel of the room. Cody created such lovely things. However, she was more drawn to the Prince’s reaction. She watched him from the corner of her eye as he looked around.

“Amazing, is it not, my dear?” he said, the slight tremor in his arm belying the cool irony of his voice. “Vhat position should they all hold, do you think?” He nodded to the photograph that showed Orion standing behind the throne, arms folded over his massive chest. “Ceptain of the guard, perheps?”

Katya chuckled softly. “Hmm, I think your lovely Keit would look adorable as the harlequin.”

He let out a short bark of laughter. “You may be right. Though I might hef picked Anthony as more the jester sort.” He cocked his head to one side. “My Keit has the physique for a harleqvin but the temperament of a chancellor. Anthony vill simply hef to be content vith a knighthood. He does look good on horsebeck.”

The plaque for the next room held the title ‘Mentor’ and the change in mood became immediately apparent as they stepped through the doorway. Huge mirrors lined all four walls, reflecting the photographs and the onlookers into infinity. Sharp stalactite shapes hung from the black ceiling, lending the room an air of danger. Here the pictures were all from the gallery, the ones with Elric and his huge, antique sword followed by the shots where he showed Victor how to wield the monstrous blade.

“He is such an impressive specimen,” Elric murmured in appreciation, able to see now what Cody had captured so perfectly.

“Yes, he is,” Katya purred, but she wasn’t looking at Victor, for a change.

One white brow arched at her tone and the direction of her gaze but Elric was too polite to inquire further. They moved on into the third room where the world of glass and light changed yet again. Here crystal streams and diamond waterfalls flowed over the floor and down the walls, an optical illusion of constant motion. Tiny pieces of polished glass adorned the ceiling, hundreds of them like stars on a cold, clear night.

Here Cody had arranged the photos in a double narrative. Along the right wall, the pictures showed Elric being undressed and getting into bed. Along the left, Katya floated down the hallway, the pictures manipulated to appear as if snow fell around her, giving her a soft, mysterious outline. On the far wall, the two came together with Katya approaching and settling on the bed.

They looked at them all but Elric stopped longer in front of the one where their lips met in a soft kiss. He fought against the feeling, once again, that the woman beside him was someone else.

They both stood for a few long quiet moments. Katya tried not to intrude into his thoughts, but it was hard not to be infected with his pensive mood. “Elric,” she finally said softly. “I am not her, I’m sorry,” she said with the infinite empathy of one who knew loss as well.

“I know, Katya. I do know.” He turned to her to say something, then shook his head and looked up at the ceiling instead, at the little stars. “Despite my taking the name of a prince out of a fantasy novel, I do live very much in the real vorld. I hef lost. So hef you.”

Katya’s gaze moved from him back to the image of them together. Cody had captured perfectly a feeling of yearning between them, and also strangely a certain innocence. The spill of Katya’s honey blonde hair as she leaned forward shone as a bright spot of gold amid all the white and silver and dark wood in the background. He had used the shot where their lips barely touched, top and bottom, a small space still between the crease of their lips, as if those lips would part in the very next moment for a more passionate endeavor.

Katya knew she must look an awful lot like the woman Elric had lost, but she couldn’t imagine she was much like her otherwise. She would probably have been soft and sweetly submissive, not weak though. Elric did not choose weak. Probably someone who was a mite better at offering comfort, too.

He lowered his head to give her that twitch of an ironic smile. “It vas long ago, my dear. More than helf your lifetime ago. I hed both a wife and a husband. Did you know thet?”

Of course she didn’t. Only Keit knew. He didn’t wait for an answer before he took a step away from her and offered his hand in a courtly bow. When that perfect, elegant little hand settled in his, he straightened and swept her up in a strange, silent waltz.

“Another time. An older vorld. My Annalise and my Kurt,” he said with a soft smile. Strange, when he had spoken to Keit about them, he had collapsed with grief. Now, with Katya, it felt…better to talk about it all, something of a relief. “He vas strong. A prectical man. Good vith his hends and much more sensible than I at thet age. But he vas sweet and gentle and needed somevone to follow, to believe in. She vas beautiful. But thousands of girls are beautiful. She had a sharp mind and a sharp tongue sometimes. Sharp enough to push an arrogant young buck off his high horse vhen he needed it. But she could not stend to see me hurt. She–”

He stopped abruptly, both speech and movement. “She vas my shield against the vorld.”

Katya lifted her fingers to his cheek and he looked at her with a small, sad smile. “They sound lovely, Elric.”

“Yes, they vere lovely.” He brushed a stray strand of gold behind her ear. “I hef kept them locked safe in my heart all this time, esking the universe vhy I, the one I felt the least deserving of us, vhy I hed survived and not them. Perheps it is not fair to their memory to keep them in a cold, sterile vault any longer.”

Elric’s fingers brushed her cheek as he moved his hand from tucking the tendril behind her ear and Katya turned her face so her lips brushed against his palm. A small spark passed between them, undeniable electricity.

He let out a soft chuckle. “Vill you rebuff me again, my dear? It is your right, of course…”

Katya’s warm fingers slid to the back of his neck as she turned her face up to his. “It was not a rebuff so much as it was… the right thing to do. For you, and for me,” Katya said, knowing he would understand precisely what she meant. He had been seeing her as someone else that day.

Her lips were so close now a breath would bring them together. “Do you see me now, Elric?”

“I do, Katya,” he whispered across her lips. “And you are glorious.” He tilted his head a fraction and closed that breath’s distance to claim her lips in a tender, searching kiss.

The sweetly questing kiss was answered with tender warmth that swiftly caught fire. Kat let him draw her closer, her other hand sliding up his chest to twine around his neck as well. Her soft curves pressed against his body as they kissed passionately amid the sparkling frost of the room.

His hand slid down, long, white fingers spread across the small of her back. The other hand slid into her hair as he deepened the kiss, tongues fencing in imitation of the swordplay in the previous room. His heart hammered against his sternum when he finally pulled back.

“I do not think Cody would appreciate our christening his exhibit. Or perheps he vould not mind but the museum might.”

Katya laughed, a sound like a hand smoothing over warm fur. “Shall we go and tell him how wonderful he is, then?” Katya suggested as they turned to exit.

In the second floor foyer, Cody waited for them, trying not to fidget.

“Sweetheart, you know it’s perfect. Stop worrying so much.” Victor grumbled from where he leaned against the wall.

“I’m happy with how it came out but it’s so important that they are.” He ran his hand back through his hair. “Baby, if they don’t like it, that’s it, I can’t open. Not with a clear conscience.”

He heaved a sigh of relief when his principles emerged from their tour all smiles. Of course, what he hadn’t expected was that they were smiling at each other and that their bodies no longer had the formal, careful space between them.

“Holy crow,” Victor whispered, echoing Cody’s sentiments.

“So? How was it?” Cody asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet.

“It is magnificent, my dear,” Elric said with an odd little smile. “Completely magnificent.”

“It is beyond beautiful, Cody. As if you would do anything less,” Katya said and leaned in to kiss his cheek. She did not, however, relinquish Elric’s arm as she did so.

“I shell return on another day to bring Orion. He so admires your vork.” Elric bussed his cheek as well. “But for now, the day is getting on and your other admirers vill soon be here.” He patted the hand so firmly latched onto his arm. “Ve should depart, Katya, don’t you think? Before the mob arrives.”

“I agree.” Katya said. She lifted up on tiptoe to kiss Vic as they passed and she did not miss his look, somewhere between bemused and concerned, but she did not acknowledge it either.

Vic’s brow furrowed as he stared after her.

“She’s a big girl, baby,” Cody offered softly. “Not like she’s your little sister or something.”

“Heaven forbid,” Vic muttered. “I’m just not sure it’s a good idea. They’re so…I don’t want to say the same. Of course they’re not. But in many ways, similar. She has some very sore spots and I have the feeling, for all his chill calm, that he does too.”

“Well, maybe it’ll be nice to have someone to talk to, then, right?” Cody came to snuggle into Victor’s huge embrace. “Not a club I’d want to belong to but maybe it’s a good thing for them.”

“Sweetheart, I hope to God you’re right.”

#

In the parking lot, Elric waved his hand on a helpless laugh. “My dear, if you vere anyvone else, I vould simply put you in the Mercedes. Obviously, thet is not appropriate here. Vould you be comfortable in my dominion or do you prefer your own?”

One corner of Katya’s mouth curled. “I’ve already left two men worried back there.” She said. “I think a visit to your home would be better.”

They took Elric’s Mercedes after all and chatted amiably on the ride of people and places they both knew. It was an easy comfortable conversation, and one that seemed naturally to lead to discussion of their subs.

“Orion hes truly blossomed since Keit came to live vith us,” he said in answer to her question. “I do still hef concerns about the day he might regain who he vas before.” He shrugged, gloved hands never leaving the steering wheel. “But I suppose vone should not vorry about the tree limbs vhich hef not fallen.”

“Very true.” Katya agreed as they pulled up into the driveway.

They were greeted at the door by the very boys they had been discussing. Obviously surprised by their guest, Keit was still flawlessly polite and deferential. He was confused, not sure if this was a social call or business as it were and held back, not sure if he should offer to bring them tea or if his presence was required at all.

“Keit, vould you bring a tray to us in the parlor, please?” Elric asked as he led Katya in that direction.

“Yes sir.” Keit felt better with some direction and set off to bring them tea and put together some tidbits to snack on.

Katya and Elric sat, again settling into comfortable conversation. It might have seemed odd they got along so well, each with a somewhat temperamental personality. The careful respect for one another could have been stiff and uncomfortable, but instead had settled into a genuine affection.

Their conversation turned to art, Cody’s in particular, the magic he made both with film and objects he shaped, and their personal feelings about the work he’d done with their images. This of course rekindled the earlier warmth that had brought them back to the Prince’s domain to begin with, and neither could resist another taste of sweet lips.

Keit entered at that moment, and was so stunned he froze at the door not knowing if he should continue or back silently out. Before he could though, Katya noticed him and broke the kiss that had begun to gain heat. She began to tell him he could come forward and stopped herself with a smile. They were being very careful of each other’s toes, and she left it to Elric to give him direction. Keit did look adorably confused at the moment.

Elric allowed his confusion to continue a moment longer since the expression was so fetching. “Come, herzchen. Three,” he finally said and waited for Keit to place the tray down and kneel at his feet. He combed a finger back through Keit’s hair. “Take Orion down to the red room, mein herz. You may hef full use of the room, its contents and each other. You hef my permission.”

“Yes sir, thank you,” Keit said, his expression still slightly bemused. He rose gracefully and turned his head toward Katya, eyes still lowered. “Have a lovely evening, ma’am,” he said and then disappeared quickly.

He closed the door quietly behind him. In a way he wished he had been invited to stay. Not that he was really all that attracted to women, but that woman… well, Katya was something else. And with the Prince…mmm. He’d left Orion in the kitchen and hurried to him now. He slid into his arms and kissed him warmly. “Would you like to go downstairs with me, Orion? The Prince has given his permission.”

Orion held him close, though his expression was puzzled. “Downstairs? Only… you and I?”

“The Prince has a guest. Ms Katya,” Keit said, by way of explanation.

“Yes. I saw her.” Orion blinked at him in confusion. Then a chuckle rumbled in his chest. “Ah. I had thought they would want to play together. But they only want to play with each other. She burns so bright.”

He swept the otter up and carried him downstairs. Not that he needed to but the little one felt so good in his arms.

Keit wrapped his arms around Orion’s neck with a happy grin. He kept thinking about the image of the Prince and Ms. Katya on the settee, the way she touched his face, his hand resting lightly on her thigh, their lips together. He couldn’t help wondering what they were doing at that moment, surprised to find how excited it made him. As soon as they crossed into the red room Keit arched his neck to catch Orion’s lips in a searing kiss.

“Mmm,” Orion purred into the kiss while he devoured Keit’s mouth. Oh, how he loved the spark and crackle of the otter’s passion, like flames dancing on pinewood. He set Keit down with a smile. “What would you like to play?”

Up in the parlor, Elric pulled back from a fiery kiss of his own. “Perheps ve might adjourn upstairs? The rugs are nice but I vould prefer a bit more comfort myself.”

Katya’s warm purr of a laugh thrummed just below his ear as she agreed and rose with him to move upstairs. He led her not to Keit’s room this time, but to his own. A single glance around the chamber and Katya knew this room suited him perfectly. The heavy dark wood and rich colors were very masculine. In contrast she looked ultra feminine as she perched on the edge of the solid bed.

~*~

Keit retrieved a pair of leather cuffs and buckled them in place on his wrists. Usually when they had the Prince’s permission to be together without him there were limits to their play. The thought of Orion’s large hands caressing him while he was restrained had him so excited he felt his cock kick against his zipper.

When they were together with the Prince they both deferred to him, of course. When they were alone they came together as equals, or Keit would subtly take the lead. He was wondering if tonight Orion might enjoy having a little more control.

Orion stared at the cuffs with a little frown. “I can’t…hurt you, little one.”

“I know,” Keit reassured him softly, letting him work through things.

Finally he came back from whatever thoughts he wandered in, one hand coming up to cup Keit’s chin, a hand large enough to crush his skull but always so tender and gentle with him. He kissed Keit’s forehead, pulled the shirt off over his head and went to the chest where the cuffs had been. “Clothes,” he said simply without turning from his perusal of the chest’s contents.

#

Elric slipped out of his shoes and placed them neatly parallel, toes to the wall. For the gallery, he had put on his outside face, hair pulled back, black Armani trousers and a good silk dress shirt. Not that he minded ‘normal’ clothes now and then but it was a relief to shed them.

He came to Katya and went down to one knee to take up a dainty foot and undo the strap on her high-heeled shoe. His hands moved with great delicacy to slide the shoe off without snagging her stockings, then he bent his head to kiss the fine bones of her ankle. Such beautiful ankles, so slender, so perfect.

Kat’s eyes moved over his lean whipcord frame as he moved toward her. He was quite beautiful, although she would have said he was handsome aloud. When he knelt and took her ankle with a warm, gentle hand she was a little surprised, more so when he bent his head to kiss her there. His manner was not submissive, and yet the gentle gesture could have been seen as such.

So far the sparks between them had been cautious, and she had wondered if they might finally clash when this moment arrived. Neither was unwise enough to push their dominance on the other, but there was that unspoken tension between them, a careful wondering if either would bend to the other.

Elric continued on to the other shoe and ankle. Born of old nobility, in a tradition where station was never questioned, he had never made the male Dom’s mistake of confusing boorish behavior with dominance.

With the hazard of spike-heels removed, he rose and sat back against the headboard, making no attempt to hide the hard erection pressed against his black boxer briefs. With a twitch of a smile, he opened his arms to invite the lioness in his bed to come to him.

Katya smiled at him, but she stood instead of sliding up further on the bed. Watching him watching her, she slowly unbuttoned her blouse and let it slide from her arms. Then she unhooked and unzipped the sleek pencil skirt and let that slide off as well. The bra she wore was an emerald green satin trimmed in black lace that matched the tiny black lace panties with a green satin ribbon threaded at the top. Her thigh high, sheer, black silk stockings were also trimmed with a thin green satin ribbon at the top, tied into tiny bows in the front.

She left the lingerie in place as she knelt on the bed and crawled sinuously across to Elric. The smile on her face held a wealth of heat and promise.

His eyes had devoured her every movement, raptor sharp in their undivided attention. Now the slightest hint of guarded anxiety lurked there, the anticipation of the electric shock to his nerves of her first touch on bare skin. “Slowly, my dear,” he whispered. “If you please.”

Katya’s gaze as it traveled up his body was definitely hungry, but she tried to keep from seeming too predatory. And, she did go slowly. Her head lowered to place a soft kiss just above the top of his foot, the side of his calf, his knee, the top of his thigh, hip, bottom of his ribcage, sternum… a slow trail of soft kisses as she moved up into his arms and their lips met again in a gently seeking kiss.

By the time his arms closed about her, the little shocks and twitches of nerves had calmed and he was able to concentrate on her again. He traced a finger over the lacy strap of her bra and let her settle between his legs. The silk of her stockings against his thighs made his breath hitch but the twitch turned into a purr of pleasure.

“You hef the most exquisite taste in clothes,” he murmured against her jaw.

“Mmm…I’ve always thought what’s underneath is as important as what’s on the surface,” she answered against his skin.

“True. Though males are so visual. Ve like nice wrappings.” He smiled when he received a little laugh which vibrated against his chest. With a practiced flick he undid the hooks at the back of her bra and slid the straps down her shoulders.

#

Downstairs Orion had found what he was looking for and pulled two long lengths of silk from the chest. Keit had taken his meaning and shed his clothes quickly. When Orion returned to him it was to first take his naked body in his arms for a hungry kiss.

“I hope you like this game,” he said softly and turned Keit to bend him forward over a red leather ottoman. With gentle pressure, he urged Keit’s hands behind his back and clipped the cuffs together by their D-rings. Then he spread Keit’s legs and began to wind a length of silk around each ankle before he passed the cords under the ottoman and over Keit in a cat’s cradle designed to keep his legs spread wide and to fasten him down tight.

Keit moved, testing the give of his bonds. There was not much room to move at all and he squirmed with arousal. “Oh yes… I like this game very much, Orion,” he said in a softly breathy voice.

“Good.” Orion curled forward to lick at the shell of his ear while his large hands traveled over his shoulders and arms.

He stood and moved to where Keit could see him to strip out of his jeans to reveal a mocha-colored thong which struggled to contain his enormous equipment. When he knelt beside Keit again, he brought the carved wooden box they both knew contained a sinfully large collection of oils. The soft scent of almonds and honey drifted up when he uncapped his choice and drizzled a generous line over Keit’s beautifully exposed cheeks.

Keit tried not to squirm but he couldn’t help it. It felt deliciously good to be so tightly restrained. He didn’t know many others who would trust Orion, alone, in this manner, but Keit knew his large friend would never hurt him.

Huge hands cupped his cheeks and kneaded his backside, working in the first offering of oil, teasing him and soothing him all at once. A second drizzle of oil followed, this one down the crease, and Keit felt something smooth and cool press against his back door.

The set of plugs in graduated sizes lay under the oils if one lifted the drawer out. Orion started with the middle-sized one, easing the bulb in gently, hoping to work Keit up to his girth.

#

Katya eased back so he could release her ample cleavage. She watched his expression turn to something almost reverent as his fingers caressed ever so softly over the curved slope of her breasts all the way down over her ribs, following the dip of her slender waist.

In a smooth movement he lifted and turned, rolling her smaller frame under his in the first show he’d made of something other than carefully controlled restraint. Katya didn’t mind a bit, slipping her arms around his neck and opening to his seeking kiss.

He edged a knee between her thighs and she let him settle between, their hips moving in an instinctive, gentle rhythm. With a soft moan, he dipped his head to kiss a heated trail down her throat and then on to the firm globes so enticingly offered. His lips closed around one peaked nipple, his tongue flicking over the tip.

Katya’s fingers combed into the softness of his hair as her back arched. Her soft full lips parted on a sigh of approval as a tingle of desire flowed through her. She let him take the lead, for now, enjoying his explorations and the slow build of passion being fanned in them both.

With a soft growl he slid lower, the scent of her arousal as he kissed down her flat stomach made his head spin. He slid his thumbs under the top lace of her panties, his eyes lifting to hers with a quirked brow, just in case she would refuse. She did not so he slid the satin and lace confection down her thighs and off over her stocking clad feet.

Katya slid her calf along his ribs when he moved back. She bent her knee and let her silk clad toes glide down his hip and the back of his thigh. Her eyes held a wealth of heat and desire as she gazed at him. When he caressed up her thigh to the top of her stocking he hesitated just slightly again. “You can leave those on, if you like,” she murmured.

“I do like them,” he purred. “Very much.” He covered her hand with his and slid her fingers down to the waistband of his boxer briefs, silent permission and plea all at once while he leaned in to place a line of fiery kisses along her throat.

#

Keit moaned softly and writhed in his bonds. Orion stretched him slowly and carefully. Almost too slowly. He rocked as much as he could to try and encourage him along but the big man would not be rushed. When he reached the point of feeling unbearably teased he begged, “More, Orion… please…more…” Orion finally pushed the plug past its widest part and Keit moaned sweetly. “Yesss….mmmm”

Orion curled forward to kiss the top curve of Keit’s backside. Such a lovely curve. Such wonderful sounds the little one made, ones that ran fir-needle prickles over his scalp and down his spine in shiver cascades. He eased the plug in and out a little longer, deliberating.

His original thought had been to increase the size gradually, from one plug size to the next until the largest one which came close to approximating the circumference of his member. But the otter’s impatience, his increasing desperation made him act instead of over-think. With a slow pull, he removed the plug with one hand while he oiled his shaft with the other, a slow hiss escaping as his own strokes along his length sent sparks through him.

“Stay still, little one, stay still,” he murmured gently and placed the head of his cock against Keit’s little doorway.

Keit groaned and did his best to comply and stay still as Orion rubbed and pressed the thick head of his cock over him. The muscles in his thighs and stomach quivered with anticipation.

Slowly, with his thumbs spreading Keit’s cheeks wide, Orion eased forward, pushing through the resistance until his head popped through the breathtakingly tight ring of muscle. Panting, eyes shut tight, he held there a moment to let Keit adjust and to seize tighter hold of his control.

Keit yelped and then groaned in ecstasy. He didn’t think, he just pushed his hips back as much as the bonds would allow, wanting more and wanting it now.

“Sh, sh, otter,” Orion murmured as he stroked the golden back before him. When Keit kept squirming, he took firm hold of his hips and held him still. “We must not plunge. I will hurt you. I know you wish it but I will not.”

Keit whimpered, trying to behave. He had no choice but to let Orion go at his own pace, he wouldn’t let him do otherwise.

By small degrees, Orion rocked in and out, small fractions that allowed his well-oiled shaft to slide deeper. He trembled with the effort not to thrust but, oh, it was heavenly torture with Keit wrapped so tight around him.

#

Katya’s delicate fingers slid further inside until the elastic caught on her wrists and she pulled his shorts down with a caress. The member that sprang free she could not help but pay attention to, bringing one hand back up to lightly caress along the underside.

He closed his eyes and hitched a sharp breath through his nose. His body stilled as lightning jolts shot through him at her touch. For the moment, he waited for her, to see how she would like to proceed, though his member told him precisely how it would like to proceed in no uncertain terms.

Katya’s hands slid back up over his chest and to his shoulders, her fingers kneading in tiny circles there as she guided him back down so he lay nestled between her legs. She returned to a slow sensual kiss, her fingers still gently gliding over his skin. He was being cautious, she knew and she hoped she could ease some of that tension. He’d let only a tiny degree of his control go, and perhaps that was all he would allow, but part of her wanted to coax more from him. There were deep wells of passion within this man, just as there were within herself, she could sense them.

His hips rolled in slow circles until the head of his cock rested in the wet heat of her entrance. His kiss caught fire, lips and tongue devouring her luscious mouth as he sank in one steady thrust into her. The velvet walls gripped him tight and he felt as if sparks leaped from his fingertips while his hands traveled her body.

Katya’s back arched, a throaty moan parting her lush lips. Her fingers tightened on the muscles of his back and then released, sliding down his smooth skin and gripping him lower. Her hips rolled to meet him, a low purr of pleasure humming though her body.

He didn’t rush, though he seemed likely to devour her in every sense. His thrusts were calculated to hit every hot spot, slow and sensual at first, alternating between shallow and deep. A younger man might have lost his head and hammered away, seeking his own pleasure, but for Elric, his pleasure was largely in the reactions of his lovers. He sipped at them, sampled them, drank every drop he could.

Katya’s fingers slid into his hair and caressed over his skin as she kissed him passionately. Ever a creature of sensual pleasures she appreciated both his passion and his skill as a lover and let herself be immersed in each sensation.

They had both been so careful of each other, neither wanting to press the other for dominance, but as it turned out they needn’t have worried. This coupling wasn’t about who could top who, but simply about enjoying and giving to one another. Perhaps a little surprising that they could each give up just enough control to allow a sensual experience to bloom rather than a power struggle.

They shifted on the bed together, rolling so Katya was astride and Elric’s lean body stretched out beneath her. Her long, honey-colored hair tumbled around them as she leaned in to kiss him again. Their rhythm stayed a sensual pulse between them, bodies rising and falling in harmonious counterpoint. Katya leaned back once more, and Elric’s hands caressed over the flair of her hips and followed the smooth curves of her waist and up to the fullness of her breasts.

Her eyes closed and her head tipped back as her pace quickened, a softly feminine moan parting her lips as she crested the wave of pleasure rolling under her and spreading though her body in tightening spasms.

“Katya,” he got out in a tight whisper, his eyes devouring the erotic wonder of her climax. His fingers gripped her hips even as her velvet walls gripped him tight. His hips pressed up in quick, deep thrusts as she pulled him with her over the edge.

A soft cry escaped him, more than he often allowed, lost in her beauty and her passion.

Katya fell forward, her hands going to either side of Elric’s head and her hair making a golden curtain all around them. Her soft lips hovered above his for a moment, and then kissed him tenderly. She smiled at him softly as their lips parted again.

A little chuckle escaped when Elric returned her smile. “I hef the distinct feeling I hef been made a conquest of.”

Kat touched the tip of her nose to his playfully. “Perhaps a little.” Her voice was still low and throaty. “But you know you are much more than a notch in the bedpost, my dear.”

“So careful vith my fragile male ego.” He smoothed a stray wisp of hair from her forehead. “I vould not mind so terribly much. Being a notch in a goddess’ bedpost.”

Katya chuckled and kissed him lightly once more before she slowly moved off of him, sending little tremors and a tiny groan through them both. She lay beside him for a time, both content not to fill their satisfied silence with idle chatter. She let her hand rest on his chest and he let his fingers idly trace over her soft skin.

#

Keit’s body relaxed under Orion, having no choice but to let him go at his own pace. He shivered when that huge member was buried more then halfway, and Orion felt it safe enough to let go of his hips and slide his hands up his back to this shoulders. Keit moaned, still relaxed and letting himself sink deeper into the sensation even as Orion sank deeper within him.

With the easing of resistance and the little one so pliant, Orion felt it safe to begin long, slow thrusts. A deep moan rumbled in his chest, it felt so wonderful. His hands caressed golden skin, his body felt surrounded by golden light.

Keit’s body moved with Orion, his hard cock stimulated with each thrust where it was trapped underneath him. “Ohhh…so good…” he whispered, his body humming with pleasure.

The little whisper set brushfires along Orion’s skin. He gripped Keit’s hips again, this time for leverage, and increased the force of his thrusts to a steady, prostate thumping beat. “Oh, little one…if only the winds could carry us…”

Despite the lubrication and Orion’s careful preparation taking Orion’s very large cock was always a bit of a stretch for him. A deliciously warm stretch, at the limits of what his little orifice could take. Orion’s thickness breeching him caused discomfort no matter how careful they were, not enough to create any real or lasting damage, but enough to color Keit’s vision in shades of dark red and make him nearly incoherent with pleasure.

The ropes biting into his skin as he tugged at his bonds added another dash of spice. Keit’s excitement grew as Orion relaxed some of the tight rein he’d kept on himself while making sure he wasn’t going to hurt him. Another partner might have found it too much, both his size and the forcefulness of his hard thrusts. Keit nearly drowned in ecstasy.

His fevered moans and murmured words of pleasure expressed his desire as much as his taut clenching body as Orion covered him and put good use to his strength and stamina. Later he would pay for their long exertions, he probably wouldn’t walk right for a week, but the incredible pleasure was well worth it.

He felt Orion’s breathing change, the heat from his body rolled off in waves. Keit knew he was close, the powerful thrusts becoming just a little harder and faster and made his eyes nearly roll up in his head as Orion let him have the last couple inches of his full length. Two short cries of ecstatic pleasure welled up past Keit’s lips and his whole body spasmed with the sudden burst of his orgasm.

The sudden tightening gave Orion a moment’s warning but the sudden, rhythmic vise-grip and release around his the length of his cock sent him hurtling headfirst into a hard wall. He gripped the ottoman tight so his huge hands wouldn’t bruise his smaller lover. A long groan rolled from his chest as he held himself at the deepest point, letting Keit’s climax take him over, the pulses thudding up from his sac to release his seed deep inside that heated sanctuary.

He tried his best not to collapse on top of Keit but the room danced around him and the Earth lost all mass and gravity at once.

The weight settling on him sent aftershocks of pleasure racing though Keit as his cock was ground into the leather beneath him. His chest rose and fell in hard pants for a moment but as breathing began to slow the heavy body pressing him down made it difficult to draw air. This added its own layer of deliciousness as Keit’s head began to spin.

“Collisions,” Orion murmured as he recalled in which direction the floor could be found. He eased up with a grunt and slowly withdrew his softening member, drawing another long, breathy moan from Keit.

He sat down on the floor with a puzzled frown. The intensity of the orgasm, the position and feel of the moment had jarred something far below the surface. “I had another name once,” he whispered to the floor.

Keit stopped breathing, his breath caught in his throat. Now was so not a good time for Orion to have an epiphany. What if he thought he was somewhere else in the past again and ran off? At the same time he didn’t want to do or say anything that might ruin Orion’s chances of regaining his memory. What if he remembered who he was? If he had a family somewhere worried about him?

He was caught between two fears, but after a few moments more of Orion simply sitting there staring at the floor he figured if he was going to go running off thinking there was a fire, he probably would have done so by now. He took a tiny breath. “Do you remember? What your other name was?”

Orion ran a hand back through his thick mane of honey-blond hair. “He calls to me. In the yellow room. With the blue glass shadows. His voice…soft as snowfall. ‘Thor,’ he says. ‘Thor, what’s wrong?’”

His hands trembled as he rubbed them over his knees in agitation until the shakes spread to the rest of his huge frame. “Whispers. The shadows whisper to me. But I have no faces for them. Who is this other? Why can’t I see him?”

Thor? Was that a real name, or just a nickname or something? Keit had to admit it did sort of suit him, though at the moment the memory he was trying to surface seemed to be disturbing him a great deal. Keit started to worry again that he might slip away and run off. “Orion…” he called gently, regretful that even though the memory was upsetting him, Keit might ruin his chance of ever retrieving it. “Untie me, please.”

Orion lifted his head to blink at him. His lashes were wet, his gaze troubled and distant. Finally he heaved a ragged breath and leaned forward to tug free the two knots which pinned Keit to the ottoman. His hands still shook as he unclipped the cuffs and pulled the web of cords free before he sat back with his head in his hands.

“Little otter,” he whispered. “I can’t…reach it. I try and it slides into the dark. Why won’t they leave me alone?”

Keit slid, a bit stiffly, from the ottoman and into Orion’s lap since he couldn’t very well gather him up and hold him in his own lap to offer comfort. He wrapped his arms around Orion’s neck and let him hold him instead, smoothing his hands over Orion’s hair and murmuring soothingly. “I don’t know, hon, I don’t know. Maybe it would hurt too much to see.”

Orion sniffed, his breathing uneven, but he didn’t dissolve into tears as Keit feared. “You are sunlight on dark water, little one,” he whispered. “I did not wish to frighten you.”

“I know you don’t, Orion, I know,” he said, a little relief creeping into his voice. “It’s ok, I’m not afraid, only worried about you. I love you.” His arms tightened around him.

“You do?” Orion set him back a bit, searching his face for something, the puzzlement returned. “The otter loves me…how odd, the way things bend.”

He stroked a hand through Keit’s hair and found words he had lost for so long. “I love you, too.”

Keit leaned in to kiss his lips tenderly. “Are you feeling better now? Do you want to go upstairs?”

“Yes,” Orion said on a slow nod but then his eyes traveled around the room. “But we must put our toys away. Or the room might be always closed to us.”

Keit chuckled, some of the merriment returning to his eyes. He stood, and knew he was right about walking funny for a week. They cleaned up the room and headed upstairs hand in hand.

#

When Katya’s eyes began to grow heavy, she sighed. “I must go home. Richard and Liam will start to worry.”

“Ah. Of course. Vould you like me to drive you to your car or hef vone of the boys come pick you up?”

Katya smiled lazily. “I’ll see if Victor is ready to leave yet. He was giving you a pretty good stare down as we were leaving. I’m sure he’d like to know we haven’t killed each other.”

“I suppose he vill not sleep tonight othervise. Though I do vonder who he vas more concerned over.” His voice held such a serious note she had to raise her head to look at him and see the little twitch of his lips. He waved a hand towards the master bath. “The en suite is yours, Prinzessin, if you vish to freshen up.”

As it turned out, Victor was just getting ready to leave the museum when Katya called and he was happy to go and pick her up.

Cody, of course, would stay until close but the crowds had proved too much for Victor, especially when some of the museum-goers started to put the photographs together with the real article.

Thunderclouds still furrowed his brow when Keit opened the door.

Keit seemed completely un-phased by his apparent ill temper and showed him graciously inside. They didn’t quite make it to the sitting room before Katya and Elric appeared, the former looking fresh as morning dew despite her hair being more tussled than it had been earlier, and the latter looking sharp if well satisfied.

Katya’s smile was genuinely warm as she came forward to kiss his cheek. “Thank you for coming to get me, Victor. Are you keeping the scowl for my benefit or has something happened?”

“What?” Victor looked sharply from her to Elric and back but they both looked pleased as cream-fed cats. He took a deep breath and tried to smooth his expression. “Sorry, no. That is, yes, things happened. I should have left with you.”

He ran a hand back through his thick, black hair. “I think if I had to hear one more little twit squeal ‘oh, you’re in the pictures, aren’t you?’ my head would have exploded.”

Katya’s lips curled in a completely unsympathetic grin. “Oh, my poor darling.” He glowered at her and she laughed one of her rare completely spontaneous and uninhibited laughs, the sound warm and husky and meltingly sweet around the edges. “I’m sorry, Victor. I shouldn’t tease you. I know you don’t like the attention. At least this time your admirers weren’t fawning over you while you were still mostly nude.”

Victor grumbled something under his breath but her laugh had made his foul mood evaporate.

“A glorious evening as I recall,” Elric offered from where he leaned against the banister. “Both for the glorious sights and the valuable lesson in, ah, personal space.”

“Always glad to provide a public service,” Vic said at his driest.

“Well, let’s go where you needn’t worry about prying eyes or rabid fans.” Katya winked. She turned back toward Elric and placed a soft kiss at the corner of his mouth. “Good night, my Prince.”
“Gute nacht, Prinzessin. Träum süss,” Elric answered with a hint of wistfulness.

Katya took Vic’s arm as he led her out and to the car. A small smile played about her lips as he opened and closed the door for her, got in himself and started the car, then pulled out and down the street all without a word. She wondered how long it would take him to find the right words to ask her what he wanted to know, or if he would finally just blurt it out.

“Katya–” he got out at a stop light, both hands gripped tight on the wheel. “Did you…never mind, I won‘t ask that. That is…do you think that was truly a good idea?”

Katya bit back her automatic reply. Had it been nearly anyone else that had asked she would have told them to mind their own business. Victor, she knew, was only concerned for her. She thought about it for a moment, then cleared her throat. “There was more of a power struggle between you and I, Victor,” she admitted. “I think…I think it will be alright. He’s a good man.”

Vic’s fingers drummed once on the steering wheel. “I didn’t doubt he was a good man.”

She turned her head to look at him. Her expression was puzzled for a moment, and then cleared as she realized what he was truly worried about. “I don’t think he was using me as a substitute,” she said softly, to show she wasn’t dismissing his concern.

He pulled in a slow breath as at least some of his suspicions were confirmed. There had been a loss then, and under all that beautiful, Teutonic frost lay a world of hurt. Maybe Cody was right and it had been good for each of them to find someone who understood. But what if Elric wanted more someday?

“Just be careful of each other, all right? I know you both have enough prickly spots to make a cactus jealous.” He allowed himself a little smile at her snort and went on in a softer tone as he drove on. “So what’s he like? When he’s not being so blasted careful of every breath.”

Katya chuckled, “Are you asking me to kiss and tell?”

“I’m just curious,” he grumbled.

“Mm-hm.” She grinned. “He is very considerate…very passionate.” She smiled.

“Ah,” Vic managed on a hard swallow, the tips of his ears tinged red.

Her smile grew. “Victor Szoldos — you have a crush on him.”

“Nonsense,” he growled, his ears turning redder. “I…admire him.”

“I’ll bet I know what you admire.” She made a lecherous leer that was a fairly good imitation of Xavier and made him laugh. She leaned over to kiss his cheek, chuckling. “I love you, Vic.”

“Not sure what I did to deserve that but I’ll take it,” he said with a soft smile. “I love you, too.”

“You’re a good friend Victor,” she said by way of explanation. “And I just wanted to steal another kiss.”

“Ah. I see.” He looked altogether too serious as he went on, “I suppose we can allow unscheduled kisses once in a while. But, please…” He cleared his throat and caught her hand when her finger trailed up his thigh. “Don’t distract the driver.”

Katya’s warm chuckle was a purr over his ear, but she did relent.

One week later Brandon was still in a world of pain but healing well. He was up, though moving slowly. His spirits were higher that day than they had been since he’d woken. He was allowed visitors during regular hours. The rules said only two at a time, but they were bent slightly for him. Bent a lot, completely broken when the entire station trooped in.

It was good to see everyone, but he was also glad when they went and he didn’t have to keep his cheer up and pretend he wasn’t in as much pain. His mother and his sister came and left shortly after the guys from the station. That had been hard. His mother was tough, but he knew she was reliving nightmares from his father’s death. Nothing he could do about it except let her reassure herself that he was still there.

Finally the person he had been waiting to see came. Brandon lay on his side, the only comfortable position he could find. He’d closed his eyes for a moment when he heard steps and knew it was Der. He looked up with a smile. “Hi, sweetheart.”

Der pulled a chair close to come down to eye level. He put on a bright grin. “Hey, handsome. You have some time for me or are you just too swamped right now?”

“I always have time for you,” Brandon said, reaching for Der’s hand. He hadn’t realized until that moment how much he’d missed him. A profound sense of peace settled over him as Der’s fingers closed around his.

“Oh, good. I was afraid I might have to call your people and make an appointment,” Der said on a soft chuckle. “I was here earlier but there was a whole firehouse full of large men in with you and I didn’t want to, ah, intrude. If it had just been Chris, that would have been one thing, but you know how meek and shy I am.”

Brandon laughed and the tight knot around Der’s heart loosened a few hundred degrees.

“Oh, I’ve missed your laugh, Bran. Damn, but I’ve missed you.” Der stroked up his arm and stopped. “Someone sure made a mess of you, though.” Iodine stains and bits of adhesive mottled Brandon’s forearm. “Who’s in charge of your sponge baths? I want a word with them.”

Brandon’s lopsided grin was slightly sheepish. “I, um, told the nurse not to make a fuss, I could do it myself. I tired out quicker than I thought.”

“Oh. Hmm.” Der’s forehead creased, then his smile returned. “How about with some help? I’ll be happy to play nurse for you. Or manservant. Kato to your Green Hornet? Hephaestion to your Alexander?”

“You could never be relegated to sidekick material, Kimosabe,” Brandon chuckled. “But I’ll take the help.”

Der bounced to his feet and held his arms out. “All right, then. Up you come.”

He let Brandon lean on him, got him the few steps to the bathroom and sat him down on the little shower seat. “Those pj’s, hon, have got to go.”

He helped Brandon undress and a quietness settled over them that was not altogether comfortable. Der because he wasn’t sure what to expect or how Brandon would feel and Brandon because he wasn’t sure how Der would react to seeing him scarred and weak.

“Have to be careful where it’s healing, not supposed to get the area wet yet,” Brandon said, his voice a little flat.

“Right. I do know the drill.” Der ran his claws back through Brandon’s hair. “Listen, gorgeous, I know this might be a weird question, but have you looked yet?”

Brandon made a soft sound. “I can’t believe you know me that well already,” he said, somewhere between astonished and guilty. “No, not really.”

Der gave him a crooked grin. “It’s not so much knowing you as knowing what happens after. Everybody has that ‘I need to look, I oh-so-don’t-want to look’ thing happen. It took Vincent three weeks before he could look in a mirror after his accident. And then he was relieved because he’d imagined so much worse.”

He took Brandon’s hands and pulled him up again. “Come on, Bran. Let’s get it done. You don’t have anything to worry about.”

Brandon let himself be pulled up and turned to look in the long mirror on the back of the door. What was weird was he saw the scars and damaged skin secondary. The first thing his eyes were drawn to was the tattoo of the angel, he had been afraid how much damage had been done to the artwork. To say he was amazed was an understatement.

He was burned mostly down his right side and hip and across his lower back, but for whatever reason the burns did not extend into the tattoo. She was intact, more than he’d dared hope.

“She was watching out for you,” Der told him in a tight, strained voice. “Thank all that’s holy someone was.” He drew in a huge sniff and when Brandon looked up, he tried to give him a smile through the stinging mist in his eyes.

He took Brandon’s face between his hands, his words catching in cracked whispers. “I thought I’d lost you. I love you so.”

Brandon was stunned to silence for a moment. “Der…” He breathed and had to look away. “Do you mean that?” It felt so unreal, to get this second chance. He remembered his last fleeting thought before he’d passed out while trapped by the fire was regret for not telling Der he loved him. He swallowed hard, trying to control the lump of emotion that rose up in his throat. “I love you, too,” he said in a husky whisper.

“Please don’t start crying, Bran, or I’ll start, too. ” Der pulled Brandon’s head to his shoulder. It was too late, of course. Tears already tracked down his cheeks. “I’m the dramatic one, remember? You’re supposed to be the sensible one.”

He sniffed again and rested his cheek on Brandon’s hair. “And of course I mean it. I have said it twice now. One time I might have been kidding or overwrought. But twice? Never.”

“Der…” Brandon couldn’t put into words what he wanted to say. He lifted his hand to cup Der’s face and kissed him with tender sweetness.

Careful of Brandon’s burned side, Der pulled him close and returned the kiss, keeping it soft and gentle. He pulled back before it could catch fire. Those things could wait. With a claw tip under Brandon’s chin, he kissed the tip of his nose. “Now then, you don’t smell so good and you certainly aren’t presentable for our date. Honestly, you should be ashamed of yourself.”

He helped Brandon back onto the shower seat, got a washcloth soaped and began a careful washing, one body part at a time so the healing burns would stay dry. He gave special attention to Brandon’s feet, then knelt and spread Brandon’s knees to get at the most sensitive parts.

Not that he wanted to get Brandon hot and bothered but it had been so long. He couldn’t help caressing those lovely balls a little as he washed them. Brandon’s cock started to expand under the soft touches and he couldn’t help one small kiss on the tip.

“Sorry,” he whispered when Brandon let out a frustrated moan.

He helped him dry off, climb into clean pj’s and back into bed. Poor Bran. His eyes were shadowed and exhausted, his movements so slow and careful.

“I think I better not stay too long this first time, hon,” Der said as he reached for the bag he’d brought. “But I did promise you a date the next time I saw you.”

He pulled the bed tray over where Brandon could reach. From his bag, he produced a battery-powered candle which he set on the tray and clicked on. The little electric flame jumped and danced. Then he pulled out a white linen napkin to spread over the tray and placed a white china plate in the center. The last item was a blue Tupperware container from which Der pulled two carefully iced chocolate cupcakes.

“There,” he said with a flourish. “I know they’re monitoring your intake and all of that but I figure one little cupcake won’t spoil your dinner.”

Miranda, Brandon’s day nurse, stood at the doorway and watched. She had been about to go in to do a vitals check but she stopped herself. There had been some concern over the firefighter. No wife came to visit, no fiancée, the nurses wondered if a girlfriend had dumped him because of his burns. But here, in the person of this large, scary-looking and obviously sweet man, lay the answer.

She turned and left them alone as Der picked up Brandon’s hand to kiss his fingers.

By the end of his second week in captivity (as Brandon had come to think of his hospital stay) he was frustrated and bored to tears. He was healing, the grafts had taken well, no infection had set in. He was still in some pain, but not as much. And he was damn tired of TV, crossword puzzles, and reading. He badly wanted out. He was an active, physical person and all this inactivity was making him nuts.

His one bright spot was Der. He came every day to see him and they talked until the nurses said it was time for him to go.

That afternoon Der wasn’t quite his usual, cheerful self when he came. Not surly by any means, simply pensive.

“Who’s taking care of you when they spring you, hon?” he asked.

“Um…nobody,” Brandon said.

Der’s forehead crinkled. He opened his mouth, closed it, looked down at his boots. “Oh. I guess I thought…never mind.” He swiped at imaginary lint on his black jeans, still unable to look up. “But, see, maybe it’s not a good idea for you to be alone. You can’t stretch to get stuff from the top of the fridge and, you never know, what if you faint in the shower or something? It’s not that I’m suggesting you can’t take care of yourself.”

He glanced up and back down quickly. “But maybe you might want to stay with me for a bit? Until you‘re on your feet again, that is. And all that…”

Brandon chuckled. “I’ve never heard anyone dance around something so much,” he said, and after a slight pause, “I would like to stay with you Der.”

“Oh. Oh, good.” Der blinked and then managed a little smile. “I didn’t want you to think…well, anyway, when’s the big day?”

Brandon ignored the question. “Der, is something wrong?”

“No.” Der said, trying for a more convincing smile. “I’m just hoping they let you out soon.”

Brandon didn’t look entirely convinced, but he let it go. “If everything’s still fine by Wednesday they’ll let me go.” Three more days. He didn’t know if he could stand it.

Der wandered out of the hospital deep in thought. Maybe he’d been thinking way too much lately. Bad habit. Led him down strange and hazardous paths.

He drove off and tooled around town aimlessly until he found himself parked in front of Elric’s house. “He’s probably busy. And this is silly, at any rate.” He got out, changed his mind, got back in, got out again and paced halfway up the walk before he returned to the car.

Sasha watched from the front window, perplexed. “Sir? Do you think we should invite him in or lasso him or something?”

Prince Elric glanced up from sorting his mail. “Ach, no, my dear. Let him sort through things first. He vill come to the door vhen he is ready.”

Eventually he made it to the front of the house and even managed to ring the bell. Sasha bounded over to open the door. “Der! What a nice surprise. His highness is done his appointments this afternoon. Did you want to talk to him?”

“Um…yes. I think I should.” He handed Sasha his coat and gave him an odd look. “You were watching, weren’t you?”

“N–no…yes.” Sasha hung his head. “I’m sorry.”

“S’all right, sweetpea. Guess it looked a little on the odd side.”

“He’s in the library.”

Der made his way there to find tea and pastries set out and the Prince in his favorite chair.

“So, so…herzchen, vhat hes you so stirred up today?”

“I’ve been thinking.” Derelict eased himself onto the formal sofa, hands clasped between his knees.

“Yes?”

“Well, it’s Brandon. And how I feel about Brandon. And how I felt when I thought he might be dying. And after that. And…I don’t know. I asked him to come stay with me after he’s discharged. Just to have someone there for him for a little. But then I thought…well, he said yes, to the staying for a little. But then I thought maybe I should ask for something more.”

Elric regarded him for a long moment, chill eyes giving nothing away. “Herzchen, you do recall, do you not, the last three people who hef lived vith you?”

“Well, yes, but–”

The Prince held up his hand. “You vill tell me this is different, ja? My dear, you hef said that each time. But Amelia vas too demanding and vished to control you, to know vhat you did each moment of each day. Georgie vas too dependent and clung to you as if he might drown otherwise. And Tamara.” He waved his hand. “I did tell you she vas unstable before she moved in.”

Der sighed and scrubbed his hands over his face. “Yes, sir. You did. I know. But this is different. He’s different. He’s wonderful, Sir. You’d like him.”

“Do not presume to tell me vhat I might like,” Elric said on a chill smile.

“Sorry, sir.”

“I vill only say this: be clear, my Derelict, if you esk this man to share his days vith you, vhat it is like to live vith you. Thet he might not hef all of your attention. Thet to keep you on a leash is disastrous.”

“Yes, sir.” Der swallowed hard. “I…I’m still not sure. But I’ll try to do better this time.”

The day Brandon was released from the hospital he was so happy he could almost forget it was still difficult to sit comfortably and his regular clothes felt strange and rested uneasily on newly healed skin.

When he had agreed to spend a few days at Der’s he had done so mainly because he simply wanted to spend the time with him. By the time they got to the apartment he was starting to think he actually might need the help. This worried him.

Doing nothing in the hospital hadn’t really shown him the extent of his injuries. Just doing normal things he began to see how bad it really was. Not since he was a child was he unable to do everything for himself. To realize that he just might have to depend on Der for a little while was disconcerting. Not that Der seemed to mind at all, he seemed quite happy playing nurse.

“What do you want for dinner, handsome?” Der asked late that afternoon. “Whatever you want. If I don’t have it, I’ll go out and get it. Despite what a certain Mr. Kemp says, I can cook.”

“Anything you want to make is fine, just so long as it doesn’t resemble hospital food please. No meatloaf, and no jell-o,” he said with a grin.

Der returned the grin and recalled the other two things Brandon could not stand. “All righty, then. Brussel sprouts and overcooked cabbage it is.” He laughed when he got a swat for that.

He stuck to hearty and simple, pot roast with potatoes and carrots, baked apples and, of course, chocolate cake to celebrate Brandon’s liberation. They devoured in happy silence and then stretched out on the sofa together, stuffed and content.

Der stroked Brandon’s hair, warmth settling in his belly. He didn’t really want to disturb the moment’s peace but if he kept putting it off, things would just start getting weird.

“Bran? Can I ask you something?”

“As long as it doesn’t involve getting up off the couch,” he teased.

“No, not immediately.” Der lifted his head to kiss the top of Brandon’s hair. “OK, I’ve been percolating this for a bit now and I guess my question is truly a multi-part. A hydra question. Every time I think I’ve pinned one part down, another piece grows. Anyway, here we are: have you ever lived with anyone, how did it work out, and how do you feel about living with someone in the future, for example, me, understanding that I’m not the most traditional person where it comes to relationships and all that?”

Brandon turned to look at him. “Der…are you…are you asking me to move in with you?”

“Now, see, that’s not fair answering a question with a question.”

Brandon took a moment to collect his thoughts. “No, I suppose it isn’t. Um, yes, I have lived with someone before.” He shrugged. “We didn’t…it wasn’t…well, it wasn’t the right time or the right person. It didn’t last long. I know I could live with someone again, if that someone was you.” He paused. “I’m just not sure it would be the right thing for you.”

“I’m not either, hon.” Der said in a rare moment of frank seriousness. “And I guess that’s why I didn’t just blurt out the question, which is what I wanted to do last week. I’m crazy in love with you, Bran. That’s not the issue. Problem is there are several people who have rooms and nooks in my heart, some I see on a regular basis and some once in a while.”

He sat up to take Brandon by the shoulders. “I’ve been really stupid before, with falling in love. But I’ve learned. And I know I’m not real good at being a one-person kind of man. And, well, most people don’t want to deal with that. The biggest thing that worries me is that I’d hurt you.” He brushed a stray lock of hair back from Brandon’s forehead. “That’s the last thing I want to do.”

Brandon’s expression was as serious as Der had ever seen it.

“I have to think about this, Der,” he said softly. He didn’t want to blurt out the first thing that crossed his mind either. Right now, at this moment, he could see it. He could see them living together, and still carrying on with their lives. But what about a month from now? Or a year? Would he feel the same? Would it matter to him, or not, if he had to share Der with someone, or several someones? He didn’t know. Right now he sort of felt okay about it, but he didn’t know if that would change.

He saw Der’s expression and decided telling him he needed to think about it wasn’t going to be enough. He needed to tell him the rest of his thoughts, or there might be misunderstandings and that was never a good thing. “I’m not normally a jealous, possessive asshole, Der. Right now I think it would be okay, but it’s sort of like I’m still in dating mode. If…if we were living together, and I came home one day and you were with someone else…I don’t know how I’d feel about it, honestly.” Actually, it made his heart ache a little to think about it. Not a good sign.

Der kept combing his claws through Brandon’s hair because his fingers needed something to do. Make it clear, the Prince had said. Leave nothing unspoken.

“It’s not…see…” He stopped, took a breath and tried again. “If we did this. If. It’s not like I’d be out clubbing every night, banging anything with a heartbeat in the back rooms, bringing home strangers to mess up our bed. I don’t…operate like that. I can’t.”

He got up, not quite agitated but getting there in his anxiety to say things right the first time. “And if you were here, I wouldn’t be lonely and I wouldn’t need the occasional one night stand. And if I was going to be with someone else, it wouldn’t necessarily mean you wouldn’t be with me. And you’d know anyone else I have any contact with, I’d make sure of that.”

He paced back to Brandon and dropped to his knees to take both his hands. “In this kind of relationship, there have to be rules. Vincent has a few crucial ones. Prince Elric has a few hundred. We could…you could tell me what the rules need to be.”

“Me?” Brandon said, wide eyed. “You want me to set down the rules?” he asked with a softly incredulous chuckle. “I don’t know Der… Maybe we could, uh, figure it out together?”

Der put his head in Brandon’s lap with a soft sigh. “Yes, that’s what I meant. That is, I want you to tell me what would help you feel comfortable and happy and secure and so on.” He nuzzled at Brandon’s thigh. “OK, we’ll start with a simple one. Let’s say I’m out with friends. What time does the clock say when you start worrying?”

“Ten o’clock.” Brandon answered in total seriousness. Der picked his head up and looked at him and Brandon burst out laughing. “I’m kidding. I’m sorry.” He kissed him lightly, then again with warmth. “I don’t know Der. I mean, I’m not your mom. If you’re gonna be out all night just tell me, or call and tell me.”

Brandon paused a second to gather his thoughts. “Why don’t you tell me what would be ideal for you. Tell me how you want it to be, and I’ll either agree, or we can talk about it…okay? I’d feel like a jerk just giving you a bunch of rules.”

“Aw, damn, and here I thought I’d finally found the man who could collar, leash and beat me,” Der said with a sigh. He grinned at Brandon’s flummoxed expression. “Kidding, darlin’, sorry.”

He sat back on his heels with a thoughtful frown. “I guess really it just comes down to courtesy. We’d know each other’s schedules. If someone won’t be home for dinner, a phone call’s only polite. If either of us is planning on being with someone else, in the primal urges sense, once again, a phone call sounds like the right thing. No bareback jaunts with anyone else. No casual one-offs. So far, so good?”

Brandon ran a hand though his hair. “This feels strange. Setting ground rules about who your boyfriend can sleep with…” As soon as he said it he stopped. Was Der his boyfriend? He met his eyes and got lost for a second. “It feels a little strange to…to put everything out there like this, but I think that’s just because I’ve never met anyone willing to be so honest.” He smiled. “I think I can handle that.”

He lifted his hand to Der’s cheek “I love you, Der.” He kissed him, his fingers caressing along his cheek and into his hair, and he was suddenly reminded how long it had been.

A hard rush of need shivered through Der. “I love you, too, Bran.” He traced a claw tip over Brandon’s undamaged side. “And I missed you. Do you feel up to something slow and sweet? Or is it too soon?”

“Mmm…” Brandon hummed against the side of Der’s throat. “Let’s find out what I’m up to,” he murmured as he nibbled and sucked the tender skin at the base of his neck.

Der let out a soft moan. The room spun for a moment while all the blood rushed from his head. He shifted closer to slide his arms under Brandon and lifted him to carry him to the bedroom. Still quite an armful but Brandon had lost weight during his hospital stay. Der had to swallow the sudden lump in his throat. He would just have to spoil him rotten until he was back to his fighting weight again.

Der laid him down on the bed and undressed him with slow deliberate care. Brandon simply relaxed and watched him. His eyes stayed glued to his every move when he straightened and removed his own clothes. So gorgeous, that body. He loved every line and muscle and all of his art.

As he knelt on the edge of the bed Brandon reached for him, letting his hand slide down his chest and abdomen, his fingers circling around the base of his cock and stroking lightly.

Der lunged forward, supporting himself on straight arms on either side of Brandon’s head. “Rrrrrr–rrruff,” he growled on a little snap of teeth. “You do things like that and my brain might go into meltdown.”

“Ah good, my evil plan to not let you regain your senses is working perfectly,” Brandon said in his best supervillain voice. He put a hand at the back of Der’s neck and pulled him down for a slow and very hot kiss.

“Mmmm…oh dear gods, I missed your kisses,” Der murmured when he came back up for air. He eased a knee between Brandon’s thighs to nudge his legs apart and knelt between. One hand stole up to cup the side of Brandon’s face while the other still held him up. He wasn’t entirely sure how he was going to accomplish the whole thing but he was determined to do it without hurting him.

Brandon discovered at that moment that as eager as he was, his body was not exactly happy with the position. He’d only recently been able to sleep on his back, and having his leg moved to one side was pulling at the newly healed skin in an uncomfortable way. “Der…I don’t think I can keep my leg like this.”

Der instantly moved, issuing a string of concerned apologies, which Brandon hushed with kisses and reassurances. “Shh, come here.” He pulled Der back into his embrace as he rolled to his side. They kissed for long moments and let their hands roam, reacquainting themselves with sensual places they had missed. After a while Brandon settled back on the pillows and coaxed Der up to straddle his chest. “Come here… I want to taste you.” He breathed as he urged Der up higher, so he knelt directly in front of his face. “That’s better.”

Much better, Brandon thought, as he wrapped his fingers around Der’s shaft and licked over the smooth head of his cock. His mouth watered as he took him inside.

Der’s head fell back on a heartfelt moan, the ends of his hair brushing over Bandon’s stomach. He stayed still, letting Brandon do as he pleased, claws combing gently through his thick hair. When that lovely tongue teased at one the silver balls decorating his shaft, though, his hips jerked.

“Oh…man…that feels so incredible…”

Brandon pulled himself up a little farther, so the back of his head was against the headboard. His hand glided up over Der hips and over the taut globes of his ass. Der leaned forward, his hands grasping the top of the headboard and Brandon flexed his hands on Der, pulling him in and kneading his cheeks, urging him to a rhythm as his mouth moved up and down on him.

A little whimper rose from Der’s chest as the pleasure climbed at dizzying speed. He looked down between his arms, Brandon’s lips wrapped around his cock just about the hottest sight he could imagine.

A finger teased at his backdoor. He drew in a hissing breath. The pad of Brandon’s finger breached the entrance gently and his hips suddenly pumped faster, his breath coming in panting gasps. “Gods…Bran…I can’t…I’m coming…like a freaking freight train…”

Brandon let out a whimper of his own as the first bittersweet spurt spilled over his tongue. The fingers of his one hand tightened on Der’s cheek, with the other pushed deeper into his spasming back channel. Brandon kept his lips sealed tightly around his shaft until Der was shuddering and crying out and drained dry. Only then did he gently pull back.

Both hands gripped white-knuckle on the headboard, Der fought not to collapse on top of Brandon. He fought his lungs for a full breath and then another, willing the room to stop until he could ease his shaking body over to one side. He stroked a finger over Brandon’s chest, a lazy smile on his lips. “Would you strangle me in my sleep if I rolled over and said goodnight?”

“Strangle you, no, but I don’t know how much sleep you’d actually get.” Brandon murmured huskily, nudging Der’s lips in a lingering kiss.

“Oh, I don’t know. I’m a pretty deep sleeper,” Der teased though his wandering hand made it clear he had no such intention.

His long fingers wrapped carefully around Brandon’s cock, claws held out of the way, and he surged up to plant soft, sucking kisses down his ribs.

Brandon’s hips rolled up automatically, a soft groan at his lips. The roll was cut short as tender skin pulled at his hip in warning not to move that way. With a small sound of frustration he willed himself to stay still. He was so hot for Der, wanted him so bad, wanted to come so damn bad, wanted to feel his lips and tongue caressing him, and he couldn’t move how he wanted to.

“My poor love,” Der murmured. “Maybe you need a little help so you don’t hurt yourself.”

He reached over and snagged the t-shirt he’d worn that day and smoothed his hands down Brandon’s arms until he had them both in front. No way in hell was he fastening his arms above his head. Bran couldn’t lift his arms above his shoulders yet. Instead he tied them in front so he could hold them down with one hand against Brandon’s chest. He slid one long leg on top of Brandon’s to clamp them down on the bed and then lowered his head to lick over the tip of Brandon’s rock hard erection.

“Uhhh! God…” Brandon moaned. “Der…mmm.” He could still flex a little, which he did urgently, but it didn’t hurt. It felt a little strange not to be able to move freely, but also arousing.

“Much better,” Der whispered. He caressed whisper soft over Brandon’s balls and wrapped his lips around his cock, teasing and licking a few inches at a time.

Brandon reflexively tried to push up into his mouth, but had to settle for what Der was willing to give as he inched his way down. “Oohhh… That feels so good sweetheart,” he purred. “So damn good…”

Der’s only answer was a pleased little growl. He let his teeth touch just under the flange and then plunged down to let Brandon bump against the back of his throat.

It didn’t take much more of that to have Brandon panting, his head spinning with pleasure. “Yeah… oh, yeah, oh god that’s gonna make me come… go faster…” Brandon groaned as Der complied. He gave a wordless cry as he started to come hard.

Der moved his head back so he could swallow, moaning at the taste of Brandon on his tongue. He sucked greedily as if he had been parched, dying of thirst without him. Only when Brandon relaxed under him and all his little twitches stilled did he let that lovely cock go.

He rolled to his back so Brandon could nestle against him on his side.

Brandon stroked a warm hand over Der’s chest and closed his eyes. Their earlier conversation came back to him. Was he serious about Der? Yes. Serious enough to live with him? Yes. Even if that meant sharing him? Maybe.

He saw where his thoughts were leading. Sooner or later, whether he lived with Der or not, the sharing thing was going to be an issue. Der had made it pretty plain that having other lovers was part of the package deal with him. If Brandon couldn’t handle that he was going to have to stop seeing him, it was that simple. The thought of not seeing Der anymore weighed heavy on him. Could he accept the rules they’d talked about?
For Der, he thought he could. “Der?”

“Mmm?”

“It’s a good thing I’m not allergic to cats.”

“Yes…yes it is,” Der said in a sleepy murmur. Then his hand stopped in Brandon’s hair. “Wait. Hold up. That was a yes, wasn’t it?”

He twisted to look at Brandon. “Was it a yes?”

Brandon chuckled and lifted his head to kiss Der warmly. “Yes, that was a yes.”