No Angel

by Nora Phoenix

  Blake’s eyes teared up when he saw the pure joy on Aaron's face, so radiant and stunning with the makeup Charlie had done. Blake was wearing a simple black suit, but Aaron, he was the fairest of them all in a pair of tight, black leggings and a long, billowing top with all those bold colors he loved so much. He was breathtaking, and Blake couldn’t help but press a soft kiss on his lips when he accepted his hand from Josh.

  “Dear friends, what a pleasure it is to be here once again to join these two in marriage,” their wedding officiant said—the same one the others had used.

  Blake had contacted him, and when he’d explained what he wanted to do, the man hadn’t batted an eye. “That sounds wonderful,” he’d said. “Count me in.”

  “We’ll keep this short, at the request of the grooms, so I’d like to ask Aaron to say his vows to Blake. Aaron?”

  Aaron squeezed Blake’s right hand, then took his left one as well as they turned sideways to face each other.

  “Dear Blake, I didn’t know who I was or what I needed before I met you,” Aaron said, his voice soft but clear, a sweet smile on his face. “You showed me what love was, and you set me free to love myself...and then you. You helped me find myself and accept myself, and you always encourage me to be the best version of me I can be. I love you more than anything, and I promise to always love you, obey you, and be loyal to you.”

  Blake could barely see through his misty eyes, but Aaron’s voice signaled his love clearly, his words a beautiful tribute to their dynamics. They hadn’t shown each other their vows, and Blake was deeply touched by Aaron’s words.

  “My sweet puppy, the day you came into my life was the day the sun broke through the clouds. You warmed up my heart and made me believe in love again. I love you beyond words, and there’s nothing I value more than your sweet submission to me.”

  He inhaled as he reached into his pocket for a little surprise Aaron knew nothing about. “Kneel for me, puppy.”

  Aaron’s eyes went big, but he went to his knees in a second. Blake held out the gorgeous new collar he’d bought for him, triggering a chorus of “awws” from those present. It was soft, pink leather of the finest quality and it had a real diamond, as well as a little metal name tag that read “Blake’s Puppy.”

  “Please accept this collar as a token of my love and devotion to you. I promise to always love you, take care of you, protect you, and be worthy of your loyalty and obedience.”

  He put the collar around Aaron’s neck, who tilted his head eagerly, two big tears trailing down his cheeks. Blake made sure the collar was fastened, then attached the leash to it. He’d debated this last part, but he knew how much Aaron loved to be put on a leash, and it said so much about their relationship.

  Aaron nuzzled his hand when he was done, then licked it, and with tears in his eyes, Blake gave him the neck scratches he deserved. When he was done, he gave a small tug, and Aaron looked up, his eyes full of love. “Master,” he said, and that word had never sounded sweeter.

  He rose to his feet, and Blake held on to him tightly as they turned toward the wedding officiant, who beamed at them with a fatherly smile. “By the power vested in me by the state of New York, I pronounce you married. Husbands, you may seal your weddings vows with a kiss.”

  Whistles rang through the air as Blake took his time kissing his puppy, claiming his mouth until they both ran out of air. “I love you, Aaron Kent,” he whispered against Aaron’s lips.

  Aaron melted against him, his cheeks rosy from the cold. “I’m so happy I’m yours.”

  “Did you like my little surprise for you?”

  Aaron’s hand flew up to the collar. “It’s so beautiful, Blake. I love it so much.”

  “Good. I also bought you a ring, by the way, but I figured I’d do this on our wedding day. It seemed fitting.”

  “You spoil me,” Aaron sighed.

  Blake kissed him again. “And I love it. Come on, puppy, let’s get you and everyone else inside. We’re freezing our asses off.”

  They’d wanted to have a party tent again, but the forecast for another incoming winter storm had changed that plan. They were okay with it, neither of them big party people. Instead, they were having a buffet inside the house and then heading home before the storm hit. Josh had offered to do the food, but Blake had kindly told him they’d have food delivered, knowing how tough a time they’d been through after the death of Connor’s mother.

  Inside, Josh had laid out the catered buffet on the big kitchen table and it looked delicious. Blake had rented some high-top bar tables and since they hadn’t invited any outside guests except for Burke, it was an intimate gathering. Blake had debated inviting Benjamin, but Brad had argued it would only be stressful for him, as he tended to not do well in unfamiliar situations. Plus, he wouldn’t have been able to give Aaron his collar during the ceremony, so in a way, it was better. Wander was present, as well as two of his men, but they blended into the background.

  Blake couldn’t let go of Aaron, even inside. Aaron seemed to feel the same, as he kept close to Blake’s side, touching him every so many seconds. Looking at him, Blake wondered why he’d ever even had doubts about marrying him.

  “Congratulations to you both,” Burke said, extending his hand to Aaron.

  Blake was proud of Aaron for accepting the gesture without hesitation. “Thank you. We’re happy you could be here today,” he said, and only Blake would’ve detected the slight tremor in his voice because he knew him so well.

  Burke then extended his hand to Blake, but he ignored it and pulled him in for a hug. “You’re still my brother,” he said.

  Burke hugged him back with a fierceness bordering on desperation. “I’m so glad to see you happy. And just in case you wondered: you’re nothing like him.”

  When Blake let him go to stare at him, Burke said, “Dad. You’re nothing like him. I know you said in the past you weren’t sure if you ever wanted to get married because you feared you’d end up like him, but you’re nothing like him.”

  Blake had to swallow, unexpected emotions rising up in him. From the corner of his eye, he caught Brad stepping closer, maybe worried Burke wasn’t playing nice. “Thank you. That’s the same conclusion I came to when I considered Aaron’s proposal.”

  Burke’s eyebrows flew up in surprise. “He asked you?”

  Blake smiled. “He did. He got tired of waiting for me to get my shit together.”

  “He’s not the doormat you took him for,” Brad snapped at Burke, and Blake loved him for defending Aaron. From the corner of his eye, he caught Wander suppressing a chuckle at that exchange.

  Burke’s cheeks grew red. “Clearly,” he mumbled, at least owning up to his less than favorable impression of Aaron.

  “I think we got off on the wrong foot,” Aaron said. “Maybe after Christmas, we can have you over some time to talk things through.”

  Burke blinked a few times, as if he couldn’t believe the offer. “I’d appreciate that.”

  “Good. Let’s set that up,” Blake said, then kissed Aaron on his head. “Proud of you, puppy,” he whispered when Burke had stepped aside.

  Later that night, when it was just the two of them, Blake showed him how proud and grateful he was. He made Aaron howl with pleasure, which he considered quite the fitting achievement for their wedding night.

  17

  It was the best Christmas ever, Indy decided. First, on Christmas Eve, they’d had Blake and Aaron’s wedding, and hadn’t that been the sweetest ever? Damn, Indy had totally teared up when Aaron had sunk to his knees and Blake had put that pretty pink collar on him. Those two were so fucking adorable—and that was not a word he’d ever thought he’d use for his once-upon-a-time stern Professor Kent.

  More than anything, Indy loved that Blake had felt comfortable enough to show their kink in front of everyone. It must have meant the world to Aaron, and of course, no one had thought it strange. Hell, they had enough kink and fetishes to start a catalog. Compared to all the others, he an
d Noah were rather tame, Indy realized.

  Between the two of them they had no real kinks—aside from their somewhat complicated foursome with Josh and Connor—just a healthy sex life that satisfied them both. Well, him at least. Noah could probably use a little more than what Indy was able to give him. Indy had come a long way since the sex-averse kid he’d been when he met Noah, the skittish boy who hated being even touched. He loved sex now, which in itself was kind of a miracle, really.

  Noah didn’t use sex anymore to deal with his pain—the fact that his pain had decreased significantly after the second amputation helped—but he still loved to fuck harder and rougher than Indy could take. Wanted to take, was more correct. He didn’t care for it, appreciated the sweet, tender lovemaking ten times over a hard fuck. But his man felt differently. So Indy could see Noah fucking Brad, too, at some point. Fuck knew Noah had been more than a little interested in watching Connor wreck Brad’s ass. Granted, that had been spectacular to watch, also because they’d both gotten so off on it.

  Indy had asked himself if he would be jealous if Noah fucked Brad, then decided that he honestly wouldn't be. Not with Brad. Somehow, the fact that the kid craved it so much, loved taking care of people like that, made it different. He’d come twice while being fucked by Connor—and Miles had told Indy afterward that had rarely happened before, only when they double-stuffed him. Hell, Connor had fucked him into subspace.

  Yup, they were kinky fuckers, all right. And as they celebrated Christmas together—Blake and Aaron choosing to celebrate alone in lieu of a honeymoon—Indy’s heart swelled with pride and love.

  They were all together in the living room, the giant Christmas tree blinking with holiday cheer. Josh had baked lemon and chocolate chip Christmas cookies, and the whole house smelled like them.

  They’d already exchanged gifts earlier that morning, all small, personal gifts that proved how well they knew each other. Books for Josh, a new chess board for Brad, a gorgeous makeup kit for Charlie. Noah’s gift for Indy had been a wedding picture of the four of them on canvas. Indy had cried when he saw it, because they looked so happy. They were so happy. He was happier than he’d ever been. He felt it, deep in his soul, as he looked around the room.

  Brad and Connor were playing checkers or, more accurately, Brad was destroying Connor in checkers. Connor accepted it with good-humor, asking Brad for tips to improve, which he gladly gave.

  Miles, who was chatting with Josh about something to do with gunpowder residue, was getting restless, Indy noted. Probably due another orgasm. Usually Brad would be all over him, but he was too caught up in his checkers game. Charlie, who had been having a quiet conversation with Noah, noticed, too.

  He got up, smiled at Noah, then made his way over to Miles. He dropped onto the floor between his legs, and without missing a beat, Charlie’s hand disappeared into Miles’s pants. Miles kissed him briefly, then continued his talk with Josh as Charlie’s hand got busy, the moves suggesting he was jerking Miles off—hard.

  How wonderful was it that they could share this with each other? They’d grown used to seeing each other naked, fucking, being sucked off, or in the midst of a spanking session. Hell, he walked around the house himself without his shirt on all the time now, no longer caring everyone could see his scars. This was his family.

  It was time for the Christmas present he’d come up with—a little game they’d all love. He’d asked Wander if he was okay with stepping out again, and once he’d explained what the idea was, Wander had said he’d be sorry to miss it, but that he understood. Now, as he caught Indy’s signal, he put on his coat and waved at Indy that he was going outside.

  “Guys, can I suggest we all move into the kitchen?” Indy asked. “I have an idea for an epic game you’ll all appreciate. Trust me.”

  There were some surprised faces, but they all got up, except for Charlie and Miles. “Stop jerking Miles off, Charlie. He already came once, he can wait till his next round.”

  Miles groaned in protest. “You’re cock-blocking me!”

  “I’ve got something better in mind. Trust me.”

  After that, curiosity seemed to get the better of everyone, and they gathered around the kitchen table that had become the focal point of their household.

  “What did you have in mind, babe?” Noah asked.

  Every face turned Indy’s way, and he found himself strangely emotional. “This is a truly special Christmas for me. It’s my first one as a married man, but also my first one with all of you together. In September of last year, I met Josh in that store. I saved his life, he keeps telling me.” Indy swallowed, his throat tight. “But Noah and Josh saved mine. When I met them, I was broken. Damaged. I’d never known love, and they showed me what love is. They fixed me, made me believe again. They gave me hope.”

  He brushed away a tear that had managed to slip from his eyes.

  “I love them both more than I thought possible. Noah is my rock, my strong protector—even though I could kick his ass if I wanted to.”

  A ripple of laughter went through his friends.

  “Josh, you’re my soul mate, my other half. You bring me peace, always. I’m so blessed to have both of you in my life.”

  The look on both their faces was pure love. His heart felt so full he was afraid it would burst.

  “Boston, you showed me what honor is, brotherhood, and I’m a better person for knowing you. I know you’re still struggling and grieving, and that’s okay. We’re here for you.”

  Josh grabbed Connor’s hand, steadied him.

  “Miles, Brad, and Charlie, I am so happy you guys are living with us. I know we’re all batshit crazy and horny as fuck, but life wouldn’t be the same without you. You've helped the four of us find more freedom to be ourselves, no matter what others may think.”

  His vision went blurry from the tears, and he wiped them off. “When I was a kid and even more as a teen, I dreamed of only one thing: that one day, I would have my own family. I swore would do better. Guys, you’re my family. Each and every one of you. I love you all so much.”

  Chaos ensued as six male bodies wanted to hug him, hold him, then hug each other, and do it all over again. Eyes were moist, soft lips kissed his mouth, warm bodies enveloped him, and he loved every second of it.

  “Our family needs to be celebrated today,” he continued when everyone had returned to their seats. “We need to celebrate love. Love between lovers, love between friends, love between brothers, and brothers in arms, and family. So, here’s what I propose. We all write down one sexual fantasy that we can make happen tonight. Don’t put your name on it. If more than four of us can guess who it is, we’ll make it come true—if everyone consents.”

  At first there were some uneasy glances, but then smiles broke through, and eyes started lighting up.

  “Oh, this is gonna be fucking awesome,” Brad sighed.

  “Yeah, like yours is gonna be hard to guess,” Charlie teased him.

  “No spoilers, people. We’ll play this fair.” Indy handed out white index cards he’d found in Noah’s office drawer. “Use capital letters so I won’t recognize the handwriting, start your wish with ‘I want,' and speak of yourself in the third person so you don’t give too much away. I’ll read all of them in random order, and assign them a number. You all get a sheet of paper and when I read a request, write down who you think wrote it. We’ll add the score at the end.”

  Minutes later, Indy had seven index cards in his hands. Oh, this was gonna be an epic night. “Okay, here we go. Write the number and the name of the person who you think wrote this.” His eyes teared up as he read the first one. “Number one: I want everyone to either fuck Brad, or come all over him, in a group session.”

  Everyone started writing, except for Brad, whose mouth dropped open. Interesting, Indy thought. That meant it wasn’t Brad. His money was on Charlie or Miles.

  “Number two.” He giggled as he read it. Oh god, that would be so much fun. “I want Noah and Connor to make o
ut for five minutes, naked, with everyone watching.”

  Noah and Connor looked at each other, then Noah burst out in a loud belly laugh.

  “Someone’s got a kinky fantasy,” Connor said dryly, but Indy noticed he wasn’t protesting. He guessed Noah had put that in, just to piss Connor off.

  “Number three,” Indy announced as everyone was done writing. “I want everyone to use their hands to make Indy come.” It was his own, but he tried to keep his reaction in.

  “Indy would have to be okay with that,” Noah said, giving away to the others it wasn’t him. God, Indy loved him. His first reaction, as always, was to protect Indy.

  “As I said, consent comes first. Number four: I want for Noah to fuck Brad.”

  Interesting. It sounded like something Noah would want, but then who the fuck had put in the fantasy of Noah and Connor making out? It sure as hell wasn’t Connor. He wrote down Noah’s name, with a question mark.

  “Damn, this is harder than I thought,” Charlie said.

  “I know, right? Next one, number five: I want Connor to be Brad’s daddy for an entire day. The kinky daddy kind.”

  Again, Brad’s surprised reaction made it clear that, too, had not come from him. It seemed multiple people wanted something for Brad rather than for themselves. It said so much about how they related to each other.

  “Number six: I want us all to fuck Brad until he can’t walk anymore, or let him suck us off. You’re a popular fantasy, Brad,” he added with a smile.

  Brad rubbed his eyes, shaking his head. It was so hard for him to realize how loved he was by everyone, how accepted.

  “Last one: I want for all of us to help Miles to have so many orgasms he feels truly sated.”