by Avery Ford
“It’s okay,” Dmitri said. He didn’t move his fingers at all. “You need a little time to get used to the fullness. It’s going to be fine.”
“It feels so weird,” Arthur breathed. He resisted the urge to squirm and push against the intrusion.
“I know.” Dmitri’s massage deepened, and the more it did, the more Arthur became aware of what was inside of him. “I’m going to go deeper.”
“I’m ready.”
Dmitri’s fingers moved deeper. Arthur let out a breathy moan and surprised himself by pushing down against them. The intrusion was bizarre, but he wanted it. He wanted Dmitri more than anyone else.
Dmitri’s breath caught in his throat, and he started to thrust his fingers slowly, but steadily inside of Arthur. Arthur moved and shifted and wormed, sometimes meeting his thrusts and sometimes shying away from them. It was good. It was so good.
More chilled, slick lube made its way inside of him. The wet sound of it turned him on in ways he hadn’t anticipated, and he worked against Dmitri to feel how wet he’d become.
“Wanna be inside you,” Dmitri whispered. His fingers continued to work, and Arthur was meeting them every time now instead of shying away. “Please, Arthur?”
“Take me,” Arthur begged. He had his eyes squeezed shut. “God, take me. I need you.”
The changeover happened quickly. One second he rode on Dmitri’s fingers, letting the bizarre sensation consume him, and the next he was empty. Arthur whined in disappointment, but even as he did, the bed creaked and shifted. Dmitri guided his legs over his shoulders and leaned forward, and with his ass lifted, Arthur felt it.
Dmitri’s cock.
It slid into him, filling the void left behind and stretching Arthur in ways he’d never dreamed of being stretched. The fullness was close to overbearing, and Arthur panted and did his best to loosen himself to accommodate it.
“So good,” Dmitri gasped. He moved deeper, keeping his intrusion slow, but never stopping. “Oh my god, Arthur. You feel so good.”
Dmitri moved as deep as he could go, and Arthur realized how full he was. The understanding that he was full of Dmitri hit him hard, and his cock twitched despite how strange it felt.
Dmitri was inside of him.
Arthur let a ragged moan part from his lips and locked his arms around Dmitri’s neck. They started to move together.
The bedsprings groaned. The mattress shifted beneath them. Arthur felt the heat race through him in tandem with the beating of his heart. He responded to Dmitri’s body on an instinctive level, moving with him and adjusting to his changes of pace with fluid ease. They worked as one, and for that moment, they were one.
Then Dmitri kissed him, and Arthur’s subconscious took over.
They kissed. They ground one against the other. They moved with hunger, but never went too fast or with too much aggression. What they shared was more than fucking — Dmitri made a promise to Arthur in the way he moved that Arthur wasn’t alone. Arthur promised the same in return.
Strange sensation morphed into pleasure when Arthur shifted his hips. All of a sudden, Dmitri brushed against his prostate with every stroke, and Arthur was blinded by sudden, intense desire. Greedy, he moved against Dmitri and sped up the pace, and it wasn’t long before Dmitri was panting into his mouth.
“Baby, I’m going to come,” Dmitri warned him. “F-Fuck, you’re going to make me come.”
“Come,” Arthur begged. “Wanna feel it. Wanna know I did it to you.”
He opened his eyes to find Dmitri’s were tightly shut. Pleasure twisted his mouth, then spread his lips, and Arthur saw their roundness at the same time as he felt Dmitri push deep into him. Dmitri’s cock pulsed, and he shuddered as he bucked deeper. Arthur was left panting for breath as Dmitri drained into him, bucking to sink himself deeper yet.
It was the hottest thing Arthur had ever experienced.
Dmitri’s orgasm lasted for longer than Arthur anticipated, and when at last it was done, Dmitri hung his head and drew in a deep breath. When he looked up again, he met Arthur’s eye.
“Now you,” he promised.
The cock in Arthur’s ass was still hard, and Dmitri made use of it as he started to thrust again. Pleasure lit up Arthur’s world once more, and he squirmed and gasped as Dmitri pulled him closer toward orgasm.
Dmitri’s palm sealed around Arthur’s cock and started to stroke, and Arthur bucked into his hand even as Dmitri thrust into him again and again.
The pleasure was overwhelming. Arthur rocked and pushed against Dmitri, utterly breathless. The pressure in his balls returned, and before he had a chance to warn Dmitri what was about to happen, he came hard and shot far. Stripes of cum decorated his chest.
That night, Dmitri ordered in, and they stayed in bed all night together. Arthur let Dmitri take him three more times, and they woke up tangled in each other’s arms the next morning.
Change was frightening. Change wasn’t always for the best.
But change meant new experiences and a chance to grow, and that chance had given Arthur Dmitri.
As much as he hated his situation, he would always be grateful for that.
28
Dmitri
Rachel and Harry invited Dmitri out for dinner. It wasn’t an unusual occurrence. When Rachel had been single, Dmitri had gone out with her on more than one platonic dinner date. After she’d met Harry, those dinner dates had tapered off, only to come back once they’d married.
Most times, Dmitri turned her down, afraid to be a third wheel. That night, for reasons he couldn’t fully understand, he accepted.
There was a change in him now, a boldness inside of him he hadn’t ever embodied before. It made him feel like he deserved a little time off from the chaos that was his professional life.
Dmitri was pretty sure it was because of Arthur, but he didn’t like to think too hard on it too often. The truth was, what he shared with Arthur was still so new that he didn’t want to think it had changed him that deeply.
But it had, and it looked like Rachel noticed it from the second he took his seat across from her.
“Why, look at you,” Rachel mused. She leaned forward on her elbows, chin in her hands. “Don’t you look radiant. If you were a Dominica instead of a Dmitri, I might ask if you were pregnant. You’re glowing.”
Dmitri flattened his gaze, trying his best to look at her in disbelief. Rachel rewarded him with a laugh.
“What?” she asked. “You are. Did you learn to exfoliate or something? Did you add coconut oil to your diet? Maybe you’ve started working out more?”
“Annie had her puppies,” Dmitri said. “Seven of them, all healthy.”
“So you are baby crazy.” Rachel clapped her hands together, overjoyed. “A glowing new father. Are the puppies everything you expected them to be? Tell me all about them.”
“There are five dogs and two bitches.” Dmitri pushed his straw around in his glass of water. “They’re all healthy and are growing fast. It’s always the same. I’ve started notifying buyers that my current pack is available for sale. I already have interested buyers for Voss and Lily.”
“As well you should. They’re gorgeous.” Rachel looked over at Harry. “What do you say to—”
“No,” Harry said firmly, but not unkindly. “We already have five goldens, Rachel. No more.”
“I know, I know.” Rachel sighed. “You can’t blame a girl for dreaming.”
The ice clinked against the side of the glass as Dmitri pushed it around. He dodged Rachel’s eye, not wanting to give too much more away. He knew that he was glowing. Ever since he’d taken Arthur to bed, he’d been lit up like the night sky on the Fourth of July.
“You look like you’re thinking about something,” Rachel observed. “Is there something going on?”
“Oh.” Dmitri looked up, but didn’t quite meet Rachel’s gaze. “I guess so. There’s been a lot of, um, drama going on recently with Locust Hill Animal Shelter, where I volunteer. The owner is sh
utting it down in a few months’ time. All the animals have to find homes or be sent to nearby shelters.”
“Kill shelters?” Rachel’s expression grew sombre. “That’s all I know of, except for Locust Hill.”
“Yeah.” The thought of it put a sour taste in Dmitri’s mouth. He sipped at his water to do away with it, but no matter what, he couldn’t shake the guilt. Arthur’s pained expression haunted him. “There have been money problems, so there’s no other choice. We did a little bit of fundraising, but it wasn’t enough.”
Rachel waved a hand dismissively and sat back in her chair. “Dmitri, if you wanted to have fundraising done, you should have given me a call. You know I’ve got some pretty hefty connections. Let me set something up and see what I can do. With my little golden retriever breeding business, I’ve made friends with some pretty hardcore dog enthusiasts. I’m pretty sure that I can pull something together — maybe something big enough to save the shelter.”
Dmitri wasn’t sure whether to believe her or not. Rachel was a terrific woman, and vaguely he was aware that she was a social butterfly, but he’d never thought to string her connections to fundraising attempts. But as a doctor, Harry had wealthy connections. He guessed it wasn’t that far a stretch that Rachel had bridged the gap between the dog world and the medical world with flawless grace.
He didn’t know if it was too late, but it was worth a shot.
“If you think you can arrange something, go for it. Best case scenario, the shelter stays open. Worst case, nothing changes.”
“And if nothing else, I can probably find homes for those poor animals stuck in the middle of all this chaos,” Rachel said. “I’m sure when people hear these animals will be headed for kill shelters if nothing is done, they’ll clamor to find homes for them. Don’t you worry, Dmitri. I’m not going to let this go that easily.”
“And when Rachel says something like that, you’d better believe her.” Harry chuckled. “She said that about me five years ago and now look where we are.”
Rachel winked. There was a look in her eye that screamed trouble, and it made Dmitri frown.
“Uh oh,” he said.
“Uh oh?” Rachel shot him a hard look. “What do you mean by uh oh? I haven’t even said anything yet. Unless you think that my attempts to save the animal shelter are going to be disastrous.”
“No, not that.” Dmitri narrowed his eyes. “You’ve got this look that says that there’s something on your mind. Something that you haven’t said yet, but that you’re going to. Don’t think I don’t know that look. How long have we been friends now?”
“Long enough that I know that you’re full of it.” Rachel rolled her eyes skyward dramatically. “I’m not thinking anything troubling. In fact, thinking about my relationship with Harry got me thinking…”
And here it comes. I’m in trouble…
“Well, I think that it’s about time you found someone, too. You’re going on thirty, you know. You’re not going to have your good looks forever.”
Dmitri blinked. He didn’t know what to say.
“So I was looking through my contacts, thinking who I might be able to set you up with, and it dawned on me that I have a very attractive, very single gay friend living over in Higgins, about forty minutes away. I know it’s a bit of a long distance relationship, but forty minutes really isn’t bad. I think you two would get along great.”
“No, thank you,” Dmitri said firmly. He wasn’t interested in anyone but Arthur.
Rachel frowned. “No? Dmitri, I know you’re lonely. It’s not wrong to accept help.”
“I’m…” Dmitri considered lying. It would be easy to do and it would help him avoid a conversation he didn’t want to have. But he didn’t want to lie. Arthur was a part of his life that he was proud of, and hiding him away like he was a terrible secret didn’t sit well with Dmitri. “I’m actually dating Arthur.”
Rachel dropped her fork. Her eyes went wide. “You’re dating Arthur?”
“We’ve been seeing each other for a little while now. I think it’s serious.”
“Oh my god.” Rachel beamed. “Harry, did you hear that?”
Harry was smiling, although Dmitri could tell he was trying to keep it subtle. “I did.”
“I am so glad. You have no idea how badly that boy needs someone in his life, and I think you two are perfect for each other.”
“I think so, too,” Dmitri admitted. He smiled wider than he would have liked, so he dropped his head and grinned like a fool at the table.
Rachel’s enthusiasm didn’t die. “So that’s why you’re glowing! I thought it was weird you’d be so happy about puppies when you raise them so often. It’s not puppies at all — it’s love.”
“I think it’s a little early to say it’s love,” Dmitri said, although he didn’t flat out deny it. In fact, he didn’t know how he really felt. All he knew was that Arthur made him happy. “But… we’re having a lot of fun together, and I want to keep him around for as long as I can.”
“This is incredible.” Rachel was grinning enough to match Dmitri’s expression. “I’m blown away. I’m so happy for both of you.”
“Thank you,” Dmitri said. “I’m happy, too.”
“Of course you are!” She laughed. “Oh, Dmitri, this is wonderful news. You know, I already see his influence on you. You’re a lot more approachable now, a lot less angry looking. I think he’s helping you come out of that tight shell you like to hide in.”
Dmitri couldn’t argue with that.
“Next time we head out to dinner, you should invite him,” Rachel said. “We can go on an actual double date.”
A real date. Shared friends. Their relationship was still new, but Dmitri felt it was off to a good start.
“I’d like that,” he said, and he meant it.
He had a feeling that with Arthur, anything would be fun.
29
Arthur
The phone call came unexpectedly one afternoon while Arthur was on his way home from working at the shelter. It disrupted the music playing in his earbud, which was hooked up to his phone. Arthur tugged out his earbuds, pulled his phone from his pocket, and answered the call.
“Hello?”
“Arthur, it’s Rachel.”
Arthur smiled. “Hey.”
“What are you doing right now?”
“Walking back from Locust Hill to get to the bus stop,” Arthur said. He glanced over his shoulder, almost expecting to see Rachel shadowing him from a distance. It wouldn’t have surprised him. “Why?”
“Because I need you here with me right now. I need all hands on deck, and I can’t think of more capable, responsible hands than yours.”
“What’s going on?” Arthur asked. “Is there something happening at the farm?”
“Nope.” He heard the laughter in Rachel’s voice even though she didn’t let it manifest in full. “I had a talk with Dmitri the other day, and I heard about what was going on with the shelter. I’m pulling together all my resources in order to save it, but I’m going to need some help.”
Arthur’s jaw dropped, and as soon as his shock was over, he grinned. “I’m in. You need me to head over right now?”
“I’ll come pick you up,” Rachel said. “Stay where you are. I’m going to be there in ten minutes.”
It wasn’t the afternoon Arthur had been planning, but it was the one he desperately needed. If trading a few hours of time curled up in front of the television meant saving the shelter that had brought him and Dmitri together, he considered it worth the cost.
With Rachel there, the shelter still had a chance.
Ten minutes later, Arthur was in Rachel’s care. Twenty minutes after that, he was seated beside her at a long kitchen table as Rachel pored over address books and searched Facebook thoughtfully.
“What have you done for fundraising so far?” she asked as she scrolled through lists of people Arthur didn’t know.
“We split into teams and went to sit in store park
ing lots a few times, near the front door,” Arthur said. “We handed out pamphlets and asked for donations while at the tables.”
Rachel stopped scrolling. She looked at him, arched a brow in disbelief, then hid her eyes in the crook of her hand and shook her head. “Of course Locust Hill is closing,” she muttered under her breath. “Leave fundraising to people who don’t know how to market effectively and this is what happens.”
Arthur wasn’t sure if it was a jab at Celeste, or a general sense of bitterness that Rachel hadn’t been called in earlier to deal with any of this.
“All right,” Rachel said with some finality. She turned in her chair to look Arthur in the face. “So here’s what I need. It’s probably going to seem a little drastic, but this is pretty much a life or death situation for the shelter, right?”
“Right.” Arthur nodded.
Rachel cracked her knuckles. The look of determination in her eyes was steadfast and unconquerable. “All right,” she said. “So here’s what we’re going to do…”
30
Dmitri
Dmitri’s day ended as any day should end — with Arthur in his arms. They lay together in the darkness, winding down from their mutual orgasms. Dmitri had started to grow used to the way Arthur’s breath would slow as he fell asleep, but tonight he heard no indication at all that Arthur was about to settle down.
“Arthur?” Dmitri asked softly into the darkness.
“Mm?” Arthur murmured.
“Is there something bothering you?”
For a while, there was no response. Dmitri listened to Arthur’s breathing, trying to tell if he’d gone to sleep suddenly, but there was no change in the rhythm. Right when Dmitri thought that Arthur was going to ignore him, Arthur spoke.
“I’ve been helping Rachel with fundraising,” he admitted.