"Um..." Jack started to stay, but Red didn't wait to hear whatever it was going to be. Instead, he turned and ran for the other room.
"Big, trouble!" he shouted as loud as he could, knowing full well that Big was probably busy with troubles of his own. What if the guardians were too much for him? What if—with a crack like thunder, the wall a step behind him exploded in green energy. Red was flung forward, hitting the ground painfully but at least intact, and he turned to see Esmeralda float into the room.
"Did I say you had permission to leave, deary?" she said. Her white hair fluttered around her head like a corona of power and potential violence. Red swallowed and waited for a new explosion to wipe him out of existence. "We're just getting to know each other."
Red pushed himself back, muscles straining as he shot into a backwards run. Esmeralda unleashed another rain of energy that cracked the floor at Red's feet, just inches away. Without a second thought, Red flung himself into the stream: the water the only armor he could think of. Big was the fighter, the muscle. Red wasn't even really the brains. He didn't kid himself—he was a pretty face. A simple kid who Big had saved from a bad situation and a terrible family. A pretty face, not a warrior. Not even much of a decent conman, it seemed, seeing as how Esmeralda had conned them all.
The water was cold, a shock as it enveloped him. He dove, aiming himself away and swam as hard as he could. Maybe he could escape. Maybe he could make it outside the house and meet up with Big. Maybe they could get the hell out there and settle down and become monks or something. Red would settle for becoming a nun if it meant he was out of there, away from the cackling old woman and her hungers.
Before he could reach the outside, though, the cold fell away. It happened so fast it sapped the movement from his limbs. He paused, wondering what was happening, when suddenly the cold was replaced by a fiery heat. It felt like the water was starting to boil. Pain seared its way through him and Red scrambled to the surface. With a gargled cry, he broke into the air again, flailing arms finding the edge of the stream and pulling himself out. Behind him, the water was indeed beginning to roil with heat and steam.
"There's no escape for you, girlie," Esmeralda said, arms outstretched toward the water, waves of heat radiating from her fingertips. Red gasped, catching his breath, water streaming down his body and soaking into the rug beneath him. "You might not make as much of a meal as your cousin, but you seem just the thing to work up an appetite."
She pointed her fingers at him, and Red thought that was it. Without even a last word, without being able to tell Big one last time how much he—
From outside, there was a scream of metal and a yelp of pain that was definitely not from one of the guardians. Esmeralda turned, triumphant smile on her lips. It was all Red needed. He sprang up. The couches were just feet away and he slid behind them, eyes scanning for weapons, for anything that would be able to help him. He refused to think about what might be happening outside, about—no, he had to save himself.
On a table by the couches was a collection of geodes. Perhaps heavy enough that at least he'd have a chance of throwing them at Esmeralda's head. He feinted toward the kitchen and then ran for the table. A bolt of lightning lit the air directly in front of him, and he barely had time to veer, striking a wall rather hard but avoiding the burst of green energy that exploded where the bolt hit.
"You seem tired," Esmeralda said. Red glared and looked up to see her still floating above the room, a calm smile on her face. She was toying with him, enjoying the game. She could kill him any time she wanted. And of course, Jack was nowhere to be seen. Probably made his getaway the moment Esmeralda turned her attention away. Bastard was probably halfway to the nearest city by now, glad to have escaped with his skin.
"Time to die, little morsel," Esmeralda said, and Red couldn't fight any more. He stood, waiting for the next attack to end him. Sorry, Big.
He expected a bolt of energy, a quick death. Instead, a crash brought both his and Esmeralda's attention to the stained-glass windows, which shattered inward as Big, in full wolf mode, crashed through. Ten feet from snout to tail and with teeth that looked more like daggers than canines, Big made quite the entrance, landing nimbly on the floor and growling at Esmeralda, who regarded him with an almost amused look.
"Now this is interesting," she said, pointing a finger at Red, whose breath caught. "A werewolf. I suppose you defeated my woodsmen, then. Pity. But you might want to stand down, doggy, or your girlfriend gets it."
Big growled even louder and for a moment Red feared that he wouldn't stand down. Or maybe he hoped it, that Big would leap and crush the woman before she had the change to kill them all, regardless what would it mean for him personally. But instead Big lowed himself into a sit, eyes mere slits, the urge for violence writ across his wolf's face in big letters.
"Not too bright, are you, doggy?" she said, and turned, hands moving to point at Big. With him out of the way, there would be nothing stopping her from taking her time with Red. Red shouted, knowing that it was too late for him to do anything but watch as his partner, his lover, was destroyed. Esmeralda's hands rose even as Big tried to move, to leap out of the way.
Light glinted off metal and Esmeralda cried out as a dagger suddenly landed in her shoulder. Blood blossomed as she grimaced. Big charged forward, his wolf's jaws opening, closing, and Red looked away a moment too late to miss the spray of blood, the thud of the lifeless body to the floor, conspicuously minus one head.
"Well, good thing I was here," came a voice from the blasted hole near the entrance to the kitchen, and Red and Big looked to see Jack standing there, flipping a dagger lazily in his hand, an enormous grin on his face.
*~*~*
"We each get a third," Big said, back in his human form, arms crossed over his bare chest. They had moved back into the guest bedroom, mostly to get away from the corpse in the sitting room, which none of them really wanted to deal with. Red dressed Big's wounds, though they didn't seem all that bad, considering.
Jack sighed while going through a few bottles of wine he had liberated from the cellar.
"Shouldn't it be more like fifty-fifty?" Jack asked, and Big gave a low growl. "What? Without me, you'd be getting nothing, so I think it's more than fair."
"It was me who killed her," Big said, and Jack rolled his eyes. "And Red who put his life on the line."
"Without my timely distraction, you both would be dead now. I could have probably gotten away while she was killing you and it would have been no skin off my back."
"Except that we were between you and the only exits," Red said, sitting on the bed next to Big. Though it was true that if Jack hadn't acted when he did the outcome of the fight would have been much, much different. And given how resourceful the man seemed, he probably could have effected his escape while Red was busy distracting Esmeralda. Whether he had stayed because he wanted to help, or just because he didn't want to give up on the score, Red couldn't tell.
"Details," Jack said, waving his hand. "I would have managed."
"And I could manage right now to tear your heart from your chest and eat it," Big said, though Red knew that he didn't really like eating human flesh.
"If you were just going to kill me, you would have done it already, before we came into a relatively blood-free room," Jack said, uncorking a bottle and sniffing at the neck. "Ah, perfect."
"Look, I'm sure we can come to some sort of an arrangement," Red said. There was, after all, enough loot in the house for all three of them, and doubtless, given the magical nature of the woman they had defeated—she had most definitely been a witch hoping to turn them into supper—there would be some items that alone would sell for enough to keep them in comfort for a long time to come.
Jack turned, a bottle of wine in hand, and walked toward the bed, a smile spreading on his face.
"Oh, I'm sure we can as well," Jack said, his voice making no effort to mask his meaning as his eyes traveled up Red's body once more. Red blushed. Big growled.
"Forget it," Big said, and Red frowned slightly. He disliked it when Big got so... possessive, so bossy. He knew that it came from a place of fear, a place that didn't want to believe that Red loved him, regardless of how much they had been through. But Red was getting pretty sick of it. Perhaps Big believed too much in the stories that said you met your one true love and it was all happily ever after. Maybe he thought that by denying his drives, his desires, that he was doing something noble instead of being a jerk.
Maybe this was just the situation to get Big to start seeing what was really going on. Red was committed to him, had just risked his life how many times back with Esmeralda? And this wasn't the first time they'd been in danger. Whatever happened, Red wanted to be with Big. But it didn't mean Red wanted to miss out on what life had to offer, and here was a living, breathing invitation to experience something new. Something pleasurable.
"I wasn't just asking him," Jack said, eyebrows arching suggestively, and it was Big's turn to blush as Jack set the wine down next to the bed and walked directly to him. "After all, it's not every day I get the chance to enjoy the company of a big, bad wolf."
As he spoke, Jack stopped at the edge of the bed, his face moving in so that it was inches from Big's, showing absolutely no fear that he was facing a man who had, just moments ago, bitten someone's head off their shoulders. Instead, he gazed into Big's eyes and bit his lower lip.
"And maybe, just maybe, you like the sound of showing me exactly what you can do."
Big growled deep in his throat, though not a warning sound, exactly. A sound that Red knew quite well. A hungry sound.
"You're propositioning me in front of my boyfriend," Big said, though his voice lacked some of its usual threat.
"He's propositioning us both, Big," Red said, and Big shot him a look, but Red didn't back down. "What? It's just sex. Not like I was your first. And it's not like we can't have a little... celebration. I'd say we earned it."
"But—"
"What, you'll stand down a witch without sweating, but you're afraid of a charlatan with a nice ass?" Red asked. It was a gamble, but he also knew Big quite well. Sometimes he needed... just the right encouragement to get involved.
"Hey, now," Jack said. He looked on the verge of objecting when he paused and smiled. "Thanks. I do take pride in my ass."
"You're certainly a pain in one," Big said, eyes narrow, teeth bared. But Jack didn't look fooled. Neither was Red. Big was anything but upset.
"My, what keen eyes you have," Jack said, then ran his tongue slowly along his upper lip. And then Big's arms uncrossed and he grabbed the front of Jack's shirt, pulling him into a rough kiss. Red watched, mouth once again hanging open slightly. Jack was anything but subtle; he definitely provoked a reaction. Not that Red minded. He slid off the bed and moved quickly to the pack Big normally carried, not taking his eyes off the pair on the bed, the kiss that just seemed to keep going.
He reached the pack just as Big eased up for Jack to pull away. Jack gasped, panting while Big grinned, well, wolfishly.
"And what a big mouth you have," Jack said as he caught his breath and Red quickly found the wooden box at the bottom of the pack. For the moment, though, Red held back, knowing that Big would want to take the lead for now, that there was time yet for everyone to enjoy themselves.
Jack stepped back as Big moved forward, sliding off the bed to stand his full height. Red could see Jack swallow, as if reconsidering his forwardness. Until, of course, Big reached down and slid out of his pants, at which point the corners of Jack's mouth twisted up into a smile and he licked his lips.
"And what a big—" Jack started to say but Big rushed forward, hands a blur, mouth covering Jack's. Clothes were torn as Big guided Jack back to the bed. Red watched and felt his arousal growing, his own erection straining against the fabric of his undergarment, which was not meant to accommodate it. Again, it was certainly not an unpleasant feeling—at least Big had been thoughtful enough to splurge on some decent fabric.
Big pulled back only once Jack was completely naked, his clothes a shredded pile on the floor. Whatever hesitation or annoyance he had shown at Jack's behavior before was gone, replaced by a rabid lust, and Red's mouth was dry from watching, from wanting it to happen. There was just something so... appealing, to watching them. Something in the way he knew what Big's skin would feel like, brushing against Jack's bare thighs, the warmth of Big's mouth on Jack's hot flesh.
Red was so engrossed in watching that he almost forgot about the box in his hands, almost forgot to walk forward as Big began sucking down on Jack's length. Remembering, Red slid it without comment onto the mattress next to Jack's legs.
Big took his time now, with Jack splayed on the bed, mouth drawn into an O as Big worked. After a few moments, Big paused long enough to open the box. Jack looked down with what might have been a reproachful look, until he saw the jar that Big produced and quickly unstoppered. Red couldn't resist reaching a hand under his dress to rub slowly down his length as Big poured lube from the jar onto his fingers and then bent once more to take Jack's cock into his mouth. With Big's body blocking his view, Red couldn't see his partner slowly insert a finger into Jack's ass, but he could certainly guess when it happened by the way Jack moaned and squirmed on the bed.
Red watched, moving his hand into the tight confines of his undergarment, as Big moved slowly, deliberately. Most people would probably guess as a shifter he went completely out of control during sex, scratching and biting and fucking without care, but like when he was fighting as his wolf, sex brought out a calm precision in Big. He teased and measured and waited just too long before each suck of Jack's cock. And for all Jack's bold words before, he could do little but whimper as Big licked and pressed, working first one, then two fingers into his ass.
The wait was for Red as well, for the show, and he didn't try to hide the way he stroked himself, pulling his undergarment down enough to free his cock so he could move unencumbered. He swallowed, fighting back coming too soon, as Big stopped and stood, strong arms pulling Jack to the edge of the bed. Big went to the jar again, this time pouring lube on his cock and working it over himself with a smooth stroke. Jack's eyes went large as Big aimed himself and pushed, Jack groaning and Big almost purring as he slid in. Red watched Big's cock disappear up Jack's ass, Jack's erection bobbing needfully against his stomach, forgotten for only a moment before Big wrapped a hand around it and began to stroke.
The rhythm was instant, each stroke of Big's hand matched by a thrust, and Jack gave up trying to be quiet and moaned as Big kept his maddening pace. It started slow, smooth, but with each thrust it seemed to get just a touch faster, just a touch less controlled. Red watched, his own hand driving him to the cusp of climax, as Big moved faster and faster, and with each thrust, Jack cried out for more. Harder. Faster. More. Please God, more, and Red couldn't tell if it was Jack talking any longer or him, his eyes glued to Jack's face, then Big's, their expressions slowly converging into twin masks of pleasure that must have mirrored his own, all of them crying out at once as they came. Red felt his legs shake as he soiled the inside of his dress, Jack's cock spurted onto his chest and stomach while Big stroked him, and Big howled and buried himself as deep as he could in Jack's ass.
For a while afterward, there was little movement. Big pulled back so that he slid out of Jack's ass and Red lowered himself down so that he was kneeling instead of standing, his legs a little weak after his orgasm. But otherwise, they all just breathed and basked in the warmth of what had just happened. Until, of course, Jack and Big looked over and seemed to notice for the first time that they weren't alone, that Red was there and spent as well. Both smiled, and Red felt a small flutter of anticipation in his stomach.
"I trust you liked the show?" Big asked, and Jack laughed.
"Well, of course he did," Jack said. "I was the star, after all."
Big growled.
"You?" he asked. "The star? I'm pretty sure it was my cock up your ass."
Big glared and looked ready to say something when Red burst out laughing, unable to contain himself any longer.
"What's funny?" Jack asked, and Big just rolled his eyes and walked over, grabbed a still-giggling Red and lifted him easily before returning with him to the bed.
"I think he needs a second showing," Big said, voice serious, but Red could tell he was barely holding back laughter. Jack lit up, though, rolling more nimbly than Red would have managed after what just happened and giving Red a wicked grin.
"A special showing," Jack said in agreement. "With audience participation." Big barked a laugh and tossed Red onto the bed before turning and walking over to the wash basin. Jack, not bothering to wait for Big to return, pounced, straddling Red's legs and leaning down for a kiss.
Lips met. Jack's tongue darted out immediately, seeking Red's. It was strange, kissing another man with Big nearby, but not unpleasant. Red allowed himself to run his hands up Jack's body, his tight muscles. Not as large as Big, no, but the man was firm and lean and Red couldn't help but reach around and squeeze the meat of Jack's ass.
"Careful," Jack said, breaking the kiss. "Still a bit tender back there."
Red laughed as Jack's hands began exploring as well, working the dress up over Red’s thighs, revealing his undergarment which was half-concealing his rapidly rekindling erection.
"Like I have no idea what that's like," Red said, and heard Big snort from across the room.
"How do you manage that?" Jack asked, fingers hooking Red's undergarment and tugging it down his body. How Jack still had so much energy Red didn't know, but he wasn't about to complain.
"Lots of practice," Red said, letting Jack move him up the bed some. He watched Jack lick his lips and position himself between Red's legs.
"Lots of practice?" Jack asked, hovering, smiling, and Red clenched his hands at his side to prevent himself from grabbing the man's head and guiding it down.
Fairytales Slashed: Volume 8 Page 14