The Panther

by Ezra Dawn

Probably for thank you cards, as well as keeping an inventory of everything they get so, they know if there’s anything else they need to buy. It’s something I’ve seen before when my mother threw a baby shower for one of her friends. Ethan and his mates, each get a gift to open. First, they read the cards and say who the gift is from, then they open the present itself. When they get to the presents Kuro and I bought, I’m on the edge of my seat, waiting to see their reactions. We brought three gifts so, they’d each have something to open.

  Ethan says, “Okay, these three are from Kuro and Benji,” then opens his and laughs when he reveals the box of diapers. “I see Kuro took my advice not to get the newborn diapers.”

  Ethan looks at his male mate and says, “Mike, what did you get?”

  Mike opens his and laughs. He hands the discreet black box to Ethan who reads the note aloud. “For when you’re in need of an afternoon quickie.”

  Ethan peeks into the box and laughs out loud before passing it to his wife who also laughs when she sees the contents. Ethan looks at us and says, “Thanks guys… that’ll definitely get some use,” causing everyone around us to roar with laughter.

  Once we all calm down, Ethan turns to his female mate and says, “Amelia, honey, what did you get?”

  Amelia pulls the tissue paper from the bag and pulls out everything inside. She unfolds the first onesie that has paw prints on it with the words newest member of the pack and says, “Aww… look at this, it’s so cute! And there’s two for both little ones!”

  She moves to the second set, which has a whale on the front with the words sometimes I whale a lot and makes her laugh. As does the third and fourth set that say, I just spent nine months on the inside and I drink till I pass out. The fifth and final set, is my personal favorite, a three for one package deal with one onesie saying Hakuna Ma’s Ta-Tas, another saying, I’m not just milk drunk, I’m tit faced, and the last one saying made in vachina. Which has all three of them laughing so hard, there’s tears in their eyes.

  Ethan looks over at us and says, “Thank you, these are amazing.”

  Kuro grins and says, “You’re welcome. Benji picked most of them out. I just handed over my credit card.”

  Ethan chuckles and says, “Doesn’t matter who picked them out, they’re still amazing and I can’t wait to see the twins wearing them.”

  Looking at Ethan I say, “You have to send us pictures when they do wear them.”

  “Of course.”

  Kuro says, “The other gift I have for you, will be given after everyone else leaves so you don’t have a line of people in your house waiting to see it. I’ll send a mass text to everyone here with pictures after you’ve seen it.”

  Ethan smiles and says, “Then we’d better hurry this along. I can’t wait to see what you’ve been working on.”

  His mates say, “Neither can we.”

  With that, the present opening continues, and after we’ve all had some cake, the party comes to an end. Only Miriam and a few other women remain who are busy cleaning up. The rest of the presents will be brought in after the big reveal. I’m looking forward to seeing their reactions to the beautiful gift Kuro created. While Miriam and the women are busy, Kuro and I follow Ethan and his mates into the house. Once inside, we go upstairs and stop in front of the nursery. Kuro hands over the key and says, “I hope you like it. It’s been a very long time since I did anything like this, and I might be a little rusty.”

  With a snort, I bump Kuro’s shoulder and say, “Rusty? You? Babe, I saw the pictures… there’s not a damn thing rusty about what you’ve done.”

  Kuro kisses my cheek then turns to Ethan says, “Go ahead. Tell me what you think.”

  Ethan hands the key to Amelia and says, “Ladies first.”

  Amelia fits the key into the lock and turns it, opening the door then, taking Ethan and Mike’s hand, she leads them into the room. Kuro and I hover at the door, watching their reactions. Seeing the tears in their eyes as they look over the portraits, tells me that they truly appreciate what Kuro has done. Thirty years without picking up a brush or pencil to sketch, didn’t take away from Kuro’s talent in the slightest. Suddenly, Kuro is pulled into a group hug by all three of them, and his look of horror at the show of affection has me laughing. Seems my mate doesn’t like hugs from anyone but me.

  When they finally let him go, Ethan says, “It’s wonderful Kuro. I had no idea you were so talented. You know, you could easily sell your work. Those portraits and that mural are so amazing, once you send those pictures, everyone’s going to want to pay you to paint something for them.”

  Kuro says, “And, I’ll turn them down. This was a gift to you, but it was also a thank you, for everything you did to ensure Benji was in perfect health. I have enough money, I don’t need more, and I’ve only just begun to try and find the passion I once had for art. So, even if someone asks, I won’t be painting anything that has to do with someone else and their desires for a while.”

  Ethan nods. “I understand. Thank you so much for this.”

  “You’re welcome. I left space to add to the mural if you guys decide that two children isn’t enough later on down the line.”

  Ethan laughs and says, “I think two is enough for now, but we’ll keep that in mind. Thanks again.”

  Amelia and Mike, say, “Yes, thank you. It’s a beautiful gift, we’ll treasure it always.”

  Kuro smiles mischievously, winks at them, and says, “I would hope so, since the only way to get rid of it is to paint over it,” which causes them to gasp in outrage.

  “We’d never do that.”

  Kuro laughs. “I was only messing with you. Now, that the final gift has been delivered I think it’s time for us to get out of your hair.”

  All three of them hug us and express their thanks once again. After Kuro and I say our goodbyes, we walk hand in hand back to our house. As soon as we enter the house, I leave my shoes by the door, pull my phone from my pocket, queue the playlist I prepared for the occasion, and once I’ve connected to his echo upstairs, I hit play. When the jazzy notes of Careless Whisper begin to play, Kuro says, “Where’s that music coming from?”

  Grinning at him, I push him towards the stairs and say, “Why don’t you go find out?”

  As I make my way up the stairs, I get the feeling that Benji has something up his sleeve. Following the sound of George Michael’s voice, I open the door to our bedroom and am shocked by what I see. The romantic setting has happiness filling me, and a smile spreading across my face. I can’t believe he did this, without me knowing. Sneaky little shit… I can’t wait to feed him those strawberries. Wish I had some melted chocolate too… hmm… now there’s an idea, maybe I’ll run downstairs and grab the chocolate syrup so I can pour it on him and lick it off but, before I do, I’d like to know what he has planned for tonight because I don’t want to go too far if he isn’t ready.. “Agápi mou, what is all this?”

  Benji wraps his arms around my waist and says, “It’s your surprise.”

  Turning to face him, I take his face between my hands and say, “How did you manage all this? I think I would’ve noticed the strawberries in the fridge this morning. Did you go out on your own?”

  He smiles and shakes his head. “I had help. Since I hadn’t really met anyone except in passing, I asked Joel and Negan. I ordered everything online. I shipped the candles and rose petals to Joel’s house and Negan picked up the strawberries and champagne. I hope you like it.”

  Kissing him softly, I say, “I love it, agápi mou, but I have to know, what’s your plan for tonight?”

  He reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a folded piece of paper then hands it to me with a shy smile on his face. Taking it from him, I unfold the paper and read the note from Ethan, deeming him completely healthy. Seeing the words can return to regular activity followed by a list of all the things he can do has my grin widening. When Benji looks at me shyly; a blush staining his cheeks, and says, “I want you to claim me,” my control snaps.
<
br />   Putting an arm around his waist, I pick him up and toss him onto the bed, causing him to yelp in surprise. My panther is prowling in my mind, pacing back and forth, hovering just under the surface. I wanted to take this slow, but after denying my panther for so long, it isn’t going to happen. His plans won’t go to waste though… the first time might be quick… but the next one will be agonizingly slow, and I’m going to love every minute of it.

  Crawling onto the bed, I grip the hem of Benji’s shirt and pull it over his head, licking a stripe up his neck before fusing my mouth to his. As I tangle my tongue with his I let my hands roam, stroking every inch of skin and tweaking his nipples when I pass them, until I reach his jeans. They’re the kind that have a row of buttons instead of a zipper so, I quickly undo each one and move down the bed tugging his jeans off and kissing every inch of exposed skin as I go. When I reach his feet, I slip my fingers under the edge of his socks removing them with the jeans and tossing them aside.

  Once he’s naked, I take a moment to admire his beauty. The scars don’t detract from it at all, in fact, I think they make him even more beautiful. He blushes adorably and says, “You’re wearing too many clothes.”

  Chuckling, I undo my jeans and push them down, kicking them and my socks to the side. Climbing back into bed, I grab a pillow and put it under Benji’s hips. We haven’t discussed sexual history at all this week since I don’t think neither one of us wants to know what the other got up to. I’m not sure if Benji ever had sex with anyone in high school, but he could’ve. I am positive he’s never been with a man though, as his inexperience with blow jobs and the like have shown over the past week. Even inexperienced he’s the best I’ve ever had. What he lacks in technique he makes up for with enthusiasm.

  Me, I’ve never been with anyone like this… even in the thirty years we spent apart. I may have been holding onto the hurt and buried my feelings and could’ve easily slept with anyone I wanted, but I didn’t. I tried a few times and couldn’t let things go any further than a blow job or hand job in back alleys and bars that I never reciprocated because it felt wrong in spite of everything. Eventually, I gave up on trying, watched a lot of porn and took care of things myself. My secret stash of romance novels helped expand my knowledge and serve as fodder for my fantasies, but no one will ever know about it.

  Once I have Benji situated, I pull the tube of lube from under the pillows where we left it early this morning, during an exchange of hand jobs and pour a generous amount onto my fingers, warming it first before I circle Benji’s hole with a fingertip. Slowly, I push my finger inside, breathing a sigh of relief when he doesn’t immediately tense up. Spreading the lube around, I move my finger in an out for a bit until I deem him ready for a second finger. This time, he does tense. “Easy, agápi mou, just breathe and try to relax, it won’t hurt for very long.”

  A blush stains his cheeks when he says, “I’ve never done this before.”

  A sense of smug satisfaction fills me knowing I’ll be the first and last. “I know.”

  “No… you don’t understand… I’ve never done anything with anyone that wasn’t kissing.”

  Grinning at him, I say, “Good… I’m glad I’ll be your first and your last.”

  Worry makes itself known in his features when he asks, “What if I do something wrong and it’s terrible?”

  Winking at him I say, “That’s impossible. We’re mates, no matter what happens, it’s going to be incredible. Trust me.”

  “I do trust you.”

  “Good.”

  Inserting a third finger, I wiggle them around until I locate his prostate, pressing against it, which causes him to gasp and moan. “What is that?”

  “Your prostate. That zing of pleasure is why gay men enjoy sex so much.”

  Benji looks at me with lust filled eyes and says, “Do it again.”

  Complying with his demands, I press against his prostate so, he’s distracted by the pleasure when I insert a fourth finger. When I deem him ready to take me, I spread the rest of the lube on my cock then position myself at his entrance and spot him tensing up like he’s preparing himself for it to hurt. Kissing his lips, I look in his eyes and say, “Listen to me, agápi mou, it’s going to hurt if you’re tense and I don’t want to cause you pain. I need you to relax a bit.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  Kissing him again, I say, “Shh… don’t apologize. Here’s what I want you to do, first, relax. I promise it won’t hurt a bit, then clench your chute muscles for me.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.”

  With a nod, Benji does as I ask, and as soon as his muscles automatically relax, I push inside completely, groaning at the feel of his tight heat surrounding me. Being inside him is like coming home and I never want to leave. Showering him with gentle kisses on his face and neck, I ask, “How do you feel?”

  Benji wraps his arms and legs around me, clutching me to him. “I’ve never felt so full in my life. It’s good, but a bit weird too.”

  Chuckling, I kiss his cheek and say, “The first time is like that for everyone.”

  His grip on me tightens for a fraction of a second and judging by the look on his face, he’s thinking about every partner I’ve had. If I didn’t have heightened senses, I never would’ve heard his whispered mantra of, “I don’t want to know.”

  Rolling my hips, I draw his attention back to me and not what’s going on in his head eliciting a moan from him. Taking that as my cue, I begin to move. Removing one of his hands from my back I pin it beside his head, twining our fingers together as I steadily pick up the pace. I never thought I’d be the type to make love to someone with a soundtrack in the background but here we are. While the selection is some of the cheesiest classic love songs I’ve ever heard, it’s the fact that Benji put so much effort into making this night special that really tugs at my heartstrings and only makes me love him even more.

  Each thrust makes Benji more vocal. His pleas of, ‘more,’ ‘harder,’ and ‘oh gods, yes Kuro’ are like music to my ears. As I begin pegging his prostate to the symphony of the sounds Benji’s making and Prince singing Purple Rain in the background, I feel this sense of peace, like everything in my world is finally put to rights. I lose myself in the feeling, reveling in it, and as Benji reaches his first orgasm, I feel my panther rise to the surface.

  Letting the need to claim him take control, I lean forward and sink my teeth into his neck, sucking down a few mouthfuls of his blood, claiming him as my own. More come fills the space between us telling me my bite has brought him to orgasm a second time. His answering bite is what sends me over the edge and has me roaring my release against his neck since my teeth are still embedded in him. Gently removing my teeth, I lick the wound to seal it closed as Benji does the same.

  After pressing a kiss to his lips, I say, “So, how’d I do for my first time?”

  His mouth drops open in shock. “You’re kidding right?”

  I shake my head and he says, “But what you said earlier, about the first time feeling like that with everyone… I thought you’d experienced that before.”

  “And I have but it was with toys. I’ve gotten hand jobs and blow jobs from other men before, but those instances were few in number and never went any farther than that because it felt wrong. No one else has had me the way you have.”

  Benji’s smile is brighter than any star when he says, “I’m glad. Since you use toys, does that mean I get to return the favor at some point?”

  Kissing him softly, I say, “Always, agápi mou. I’d never do anything to you I wouldn’t be willing to do myself. In fact, you can have your turn later tonight, after we’ve eaten those strawberries and drunk the champagne you bought. I don’t want your sweet efforts to go to waste.” After kissing him one more time, I slip from him and exit the bed. “I’m going to get something to clean us up with. Be right back. Pour us a glass of that champagne while I’m gone.”

  Walking into the bathroom, I grab a clean washc
loth from the rack and wet it with warm water. After wringing it out so it doesn’t drip everywhere, I wipe myself off then return to the bedroom where Benji is leaning against the headboard, both glasses of champagne held between his fingers in one hand, strawberry in the other. Climbing back into bed, I wipe Benji off, toss the washcloth in the vicinity of the hamper, and take the spot against the headboard next to Benji. Putting my arm around his shoulder, I pull him in close, take my glass of champagne and sip it. The bubbles tingle on the way down and I follow it up with a bite of the strawberry Benji has in his hand. Putting a pillow on Benji’s lap, I grab the tray of strawberries and set it on top the pillow. Picking up a strawberry, I feed it to him as Bryan Adams begins to sing Please Forgive Me.

  When we’ve finished all the strawberries and Lionel Ritchie begins singing Stuck on You, I take Benji’s hand and drag him from the bed. “Dance with me.”

  He raises an eyebrow at me and says cheekily, “You want to dance naked?”