An Ocean of Light

by Kit Fortier

  “No, we’ll go together. I guess if I’m going to let my son walk down this road, the least I can do is make sure he’s safe about it.”

  “Thanks, Dad. I’ll go get him.”

  Shit. Eric turned to go back to Ben’s room when he heard that familiar voice.

  “Eric?”

  “Hey—I was gonna grab my shoes—”

  “Come on. My dads wanna talk.”

  “Dads?” Eric heard the whispered question squeezed from Fox’s mouth.

  “We’ll talk,” the other man said.

  Eric reached out and grabbed Ben’s hand, walking into the living room hand in hand.

  Jake was a bit rigid, but Fox was inviting.

  “So, we’re going to take you guys to a clinic,” Fox said. “Ben tells us you planned on a little fun tonight—stop growling, big guy—but you don’t want to do anything until you’ve been tested, is that right?”

  Eric nodded.

  “How old are you, Eric?” Jake asked as politely as he could muster. At least Eric thought it was polite.

  “Nineteen,” he responded.

  He could almost hear the questions coming.

  “What have you done that you think you need testing?” Jake asked.

  “Dad!” Ben cried.

  “Ben, it’s okay,” Eric said, sitting down.

  “Eric,” Ben began. “I know. You don’t have to do this.”

  “You know?”

  Ben nodded. “I figured it out.”

  “Then if it helps your dads get past it, I’ll be up front,” Eric said.

  Ben crowded Eric on the love seat, sitting next to him. Ben’s arm wrapped around him, much the same way Jake put an arm around Fox.

  It was adorable how Ben was staking a claim. That did funny things to Eric’s heartbeat.

  So did the subject that lay before him.

  “Before I came here, I was in Saint George. I think I said that yesterday.”

  None of the men spoke up.

  “I did whatever jobs were available—fast food, odd jobs, even janitorial stuff for some of the motels in the area.

  “But sometimes I needed more. Needed to cover the rent, or buy food, or pay for meds for the flu or infections.

  “So, I sold—” Eric’s breath seized up on him. Ben took his hand.

  “I sold myself every now and then.”

  A weight fell off of Eric’s chest. Telling people made the agony more bearable. No one wanted him for who he was, so selling what assets he had only made sense. At least he had something others wanted. He didn’t dare tell them about how it all began.

  “Eric,” Fox started. “How is it you ended up here? Saint George is a bit of a ways from here by foot.”

  Relief flooded Eric that he hadn’t been asked to elaborate on his childhood curse. “There was a time when I blacked out for days at a time,” Eric said. “When I think back, when I try to remember, it was the wolf who wanted to run, and it ran here.”

  “Do you feel the wolf is somehow separate from you?” Fox asked.

  “It seems that way,” Eric said. “It would take over for long stretches, letting me out whenever it needed human things—a place to stay when animals weren’t allowed. Or werewolves, I guess. It’s stronger than I am, whatever this is, but it’s letting me… be me. For now.” Ben’s grip was a little tighter. The way Ben looked at Eric squeezed hard on his heart. The way Jake was looking at him—like he could be a threat to his son or his new husband—made Eric want to hit the road.

  But he could be reading into it too hard. It’s only fair that the man wanted to be on the defensive. The other side would be horrifying, and threatened to turn Eric’s stomach at the thought of it.

  “If you want me to leave, I can,” Eric stood. Ben shot up. For whatever reason, he stood between Eric and his parents, his head tilted back defiantly. “Ben, don’t. It’s okay.”

  Eric couldn’t miss the sigh that came from behind Fox. “Eric,” Jake called. "Don't go."

  Tentatively, he did as he was asked and walked around Ben, since the tower of a man refused to move.

  “Stay, please,” Jake asked.

  Eric put a hand on Ben’s forearm. Ben turned, enveloping the shorter man in a hug. Even now, his warmth suffused him.

  The two younger men sat down.

  “My son wouldn’t forgive me if I let you leave, Eric. So, please, do me this favor. You are barely older than he is—and life hasn’t been kind to you. We’ll take you in, help you out. But if you hurt my son, your wolf won’t be able to save you.”

  “Dad,” Ben said, almost growled.

  “Ben,” Jake said, calmly.

  “Eric,” Fox said, grinning. Then he pointed at himself. “Fox!” He cried.

  Eric snorted.

  Father and son cracked.

  “Before the hug fest ensues, and believe me, it will happen, Eric, we should probably get moving. We’ve already missed breakfast, and brunch seems like a waste. We’ll go to lunch out there,” Fox said, pointing out the window.

  “Ooh, Fox?” Ben shot the redhead a giddy look.

  “What’s up, big guy?”

  “Can we eat at the Top of the World?”

  Eric watched Fox look between his husband and his stepson. Jake nodded to Fox, and Fox smiled at Ben.

  “Sure thing, buddy,” Fox replied as he pulled Jake to his feet.

  5. I Can See You Clearly

  *** Jake

  So, his son was in love with a boy who had to sell himself to survive.

  So, his husband would chose love over fear.

  So, the little guy has been fucked over by life.

  So… So… So…

  Jake mulled these thoughts over in the silence of the truck’s cab while Fox went in with the boys.

  How Ben could be so accommodating so fast surprised him. But then again, when he fell for Fox, it was pretty quick, too. Fox also came with baggage of a similar kind. Parental abandonment made him doubt his self-worth.

  Eric doubted his worth so much that he figured he was only worth what horrible people would pay to use him. That thought made Jake’s stomach clench with disgust. He only had to look at the poor boy to know that his johns would not likely have been kind. What’s worse, Jake suspected parents were not a factor in Eric’s life. That, or that they contributed to his pain, or worse, compounded it.

  That thought troubled Jake even more. The only thing worse than an absent parent is one who stayed for any reason other than the child they’re supposed to care for.

  The Hughes men had a soft spot for guys like that, apparently. He couldn’t fault Ben for that. Not that Fox was coming from dire straits like Eric—but that there had been some psychic injury that lead them both to doubt their places in this world.

  Fox must have clued into this early on. He was the one to tell him that his son was smitten with the little guy. Somehow, his man knew--like he and Ben were kindred spirits. Fox was the one who felt Ben's spark first when the pulse ran through their connected hands at the house in Idaho. Briefly, Jake wondered if Ben somehow felt a pulse with Eric. Did Lycans carry a spark? Was the Consciousness that Jake and Fox met in Wyoming, that night on Devils Tower, not too long ago? Was the enigmatic, all-encomassing force linking his son to the young man who wandered into their lives?

  And Ben… he had balls, that’s for sure. It was almost comical. Ben made a stand where one wasn’t necessary. Jake would probably have gone with what Fox said, regardless of Ben’s indignation. But knowing what his son felt was reason enough to trust.

  And trust was a bridge he desperately wanted to build with his boy.

  Jake figured he would be calling the Samuelses soon. He needed to know if this kind of boldness was something he could expect. Yet, considering how Ben had acted with Eric, he realized it was something he should expect regardless of what his old friends would say.

  It would be something he’d expect from himself, to be sure.

  What would they do with Eric? It’s not li
ke they could adopt him, but the situation definitely looked like that was exactly what was happening.

  Jake shook his head. What would Eric do when Ben was off to college?

  He breathed deep. One thing at a time, one day at a time.

  Fox popped out of the clinic, along with his boy and the new guy. Ben had his arm around Eric, and Eric held on to Ben like a lifeline. Fox was smiling, and Eric was laughing.

  Fox jumped into the driver’s seat, and the boys in the back. Ben put his feet on Eric’s lap, and Eric looked only too happy to touch the big guy any way he could.

  “Everything turn out okay?”

  “Nope. Not for at least a day or two more. Good thing we’re here for at least that,” Fox said as he got on the main road that went down the Strip.

  “You sure?” Jake asked.

  “My dime, our good time, baby,” Fox replied. “Hey big guy?”

  “What’s up, Fox?” Ben asked. Fox snickered.

  “That’s a lot like ‘What’s up, doc’, isn’t it?” Fox said, amusement in his voice.

  Ben rolled his eyes.

  “Sorry, I guess I’m losing cool points,” Fox pouted.

  “Too hard, man.” Ben said.

  “That’s what your dad said,” Fox muttered.

  “What was that?” Ben asked.

  Eric snickered.

  “At least somebody got it. Hey—I meant to ask you…”

  “Yes?” Ben drew out the word.

  “You said, ‘dads’ earlier,” Fox said.

  “Well, you’re not old enough to be my dad,” Ben said. “But since you’re married to my dad, that makes you my stepfather. So yeah. ‘Dads.’”

  “Holy shit, baby, you’re a ‘dad’.” Jake laughed.

  “Quiet, you,” Fox said playfully. “You’re right, Ben. It’s all new to me, but as long as you’re happy, man, I’m happy for you, with you.”

  Ben smiled.

  “Does this mean I get to call you ‘daddy’?” Jake asked, a smirk in his tone.

  “Eh. I can take it or leave it,” Fox said straight-faced.

  “You’re no fun,” Jake pouted.

  “And you are one hell of a lot of fun when I say dad—” was all Fox could say before Jake covered his mouth.

  “Not in front of the kids,” Jake grumbled.

  “Dad,” Ben whined jokingly.

  “Now see what you started?” Jake shook a finger at Fox. Fox snapped at it playfully.

  “Keep it down or else I’m turning this truck around,” Fox laughed.

  “We never get to do anything fun,” Ben pouted, playing along.

  “Those pocketfuls of condoms you and Eric walked out of the clinic with say you’re gonna have a lot of fun,” Fox snickered.

  “Fox!” Ben cried.

  “To the Top of the World,” Fox laughed.

  Jake shifted in color like a chameleon from his gorgeous tan to an apoplectic maroon.

  *** Fox

  It was too much fun playing with his man. It was better when his man’s son jumped in. But it was worth it to mess with both men at the same time.

  Ben’s ears were red with an adorable blush. Eric had scooted closer just so he could hold Ben’s hand and whisper him through his embarassment

  Meanwhile, his husband looked fit to be tied.

  “Papa bear, guess what.”

  Jake crossed his arms.

  “Silent treatment?”

  Jake looked out the window.

  “I hope you give me that when you’re balls deep in my ass tonight.”

  Jake groaned.

  “I think it’s hot when you’re mad. Makes me want to—”

  Jake unfastened his seat belt and leapt over the console. He put his hand over his husband’s mouth.

  “You and I are gonna talk tonight, Foxy. We’ll see what kind of treatment you get.”

  Fox licked his husband’s hand slowly, enjoying the taste of him. Jake whimpered and sat back in his seat, adjusting himself before buckling his seat belt. Fox looked in the rear view, only to see Eric’s shocked looks.

  Oh shit. Did Eric hear everything? Heat crept up Fox’s neck as he wondered. He looked back in the rearview again, connecting eyes with Eric. As quietly as he could, Fox whispered, “Did you hear all that?”

  Eric nodded. Then his surprised look turned into a grin and a wink.

  Okay. So, Eric can play, too. This only got better and better.

  The Top of the World restaurant was one of those places that was built with rotating platforms. It turned the patrons three hundred and sixty degrees, giving them a view of almost the entirety of the city. On the inside, the center spire stayed stationary while the floors where the tables sat slowly revolved around the middle, where the kitchen, waitstaff stations, and the restrooms stood.

  Fox thought Eric looked a little sharper with his white button down shirt and gray slacks. Ben couldn’t keep his eyes off him.

  Jake could barely keep his eyes off his son. It wasn’t anger etched on his face, but concern was written on the outside, while the inside was screaming to protect the boy at all costs—and that overprotectiveness started to bleed out. If he wasn’t careful, he’d scare his son off completely, or piss him off irreversibly. Fox decided to vent some of that building pressure in his husband before the pot boiled over.

  After the waiter took their orders, Fox put his hand on Jake’s thigh and caressed it with his thumb. The restroom was coming around again. With a subtle glance and a tiny tilt of his chin, and Jake caught on.

  “We’ll be back in a bit, boys,” Fox said, taking Jake by the hand for a hasty exit. The moment they cleared the door, Fox hungrily attached his mouth to Jake’s as he alchemically sealed the door and pawed at his husband’s clothes. He pulled up his shirt and latched onto a nipple, sucking and biting with abandon.

  “Fuck, Fox,” Jake growled out.

  “If you say so,” Fox said, shrugging his pants off around his ankles. He pulled Jake’s pants down and gave him a very sloppy treatment of his rapidly hardening dick. When it was at full mast and dripping with spit, Fox grabbed on to a stall partition.

  “Fuck me now, daddy,” Fox pushed his ass out, and was rewarded with his husband shoving into him to the hilt. The flash of pain was nothing compared to the pleasure. Jake grabbed the top of Fox’s hips hard, hammering him rough and fast. This was not about tenderness.

  It was about raw, greedy lust.

  "Come on, daddy. Fuck me hard," Fox ground out breathlessly. He pressed his face against the cool partition as Jake drove against him without mercy. His heart hammered as Jake's hands roamed beneath his shirt. His man pinched and rolled his nipples. When his chest wasn't under assault, Jake's rough hand jerked Fox’s length in time with his passionate thrusts.

  “More, fuck, goddammit, more,” Fox hissed. Jake growled as he hammered, biting down on Fox’s shoulder, causing him to whimper and writhe where he stood.

  His face heated. As did his chest.

  “Gonna come,” Fox moaned. “Want you, want you now!”

  Jake bit down on the back of Fox’s neck, crying out as he hammered. Hot release filled him. Jake spun Fox around and took his own dick to the hilt. He fingered Fox's warm, welcoming hole and slammed Fox’s gland hard with three fingers.

  Fox moaned, and Jake didn’t spill a drop of his husband’s release. Jake popped up and pinned Fox to the partition. He kissed him deep, sucking on his tongue and sharing the taste of him. Fox clung to his man, enjoying the feel of his hard body pressed against his.

  “You need to chill out with Ben, baby,” Fox whispered between his panting.

  “I can’t help it, hon. I don’t want him to get hurt.”

  “But you’re gonna be the one who hurts him if you keep treating him like a little kid.”

  Jake pressed his forehead against Fox’s.

  “I know you’re right.”

  “I like it when you tell me that.”

  “Why?”

  “Never had a lot t
o be right about,” Fox said plainly.

  “Remind me of this later, honey.”

  “You won’t forget, I know. Now let’s get cleaned up and back to the boys, okay?”

  “Yes, daddy,” Jake said, earning a glare from Fox.

  “Dick.”

  “You love me.”

  “Yeah. I do.”

  ***

  Jake sat back down. He was clearly quite relaxed. Fox was happy to see that Jake at the table, rather than the mad-dogging Jake that had all but sent Eric running. The food had already been set.

  “Was this just served?” Fox asked.

  “Yeah. You weren’t gone that long,” Ben said with a shudder. That adorable blush that went to his ears hadn’t faded since they left the truck.

  “You okay, son?”

  “I am. It’s just that…”

  Fox and Jake looked at him expectantly.

  “Eric heard you guys doing it,” Ben muttered.

  Fox and Jake looked at Eric with mouths agape like dying fish.

  “Couldn’t help it,” Eric said sheepishly.

  Fox and Jake held hands on the table. They both shuddered with laughter.

  “Soundproofing, Jake,” Fox ground out through his laughter.

  Lunch was a treat for everyone. The view was amazing, and delicious desserts topped off the meal and the conversation. A lot was said about where the Foster-Hughes men would live, what they would be able to do to help Eric get set up, where Ben would be in terms of dormitory life.

  “We’re gonna see what we can do to help you when we get back, Eric,” Jake said.

  “With any luck, we’ll fix this before the next full moon,” Fox said.

  Ben took Eric’s hand on the table as well.

  “I’ll be there, Eric.”

  *** Ben

  The ride back was in comfortable silence. Ben ran his finger over Eric’s hand in his. They’d share a kiss whenever the lights turned red.

  His own father had scooted over to rest against Fox, draping Fox’s arm over his shoulders.

  Fox parked in a spot reserved for special guests of the hotel (read: penthouse parking). Everyone hopped out.

  Fox and Jake went to speak with the concierge about adding Eric to the bill. Ben took Eric by the hand and led him back to their suite.