by Kit Fortier
“What’s going on here?” Jake asked.
“These two were the ones who stabbed the wolf,” Ben said simply. It may have sounded confusing to everyone else, but Fox nodded. Jake looked murderous from where he stood, with onlookers on both sides of him.
“A knife in a casino?” Fox asked the woman, now bleeding from her nose. “Especially one this big?” Fox asked the lady. Ben watched as he picked up the knife with a napkin. As he lifted it, Ben saw a little blood on the tip, which drew his attention to a hole in the back of Eric’s shirt.
“That’s not mine,” the woman said.
“You held it to my back,” Eric said aloud.
The casino authorities arrived. Fox handed over the knife. He explained that the lady and tall guy were propositioning Eric. He told the authorities the two threatened Eric at knifepoint. He showed them where the knife cut through his shirt and into his back a little. Witnesses confirmed what Fox said, to Ben’s surprise. Fox watched them go, while Jake stood back, watching the security detail take the two away from a distance.
“We’ll get room service, guys. If you’re still hungry.” Ben nodded, as did Eric.
“They’re just getting started with magic, I think,” Fox said in the elevator. “They didn’t seem as connected to the Aether as Sully was.”
“Why did they need me?” Eric said. Ben’s arms were around him protectively, and he sank into the touch. “The guy said they’d been tracking me.”
“No idea,” Fox said.
Jake turned to Fox. “Maybe they wanted to see how a person could be brought back from the change.”
Fox nodded. “We’ll probably never know. But they’re in jail for a few days, and by then, we’ll be gone.”
“You won’t be alone, Eric. One of us will always be with you,” Jake said imperiously.
“Isn’t that right, big guy?” Fox smiled at Ben.
Ben growled protectively as he tightened his grip around his man.
Jake smiled at the two younger gents in their company.
“I don’t know where he gets that from,” Jake sighed at Fox.
Soon, Eric found himself shepherded into their bedroom as Ben locked the door behind them.
I’m glad you reached out, baby.
I knew you’d come.
If they had actually hurt you—
They didn’t. Turn around.
Eric looked up at Ben, tugging his shirt up. He undid his fly, pushing his pants down. Ben simply kicked off his shoes and stepped away from the pile of clothes on the floor.
Kiss me, Ben.
The big guy did as commanded. Ben undid the tie that kept Eric’s shorts up as he kissed, soft and slow. Eric stepped out of his shoes, still wearing a shirt and a shirt only. Ben lifted him up and set him on the bed, crawling over him. He buried his head under Eric’s shirt.
Eric moaned as Ben’s warm tongue tasted him everywhere not covered by fabric. He gasped when Ben captured a nipple, licking and sucking them both stiff. Ben kissed his way down Eric’s treasure trail. He planted the faintest of kisses on every inch of his man's length until he reached the tip. He sucked on the crown, causing Eric to arch his back in response.
Want to take all of you.
Be careful, baby.
Ben slowly descended over Eric’s hardness, gagging a bit when he reached about two-thirds.
Relax, Big Ben—breathe through your nose.
Ben smiled and did what he was told. Soon Eric was out of his mind with the wet, warm tightness of Ben’s mouth completely around his dick.
Ben slid a finger over Eric’s tender hole when Eric spoke to his lover’s mind.
No, B. Want you.
Ben slowly released Eric from his mouth. He pulled off his shirt, sniffing it as he crossed to get the lube.
Do you want me to get you ready?
Ready now. Don’t want to wait.
I love you, Eric.
Love you, Ben.
The bed dipped down. Eric closed his eyes as his legs went up. Ben folded them gently and waited until Eric hooked his knees with his arms. The slick, blunt tip of Ben’s massive hardness lined up with Eric’s winking and waiting hole—and as he breathed out, Ben pushed in. There were stars and there was dark and there was the ocean and Ben and only Ben.
Lift me, Ben. Take me against the window like you did the first time.
Ben scooped Eric up, keeping inside him the whole time.
Now make me yours.
Eric stared into Ben’s bright blue eyes, glassy and unfocused with want. He kissed Eric and began thrusting. Eric raked his nails over Ben’s wide back, scrambling to hold on for dear life. Ben’s mouth latched onto his neck and focused on a spot an inch or two below his ear. His giant of a man sucked and bit and licked at it, insistent that he leave his mark on Eric.
And he would, and he had. Eric’s world was rocked by Ben, not just sexually, but in life. He’d give anything to make the man who saved him happy.
Eric moaned into Ben’s ear as he finally pulled away from that spot. He kissed Eric’s shoulder as he thought:
Mark me, Eric.
Eric took what Ben was offering. He kissed Ben’s exposed neck, worrying at the spot over his man’s jugular. He did what Ben did—focusing on one spot for minutes until he was sure no one in the world would miss what he did to him.
Mine, Eric.
And you’re mine, Ben.
Ben’s thrusts became more frantic, making Eric gasp with every thrust. The sensitive lump of flesh that gave pleasure with each touch shocked him with every upward motion from Ben’s rigid, hot length. Eric grabbed Ben’s face and kissed him, offering his tongue as tribute of his love for the man inside him.
As Ben took it, Eric screamed. Eric's release burst up between them. It hit him on the shoulder, the chin, and Ben in the chest, down over his abdomen. Ben licked Eric’s shoulder and his chin, and Eric could have sworn he saw Ben shiver at the taste. He invaded Eric’s mouth again. Eric knew his man had climaxed from the groaning scream in his mouth. Ben's cries were followed by the warmth that Eric knew to be Ben's release deep inside him.
They stood pressed against the window for all the city to see, and they wanted them to see. They would declare their love to the world if they could.
Ben turned around and landed on the bed like a felled tree with Eric beneath him. His slick length lay between Eric’s legs as he put his arms under Eric. Ben held his man's head in his hands and playing Eric’s mouth with his tongue.
The things you do to me, Eric…
I would do them to you again and again if as it makes you feel like this—as long as it makes you look at me this way.
Ben’s tongue lingered on Eric’s mouth a little longer before crawling off the smaller man and laying on his back in the center of the bed. Eric crawled on top of Ben—the whiff of his release mixed in with the scent of his man was a heady balm.
From his perch atop his gentle giant, Eric listened as the sound of Ben’s breath evened out. He casually caressed a nipple, wringing a humming sound from the man who held his heart. The rush of their interlude faded behind the haze of pleasure that wrapped around his brain.
Wake me in an hour, baby.
I will. Love you, Big B.
*** Fox
They caught the tail end of Ben’s door closing. Jake almost reached out, but he stopped himself, earning him a smile from Fox. They walked into the living room and sat down.
“Do you think we need to shore the place up?” Fox asked.
“It probably wouldn’t hurt. Did you see how fast Ben put that asshole in a hold?”
“Actually, I didn’t.”
“It was… pretty amazing. I’m not too worried about Ben.”
“I’m still worried about Eric.”
“Yeah,” the big guy replied. “I get the feeling it’s not necessarily over. Hang on.”
Jake disappeared into the bedroom, coming out with another bag of silver and salt. The sound of the front door opening clic
ked through the air, followed by it closing. Jake walked back into the living room.
“Done.”
“What do you make of the light thread connecting Eric and Ben?”
“It’s—well, all of this is new to me. To say I’d never seen anything like it would be a joke, because I’m barely used to seeing the spark in things. You’re more used to it than I am, and only by a few minutes.”
“It could be we’re supposed to balance each other out like that,” Fox said. His memory of their shared dreams kicked in when he sat up. “You remember what Ben dreamed of when he was triggered by the full moon event we went through?”
“Pain,” Jake sighed. “And water.”
“Right. He dreamed of being at the bottom of the ocean.”
“I’m trying to follow, baby.”
“One day, Ben is going to show us that he can do things with water. I’m certain of it. He’s connected to it like you are with earth and me with lightning. The thing about water, the ocean, is that it’s like its own source of energy. It renews itself with every wave. People have tried to harness it for years—dams, plants, rigs on the water itself, all those things.”
“How does this connect to Ben?” Jake puzzled.
“I think he can replenish his own light. And I think he can share his light with others.” Fox’s brow knit slightly in thought.
“He did that with me, though, right? And you connected to him in order to help Eric. It doesn’t track.”
“Well, let’s think about it,” Fox began. “Where else have we dealt with a strange golden light?”
Jake took a brief moment to scan his thoughts. “When we were inside the Consciousness.”
“Right,” Fox said. The memory of the otherworldly nature of the Consciousness rose up in his mind like the elephant people are told not to think of. The utter darkness he ventured, the strange composition of his body in that void—transparent, like glass. His spark pulsing and flickering with every beat of his heart. And then the multitude of voices!
“It was pretty damn insistent that you and I get together, stay together. I’d do that anyway, you know,” he added with a wink, but levity was soon met by gravity once more. “Whatever the Consciousness is thinking, it seems to have a habit of linking people together. You and I were supposed to meet. You feel it and I do— we’re right for each other. ‘Meant to be’ is a joke to many, but it really is the case for us. I think we knew something… something like that when you and I met in San Diego. We balance each other out. I think Eric is Ben’s counterbalance.”
“Oh man,” Jake said, sighing into his hands.
“This is what I’m thinking. The Consciousness has never been clear with us about what it wants, but it seems clear on who should be with who.” Fox ran his hands over his lap, squeezing his kneecaps in a self-soothing gesture in the silence that spread between him and Jake.
“Ben is totally wrapped around Eric, isn’t he?” Jake said, breaking the quiet.
“That’s right, papa bear. He couldn’t give the guy up if he wanted to.”
“Like how I think my heart would stop if I lost you.” Jake’s silvery gaze fell on Fox, and his heart softened at Jake’s words.
“Baby, no need to think like that. I’m right here. Besides, I lost you for a minute, and I wanted to tear the world apart.”
“That’s kinda...” Jake didn’t have the words to finish his thought. Fox filled in the rest.
“Not really something I want to dwell on.”
“Yeah,” Jake agreed quietly. “You’re right. That’d be a lot of dead people.”
Fox nodded his head. The truth of it was that if either Fox or Jake wanted to kill many people at once, all it would take would be for them to think about how wide a circle they’d want to cast, then absorb all the sparks within, ripping them from humans, animals, plants—matter in general, leaving behind a sphere of ash and dust with only them standing in the middle.
“So, my son is like that battery rabbit, huh? Just keeps on going?”
“Seems that way. Take a look at him when he comes in here.”
“Sure, as long as he isn’t wearing Eric like an apron.”
Fox laughed. “That’s an image.”
A silence drifted between them as they held hands.
“I think we should see how security dealt with those magic users.” Fox said. He hopped to his feet and crossed to the room phone.
“Fine by me.” Jake moved forward on the sofa, ready to listen in.
“Hi, could you connect me to security? Non-emergency, thank you.
… Hi there, sergeant—I’m following up on an incident from earlier? The couple that attacked our friend—
… They were taken to the station? Charged—possession of a weapon? Felony. That’s good to hear.
… Thank you, sergeant. I appreciate the info.” Fox replaced the room phone in the cradle.
“Good news?”
“The woman is looking at felony charges for concealed weapons. They’re considering aggravated assault with a deadly weapon if the camera evidence lines up. The guy threw a punch at Ben—you know how that turned out. He’ll get assault. Ben’s off the hook with self-defense.”
Jake nodded. “Still, always good to keep an eye out.”
“Agreed,” Fox said. “I’m a little stir crazy right now. Let’s take a walk.”
Jake snickered. “I thought this was our honeymoon, baby. We should be doing it right now. In every room, on every surface.”
“We have the rest of our lives for that, you dirty old man, you. Don’t you wanna show off your new man to the world?”
“Probably not the best question, Foxy. You know I don’t share,” Jake grumbled.
“I’ll let you have me tonight,” Fox purred in Jake’s ear, earning him a growl. “For now, let’s go out.”
Fox took Jake’s hand and headed for the front door. They stepped quietly past Ben’s door. Silence. Jake opened the front door, finding a bundle of freshly cleaned laundry, which he put inside. Fox rifled through them for a minute before joining Jake, closing the door behind him.
“Got Eric’s sizes,” Fox said. “Gonna buy him a small suitcase or something and a start on a closet full of clothes that he owns.”
“Really thinking about the kid, aren’t you?”
“I think he never had a fair shake. And if we’re in the position to give it to him, I say let’s do it.”
*** Jake
He had to hand it to his man. This impromptu honeymoon definitely would be memorable. He hoped that Ben would appreciate his graduation gift from Fox. As it stood, Ben seemed excited about everything.
But maybe that was just Ben letting the walls down. That would be a win in either case. The past few days weren’t going to make up for ten years of absence, but they felt like a step in the right direction.
Fox and Jake walked hand in hand in public. It was something Jake longed to do—and the gambling mecca seemed progressive enough to do it in. No doubt there’d be little-to-no problem in California, but he settled for the here and now.
And Fox was radiant.
Due to both of their shabby appearances, they looked more like hikers than tourists. Neither man minded. And amidst the tourist throng up and down the Strip, no one paid them any mind.
They had stopped into several stores. Fox insisted on buying new shirts for him, for his son, and for Eric. In fact, Jake noticed he spent more money on others than himself. Each time he did, Jake kissed his hand, reminding him, “You don’t have to do that.”
If Fox didn't wave him off, he would invariably answer, “I know. But I want to.”
They had gone down one side of the strip and came up the other side. By the time they made it back to the hotel, the sun was setting. Fox got on the phone.
“Hey there Ben—Oh, Eric?
… Good to know. Are you guys hungry?
… Let’s go to a restaurant here. You two up for it?
… Alright! See you in the lobby.”
“What are they doing?” Jake asked.
“Water therapy.”
Jake’s eyebrows pushed together.
“A bath, baby. They were about to take a bath.”
“There’s a bathtub in their bedroom, too?”
“Well… It is a high roller suite.”
Jake sighed. “I hope they’re having fun.”
*** Ben
There was a small thatch of hair at the top of the cleft of Eric’s ass that Ben found he loved to play with. It made Eric smile into his chest.
“That tickles,” Eric snickered. He looked at Ben, and Ben soaked in his golden yellow gaze.
“Are you hungry, baby?”
Eric shook his head. “I just want to lay here with you,” he said. Ben loved the feel of Eric’s fingers running through the hair on his chest. Eric's fingertips traced their way down to the base of Ben’s dick.
“You’re gonna get me hard, E.”
Eric smiled. “I want that.”
A chuckle bubbled up and out of Ben. “You sure you’re not hungry?”
A bright laugh. “I don’t think so,” Eric replied. “Not hungry like you’re thinking, anyway.”
“You mean… hungry like a wolf?” Ben couldn’t help the joke. Eric’s eyes danced on his before he buried his face in Ben’s chest.
“Bet you’ve been sitting on that gem for a while,” Eric groaned into Ben’s chest. The big guy couldn’t help but laugh. The laugh was short lived, however, as the little guy wrapped his fingers around Ben’s dick. His breathing hitched as Eric stroked him slowly, driving shivers up and down his spine when his thumb slid over Ben’s slick and sensitive head.
Eric was in control, and that was fine by Ben.
“What do you want, Ben?” Eric whispered.
Ben whimpered.
“Tell me.”
Eric kept the pressure up, rubbing his thumb over Ben’s slick crown. Ben struggled to keep his breathing reined in.