Another Little Secret (2 page)

“Is that the card?” Brody pointed to the small pink point he could see sticking out of Wolf’s pocket at an odd angle.

Wolf nodded.

“Can I see it?”

Reached down, Wolf handed the card over easily enough, but Brody could see the floppy pink heart shape was already well loved. Grubby fingerprints marked the edges and a small water stain had started to make one end of the felt pen rainbow emblazoned across the centre run. Opening the card, Brody saw that Ryan had written something completely indecipherable in lines and circles at the top, then there was a very carefully copied WOLF in big bold letters and underneath that a small heart done in red felt pen and the name Ryan written in a haphazard, lopsided mixture of upper and lower case letters. It was incredibly cute, and it made Brody’s heart hurt slightly that such an innocent expression could have caused such problems for his little brother and his best friend.

“It’s lovely, Wolf.” Not sure what else to say, Brody closed the card. “Ryan did a beautiful job writing both your names. I hope you said thank you.”

“Ah uh, I did,” Wolf said, taking the card and tucking it safely back in his coat pocket.

“How did Ryan get so good at your names?” Brody asked, stalling for time while his brain scrambled for the right thing to say.

“He copieded them from the thing on the wall with how big we all are.” Wolf sounded very proud of his friend, and Brody didn’t blame him. Ryan was obviously a pretty smart kid—he didn’t think many five year olds would think of that.

Suddenly, Wolf looked straight up at Brody, determination and something slightly fierce creeping into his expression. “I’m going to marry Ryan when I get bigger,” Wolf said, for all the world sounding as if he was daring Brody to argue with him.

On the one hand it was a wonderfully sweet and innocent thing to say. On the other…well it was an incredibly big can of worms they were about to open up.

Brody squirmed. Quite aside from anything else, he felt like he had to give Wolf some other possibilities. Ones he might not have considered. The only real role models Wolf had were gay, but that hardly embraced all the possibilities in the world. Brody wondered idly if straight parents and guardians ever had conversations like this.

“I really like Ryan too. He’s real smart. But…you know, you might meet someone else. Maybe another little boy or girl that you really like.”

“But I love Ryan.”

Brody stopped and stared at his brother for a moment. Really, what else was there to say to something like that. He decided discretion was probably the better part of valour and that he really should stop arguing with a five year old. It was just better that way. Far less damaging to his ego.

Brody took Wolf’s hand and continued down the street.

“I like your card a lot, Wolf. It’s real nice, no matter what Justin said.”

“Yeah. I don’t care what Justin said. I just didn’t like that he made Ryan cry.”

It was hard for Brody to fault Wolf for standing up for his friends, even though he knew he should tell Wolf it was wrong to push and yell at others. But looking down, seeing the light and energy back in Wolf’s face, Brody decided not to push it for now.

Focusing ahead, watching the top of Sandpiper’s restaurant come into view, Brody squeezed Wolf’s hand. What he really wanted to do was talk to Lark and Zak. It wasn’t that the pair would necessarily know the right thing to say and do either, but right now Brody really needed someone to listen while he worked this all out. And Lark and Zak had become the people he turned to whenever he needed something—even if it was just an ear. He hoped that wasn’t all about to come crashing down. Or even just gradually fizzle out as they slowly drifted apart. It made his heart lurch just thinking about the possibility.

“Yeah, it’s not nice to make people cry,” he agreed steadily, still holding Wolf hand as they continues down the street.

* * * *

Finally finished with another mad Valentine’s Day in the restaurant and home at last, Zak collapsed into the buttery soft embrace of the leather couch. He groaned with relief as the exquisite pleasure/pain of tight, tired muscles relaxing raced over his body. Within seconds, Lark flopped down beside him, his blond head quickly ending up in Zak’s lap and his small, sock covered feet swinging up onto the armrest.

“Man, what a night,” Lark huffed as he stretched out.

“Valentine’s Day is always crazy, but yeah—madness tonight.”

Lark chuckled. “Must be the full moon.”

Zak frowned. “What full moon? I thought that wasn’t ‘til Friday?”

“Mmm…you might be right. But I could show you a full moon if you like.” Lark looked up at him—his blue eyes sparkling with mischief as he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Zak chuckled despite his exhaustion. Lark was always on the lookout for opportunities to get naked…and busy.

Just as he was about to say something about how perpetually horny Lark always was, Brody wandered into the room. He’d gone straight down the hall to check on Wolf when they’d got in from working in the restaurant. He always did. Even after their regular sitter told them everything was fine and that Wolf was sleeping peacefully, Brody still always checked. He was a good brother. A good man. Their man.

But rather than taking up his usual spot on the couch, snuggled up on the other side of Zak, tonight Brody settled pensively on the edge of the single seat adjacent to them. Bowing his head, he ran his fingers through his short, brown hair.

Zak tensed—something was bothering their lover. They’d been so busy with the Valentine’s Day crowd this evening he’d hardly had time to say more than a few words to either of his lovers. But now that he looked, he could see the lines of strain and tension around Brody’s mouth and eyes.

Lark, apparently sensing his sudden spike of concern, looked up at Zak again—a small frown etching his brow.

“Is something wrong, Brod?” Zak asked, still hoping he was just tired after a long shift.

But as Brody looked across at him, the hope faded.

“Wolf got into trouble today.”

Lark sat up quickly—all traces of relaxed and languid brat disappearing instantly. “Why? What happened?”

Brody sighed—the sound long and tired. “Apparently he got into a fight with another kid.”

“No way. That doesn’t sound like Wolf at all,” Lark defended hotly.

Zak covered Lark’s hand, gentle reigning him in so they could hear Brody out. “What happened?”

“Ryan gave Wolf a Valentine’s Day card. One of the other boys started picking on Ryan and made him cry.”

“What a dick…ah…d…” Lark looked a little desperate as he hunted for another word. They’d both been trying to cut back on the swearing with Wolf in the house. “A…ah…doo doo…brain.” Lark finished lamely.

Brody’s eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hairline.

“I take it Wolf gave the kid a piece of his mind?”

Brody turned his attention back to Zak. “Yeah. It sounds like he pushed the kid over and was yelling at him.”

“Yay, Wolf!”

Brody gave Lark a ‘not helping’ look, but Lark didn’t seem particularly repentant.

“So what did the teacher say?” Zak really didn’t know Ms. Gwen or the staff at Riversands Preschool well enough to predict what happened next. That was something he’d have to rectify, he promised himself. Soon. He just hoped the teasing had been the worst part of the whole incident. Various disturbing reactions and scenarios started clambering for space in his mind.

“She gave Wolf a time out and apparently made the other kid apologise to Ryan, but…”

“But what?” Months ago Zak had sworn to himself that he’d keep both Brody and Wolf safe. Nothing was allowed to hurt them anymore. He felt the proverbial hackles on the back of his neck raise, ready to defend Wolf.

“I don’t think this is over yet. Wolf was really mad. He’s not going to forgive or forget with this kid. I’m just…I’m not sure what the right thing to say is. I don’t want Wolf fighting, but the other kid was…”

“Being a real doo doo brain,”Zak supplied wryly.

Lark stuck his tongue out at them, crossing his arms and settling back into the couch.

“Right.” Brody ran his fingers through his air again. “It’s just…it was really sweet and all, but…on the way home Wolf said something about marrying Ryan when he’s older. You know how Wolf is when he gets an idea in his head. He’s not going to let this go. I’m worried this might not be the last time he has it out with this kid.”

Ah! Oh dear!

Zak looked over at Lark. His lover was looking distinctly…guilty. And Zak was pretty sure he had a similar look on his own face.

Brody instantly noticed and straightened up in his seat. “What?”

“That…ah…that last one might be—”

“Our fault,” Zak finished.

“What? How?”

“Well, we…ah—”

“We were saving it for tomorrow. For our day off together,” Lark hurried to explain, still looking guilty. “You know how we said we’d hold off our Valentine’s Day celebration this year so we could share it and relax on our day off and—”

“Brody, we wanted to talk to you about…well, about us,” Zak cut in before Lark strained something trying to explain.

Brody suddenly paled, his whole body going rigid with tension.

Zak growled. “Whatever you’re thinking, stop right now.”

“Are you…I mean have you…had enough of—”

Zak couldn’t stand the look of insecurity and fear in Brody’s eyes. Even as he heard Lark sputtering out a denial, Zak crossed the space between them in two long strides and pulled Brody into his arms, covering his mouth with a fierce, demanding kiss. He plunged his tongue in to taste Brody, revelling in the heat and warmth of his lover's body. At the same time, he pulled Brody in to a tight embrace.

Brody groaned and pushed forward instinctively.

Suddenly Lark was with them, his small, slim body pressing into Brody’s back, forcing him closer to Zak. Nimble fingers raised goosebumps of delight as they traced patterns across their arms and down their side—outlining all the places Zak was touching Brody along the way.

Finally desperate for air, Zak was forced to pull away, but he refused to move any farther than was necessary to get air into his starving lungs.

“Does that answer your question?”

“I don’t…I don’t understand. What—?” Brody breathed in short, needy gasps.

Lark hugged Brody a little tighter from behind. “We wanted to talk to you about…well, about the future. If something happened to us we wanted you and Wolf to be looked after and—”

“We want to draw up legal papers so that you and Wolf will be looked after.” Brody looked up at him, apparently too stunned to speak. “We want to be a family. Officially. Well, as officially as we can be.”

“And we want to have a commitment ceremony,” Lark added, “We want—”

“The truth is we want it all. We’re greedy bastards when it comes to you. We want…we want you to be our husband, but…well we wanted to talk to Wolf and ask him how he felt about it first.”

“You…asked my brother—?”

“We talked to him about how much we loved you and asked him how he felt about the three of us having a ceremony to celebrate that. He asked us if it would be like getting married and we…kind of said it was the same thing, but for the three of us, because we both love you.” Zak wanted to squirm and fidget as he finished, feeling his face heating up as he looked down into Brody’s suspiciously bright eyes. Something inside Zak calmed and stilled as he watched the first rays of hope and wonder filling Brody’s expression. “This isn’t how we wanted to do this, but…will you…will you marry us, Brody?”

“We love you,” Lark whispered.

There was a moment of perfect stillness and silence as they stood wrapped around each other. Lark snuggled into Brody’s back, holding him from behind. Brody looking up, eyes wide and luminous. Nothing was said. Somehow nothing needed to be said. There was just a quiet understanding that passed between them, an instant of soul deep connection.

Then a single tear strayed down Brody’s cheek. Zak reached up and brushed it away with a thumb. Brody’s breath hitched.

“I love you. Both. So much.”

Unable to resist another second, Zak took Brody’s lips again, but this time it was soft and slow and tasted faintly of salty tears and something infinitely tender and precious. Within seconds Lark wiggled his way in and joined them—licking and nipping until the kiss dissolved into a clumsy three-way meeting of tongues and lips and passion.

“Come to bed,” Lark pleaded.

* * * *

Brody couldn’t catch his breath. Every fibre of his being was straining, wanting, needing to be with Zak and Lark as they struggled down the hall together.

Pulling and tugging on each other, kissing and groping with no one wanting to lose a moment of the connection and raw, powerful passion that was raging between them, they eventually stumbled into the bedroom. Someone—possibly Zak—kicked the door closed and snicked the lock into place.

Hasty, fumbling fingers worked to strip them of their clothes, letting them fall randomly until the three of them stood completely naked, still licking and kissing and fondling each other. Hands wandered over wonderfully bare, warm flesh—tweaking taut nipples, sliding over the curve of rounded ass cheeks and caressing hard, flat abdominal muscles on their journey south.

Finally, Brody took Zak’s thick cock in his hand and began a steady pumping action. With each stroke he made sure to apply just the right amount of pressure with his thumb to the sensitive spot just below the head. It never failed to drive Zak crazy.

“Ah! Yeah, right…Oh!…Right there, Brody!”

Zak threw his head back in bliss and Brody couldn’t resist gently biting into the corded muscles of his neck.

“Oh!” Zak cried and Brody instantly stilled his hand. He didn’t want Zak coming yet. Not yet. There was still far too much pleasure to be had yet. He wanted to squeeze every last drop out of this time together.

“Fuck! That’s so hot,” Lark whispered.

Zak panted, obviously struggling for control before he finally opened his passion-dark eyes and fixed Brody with a hot, needy stare. “You need to get your ass on the bed right now.”