Between the Lines Ch. 03

Oh, dear. I really did plant that idea in his mind a few months back, didn't I? Whatever was I thinking?

It is a lovely ring, though, interlaced multi-colored gold and a tiny little diamond, a tasteful balance of masculine and feminine. I'm sure Daniel will love it. After all, it will be coming from Jeff. Who is looking at me anxiously, trying to gauge my response. I smile fondly at my love-struck former pupil.

"You can count on me. And congratulations in advance. I have no doubt as to your young director's answer. When were you thinking of asking him?"

"When he gets back from Austin, I think. That way these shows will be out of the way and we'll both have the summer ahead of us to start planning a ceremony."

Proposals and rings and ceremonies. Our community has come a long way. Ron and I simply rolled into bed together one night in '71 and decided we never wanted to sleep apart again.

"You don't have any roles lined up over the summer?" I ask. "That surprises me."

"No, I was too preoccupied with Ron's plays to consider anything later in the year, and that was even before Daniel agreed to take on the Austin gig. If this goes as well as I hope, he'll have lots more work coming his way before we know it."

Jeff hesitates, then continues confidentially. "You know, I'm actually kind of looking forward to being the homemaker for once. It's Daniel's turn to shine—and by the way, Larry, I have you to thank for making me see that. I'll have to think of some way to spend my time, though. Money's all right, I have enough set aside I can easily afford to scale back my acting gigs to a few times a year. But I'll go batshit crazy if I'm just sitting at home day after day babysitting Daniel's delinquent older brother."

Ah, yes, the famous Kevin, who showed up out of the blue and has been living in Jeff and Daniel's guest room this past year. Though "delinquent" is laying it on a bit heavy. As I understand it, all the poor boy really needed was a supportive community and a meaningful vocation, something he appears to have found working in set construction right here at the theater, of all places.

Wait, speaking of meaningful vocations, what was Jeff just telling me?

An idea has sparked in the back of mind, a "Eureka" moment that spreads fizzing across my brain, riding a surge of adrenaline onto my tongue before I'm even fully aware of it.

"Jeff, this is just a thought, but have you ever considered teaching?" I ask.

—————

* Doug *

"Dougie!"

Todd's bellow causes heads to turn halfway across the airport baggage claim area. He hurries toward me at a shuffling run and pulls me into his thick, strong arms for a powerful bear hug. He's not tall enough to lift me entirely off the floor, but he thrashes me from side to side, growling deep in his throat. I feel my body go through its usual stiffen-then-relax process, first resisting, then yielding to Todd's familiar, exuberantly physical greeting. My cock performs the same routine, just in reverse.

Todd finally releases me and I stagger back to take my first real look at him, feeling slightly dizzy and conscious of an unaccustomed silly smile tugging at my lips. He looks good, lightly tanned, his head shaved shiny smooth, his goatee still a flawless deep otter-fur brown, the ever-present silver hoop in his right ear, steel stud in the left. He certainly didn't bother to dress up for the occasion: he's wearing a bear-regulation flannel shirt with the sleeves torn off to display his massive upper arms, well worn jeans, a suspiciously new-looking pair of cowboy boots, and a Western-style belt buckle sporting, would you believe it, the bear paw pride logo.

You'd never believe this man is one of the finest concert pianists in the country. I wouldn't have believed it myself if I hadn't first met him at one of his performances.

"You've gone native, I see," I tease, nodding at the boots and belt buckle. "I think I overdressed for the occasion."

He grins, entirely unashamed, and reaches out to pull me in for a bristly kiss. "It's nice to see you, too, Doug. C'mon, get your stuff. Aaron'll have dinner waiting."

"Is it always this crowded here?" I ask, following at his heels and dodging the masses of travellers impatiently waiting to reclaim their bags from the slowly looping conveyor belts. "I thought Austin was a small town compared to Dallas or Houston!"

"It is—usually," he answers. "This—" he swings his arm wide to indicate the mayhem, causing tourists to duck out of his way in consternation "—is what you get when you come here during South by Southwest."

Todd ushers me out into the surprising shock of hot, humid air after the air-conditioned terminal, through the lines of cars and taxis waiting to pick up arriving passengers, and into the parking garage, where he tosses my bags into his Land Rover with unhurried efficiency. He reaches out to tousle my hair as I'm fastening my seatbelt.

"God, it's good to see you!" he tells me. "Aaron and I were starting to think we'd never manage to pry you away from your apartment and your studio. You're gonna love Austin!"

He relishes showing me the sights of his newly adopted part-time home, talking animatedly and waving his hands to one side or the other of his car, though I'm only able to take in a fraction of the information he has to impart. I need to get out and explore a new town on my own, on foot or by car, before I can really wrap my mind around its geography and culture. Something I haven't done in—God, has it been almost ten years? Maybe Todd's right. Maybe I have gotten too complacent with my quiet Lexington routine.

"You're a bit early for bluebonnets," he is telling me, referring to Texas' legendary state flower. "Another couple weeks and there'll be blankets of 'em out there." Another wave indicates a small patch of precocious blue blossoms showing off on the side of the highway.

We pull up to a small house on a quiet suburban street lined with ancient pecan trees somewhere in the heart of the city. "Home sweet home!" Todd announces. It's a pleasant little pre-war cottage boasting unmistakeable signs of recent improvements: fresh paint on the walls, newly sanded window frames and shutters waiting for their own coat of contrasting trim, flower beds recently dug and planted with pink and white azaleas and some purple-blooming shrub I don't recognize.

Aaron greets us at the door in waft of mouthwatering cooking smells, wearing a stained apron over baggy shorts and little else. Todd pulls him in close for a kiss and a blatant mutual grope before releasing him so he can give me an only marginally less enthusiastic welcome. At least, my hands stay above the waistline. Aaron's don't. Being with these guys always takes some mental adjusting. Their unselfconscious physicality runs up hard against centuries of New England WASP conditioning. It is, I have to admit, a huge part of their appeal.

Todd sheds his shirt and boots almost the moment he enters the air-conditioned house. I content myself with rolling up my shirt sleeves.

Over a homemade meal so delicious I could forgive and even almost forget that it's vegan, Aaron peppers me with questions. "So when are you meeting with Mr. Ryan? Did he like our recording? Is he on board with the project?"

"In two days, he loved it—and you, and I think he's definitely on board, assuming the two of us can get the libretto edited to his satisfaction," I answer, trying to keep up with the requests for information.

Todd chimes in, "And when do they hold auditions for the premiere? Does my cub here have a shot at the lead?" He's joking, he knows a production for something like this, without a previous commission, is most likely years away, if ever. But Aaron blushes fetchingly at Todd's promotional efforts on his partner's behalf. Somewhere deep within myself I admit to a touch of envy, wishing I had someone like that to push my career forward and dote on my achievements. Just a touch.

"But this visit isn't all gonna be about business, is it?" Aaron asks insistently. "You'll have time for some sight-seeing and, you know, extra-curricular activity, right?"

There's no need to explain what he has in mind by "extra-curricular." The guys have not even attempted to conceal from me their intent to play matchmaker with whatever available Austinite might happen to catch my eye this week. Jealous, they are not. Voyeurs, on the other hand, most definitely.

After dinner we stretch out on their comfortable oversize leather sofa, me propped between Todd's legs, back pressed against his massive chest; Aaron with his head nestled on my belly. Todd is showering me with playful affection: Stroking my sides, rubbing my shoulders, running his fingers through my hair, and occasionally bestowing a bristly kiss on my ear or the back of my neck. Aaron bestows similar attention upon my legs and feet, while I content myself with massaging his neck.

After fifteen or twenty minutes of idle conversation mixed with playful petting, the mood turns seriously sexual. Todd's hard-on is pressing firmly and very noticeably against the small of my back, and his nuzzling kisses have become more lingering and insistent. Aaron's cargo shorts are visibly tented. He rolls over between my legs and reaches for my belt buckle, casting an inquiring glance upward for permission. Not from me—my permission is pretty much a given. From the man behind me.

"That's right, baby," comes Todd's throaty whisper over my shoulder. "Show our Dougie how happy we are he's here."

Aaron wastes no further time in getting my belt and fly open. Before I know it, my khakis and boxers have been skinned down to my knees, and my cock is standing out tall and proud to greet him. It's clearly happy to be here as well. A slick of precum is already coating the tip. Aaron grins at it, then gets right to work.

My head falls back against Todd's shoulder, and he and I sigh in unison, "Aw, fuck!" Not just because Aaron's a grade-A cocksucker—though he certainly is that, too—but because he's made the simple act of giving head into a show for both me and Todd. Somehow he's managed to get his shorts unbuttoned and partially lowered as well, and the furry globes of his ass are clearly visible, flexing, rising and falling as he humps against the sofa cushions. His eyes have the heavy-lidded, meditative look of a dedicated cock worshipper, and his lips behind the masculine goatee are an almost feminine, enticing red as they stretch to accommodate my swollen girth.

"Aw, yeah, baby, take that meat!" Todd growls in his best alpha male voice. He's deftly unbuttoning my shirt, pulling it back from my chest and shoulders, leaving me exposed to his exploring hands. Without losing a beat, Aaron strips off my pants and underwear, tossing them aside to join my discarded shirt. I'm helpless between the two men now, pinned between Aaron's skilled singer's mouth and Todd's nimble pianist fingers, an instrument for their duet.

Before long, though, I reassert some small part of myself and rise to my knees, where I can face-fuck that skilled singer's throat. Todd rises with me in turn, holding me from behind and torturing my nipples while he avidly watches his partner at work. I reach back with my right hand and open his jeans, releasing his drooling, uncut member, and start stroking the thick, heavy length of him. It always takes me by surprise, a combination of excitement and apprehension, to discover once more how big he is. He growls and bites my neck, very gently.

I lose track of how long we play like this, before I become aware that Todd's gentle but insistent hands are pushing me forward, bit by bit, forcing me to bend at the waist. Aaron opens his eyes, sees what's happening, spins around and repositions himself before me, head bowed, ass raised and receptive. If my cock could get any harder at the sight, it would. Here is my chance to lavish the attention on that hot, welcoming hole I didn't have time for during our last encounter. My hands part the hairy mounds of muscle that guard his rosebud opening, my questing tongue finds his waiting flesh and without preamble I set to with a ravenous appetite. Aaron hisses and moans his approval, pushing back onto the probing muscle and opening gladly to my loving invasion.

Behind me, Todd is preparing to do the same to my own exposed pucker. He knows, though, that I am far less used to having things up there than his partner is. His touch is soft, tentative, tender. Not that it will remain that way once I've loosened up a bit. But to begin with, at least, he's going to coax me open gently and patiently.

I've learned a lot about being a good top from Todd.

I shudder and gasp when his bristly goatee rubs against my cheeks, followed almost immediately by the first tentative lap, barely a tease against my most sensitive, intimate spot. Todd and Aaron both chuckle; we've all three been here before. They know my reactions by heart. Todd pushes forward again, more assertively flicking the tip of his tongue against my trembling anus, teasing, pressing deep, then easing off, gradually persuading my tight ring to relax, to open for its master.

Before I know it, like some sexual wizard, he has two fingers—or is it three?—buried inside me, and I'm writhing in pleasure. I'd be begging for more, if my face and tongue weren't already fully occupied with Aaron's delectable hindquarters.

Finally, Todd deems me ready for him. Leaving me with my face buried in his partner's ass, he stands, shucks off his jeans—his bear paw Western belt buckle rattles against the hardwood floor—rolls on a condom, and lubes us both up. All this I experience only through what I can hear and feel; my eyes are closed in reverent appreciation of what's in front of me and meditative anticipation of what's to come behind.

What's coming behind is massive, both long and thick, a blunt, powerful instrument of pleasure. Todd's cock is as burly as he is. I lose both my hard-on and my focus on what I'm doing to Aaron, all my concentration focused on the giant rod slowly invading my body. Instinctively understanding what's going on—he experiences this on a regular basis, after all, the brave lucky man—Aaron swivels around once more and slides underneath me, his face between my legs so he can watch his lover plow deep into me, their joined hands holding my hips steady from both above and below.

Todd has prepared me well. After an eternal moment when I think my abused channel cannot possibly do what is being asked of it, my body opens to his gentle but insistent pressure and he slides gradually into me. Aaron cusses reverently under his breath, an obscene erotic litany of worship, as he watches me breached.

Once I'm certain Todd is fully inside me, stretching and filling me to my utmost capacity, I feel able to pay attention to my surroundings once again. Like, for instance, Aaron's prick, waving just a few inches in front of my nose, waiting hopefully for my notice. It would be rude not to acknowledge it. Such a nice prick, too, fairly thick but not too long, perfectly formed for sucking, really. And that abundant stream of precum sliding from the head down into his bush looks awfully tasty.

Thus I pleasantly distract myself, Aaron gladly returning the favor on my own reviving erection, until the crisis point is past and I feel that point of resistance deep within my body subtly relent and dissolve. Todd feels it too, granting him permission to move within me, and I joyfully rediscover the infrequent pleasure of being thoroughly and lovingly fucked. I abandon conscious thought altogether and surrender to the sensation.

At some point in the ride, Aaron gets me suited and slicked up, and slides his own hungry ass down on my rod. It's a fun challenge for a while to get our thrusts in sync with each other. But the sensation of being simultaneously pounded by Todd's huge tool and engulfed by Aaron's hot hole is too intense to endure for long. Before I know it, I'm shooting a massive load, yelling and swearing my ecstasy just as loudly as they are. God, I hope their neighbors can't hear this going on or we're going to have one hell of an awkward time explaining it to the cops.

Todd strips off the condom and takes my vacated place, pushing his raw cock effortlessly into Aaron's stretched and waiting depths. I stretch out on the floor and idly play with my spent dick, drinking in the view of my best play buds making love to each other. Particularly the moment when Aaron hits the point of no return and sprays his seed all over my chest and face. Todd isn't too far behind, blasting his hot bear spunk deep into his lover's waiting fuckhole.

The three of us collapse in a laughing heap, reeking of cum, sweat, and ass, drunk on our own testosterone. More kisses, caresses, and embraces follow, bringing us gradually back down from our high, until at last we're composed enough to stumble to the bathroom and shower off.

My luggage has been stowed in their guest room, where I'll probably sleep most of the rest of my visit, giving Aaron and Todd their privacy. But this first night in Austin I will spend tangled between my hosts in a sprawl of well-furred limbs and hairy torsos across their own king-size bed, sleeping safe and content in the loving embrace of dear friends.