A Fluffy Tale (20 page)

“People pull your hair?”

“Right out at the root. Hurts like hell.”

“Then I won’t do that, but why would I pull
your…Julian!”

Julian grinned but didn’t stop what he was
doing. Zachary’s thick, gorgeous cock was a hell of a mouthful, but worth every
single inch. He got his hand between the long, muscled thighs and urged them
apart so he could hold Zachary’s heavy, perfect balls. Oh
man
, he was sweet.

He was so into it, tasting and feeling and
just
having
, that the babbles and
pleas and groans were just background music, though he did jump when Zachary’s
hands landed on his shoulder and clenched into desperate fists.
Not my hair, mate. I warned you.
But the
hair was safe and he could be as greedy as he liked, swallowing every inch and
every drop and every surprised cry, knowing he was the very first to have any
of this, and that Zachary would always remember this, no matter what came
after.

He sat up, flushed with pleasure and some
pride. He was
good
at blowjobs, and
that one…was one of his better efforts.

Zachary looked like he’d been whacked on
the head with a wooden plank, blinking, wide-eyed, and mouth open.

“Hey,” Julian said, sliding up alongside
him. “You okay?”

Zachary threw his arms around him and
kissed him artlessly, desperately. “That was so…I had no idea…we'll do that
again?”

Julian laughed. “Yes, we can. But not
tonight.” He stroked Zachary’s smooth cheek. “I can’t believe no one snapped
you up before. You’re just…so…”

“Pretty?” Zachary said dryly.

“Gorgeous.”

“My looks are nothing to be proud of.”

“Not your looks, dummy. You. In here.” He
poked Zachary’s chest, then kissed the spot. “You’re…amazingly likeable.”

“No, I'm not.”

Julian grinned at the glare. “Yes, you are.
And gorgeous. And you have a beautiful, big cock.”

Zachary frowned. “No one’s ever
complimented me for any of those things before.”

Julian kissed him on the frown lines and
then on the lips. “Because people are stupid and you’re good at hiding. But now
I’ve discovered your secret, Mr Ledbetter. Be prepared to be
invaded.”

“I suspect I’ll be a lot more worried about
that in the morning.”

“Maybe. Goodnight.” He switched the light
off, and then nearly jumped out of bed with fright as a large furry mass leapt
on him from a great height. The mewling, squeaking bodies turned out to be
their kems, of course. He grabbed Pyon and cuddled him, and then found Linis
and petted him as well, his hands brushing over Zachary’s. “And good night to
you little meddlers too.”

Two identical squeaks greeted his words and
Zachary laughed. “I think they’re pointing out that one of the meddlers is
missing.”

“Yes. I plan to have words with him when we
get back.” He found Zachary’s face in the darkness and kissed it. “Sleep well.”

“Julian…you’re very handsome too.”

“And my cock?”

“Is also amazingly likeable.”

Julian grinned. “Good answer.”

Pyon and Linis set up a nest between them,
Zachary slinging a loose arm over Julian and the kems. “I could get used to
this so easily,” Zachary whispered. “But…then if I lost it…”

“You’d survive, and you wouldn’t be alone.
Be brave, Zachary. It’s not as hard as it looks from the outside.”

“I…can’t do this alone.” A
long pause. “I’ve never been in that position before.”

“It’s okay to lean on other people. I like
being leant on. Trust me.”

“I’d rather trust Linis. He approves so it
must be all right.”

Julian grinned into the dark. “Whatever
works. ‘Night.”

He woke in a tight little nest of kems and
Zachary and the smile lasted all day. They spent most of it in a group with
other people, exploring and birdwatching, but there was still time to be alone
together, to exchange looks, or brush hands as they passed each other. After
lunch, Linis and Pyon preferred a more direct approach, swapping between
Zachary and Julian, so Linis rode on Julian’s shoulders, and Pyon in Zachary’s
arms. Zachary gave Julian a little smile each time he stroked Pyon’s fur,
knowing perfectly well what he was doing.

I’ve
created a monster,
Julian thought, though he wasn’t
actually sorry.

They barely made it through the admittedly
delicious dinner, before returning to the luxurious suite Leo had arranged for
them and making good use of the bed. Zachary turned out to be a fast learner
when it came to blow jobs, and a lot less fastidious
than Julian expected. He didn’t know much about this gay sex thing, but he was
more than happy to let Julian teach him. Also eager and sweet
and shy which worried Julian because getting this wrong would be
awful
. He wanted this to be a
good thing for Zachary, wherever it went. He was romantic enough to hope it
would last forever, realistic enough to know the odds were that it might not. Whatever
happened, he needed them to be friends. That meant patience, humour and
kindness. The surprise was in finding that it didn’t all go one way.

They held hands on the marine tour, Zachary
not giving a damn who saw them, to Julian’s delight. When they arrived back in
the city, and walked into the apartment, Leo knew something had changed the
second he saw them. He clasped his hands together and grinned. “Oh, my dear,
dear boys.”

Julian walked over and poked a finger at
him. “You knew.”

“I hoped.”

Zachary raised an eyebrow. “Uncle Leo.”

“Yes, nephew? You have a complaint?”

“Perhaps not.” And then he delighted Julian
by coming to his side and putting his hand on his shoulder. “We had a wonderful
time. Thank you.”

“Well worth it.” Julian had to smile at
Leo’s obvious glee. “Now, supper?”

There was a brief and highly embarrassing
conversation where Leo debated the pros and cons of whether Julian and Zachary
should sleep in Zachary’s apartment or Leo’s. This was before Julian and
Zachary had even decided if they
would
be sleeping together more than occasionally, and before Julian had really
thought about whether he wanted Leo to know all about his sex life with his
nephew.

“Uncle Leo,” Zachary finally said, firmly
but not unkindly. “This is private. Julian can do as he wishes. He’s welcome downstairs, I know I'm welcome here. You can’t plan
everything in my life.”

“I just want you two to feel you don’t need
to worry about me.”

“Well, we do,” Julian
said. “Zachary, we’ll take turns. Tonight, here. Tomorrow,
there.”

“Making a rather large assumption, aren’t
you? I do have to work tomorrow.”

Julian flushed, but before he could stammer
out an apology, Leo smacked Zachary’s hand. “Don’t tease, you horrible man. You
know you want him tonight and tomorrow and the rest of it. If you don’t, you’re
insane. Julian’s a catch, and if you don’t appreciate him, I’ll find someone
who does.”

Julian thought his face would catch fire,
he was so embarrassed. “Leo!”

Zachary only smiled. “That won’t be
necessary, Uncle Leo. I assure you, he’s very much appreciated, and was before
this development. As are you,” he said, bowing his head a little. “Though
you’re an incorrigible meddler.”

“Always, and always will be. Now…dessert?”

Later, in his room, with the door firmly
closed against curious ears, Julian sat astride Zachary’s narrow hips and
pressed his arms back beside his head, trapping him. “Appreciated, huh?”

“Very much. Why else would I put up with
you?”

“You’re a—”

“Prick, yes. That won’t change, I suspect.”

Julian bent down and kissed him long and
tenderly. “No” he murmured. “It already has.”

 “Thank God that’s over,” Julian muttered, yanking his necktie
off and stuffing it into his pocket. Pyon immediately fetched it out and
managed to wrap it around his head—Julian didn’t care, he hated the damn thing.
“You are
sooo
lucky not to have
siblings,” he said to Zachary who’d been watching the photographs with his
usual cool superiority. “Where’s Leo?” The marquee was crammed with people, and
stuffy and far too hot, even though outside it was freezing cold with fresh
snow on the ground. Why the hell had his brother wanted to get married in
midwinter? Crazy.

Zachary gestured with the hand holding his
glass of orange juice over the heads of the many, many relatives and friends it
had been apparently necessary to invite to this thing. “Over there, talking to
a woman with unfeasibly red hair.”

Julian looked where he indicated, and
groaned. “Oh, no. Aunt Judy. She probably wants to make him husband number
three. Or is four? I can’t keep up.”

“
Four
husbands?”

“She wears them out. I need a drink. Pyon,
just the one, okay?” Pyon chirped and Julian petted him. His kem had been so well-behaved—everyone had commented on it.

“There’s a table over—”

“Oh…Julian, isn’t it?”

He made himself smile at the short,
sharp-featured woman who’d come to his side. “Hello, Mrs Arrowsmith. Zachary?
This is Bea’s mother—the bride. Mrs Arrowsmith, Zachary Ledbetter.”

Zachary bowed slightly. “Very nice to meet
you. This is the loveliest wedding I’ve ever been to.”

She blushed. “Why, thank you. We tried to
make it nice for everyone—midwinter’s such a difficult time, but Bea and
Michael wanted a skiing honeymoon.”

“It’s all gone very smoothly. I’ve never
seen it done better.”

“Oh good…oh, excuse me, I need to…”

She rushed off, hands waving at someone
doing something not in the script, and Julian turned to his companion. “Exactly
how many weddings have you been to before, Mr Ledbetter?”

“Just this one. I spoke the exact truth.”

“Huh.” Julian was getting used to the
creative use of honesty on that side of the family. Leo was a master of it too.

“Julian! You took your tie off—what if they
want more photos?”

His mother’s hat was crooked, but he didn’t
mention it. Her kem was nowhere in sight—probably banished for the duration.
“Then they’ll have to put up with me not wearing it again. They’ve taken
hundreds of the damn things, Mum—how many can Bea and Michael want?”

“It’s not just for them—oh, hello.” She
smiled uncertainly at Zachary. “Julian, I don’t think I’ve met…”

“Uh, that’s right.” They’d been staying in
a hotel, since his parents’ house and his sisters’ were overflowing with
guests. Leo and Zachary had stayed well out of harm’s way while Julian had done
the brotherly duty thing. “Mum, this is Zachary Ledbetter. Zachary, my mum, Mrs
Godwin.”

She held out her hand. “Call me Alice,
Zachary. Julian’s told me so much about you. He said you work at his old firm?”

Zachary shook her hand briefly and let it
go. “Yes. He works for my uncle now, as you know. He’s been of great help to us
both.”

“Yes, he said you’ve become good friends.”

Zachary smiled at her. “Indeed. He’s my
lover.”

She froze, her hand still on its way back
to her side. Julian gaped while Zachary continued to smile politely at his
mother.

“L-lover?”

“Yes, for some time now. We're very happy
together.”

Her mouth opened, shut, opened again, but
no sound came out. Julian wanted to run away and then murder Zachary—or
possibly the other way around.

“Well, well, here’s a treat indeed—the
mother of one of my favourite young men.” Leo smiled brightly at them all and
held his hand out to Julian’s mother. “Mrs Godwin, how delightful to meet you
in person—Leo Underwood. Julian’s told me so much about you, although he failed
to mention how very attractive you are.”

She scraped a slight smile onto her rigid
lips as Leo inserted himself neatly into their group. “Oh…thank you…er…”

“And I see you’ve finally met Zachary.
Don’t they make a charming couple? Julian’s such a lovely young man—Zachary’s
so lucky to have found him. Do you know Maggie Tadstone? From
Greenwich? She was telling me her son’s had an awful time with his
lover—the wretched man ran off with someone else, and her son’s devastated. She
said she was so very jealous of me with Zachary. Julian’s such a reliable,
steady person. A perfect credit to you, indeed.”

“M-Maggie Tadstone? The actress? The one
who married Lord Uffield?”

“That’s the one. I went to their
wedding—delightful, delightful occasion. Quite a lovely
lady—no airs and graces, even with all the awards. The son’s the
television presenter, poor fellow. Charming man, so very kind.” He took her
arm. “Tell me, Julian says that you collect antique silver figurines. I wanted
to know what you thought of something I saw the other day in Springwood—excuse
me, Julian, Zachary…”

Leo led her away, talking a mile a minute,
Julian’s mother still smiling fixedly, dazed by the sheer blizzard of words.
Julian saw him hand her a large glass of champagne. Maybe if he got her tiddly,
she’d forget…no, that wasn’t very likely, was it. He was so screwed.

“By the time Uncle Leo’s finished with her,
he’ll have her convinced that a gay son is a status symbol,” Zachary remarked
calmly, taking a sip of his drink.

Julian turned and gave the man his fiercest
glare. “By the time I’ve finished with you, you’re going to need medical
attention. What the hell do you mean by outing me to my mum?”

“She’ll find out eventually, unless you
were planning to lie to her forever. Besides…perhaps I want her to organise our
wedding.”

Julian had to grab a chair and sit down.
“Zachary! D-did you just propose?”

“Hmmm—yes, I think so. Were you expecting a
bended knee and a ring? I thought that was considered old-fashioned now.”

“You just proposed.”

“That’s right. I take it that you’re not
averse?”

Julian opened his mouth to yell something
about it not being very romantic and how about a little warning, hmmm? But then
he looked up at Zachary’s slight, evil smile, and knew that his lover had
planned this exactly so—and Leo had been a willing conspirator. “I hate you.”