Cards on the Table - 46. Chapter 46 Team Play

Cards on the Table

Chapter 46

Michael closed the door behind them, and launched a barely-controlled attack on Kendall. Possessive hands claimed golden-haired arms as he pushed his lover back against the wall with his body, doing his best to immobilize him. Intention accomplished, his lips did the rest, demonstrating to his compliant fiancé just how much he was loved. When he drew back enough to look into pools of turquoise, his breath caught. He would never get used to how handsome Kendall was, especially when his face flushed like it did at this moment, his lush lips wet and puffy, and the day-old scruff painting his face with masculinity. The gaze meeting his was filled with emotion... a mix of love and desire. He could read his lover like a book, just as Kendall could him.

“Mm, that was nice, Sunshine, and I’m not complaining, but why the, ah, entrapment?”

“Do I need a reason, Babe? We’re finally alone,” he answered with a sigh.

“No, you never need a reason with me. You can kiss me stupid anytime you want,” he confessed to the effect his partner had on him.

“Yeah, I know, but I couldn’t exactly do that in front of the kid, so I had to force myself to be patient.”

Kendall smiled wryly. “Yeah, I see your point. We have to set a good example for the boy. He doesn’t need to see us making out… we’re sort of his parents now.” Kendall shook his head as if in disbelief.

“That we are, Deuce. That we are.”

“Is it really okay, what I did? We didn’t talk about it, but I….”

“Babe, shut up.” Michael ensured he would by kissing him into another stupor, this time softly, as his tongue gently played with Kendall’s. Once he had his complete attention again, he withdrew to regain some air, and tell the man what he needed to hear.

“What you did for our family tonight just makes me love you more, and that’s a feat in itself. Babe, it’s more than okay. It was the right thing to do for Nate. We... are what he needs right now, and Mom and Dad agree. You always know what should to be done and you do it. No fear, and no thought for yourself... you just... do it. I’m with you on this, one-hundred per-cent. Besides, the little bugger will be good on-the-job training for us when our son gets to be that age.” Michael grinned before moving in for another kiss from his man.

It was a scorcher, and it took Kendall an obvious few seconds to regain his composure. He had to reach into his pants and make a necessary adjustment while Michael enjoyed trying to make it difficult. “Thanks, but you’re wrong about the ‘no fear’ part. I’m scared as hell.” He smiled ruefully as he pushed Michael back a little. “You're making it hard to think, but all I know is, I love the kid so much it floors me. Maybe it’s partly because he looks like your younger duplicate, but either way, that boy has grabbed a tight hold on my heart. He's always been special, but now he brings out this protective instinct in me.”

“Yeah, in me too. There is something about him for sure. He has this energy he gives off even when he’s down, like today, and he still keeps rebounding. Nothing like this ever should have happened to him.”

“It shouldn’t happen to any kid. If I had figured out my orientation a few years earlier, what happened to Nate could have happened to me. You hear about teen suicide, and maybe you've seen it in your work, but when someone you love considers it, it really opens your eyes to the waste. I can’t imagine a world that Nate is no longer in.” The day and the situation had taken its toll on all of them, but Michael, who understood the depth of Kendall’s caring, was witnessing the pain surface in those liquid pools staring at him. This time, he wrapped him up in arms Kendall needed comfort from.

They stayed in that position for a few minutes, nothing but silence surrounding them in a house gone quiet for the night. “You okay, Babe? Listen, maybe we should call it a day. You ready to go to bed? You need to get up earlier because you’ve got a longer drive in the morning.”

“Yeah, I know, but I’m fine, Ace. I don’t have to tell you I would like nothing better than to fool around and make your toes curl, do I?”

“No, Deuce, you don’t. Your hard dick already gave me that message,” Michael teased.

Kendall laughed. “Yeah, well, it’ll go down eventually, but it has been a long day. I hope Mom and Pop sleep well tonight. They’re exhausted. Hell, I’m exhausted, and I didn’t have the late night they had, although I did have possibly the best afternoon of my life. I can still feel you there.”

“And I can still feel you underneath me... it’s something I’ll always remember, and I can’t wait to do it again... and again... and again."

“Me too, Sunshine, except maybe with the positions reversed next time.” Kendall had gone back to being rock-hard, and Michael was in the same state.

“No maybe about it... it's what I want too, but we have to stop talking about this, or I’m going to make an even bigger mess in my underwear,” Michael complained with a groan, and Kendall howled with laughter. Michael smirked, his mission accomplished, and changed the subject. “I think everyone will sleep well after the roller-coaster of a day we’ve had,” he predicted as he stripped his clothes off.

“I’m not so sure. Ah, Michael, I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to sleep naked tonight, so you'd best put shorts and a tee-shirt on.”

“What the hell for? We always cuddle up naked.”

“Yes, and you know that’s what I like too, but, call it a gut feeling... I think we might have company tonight.”

Michael regarded him skeptically. “Why would we have company tonight? Are you referring to Nate?”

“Yup. I wouldn’t be surprised if he has a replay of his nightmare. You don’t get over something like this in a day or two. I want to leave our door open a crack so we can hear him, if it’s that's okay with you?” Kendall asked, eyeing his partner with a knowing expression.

Michael sighed. “Of course it is, but I saw one tired boy go up those stairs a little while ago, and he looks like he could sleep for days.”

“You could be right, but let’s be dressed just in case he heads down here. He’s pretty attached to us, and if he has a nightmare like he did last night, I don’t want Mom to be the one to look after him again.”

“Look at you, Babe. You’re being a good dad already, and you make a good point. No shower tonight, although I need to wipe this pre-cum off my dick,” he pointed out to a now snickering Kendall. “Let’s just go to bed,” Michael suggested as he grabbed some clothes from the dresser to put back on. Kendall did the same, and they headed naked to the bathroom to wipe their cocks and brush their teeth, jostling each other like teenagers as they went.

A couple of hours later, Michael wasn’t all that surprised to see Kendall had been right. The sound of the bedroom door slowly opening wide, woke him, and he could make out Nate’s silhouette, lit by moonlight, standing there wrapped in a blanket. “Nate,” he whispered softly, hoping not to disturb his partner, “are you okay?”

“I had a bad dream. I… I can’t sleep.”

“Close the door, and come over here... and be quiet. You can climb in alongside me. Try not to wake your uncle.” He spoke as softly as he could, but he could tell Kendall had awakened, and was listening.

Nate made his way over to the bed and climbed in with a sigh. “Thanks, Uncle Mike… I’m sorry, I just….”

“Shush, Nate. No need to be sorry. Is that blanket warm enough for you?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, here’s a pillow. Do you think you can sleep now?”

The answer was a yawn and a mumble, and then the sound of slow steady breathing. The kid was exhausted. Michael turned back towards Kendall, nuzzling his neck as he pulled them closer together. Kendall snuggled back into him, picking up his hand and kissing the palm. “I love you, Ace,” he whispered.

“I love you too, Deuce. It’s a good thing it’s a king-size bed,” he chuckled softly, but Kendall was already drifting off again. Michael sighed in contentment, and let slumber reclaim him as well.

Michael gently nudged Kendall awake. “Babe, it’s almost time to get up. Are you going to shower here or at home?” he asked quietly, wishing it was light enough to see those amazing eyes slowly reveal themselves. It was one of his favorite things, to watch Kendall’s eyes open after sleep, that dreamy half-lidded expression, always followed by the sexy smile that grew in brilliance with each second he was awake. Seeing the turquoise exposed was like seeing it the first time they woke up together as a couple, face to face, when he knew in his heart they would always be together.

“What are you thinking, Ace? I can feel you staring at me.” Kendall stretched and yawned, sliding his leg along Michael’s as he did.

“You didn’t answer my question.” Michael felt himself flush, but knew Kendall couldn’t distinguish the color change in the faint light of encroaching dawn.

“I’ll shower here, and I have a pair of pants in the closet that will do for work. I’ll only need to grab a shirt and tie from home. This way I’ll get to spend a little more time with you. How’s our little overnight visitor doing?” he asked in a whisper.

“Little?” Michael chuckled. “He sure takes up a lot of room for being ‘little’. He hasn’t moved since he got into bed. If it wasn’t for his breathing, I’d think he was a corpse,” Michael whispered back.

“God, don’t say that.” Kendall shivered enough Michael felt it.

“Oh, crap, sorry. Bad choice of words, Babe.”

“Corpses don’t eat like that kid does,” Kendall said with a snicker. “Did you see the amount fish and chips he put away last night? Dear God, imagine if you had to feed three of him?”

“I think he ate the same amount I did, Deuce.”

“That’s my point, big guy. He eats as much as you do.”

“Hey, I don’t eat that much,” Michael objected. “Is this where you tell me my ass is fat again?”

“Oh my God, we’re not back to that, are we? How many times do I have to tell you your ass is perfect?”

“Yeah, Uncle Mike, your ass is perfect,” Nate half mumbled and half giggled, startling Michael speechless. He felt the bed shake, and realized he had laughter directed at him from both sides.

“All right, all right, very funny, you little smart-aleck. Seeing as how you’re awake, do you think you can head off to your own bed while Uncle Kendall gets ready for work?”

“I guess so,” Nate sighed as he stretched. “Thanks for letting me stay with you guys last night,” Nate said as he gathered his comforter around him, got up, and headed towards the door. It was getting light enough to see him walk across the floor.

“Anytime, Nate… but if the door is closed, make sure you knock, and wait for someone to answer.”

“Why?" Nate asked innocently.

“Go to bed,” Michael replied. He could just make out the teasing grin on his nephew's face.

“I’m going,” he said with another giggle. “See you later, Unc.”

“I’ll see you tonight when I pick up your Uncle Mike, okay, Nephew?”

“Yeah, sure. So you guys are going home tonight,” Nate stated with resignation, as if to himself.

“Hey, I’m going to spend the day with you and take you out shopping and stuff, if that’s all right with you?” Michael was trying to lessen the disappointment he could hear in Nate’s voice.

Nate smiled in the early morning light, and said, “Cool,” before disappearing towards the kitchen.

Kendall was up, shaved, and in the shower when he heard the glass door slide open. Rinsing the shampoo away, he was treated to the sight of a naked and aroused man. “Hey, Sunshine. This is a nice surprise. I thought you were staying in bed… and now you’re up,” he looked pointedly at Michael’s erection as it, and Michael, advanced toward him. Without a word said, he pulled Kendall out of the spray of water, dropped to his knees and engulfed the head of the half-erect cock in front of him. Kendall looked down at his partner, and groaned his approval.

Michael applied suction right away, and solid hardness was immediately achieved as Michael dedicated himself to his task. Memories of pinning Kendall against the wall last night were running through his head. This was unfinished business. Kendall braced himself when Michael ran his hands slowly up the back of his legs, heading for that glorious ass. Once it was in his hands, Michael began a thorough exploration of its contours before settling on the cleft. God, he loved this ass. He moved one hand to Kendall’s cock, which allowed him to stroke as he sucked. With the other hand, he gently played with the bud of Kendall’s opening, using a finger to massage in a circle. Kendall hissed and grabbed the hand behind him. Michael, thinking this meant he was sore, was surprised when Kendall pulled it upward and sucked Michael’s fingers into his mouth, soaking them with saliva.

“Put them inside me, Ace. I want to feel you there.” He groaned as he looked down at Michael, his eyes displaying his need.

Michael eagerly complied when Kendall let go of his hand. He returned to his hole and went to work, teasing it until an impatient Kendall pushed back. He moved his other hand back to massage the silky, muscled ass, his mouth concentrating on stimulating the big cockhead filling it. Giving his lover what he wanted, Michael pushed one finger inside, and the sound that action elicited was a decidedly appreciative one Michael loved hearing. Kendall widened his stance as he leaned slightly forward to give better access, encouraging more from that hand with a drawn-out moan. “Yes, Ace, yes… your finger feels so fucking good moving inside me.”

Michael grinned around the steadily streaming cock in his mouth, and quickly switched from one finger to two, sliding both in gently. When Kendall started rocking on them, Michael began a fucking motion with his fingers, curling them and searching for his prostate. He heard a dramatic change in Kendall’s breathing, and then his breath caught as he froze with Michael’s fingers inside him as far as they could go. There was one warning growl before he unloaded, flooding his partner’s mouth with cum. Michael scissored his fingers with each spurt, and judging from the vocal reaction, Kendall liked that a lot. As the eruption slowed, so did Michael. He withdrew his fingers gently, and continued to nurse the sensitive head. The slight spasming of Kendall’s legs caused Michael to smirk with pride as he finally let the cherished cock slip from his mouth.

“How was that?” Michael looked up at his rather dazed man, loving how flushed and goddam sexy he looked at that moment. Even his chest looked heated.

Kendall gulped and smiled. “That deserves a ‘holy fuck’, Sunshine. Wow, that was good. Helluva way to start the day. He grabbed Michael’s hands and pulled him up off the tiled shower floor. “Any problem with your knee?” Kendall asked before he kissed him, getting a share of his own taste.

“It feels perfect, and so did you,” he grinned, “You liked that, huh?”

“Holy fuck, yeah!” Kendall exclaimed.

Michael chuckled. “It must have been good. That’s two ‘holy fucks’.”

“Let’s try and make it three,” Kendall suggested in a provocative voice, and Michael looked at him curiously.

“You want to go again, Babe? I’m game, but you’ll be late for work.”

Kendall leaned in for another kiss, and pulled Michael solidly up against him, their erections hard against each others' abdomens. Kendall slid his hands up and down Michael’s back, and the globes of his ass. Ending the kiss, he whispered, “I’m the boss, you big doofus, so I can be late… and I want that beautiful dick of yours in my mouth. Are you going to deny me?”

“Fuck no... I would never do that. I’m all yours.”

Kendall took that as an invitation, and knelt in front of his fiancé. Michael watched him grab hold of his cock and lick the head while staring up at him. There was no way he was going to be able to hold off cumming. He was too amped up, and Kendall looked so fucking good in the position he was in. Seeing those beautiful lips wrapped around his dick while flashes of turquoise were directed at him, about drove Michael crazy.

“It won’t take long, Babe. I’m almost there already. You look so hot, and just thinking about my fingers inside you, fucking you, has got me on a hair trigger… oh God, Babe! That feels so good… what you’re doing with my balls. Fuck yeah, if you go any faster I’m gonna blow… holy fuck, that’s it… fuck, I’m so close.” Michael was panting as the sensations intensified. He had no control whatsoever. Kendall had all of it, and he wasn’t letting up.

“Fuck, here it comes,” Michael gasped out a few seconds before he started shooting. Kendall took it all as Michael watched through narrowed eyelids. His orgasm stretched on and on, spurt after spurt, until finally, it subsided, leaving him feeling wonderfully drained. The kiss that followed was the perfect ending to morning sex with the love of his life, and he was reluctant to let go of the feeling, and of Kendall. “Sorry, I didn’t last very long,” Michael murmured into Kendall’s mouth.

“Like you had a choice,” Kendall scoffed. “I could have made you last as long as I wanted, but I was in a hurry to taste you. There’s nothing like a little Sunshine in the morning,” he snickered.

Michael’s eyes widened. “Oh, Babe, that was so bad… but I do like the way you think.” He smugly grinned, and they both ended up laughing to the point of silliness. Ten minutes later, all dressed, they were still chuckling and Michael was absurdly happy.

Armed with a travel mug of coffee, and a bag holding a toasted cream cheese bagel, courtesy of his contented partner, Kendall headed towards the door. Michael followed closely behind. Kissing him goodbye, he felt positive about so many things in his life. Kendall snickered when he felt the gentle squeeze of his ass, smirking as he headed out. Such a difference from a scant two months ago. Back then, he'd had no idea what real happiness felt like. Turning around after closing the door, he went to the living room window to watch his man drive out, and away. He returned Kendall’s wave vigorously, keeping it going until the truck disappeared from view. Life was so damn good. Leaving the window with a thoughtful smile, he stopped dead when he saw Nate sitting halfway up the stairs.

“I didn’t see you there. You startled me.”

“Sorry. I didn’t want to interrupt.” Nate appeared to have something on his mind, and Michael wondered if he was feeling down. His black eye was much more colorful today.

“Are you doing okay this morning, little buddy? I thought you'd be sleeping for hours yet… it’s still pretty early.”

“No, I’m good. I slept great after I went to your room. Was... that okay?”

“Of course it was. Anytime… just remember what I said about knocking,” he reminded him with a smile.

That got a grin from Nate. “Yeah, yeah, I got the message. Uncle Mike… is it... do you think it's hard being gay?”

Michael, who was headed for the kitchen, stopped dead again. He didn’t know where that question was coming from, but he sensed it was an important one, and found himself wishing Kendall was here to field it. The man was far better at this than he was. “Geez, Nate, you haven’t even had breakfast yet,” was all he could come up with.

“Sorry, I just thought that… it’s okay… never mind.”

Michael sighed, and then smiled at his nephew. “Don’t be sorry. It’s a fair question, and I’ll try to answer it, but come away from the stairs before your voice carries and wakes your grandparents.”

Nate’s response was to quietly come the rest of the way down the stairs and head for one of the couches.

Michael headed for the other one and settled in, looking across at the curious young man. “What made you ask me that, Nate?” Michael was partly killing time.

“I don’t know.” He swallowed noticeably, looking down before returning his gaze to Michael. “You and Unc are always so happy, and I think about how Josh and my friends treated me… like being gay was a terrible thing… something to laugh at and make fun of. Like it’s something I should be ashamed of. It’s so different from what I see from you guys. Was it always like that for you and Uncle Kendall?”

“Are you sure you don’t want something to eat first?” He was really struggling with how to approach the topic Nate had raised, but with him looking at Michael so expectantly, he had to try. Nate didn't respond to his lame question. “Okay, I’ll do my best to answer your question,” he said with a sigh. “We are happy, Nate, and we have every right to be, and so do you. The thing is, Kendall and me, well, we didn’t figure out how we felt about one another until recently. Like, very recently.” He was floundering, and that frustrated him. Nate was looking for something, and he wasn’t sure what it was. No words of wisdom were dripping from his mouth.

“But, what about other boyfriends?”

“There were none, for either of us.” Michael took in the confused look on his nephew’s face. “Look, Nathanial, our situation is a lot different from yours. I didn’t know I was gay until a couple of months ago, and Kendall, well he knew for a few years, but, I guess you could say he waited for me.”

Nate looked at his uncle like he had two heads. “How could you not know? I’ve known since I was twelve... even sooner.” Nate shook his head at what he was hearing. “I guess it would be easier not to know,” he mumbled.

Michael studied his nephew with interest, and a little trepidation. He didn’t want to screw this up. Sighing again, he plunged back in. “I don’t think so, Nate. All I can tell you right now is that I am reading an article online about what is called latent homosexuality. I haven’t read all of it yet, but basically it says that some people take longer to figure out their sexual orientation. Some of them are into their forties and older before they finally get there, and that can sometimes be a mess. Most of us know as soon as puberty hits, apparently, but I guess it can be different for some others, like me. Personally, I think it’s better to know when you are your age. You're one of the lucky ones... you already know who you are, and frankly, your uncle and I wasted a lot of time. Do you understand what I'm saying?”

“Yeah, I think so. Some people take longer, and some know, like, right away.”

“From what I understand, that’s pretty much it. What was your bad dream about last night? Do you remember it?”

“Uhhuh… it was about Josh.” He studied his hands in his lap, crossing and uncrossing his ankles, before pulling his legs up onto the couch.

“What about Josh?” Michael gently prodded.

Nate looked reluctant, but he answered. “In my dream, he was laughing at me and calling me a fag, and Sarah Washington was yelling that I wasn’t going to steal her boyfriend… then my hockey team started shoving me around when we were in the middle of a game, saying they didn’t want a faggot on their team... and people in the crowd were screaming at me… that’s when I woke up, and came down to your room.” Nate shuddered, but he didn’t cry. “I just wondered if you ever had to face anything like that?”

“First of all, Nate, you realize it was just a dream, right?” Michael was really wishing Kendall was here.

“Yeah, some of it was….”

‘Some of it was’… those words hit Michael hard. He couldn’t watch Nate’s struggle for composure any longer. He moved over to the other couch and put his arm around him, and his nephew immediately snuggled into him like some overgrown puppy. “How do you feel about Josh now?”

Nate glanced quickly up at his uncle, looking closely at him, before looking away again. “I love him, but I hate him too. He told me he loved me, but he was just like the rest of them… even worse. He… he really hurt me, and I think he hates me too. And now he’s with a girl. How could he do that? I sent him a text telling him where I was, but he hasn’t answered or emailed.” And now the tears came. The trembling of Nate’s body tipped Michael off, so he pulled the boy closer, and kissed the top of his head.

“He doesn’t hate you, Nate. Trust me. Josh is just scared. He shouldn’t have to be, but he is. He saw how you were treated, and he couldn’t handle it, so he did everything he could to deflect it away from himself. Don’t hate him for being afraid. If anything, feel sorry for him losing a hot young man like you.”

Nate sniffled a few times and wiped his eyes before shooting another quick glance at Michael. “You think I’m a hot young man?” He raised an eyebrow, and a smirk slowly formed on his face.

“Yeah, of course I do. You look like a younger version of your Uncle Mike, and I am smoking hot. Just ask Kendall,” Michael bragged with a smug grin. It had the desired effect, and Nate giggled.

“You look okay, I guess, but I think I’m better looking,” Nate went to full-out laughing as he teased his uncle.

“Oh, you do, do you? Well, if that was true, how would you explain how I got a man as handsome as Kendall?” Michael mustered up the most arrogant look he could, making his nephew laugh even harder. Michael loved seeing the cloud lift from him, and felt some pride that he did this. Maybe he did have a knack for this dad stuff.

Nate was struggling for a comeback as Michael laughed at him. “Okay, Unc is pretty hot for an old guy, but Bodie’s way better looking, and….” Nate stopped mid-sentence and blushed furiously, ducking his head to get away from Michael’s attention.

“Oh boy, does someone have a crush on young Bodie?” Michael softened his teasing tone. “Well, if you do, I don’t blame you, little buddy. He’s really cute with those big green eyes of his.”

“Oh my God, they’re blue, not green. How can you not remember that?”

Michael began howling with laughter, and Nate clued in that he’d been played. “I just meant….”

“Oh I know what you meant, Nathanial,” Michael gasped out, and finally a sheepish grin spread across Nate’s face.

“Well, they are really blue,” Nate insisted.