by Quinn Ward
Grunts and needy moans provided the soundtrack for our union. Finally, the three of us had broken down the last wall holding us back. I gave myself over to the pleasure, finding a rhythm as I fucked Max, whispering encouragement as he fucked Enzo.
I wasn't going to last long. Seeing the blissed-out look on Enzo's face, knowing I'd had a small part in his ecstasy sent a shockwave through my entire body. "Jack him, Max. No one comes until he comes."
"Fuck, you're a pushy asshole," Max grumbled, already reaching for Enzo's prick. Enzo fucked up into Max's fist, muttering a string of nearly incoherent profanities as he chased his orgasm. "That's it, Enzo. You're going to look even hotter with cum all over your stomach. Can't wait to clean you up. Gonna taste so damn good."
"Hell yes. Do it. Want it," Enzo pleaded. The cords of his neck strained, his back arched, and Enzo groaned loudly through gritted teeth as the first of his release coated his stomach.
With a few more strokes, I blew, dragging Max over the cliff with me. With my cock pulsing in his ass and Enzo spasming around his dick, he was powerless to keep going.
We fell into a sated heap. I draped my arm over Max's chest, intertwining my fingers with Enzo's. Max was right; this changed everything. In terrifying, amazing ways.
"If you don't find something to clean us up, we're going to be stuck together." I chuckled at Max's sleepy, slurred words.
I pressed a kiss to his shoulder. "I can think of worse things."
"Gross," Enzo muttered. "Go get a washcloth. I'll keep Max company while you're gone."
"You're such an asshole." I reluctantly eased my way out of the bed, savoring every aching muscle in my body. I shot a weak glare over my shoulder as I walked away from them, unable to hold onto my annoyance when I saw the two of them exchanging lazy kisses and caresses. With any luck, they'd be down for spending the entire morning in bed before I had to leave for work.
* * *
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before reaching for the door handle. Before I'd even parked the car outside Mama's house, Frankie and his big mouth had said something that brought Freddie, Matteo, and Mama rushing to the front porch. They watched us like hunters stalking their prey. They were going to make a big deal over me finally bringing Max to family dinner, I just knew it. This was going to be awkward, despite the fact everyone knew Max already.
"You still sure about this?" Max asked, leaning forward between the seats. "If you're having second thoughts, I can tell them you were giving me a ride because I have something to do on this side of town."
"No, we talked about it and agreed it's time to start opening up to the family a bit," I told him. My only regret was we'd still be lying to them because after today, they'd assume I was happily coupled up. They'd shift their attention to asking Enzo when he was going to find a partner, and I'd die a little inside every time he had to pretend he wasn't a part of us. "I just wish they'd let us get in the house before the inquisition starts."
Enzo chuckled beside me, breaking a little of the tension. "After as nosy as you've been your entire life, now you want discretion? Fat chance, man. The way they see it, turnabout's fair play and you have this coming."
"How in the hell can you be so calm right now?" I asked. The entire drive over, he'd been a bundle of nerves. I'd half expected him to bail out of the car at a stop light, telling us to say he was sick so he wouldn't have to witness the family being overjoyed that I finally found someone to settle down with. Or maybe I'd been the one wanting to turn the car around and hide out in the apartment so we weren't facing the entire family at once.
Enzo shrugged. "I've had time to prepare myself for how everything has to go down," he explained. "Does it suck? Yeah, big time, but we can't change it."
"Wish we could," I grumbled. Ryan and Sophia joined the rest of the family on the porch, the littlest member of the family waving as she ran toward the curb. Freddie called out to her, but since she'd spotted us, there was no stopping her. My cheeks puffed out as I released a final breath. "I suppose we better get this over with."
"Uncle Enzo!" Sophia squealed as soon as his door opened. He scooped her into his arms, moving aside, allowing Max room to slide out of the back seat. I loved the hell out of my car, but if we were all going to be a thing, it might be time to look at trading it in for something with four doors. "Look! I lost a tooth! And the tooth fairy brought me five dollars for it. Daddy said that's way more than she usually brings, so I must've been a really brave girl when it started bleeding when they pulled it out..."
Enzo took her little hand in his, suggesting they go for a quick walk so he could stretch his legs. She seemed confused, but I understood what he was doing. Although he said he'd had time to prepare for how the family would react when they found out Max and I were together, that didn't mean he wanted to be there to witness the teasing.
"You ready for this?" I asked Max, holding out my hand to him as we crossed the front yard, the entire family still watching us. I glared at Frankie when he shot me a smirk and a quirked eyebrow. Fucker.
"Ready as I'll ever be." Max gave my hand a squeeze, leaning in close enough to whisper. "I know you're upset, but like Enzo said, we all knew it wouldn't be possible for all of us to rush in there and proclaim our undying love for one another. Maybe someday, but not right now. Hell, look at how hard it was for us to come to terms with all the complexities; we can't expect the same from them right away."
"I hate it when you get all logical on me," I complained, bumping my shoulder against his.
"Someone has to be your voice of reason," he quipped. "Now, let's get this over with so we can enjoy the day."
"How in the hell are you so calm?" I asked as I led him to the steps. My heart was racing, and I could barely breathe around the lump in my throat, and he was acting like this was no big deal.
It was a huge damn deal. I'd only brought one other person home for family dinner, and that was a girl I'd dated in high school who was more my best friend than someone I thought about spending the rest of my life with. As kids, asking Mama to set an extra place at the table didn't hold the same weight it did now.
Max gripped my shoulders and turned me to face him. When I kept my eyes to the ground, he cupped my chin, forcing me to look at him. "I'm not worried, because it's not as big as you're making it out to be. I've known your family since before we started fooling around. Your brother and I were friends before I met you. The only unknown here is Mama, but I have faith she'll at least tolerate me."
"Are you kidding?" I scoffed. "She's going to love you. You'll get put up on the same pedestal as Peter, Calvin, and Levi."
"See, there's nothing to worry about." God, I hoped he was right.
I hung back as my brothers descended on Max, peppering him with questions and greetings. Without having to deal with the awkwardness of introductions, they jumped straight to ribbing him about how he'd finally worn me down so I'd admit we were a couple. They definitely loved him more, but I was okay with it. Unfortunately, it left me vulnerable to twenty questions from Mama.
"Come sit with me, Tony," she suggested, although it wasn't a suggestion at all. When Mama invited you to sit in the chairs overlooking the front lawn, she meant business. I followed, taking the seat that used to be Papa's. "I'm assuming Max is the boy your brothers have been giving you a hard time about for months?"
"He is," I confirmed, stealing a quick glance.
"He's good for you," Mama said, placing a hand on my arm. "I always worried about you, Tony. You were wild and restless, sometimes reckless, and I never understood why. But Max, he seems to settle you."
"He does." There was no denying I felt more content recently than I remembered feeling in the past.
"I don't understand why it's taken you so long to bring him around, but I'm glad you finally did. I'm looking forward to getting to know more about him." She rocked slowly, smiling when she heard Sophia squeal as Enzo ran down the block with her on his back. "Your brother, he seems happier too. Is he go
ing to be next to bring someone home?"
Sometime in the past year, Mama had stopped asking about what girl caught our eye. I'd overheard one of Mama's friends ask her if she was upset that she still didn't have a daughter-in-law even though over half of us were partnered off. Her answer spoke volumes about her growth and acceptance. "I had one. She was a vicious woman who didn't know how to treat my Freddie. Now, I may not have a daughter to bond with, but I've gained three more sons who love my boys and would never hurt them. All that matters to me is they're happy."
"He will, in his own time," I assured her. It was a promise I could make because even if Enzo and I never told the family we had fallen in love, I knew we'd eventually find a way to make them see how happy Max made both of us. It was unconventional and risky, but I clung to Max's optimism that they'd eventually come around.
"Good." She started rocking in her chair, keeping watch over the neighborhood the way she had for the past thirty years. Sophia and Enzo cut through the front yard. Enzo's steps faltered when he noticed Max flanked by Frankie and Freddie, who were giving him a hard time. I risked a glance in Mama's direction, cringing at the quizzical expression on her face. She pushed out of the rocking chair, humming and shaking her head as she disappeared into the house.
A while later, everyone drifted inside, falling into the pre-meal routines that were so ingrained in us we didn't bother asking who was doing what. Freddie, as the chef in the family, took his place in the kitchen helping Mama put the finishing touches on dinner while Peter helped Sophia get cleaned up from playing in the backyard. Matteo stood at the counter buttering loaves of bread after Levi had sliced them. Calvin, Ryan, and Max mostly hung in the background without anything to do while Frankie, Enzo, and I set the table.
"So, you finally gave up the fight, huh?" Frankie asked me when Enzo stepped out of the room. "For someone so insistent you guys weren't a couple, you seem to have gotten cozy pretty damn quick. And did you even think to ask Enzo before moving Max in?"
"Not that it's any of your damn business, but yeah, we talked." Fuck Frankie and his judgmental bullshit. Why did he have to bust my chops so hard when he'd seemed all happy and playful with Max?
"Figured I'd ask, because Enzo's been in a shit mood all day. The only thing I could figure for him to be pissed off about is you moving your boy toy in without permission."
Without thinking, I shoved Frankie against the wall, my fists balled in his T-shirt. It'd be so easy for me to lay everything out so he'd know why today sucked so hard, even though it had started out as one of the best fucking days ever. But I couldn't do Enzo wrong like that. "Maybe you should learn when to butt the fuck out. You were the one pushing so hard for me to admit I had feelings for Max, and now that I do, you think you can knock him down to fuck toy status? You know what, Frankie? Fuck you!"
"Antony Alonso Marino, you take your hands off him and apologize." Mama's biting tone sent a jolt of shame through my body. I released Frankie, breathing hard to try and calm myself. Fuck. This wasn't me. I didn't instigate fights with my brothers.
"It was my fault, Mama," Frankie explained, taking the blame the way he usually did. Even when we were kids, he often accepted fault that wasn't his because he was the protector of the family.
By this point, the entire family was pushing their way into the dining room, trying to see what was going on. Enzo and Max were at the back, wearing matching expressions of shock and concern. I shook my head to let them know I had things under control.
As if.
"Enzo, can you and Max finish up in here while Frankie and I go talk things out?" I asked. My face felt like it was on fire with shame as I pushed my way through the small crowd, unable to make eye contact with anyone. I was impulsive, but I wasn't a hot head. Not like that. The worst part was, I couldn't even tell Frankie why his accusation cut so deep. It wasn't so much him referring to Max as some passing fling; I'd brought that on myself through months of denial I had feelings for him. The real reason it'd upset me so damn much was I wished like hell I could be honest with Frankie. Brothers didn't keep secrets. We'd gotten through almost three decades together because we were honest with one another, even if it took a while to get the words out. But now, I didn't see a way to tell them how much Enzo meant to me without risking losing them forever.
Frankie and I walked to the far edge of the backyard. In years past, there had been a fort back here, but we'd worked together to tear it down when Sophia was a baby, not wanting her to get hurt on the rotting boards or rusted nails.
"What in the hell was that about?" Frankie asked, kicking away some brush at his feet. "And don't you dare tell me to butt out. You losing your shit like that isn't normal, so you'd better start explaining quick. If you're not as into this thing with Max as he is, you need to tell him. You were pretty adamant you didn't want to be in a relationship, so I'm struggling to figure out how you did such a total one-eighty in a matter of weeks without anyone knowing a damn thing."
"It's not that," I responded. My throat felt thick, my stomach heavy as I weighed my options. "And yeah, things have moved quicker than I'd like, but his roommate was a total douche and he needed a place to stay. He's been at our place almost every night for the past few weeks, so it doesn't make sense for him to look for a place of his own."
"Okay, so that's part of it," Frankie pressed when I didn't offer any other explanation. I couldn't—wouldn't—say much more without talking to the guys first. We'd agreed, as a team, what we'd share and what was only for us to know right now. But I had to give Frankie something or he'd be relentless. "What else?"
"Look, there's a lot going on right now," I said, still trying to figure out how to get him off my back without spilling everything. I sat on an old log Papa had dragged to the back of the property when I was about five. "I'm still trying to get used to the idea there's someone who's with me because he wants to be, not because he has to put up with my shit. And I've almost fucked it up more times than I care to count, so I'm probably a little testy."
"That's an understatement," Frankie scoffed, smoothing the front of his shirt for effect. "If you promise things are cool and you're in this with him because you want to be, not because he's pushing for it or because we wouldn't get off your back, I suppose that's good enough for now."
"I'm all in with him," I promised. "I was an idiot for a long time, letting my own fear keep me from seeing whether I slapped a label on it or not, he's been more than just a fuck buddy for a long time now. Other than you guys, he's the person who will always be there for me, no questions asked. I think part of what held me back is I know he was your friend first, and I don't want you pissed off at him if I wind up doing something stupid to push him away. Because let's face it, if anyone's going to fuck this up, it's going to be me."
"You need to give yourself some credit," Frankie scolded me, dropping his arm over my shoulder for a quick hug. "Yeah, you're impulsive and stubborn, cocky and inflexible, you're always waiting for the other shoe to—"
"Just out of curiosity," I interrupted him, giving him a playful shove. "Is this supposed to be making me feel better? Because seriously, someone should've told you years ago you suck at giving pep talks."
"Fuck off, I'm getting there." Frankie shoved me back, nearly toppling me off the log. "Under all that, you're a good guy. You have this huge heart, and I think that's part of why you try and keep everyone at a distance. If you don't let anyone in, they can't hurt you. But I think Freddie and I can both tell you that's a shit way to live, which is why we've pushed so hard to make you see what's been in front of you this whole time.
"As for Max being my friend first, that's true, but he's not the new shiny toy under the Christmas tree." Despite the serious conversation, I couldn't help but laugh. Suddenly, my head was filled with an image of waking Enzo up Christmas morning and having Max under the tree wearing nothing but a bow. And maybe a festive butt plug just to spice things up. Frankie smacked me again. "Dude, whatever you're thinking right now, keep
that shit in your head. Yes, he's my friend, but there are some things I don't need to know about what you two get up to."
"Believe me, this is one time I'm definitely not one to kiss and tell." I pursed my lips before anything else flew out of my mouth that would have Frankie asking more questions. We seemed to be getting back to a good place, and I was determined to not ruin it.
"Good. Now, as I was saying." Frankie stood, jerking his head toward the house. I wasn't even sure how long we'd been out here, but the family was waiting on us to eat. Mama's rule: no one ate until the entire family was there. "Max and I have our own history. And no, before you even ask, we never fucked. Maybe someday, I'll tell you about it, but probably not. What I will say is he's one of the most loyal, least judgmental guys out there."
"And yet, the two of you were somehow friends," I teased.
"What can I say? I have a magnetic personality." I rolled my eyes, because Frankie was usually the toughest nut to crack in our family. "I still think you're hiding something, but I'm not going to push today."
"I appreciate that. I swear you'll know everything, but it's not only my story to tell."
"I can respect that." He gave me a solid thump on the back. "Now, what do you say we head inside before they eat all the food?"
"Yeah, as if that'd happen." Mama never had done well cooking in small batches. Even though our family had doubled in size, we'd still all go home with bags full of leftovers. I draped my arm over Frankie's shoulder as we crossed the yard. "For what it's worth, I am sorry I shoved you."
"You're just sorry you got caught," Frankie teased.
"Nah, you didn't deserve it." My shoulders slumped forward. I was already tired of trying to keep the best parts of my life boxed away where no one could see. "I've been told I sometimes suck at communication."
