Chess

by Sean Michael

“I want to go home. It’s cold here. I miss the coffee shop. I miss our big bed. I miss the guys.” He’d thought, maybe, that the painting would go on and on, but it was too cold to paint, too windy. Too dark. Foreign.

  He wanted to take the canvasses home. Sell them. Start anew in the spring.

  Oh. A winter off. Being lazy and eating Jason’s food. Long hot showers and sex on demand.

  Bishop grinned. “You would wait ‘til the snow came to decide this, wouldn’t you?” His lover came up and wrapped around him. “You think we can be packed in the next ten minutes?”

  “I need the canvasses put in the back of the SUV. I’ll pack our things and clean out the fridge.” He looked over. “I love it here, but I want to go home.”

  Bishop kissed him hard. “Meet you at the car in ten minutes.”

  Clothes, phones, toiletries, laptops and chargers got shoved into bags, then he headed downstairs where his painting box and stack of sketchbooks were waiting. There wasn’t much in the fridge—a little milk, some cheese and lunch meat, plus a half of an old pizza. Easy.

  He double-checked the studio, but Bishop had moved all the paintings. That was everything then.

  “I’m ready. We can go.” He grabbed their coats, gloves, and hats, just buzzing.

  “In a second.” Bishop grabbed him up and kissed him hard. “I love you.”

  “I love you. It’s a good place, but it’s time to go have our holidays, our winter.”

  “Be with our lovers,” Bishop suggested.

  “Yes. I miss them.” He did. He missed their family.

  “Me too. It’ll be a great surprise for them, too.”

  They climbed into the SUV and did up their seatbelts.

  “Yeah.” Knight settled back. “We can pull through and get coffees on the way.”

  “We can. There’s a Timmy’s just before we get on the highway.”

  They started out, snow flying at the windshield.

  Knight chewed on his bottom lip. “It’s safe, yeah? You can do it?”

  “I’ll get us home safely, baby. Promise.”

  “I believe you. Music?”

  “Yeah, something to keep me awake, but not too heavy.”

  “Cool. That was good. The work was big.” And he was filled with a different need now. He needed to be home, needed them all together.

  “It was.” Bishop glanced at him and smiled. “Felt good having you all to myself for a little while.”

  “It was amazing. It will be amazing next summer.” He’d be so ready by then.

  “That’s going to make Rookie happy.”

  “What is, Bish?”

  “Having us home until summer.”

  “Ah. Yes. I think I’ll enjoy it too, my studio, our beds.” He could still work some at home, even if he did get interrupted for food and sex.

  They made it out of the long, small, snow-covered road and turned away from the lake. The road didn’t get that much better, but Bishop looked easy behind the wheel. This was why they’d bought the SUV.

  “You got some amazing stuff done,” noted Bishop.

  “I did. It’s going to be wicked in the gallery.”

  “They’re going to go quickly. Except for that one I want in the bedroom.”

  The words made him warm inside. “You chose one?”

  “Yes. The one with the purples. That one is pure us on the canvas.” Bishop pulled into the drive-though.

  “Oh. Yes. Yes, us.” Oh, he was flying, tickled to death.

  Bishop ordered their coffees and drove up to the window to pay and pick them up. Then they were on the road again.

  The highway was clearer than the smaller roads had been, thank God. He didn’t want to have to stop somewhere, get stuck somewhere not home because of the storm.

  They sang along with the music, drank their coffee and snacked on cookies. The drive took longer than it usually did, but Bishop was being careful, making sure they got there in one piece.

  When they pulled up into the house, he moaned happily. “Home.” They were home.

  “They’re going to be surprised. I vote we leave everything in the car—it should be fine in the garage.”

  “Okay, but we’ll come for the canvasses first thing in the morning, yes?” The garage was heated—it wasn’t warm, but it was safe.

  “We will. I just know our Rook and—” Bishop’s words were cut off as the door into the house was flung open and Rook came flying out.

  “You’re home!”

  Knight nodded, and he couldn’t stop smiling. “We missed you. We needed to be home. Have Christmas, have winter. Have you and the kid.”

  Rook pulled open his door and climbed into his lap right there, hugging and kissing him.

  The kid appeared at the door, grinning wide.

  “Hey. I hear you aced your finals, kid. Go you!” Bishop had kept him informed, given him the low-down whenever he’d come up for air.

  “I did. Rook helped. Should I unload the paintings?”

  “We were gonna wait until morning, but why don’t you go ahead. If that’s okay with our Rookie,” Bishop teased.

  Rook sighed, the sound long-suffering. “Okay. But I get to jump everyone’s bones as soon as it’s done.”

  They all got moving, carrying things and laughing, the snow falling harder and faster. Between the four of them, it didn’t take long at all. Even with Rook stealing kisses from all three of them as they worked.

  Jason was the one who set the paintings up in the studio so he could see them. They were erotic, purely sexual and alive. So alive.

  “Oh fuck.” Rook stood in front of them, looking absolutely entranced.

  Bishop came up behind him, arms wrapping around him as they all looked.

  “Tell me they’re amazing, boys.” He knew they were, still it was nice to hear it from someone else, too.

  “I don’t think amazing covers it.” Rook turned to him and pounced him. “They’re the best thing you’ve ever done.

  “They are and we’re home.” He kissed Rook hard, letting the man know how glad he was. “Home until summer.”

  “Oh!” Rook wrapped around him, tongue pushing into his mouth.

  God, he’d missed all that enthusiasm.

  He heard the kid murmur, “Oh, Bish. I’m so glad. So glad to have you home.”

  “Bed?” Rook asked, the word like a plea.

  “Is the big bed ready for us?” Knight wanted to go there, all of them, together.

  “Jason put fresh sheets on a couple days ago.” Rook grabbed his hand and dragged him off that way. “Honey, you bring Bish.” Like Rook thought they’d forgotten the way or something.

  Knight chuckled, but held on. Rook needed this, even more than he did.

  They moved into the bedroom, and there were even fresh flowers in a vase on the right bedside table with two small jar candles beside it, making the room smell like apples and sunshine. “We’ve been keeping it ready, for when you came home.”

  “Must have been you, calling to me.” He turned around and took another kiss, pouring himself into Rook.

  Rook’s arms wrapped around him, a sweet moan filling him. Bishop and Jason wrapped around them both and he was there, in the arms of his family. He laughed, leaned, as happy as he’d been in months. The work was necessary, but so was this.

  It was Jase and Bishop who began working on clothing, getting everyone naked.

  “Rookie been good to you, kid?”

  Jason chuckled, kissed him gently. “Always.”

  Rook smiled over at Jason, his happiness contagious.

  “Bed,” Bishop growled, shoving everyone a little. “Fucking. Sucking. Kissing.” His Mouse was glad to be home, too.

  Laughing, Rookie leaped at the bed and held open his hands. “Come and get me!”

  Knight crawled into bed, pushed into those open arms. Jason snuggled up against his back and Bish had to be the one who climbed in last and pushed them all tighter together.

  Rook’s kisses were long and lin
gering, the sweet body pressed hard against him. They rocked, all in unison, and he let himself moan with it. Jason grabbed his hand and lubed his fingers up, Rook’s legs spreading wide for him.

  “Thanks, kid.” He pressed his fingers in, working quickly. Rook could take it, take him.

  Fingers pushed into his ass, too, and he would recognize Bishop’s thick and sure fingers anywhere.

  “What about our Jase?” Knight wouldn’t leave him out for anything.

  “I’m getting you ready for him, baby, and I’ll do him.”

  “Mmm,” Rook squeezed him tight. “My favorite kind of train.

  “Chugga chugga chugga,” he teased.

  Rook’s laughter filled his mouth, the slender body rubbing against him and humping back onto his fingers, too. It didn’t take long before he was sliding into his Rook, pressing deep, burying himself inside perfect heat.

  “Oh fuck! Oh, K.” Rook’s body tightened around him, fluttering.

  “Mmm. Yeah. Home, lover.”

  “You’re so different from Jason.”

  Bishop chuckled. “Were you bored, Rookie?”

  “No!”

  Bishop’s chuckles got louder.

  Jason kissed Knight on the shoulder. “Knight’s cock is longer than mine. Not as wide, but longer.

  Rook wriggled back against him. “Different. I love that you all have different sizes.”

  Knight answered by rolling his hips, pressing deep, and making Rook moan.

  “Oh, fuck you’re deep.” Rook curled slightly, sending him even deeper.

  “Your turn, baby boy. Let’s get you inside Knight.” Bishop’s hand held his hip, making him still.

  Grinning up at him, Rookie squeezed and released his cock, over and over, making him crazy while he waited.

  “You’re a butthead.”

  “Oh? Doesn’t it feel good?” Rookie batted his lashes at Knight.

  He tweaked one of Rook’s pierced nipples, twisted it. “Tease.”

  Rook bucked up hard, making a high-pitched, needy sound.

  “Mmm.” He swooped down and grabbed it in his teeth, at the same moment Jason pushed in him. He and Rook cried out together.

  Jason was fat, full, and felt amazing inside him. Jason thrust, pushing him deeper into Rook, then they did a few strokes together.

  “Easy, baby boy. Me next. I want your fine ass.”

  Rook groaned. “Does that mean no moving again?”

  Bishop chuckled. “Patience.”

  “Easy for you to say,” Knight groaned.

  That only made Bishop chuckle more.

  His hips moved in tiny waves, barely noticeable—at least to Bish. He could tell the moment Bish began to push into Jason, the movements shifting all of them.

  “Oh, God.” Rookie looked at him with wet eyes. “You’re home.”

  “We are. For months.”

  Rook’s arms wrapped tightly around him. “Thank you.”

  He nodded, took the kiss he wanted to. Yeah. Yeah, this was the right thing to do.

  They got moving, Bish driving them all. The big old bed held them easily, rocked with them. Everything shifted and creaked, punctuated by Rookie’s moans and cries. He wrapped his lips around Rook’s throat, sucking hard. Rook’s cry vibrated against his lips.

  Yeah. Fuck yeah.

  They started moving faster, slamming together.

  “Yes. Yes.” Rookie began to chant, body moving to meet his, to take all three of them.

  “Yes.” He nodded, lips sliding on Rook’s skin.

  “Touch his cock, Knight.” Bishop’s voice was little more than a low growl.

  “Bossy bastard.” He did it, though, he wrapped his fingers around his lover’s cock.

  “You know it, boy.”

  He chuckled, jacking Rook hard and fast.

  “All together. We’re going to shoot together.”

  Hell, yeah. The fucking universe might stop, all of them together.

  “Gonna come…” muttered Rook, meeting his gaze.

  “Uh-huh. All of us. All of us together.” He smiled. He had to.

  Rook smiled back pushed up harder.

  “In three,” muttered Bishop.

  There was no way. None. Zero.

  They all thrust in again, Bishop just slamming into Jason and through him, Knight and Rook. His eyes rolled, and he groaned, fingers squeezing Rook’s cock.

  “Two more.”

  The next thrust felt even harder, Jason’s cock slamming up against his gland.

  “Jase!” He gasped, head slamming back.

  “One more, lovers.”

  “Hurry. Hurry!” Knight was going out of his fucking mind.

  “All together,” Bishop reminded them and the last thrust came.

  He heard Bishop’s hand fall, the tips barely brushing his hip and that sting was just perfect, just enough. Rookie cried out just as Knight came, his ass squeezing just as tight around Jason’s cock as Rook’s tightened around his.

  It was a second of pure fucking magic.

  Jason’s heat filled him, and all of them collapsed together. Rook’s fingers tangled in his hair, holding him close.

  Knight sighed, melted. “Home. Home, home, home.”

  “Us too, now,” murmured Rookie.

  “All of us.” Bishop sounded like the cat that got the canary.

  It worked for Knight.

  Chapter Eleven

  Bishop slipped out of bed and went to do his business in the bathroom. The smell of bacon lured him into the kitchen instead of back to bed. Jason was at the kitchen table, a cup of coffee in front of him. The bacon must have been in the oven, because it wasn’t on top of the stove.

  “Hey, baby boy. You look like you’ve already worked out.”

  “I couldn’t sleep. I was excited and I wanted to make sure I was free all day.”

  Bishop went over and took a coffee-flavored kiss. “So your first semester went well?”

  “I got all A’s and a fellowship for next year.”

  “Fuck, Jason. I am so proud of you.”

  “Thanks. Thanks.” The kid stood up, hugged him tight. “I missed you, man.”

  He hugged right back, holding onto Jason. “Yeah. Me too.” He kept holding on, making up for lost time.

  “Do you think we can decorate for Christmas, now that we’re all together again?”

  “Absolutely.” He squeezed Jason again. “Is everything okay? Did you guys have problems while we were gone?”

  “Problems?” Jason blinked up, utterly surprised, then he grinned. “No. No, finals were hard and Rook helped every day. It was a lot of work.”

  “That’s fantastic. Sounds like he really stepped up for you.”

  “I couldn’t have done it without him. Still, it felt weird without you two.”

  “I know what you mean. Knight got some really good work done, though. It was like magic, honestly.” He chuckled. “Gotta admit I’m pretty damn happy he wants to be here for the winter.” He’d been worried, honestly. Rook and Jason were their family and it could be a lonely life, waiting for Knight to finish working. “I haven’t had a decent workout in weeks, man.”

  “The oven will turn off automatically. Want to come downstairs?” Jason asked immediately.

  “I’d love to.”

  It wasn’t just the working out he’d missed. Their morning workouts had always been his and Jason’s time.

  “Me too. I put water and juice down in the mini fridge this morning.”

  He put his arm around Jason’s waist as they made their way downstairs. “Strawberry banana?”

  “You know it.” Jason looked over at him, grinned. “Abs or legs today?”

  “Abs. We’re going to be eating good food again now that we’re home.”

  “You are. Bacon and pancakes for breakfast today.”

  The workout room looked great. Jason had been keeping it up, clean.

  “You work out at all while away?” Jason asked him.

  “A little. We�
��d better start slower than usual.”

  “Yeah. No tearing anything. Let’s warm up with the stair climber.”

  He could handle that. “You got it.”

  Jason put on some music, set the timer and they started climbing. Jason’s body looked like a machine now, muscles moving in perfect rhythm, not an ounce of fat on him. He had to whistle and let Jason know that he saw that.

  Jason looked over, grinned. “I have to put in a certain amount of hours at the gym at school weekly as a part of the program. My body fat dropped another three percent.”

  “You had to work out for school?” He chuckled. “No wonder you got so many A’s.” It was just a tease, though—he knew Jason had worked hard for those marks.

  “Yeah. It’s writing the papers—that’s deadly. Rook had to help.” Jason looked over at his machine. “Slow down a touch. Your heart rate’s at a good place, but I don’t want you higher yet.”

  “Yes, boss.” He winked at Jason, but followed the order. “Rook helped with your papers?”

  “He did. I suck at writing. I mean, seriously suck at it, so he helped me figure out how to write down what was in my head. I knew the stuff, you know?”

  “That’s great. I guess I never think of Rookie like that.”

  “He’s wicked smart,” Jason said immediately.

  “Oh, I didn’t mean I thought he wasn’t.” Bishop knew better. “He’s just… He’s our joy.”

  “Yeah. Yeah, I get that.”

  “I know you do.” He smiled—he pretty much always did when he thought of Rook.

  “You nice and warm? We can toss the medicine ball.”

  “Now I know you’re really serious about working me out. Sure, let’s do it.” He wasn’t terribly fond of the medicine ball, but he knew it was a great workout tool.

  After twenty minutes, he was pouring sweat, each toss and twist harder, and he was happy when Jason called time.

  “Cool down?” He hadn’t realized just how much he’d been falling down on the working out while he and Knight had been at the cottage.

  “Yep. Let’s just walk it out. Want some juice?” Jesus, Jason wasn’t even sweating.

  “Please.” He grabbed the bottle Jason tossed him and they walked together on the treadmills, his heart rate slowly coming down.

  He was going to have to check Jason out in minute detail in their shower, his baby boy was stacked.