And Manny Makes Three: Gay Romance

by Solet, Trina

  "I don't like you," Al said refusing to look at him.

  "But you know I love you," Zack said consolingly.

  Al shook his head.

  "No?" Zack tickled him a little then let him play with PJ and pout.

  Zack sighed and Mark took his hand.

  "Hey, I need more consolation than that," Zack said and leaned over for a kiss.

  It was a soft kiss, but it lasted too long. Even though they were both leaning over the table to meet half way, it was like they didn’t know how to stop. In private, they would stop to move on to doing something else. But the only reason they had to stop now was not to get caught.

  "At least it would distract him from that puppy you didn’t buy him," Mark said when Zack looked behind him to make sure they hadn’t been seen.

  They took care of the dishes together then Mark got on his laptop, and Zack went to his office. It wasn’t long though before Al made a move of his own. First he peeked into the office and watched his father at his desk. Then he crept in while Zack pretended not to notice his approach. Finally, Al popped up from behind the desk and went over to lean on Zack. His father helped him climb into his lap.

  "So you like me now?" Zack asked.

  Al denied it with a shake of his head. Seeing what his dad was doing on the computer, Al pronounced it boring.

  "Let's look at a movie," Zack suggested.

  "Real movie?" Al asked eagerly.

  "No, a home movie," Zack told him.

  Al was disappointed until the movie started playing. Then he laughed at whatever was happening on the screen.

  Zack looked up to see Mark watching them from the doorway.

  "He's laughing at you," Zack told him.

  Mark went over to see. It was the video of Mark dancing with PJ then pretending to fall down and wrestle with her. He could hear Zack on the video saying, "He's weak. Get him, PJ!"

  Mark found himself wondering how long this could last. How long would he get to be a part of this? Though they looked different, he could see that Zack and Al belonged to each other. Mark didn't belong anywhere or to anyone. Maybe that’s why he was so desperate to be with Zack and to be a real part of their family. Maybe Zack could see that desperation, and that’s why he didn’t trust his feelings.

  "Show him the one when you tried to eat my toes," Al demanded.

  Zack clicked on a video labeled Nibbletoes. It showed baby Al giggling while Zack played with his feet, pretending to bite them.

  "See. He tried to eat them," Al accused.

  Mark could hear a woman's voice on the video.

  "That's Louise's voice," Zack explained.

  "If this kid wakes up without his toes one day, we'll know what happened," she said though she stayed behind the camera.

  Zack was lightly pinching the baby’s toes.

  "Look at the little baby piggies. I don't know how anyone can resist biting these little nibblets," Zack said on the video.

  "Because they are not cannibals," Louise said.

  Zack just waved away that reason. Baby Al on the video gurgled happily, but the real life Al objected to the cannibalism.

  "See! See!" Al said pointing at the evidence.

  "Do you still have all your toes?" Zack asked him like he was a witness for the defense.

  "Yes, I do," Al said.

  "You want to keep it that way? They're still little and cute. They're still bitable," Zack said to him and tickled him.

  Even as he laughed Al jumped out of Zack’s lap and moved closer to Mark for protection. He then glared at his father.

  "Just make sure to grow big, hairy toes. Then he won't want to bite them," Mark told Al, who leaned against him.

  "I don't know," Zack mumbled thinking of something completely different.

  Mark shushed him while suspecting him of being some kind of toe fetishist.

  "I'll grow big hairy feet like a hobbit," Al said enthusiastically.

  Mark approved this strategy.

  Zack promised that Al would be safe and put him back in his lap so he could see the monitor better. In the next video, Zack was only a voice. Baby Al was a little older in this video.

  "Show me your hands!" Zack said on the video.

  Baby Al held up his hands, and the real Al did too a little bit but only as a reflex.

  "Fingers!" Zack said.

  Baby Al wiggled his chubby fingers. The real Al also wiggled his fingers involuntarily.

  "Toes!"

  Baby Al grabbed his toes.

  "Feet!"

  Baby Al kicked his feet.

  It went on like that with Zack calling out body parts, and baby Al showing off his knowledge of anatomy. Whenever he didn’t know the answer, baby Al pointed to his belly button, and the real Al yelled, "No!"

  "That’s your bellybutton, silly" Zack voice would say to baby Al, and baby Al would point to his bellybutton again. Then Zack would tickle him with only his hand visible on the screen.

  "He doesn’t know anything," Al complained.

  "He? That’s you," Zack told him though Al already knew that was him but couldn’t quite accept it. "And you were a smart baby."

  "He thinks everything is his belly button. He doesn’t know his elbow. He doesn’t know his shoulder..." Al started listing until Zack tickled him and made him giggle instead.

  Zack turned to Mark as Al ran away.

  "Would it surprise you to know that I have a video of Al watching this video? Zack asked him.

  "Of course you do." By now, Mark was resigned to Zack’s weirdness.

  Chapter 32

  Al’s birthday was coming up, and they were having the party at Jojo’s. There would be giant food of every kind. Since the owners of the diner had the big food connections, they were ordering stuff just for the party. After all the arrangements were made, Zack had only one more assignment for Mark.

  "Make sure Al knows that I am not getting him a dog. Please. I’ve tried to make it clear to him, but I don’t know. He might think I’m just trying to keep it a secret to surprise him. I don’t want him to be disappointed," Zack said.

  "I’ll talk to him," Mark promised.

  It took some convincing, but eventually Al seemed to believe him. That didn’t make him any less excited when the big day came.

  For the party, Zack had them all wear the new suits they bought for the piano recital but no ties. Mark felt different when they took pictures this time, especially of all three of them. This time the pictures weren’t capturing a second of togetherness. These pictures were the future. He just wasn’t sure if Zack saw it yet.

  Al’s birthdays always made Zack a little sad because of everyone who wasn’t there with them. But as he aimed the camera, he saw this new thing that had brightened his life. Mark was holding Al. They were cheek to cheek and making faces at the camera. But there were two pictures right before that. As he allowed Mark to pick him up, Al had told him, "It’s just for the picture. I’m not a baby." Mark had agreed. That’s when Zack snapped a picture of the two of them solemnly looking into each other’s eyes as they made their bargain. In the next picture, they turned to Zack but hadn’t started making faces yet. They both had on an identical expression of expectancy. With that look they were asking Zack if he was ready, because they were.

  Jojo’s was noisy with kids and adults having a good time. The tables had all kinds of big foods, especially deserts. A giant burger was cut into wedges for serving while a extra long sub took up half the length of the diner. Dips were served inside giant vegetables. There was an assortment of oversized fruits. More than one person and kid asked if it was all real. There was a big cake in the shape of the letters A and L, though that was hard to tell now that it had been half eaten. Al’s gifts sat in a corner unopened. Though Zack knew that people liked to see the birthday boy open his gifts, he didn’t trust Al to be gracious about every gift he got.

  To offset the natural birthday boy greed, Zack had ordered little bundles of candy in colorful pouches for Al to give to his gue
sts. He handed the basket filled with them to Al and told him, "Make sure everyone gets one, kids and adults. And when you hand them out make sure to say, ‘Thank you for coming to my party. Here’s something to rot your teeth.’"

  Mark vetoed that and told Al only to say the first part and not the part about rotting teeth. Al handed out the treats eagerly and energetically. Seeing him running around, Mark got worried.

  "He’ll be exhausted before the night is over."

  "He’s having fun," Zack assured him.

  Then among all the yelling of "Thank you for coming to my party", they heard Al say something different with even more enthusiasm.

  "Leon! Pick me up!" Al was shouting.

  Leon had just arrived to the party and barely had time to set down his present when Al accosted him. But Mark was the one with the big reaction as Leon hoisted Al practically to the ceiling.

  "What was that?! I had to beg Al to let me pick him up," Mark said as he glared at Leon with Al sitting on his shoulder.

  "He let you didn’t he," Zack pointed out not even trying to hide his amusement.

  "Only for the pictures. And now look at him." Mark’s bitching had a familiar ring to it.

  "Settle down, you sound like me," Zack told him.

  "How dare you," Mark said with fake indignation.

  "Come on. I’ll introduce you," Zack said. As he moved to go, he heard Mark say "How?" It was only just audible so maybe he didn’t mean for him to hear. When Zack turned, Mark tried to look innocent.

  "Any way you like," Zack said, but instead of an offer, it was a challenge. His voice had a note of bitterness as if Mark had blackmailed him.

  Zack watched Mark’s face empty of expression.

  "I’ll go see..." Mark started to say turning like he would go toward the kitchen.

  Zack grabbed him and hugged him before he knew what he was doing. Mark extracted himself from the hug quickly, but his expression had mellowed a little.

  "I’ll just go..." he tried to say again. He wasn’t as cold about it this time.

  Zack took his hand, which Mark also pulled from him. He looked over Zack’s shoulder to make sure Al was busy and hadn’t seen. Zack turned to look too. Al was introducing Leon to some of the kids and parents from Little Rainbow. Zack wondered what crazy things Al was saying to them.

  As soon as he took his eyes off Mark, Zack knew that when he looked back, he would be gone. He found Mark just outside by the kitchen door leaning against the wall with his arms crossed exactly like he was waiting for Zack.

  "I knew you would come and find me. Now go back to the party and let me mope," Mark told him.

  "I meant what I said even if I didn’t say it the way I wanted to. I just felt rushed. I’m sorry." Zack put his hand on Mark’s arms where they were crossed. Mark touched his hand.

  "I know this isn’t the time for that. I shouldn’t have said anything. And I don’t want you to tell people because I pressured you into it. I want you to tell them because it’s what you want. And I know you’re not ready. I’ll wait. Now go back in," Whatever emotions had hit Mark before, he had set them aside. Seeing that Zack didn’t move, he added, "I’ll be right in. Promise."

  Reluctant to leave him, Zack went back inside. He knew nothing would be done about it right then. But their little scene had crystallized for him that this wouldn’t keep forever. They were in a holding pattern for now, but Mark was running out of patience with him. That was clear.

  Zack had gone over to Leon, who had managed to escape the inexhaustible Al for the moment. As the two of them were talking, Mark approached.

  "And who is this incomparable beauty," Leon said when Zack had barely opened his mouth to do the introductions.

  "Leon, this is Mark, the man you’ve been dying to meet," Zack said as they shook hands. He took a breath as the feeling of pain took the place of everything he didn’t say. His own reaction, even more than Mark’s, told him that things couldn’t go on as they have been. He wanted to shout to everyone that he and Mark were together, everyone except Al.

  When they got home, Al was hyper and happy. They piled up the still wrapped gifts in the corner. Al was told he wouldn’t be able to open them till tomorrow morning. Al pointed out that it wasn’t Christmas but complied. Zack let Al run around past his bedtime so he could burn off some of that excess energy. Once Al was in bed, he and Mark would need to talk.

  Waiting in his bedroom for Zack, Mark dreaded being alone with him after the way he had behaved. He wanted Zack to trust him and his judgment and to believe in their relationship. Acting immature didn’t help his case. Mark was sitting against the headboard trying to read when Zack came in. Before he could say anything to him, Mark spoke up.

  "It was Al’s birthday. I know I was out of line. I’m sorry."

  Zack sat at the foot of the bed facing him and put Mark’s feet in his lap.

  "It wasn’t just you. I didn’t have to make a big deal out of what you said. I could have let it go." Though he was willing to take half of the responsibility for what happened, Zack was frowning.

  "What’s worrying you?" Mark asked.

  "If we get serious, I don’t know how long we’ll last. And now I’m worried that you won’t even last until I can make up my mind."

  Mark dropped his head. He had been right. Now that he pushed him, Zack had even less faith in him. At that moment Mark couldn’t even speak to try to repair the damage. He swallowed as he saw Zack getting up. Mark was afraid he would leave. But Zack came to sit closer to him. He drew his thumb over the place between Mark's eyebrows. Mark chuckled. He must have been frowning, and Zack was erasing the frown. He knew that Zack didn't like to see him upset, and Mark could use that against him if he wanted to. But he didn't want to manipulate Zack.

  "Relax. I’ll try to be more patient," Mark said softly, "I live here now. You can't get rid of me because I am never letting you go."

  Zack laughed lightly with relief and buried his hands in Mark’s hair to ruffle it. Mark kissed Zack soundly. He still wanted Zack to make up his mind, but for now, he was just relieved that Zack wasn’t mad at him. Mark cut the kiss short, but Zack didn't want him to stop. He kissed Mark now with the same intensity. Mark hooked his arm around his neck and pulled Zack down on top of him. Then he started taking Zack’s clothes off. Looking into his eyes, Mark felt his body, its muscles and the hard on.

  "If it was up to me, I would strip you naked and burn all your clothes. I would just have you walk around naked and fuck you senseless non stop," Mark told him.

  Zack groaned and buried his face in Mark’s neck. Mark could tell he was even harder now. His pants were still on though.

  "That wasn’t enough of a hint? Get those pants off," Mark told him.

  Zack stood up and stripped his clothes off quickly.

  "Take mine off too," Mark said. Now Zack stripped him as Mark breathed hard, almost gasping.

  "You're going to fuck me now," he said and waited for Zack to kiss him. Zack delayed the kiss then gave it to him, his tongue plunging deep into Mark's mouth.

  Feeling the head of Zack’s cock at his hole, Mark felt his whole body pulse with need. He let Zack enter him but then switched positions so he was on top. Letting Zack’s cock impale him again, he started riding. Maybe he was forcing himself down too hard and too fast because Zack stopped him.

  "You can either slow it down or we can stop," Zack warned him and gave him a look that told him he was serious. Mark glared right back. He was already flushed and sweating. But if he didn't listen, Zack was ready to kick him off the ride.

  Luckily, Mark was willing to compromise. He dismounted and lay on his back.

  "Show me what you've got," he demanded of Zack.

  Zack smirked at him then kissed him. Mark refused to kiss back at first. But soon enough he was pushing his tongue into Zack's mouth. Abruptly he pushed Zack away.

  "You have work to do," Mark told him.

  He didn’t like making Mark stop, but Zack couldn’t focus on his
own pleasure while worrying that Mark was going past his limit. Now that he was taking over, he felt a little bit of pressure to prove himself. Zack got into position. He took Mark's legs and lifted them over his shoulders. He pulled Mark down toward him a little just for the hell of it. He could have just as easily moved up himself. Thinking the same thing, Mark's eyes narrowed at the maneuver. But his eyes were also heavy lidded from lust. After the interruption, Zack could tell that Mark was getting into it again. His breathing quickened and his expression was eager and yearning. He was an unbelievably sexy sight, from his half closed eyes to his proudly erect cock and his ready, aching hole.

  Though he fucked Mark to quiet whatever fire was burning in him, Zack needed it too. They were both in their true element with Mark doing the fucking, but Zack wanted Mark in every way imaginable. He loved to feel Mark’s body open to him, to pound the pleasure into him and see it released from that gorgeous cock then lick it up. He loved to see Mark smile after coming, to see all his troubles, all that aching erased. The mellow look flooded from his eyes into Zack's. Zack felt that with every fuck, every touch, his feelings for Mark intensified.

  Zack didn’t disappoint him. Mark felt such wild desire for him, and Zack had felt it too. It was strange how they could share something so intense and insane and out of control. They found the same impossible place, this hot, airless inferno and wanted only to devour each other. Mark was so flooded with pleasure that everything stopped. He felt deaf and blind and then came back to himself. Feeling Zack licking his belly and his chest, he moaned. He still tingled with pleasure as Zack’s tongued teased his skin. Now they rested next to each other, and Mark was content and waiting for his body to reenergize. He was also more grounded now and sure that they belonged to each other, that they were for real.

  Chapter 33

  It had been an overcast evening and the sky darkened too soon. Looking at the clock, Zack saw that it was a few hours before Al’s bedtime. He was thinking about the old routine he and Al had followed for so long. Now it had a new dimension. Al’s bedtime meant that it was time for Mark and Zack to come together. They might sit together and watch something or even read before they went to bed. Zack started looking forward to being with Mark as soon as he left him in the morning. All day long he just wanted to be touching Mark, looking at him, talking to him. But he also wondered what the cost would be. Any day now, Al would notice their relationship and start jumping to conclusions.