by Solet, Trina
"But not you?" Mark asked though he knew the answer. Zack was going to stay up waiting in case the cat showed up. And he would spend his time worrying about Al and what would happen if PJ didn’t come back.
Mark went back in but not to go to sleep. He made two cups of strong tea. Before going out, he left a big note for Al in case he woke up and came looking for them. The note had a big arrow pointing to the front door, and it simply said "Dad" and "Mark". He took the mugs with tea outside and sat down next to Zack. Zack gave him a look but didn't object.
When it started to get light, Mark begged Zack to go and at least lie down. Instead, Zack talked him into going to get a few hours of sleep himself.
Later he and Al joined Zack on the porch for breakfast. Al had dressed himself before anyone had to tell him. And no one needed to tell Al to eat his cereal either. He slurped it up at record speed. His eyes constantly scanned the street for PJ. Then the three of them went looking around the neighborhood. They put up more flyers and asked the neighbors if they had seen PJ and made sure they would keep an eye out for her. After Zack took Al to school, Mark continued the search by himself.
Zack constantly had to keep himself from calling Mark to see if there was any news. He knew Mark would call him if he heard anything or if PJ turned up. Worst of all, he couldn’t stop thinking how badly he had handled things with Al. But that open door had triggered some of his worst fears. At least Al had obeyed the second rule which said that if PJ ever got out, Al was not allowed to go chasing after her. That morning, Zack had made sure to praise Al for doing the right thing about that at least.
When Zack picked him up from Little Rainbow, Al was disappointed to hear that PJ hadn’t turned up. Though he hoped PJ would come back to them, Zack wanted to prepare Al in case she didn’t. After dinner, as they got ready to go looking again, Zack told Al, "You know, if PJ doesn't come back it's only because she found some place nice where she wants to stay."
"Like she found another kid she likes better?" Zack asked looking worried.
"No. Not another kid. But maybe an old lady. Cats love old ladies. Maybe there was some old lady who was all alone, and PJ wanted to stay with her so she wouldn't be lonely." Zack watched Al to make sure he wasn’t making things worse.
"Like Miss Olga?" Al asked.
"Not Miss Olga, but some nice old lady," Zack said.
"We can ask Miss Olga if she's seen PJ," Mark put in, and Al nodded.
When they got back without finding PJ or anyone who had seen her, Zack found Mark by the kitchen door. Mark didn't even need to say anything. Zack could see what he was looking at. Al's Sorry Jar was stuffed with sorrys.
"He keeps putting them in there," Mark said mournfully. "They all say ‘Sorry, PJ’. He's breaking my heart."
Zack took his hand. He felt even worse since he was the one responsible for making Al feel bad.
"It’s my fault. The way I yelled at him. I don’t think he understands why I was so angry."
"It will be OK as long as PJ comes back," Mark said. That wasn’t completely comforting, but Zack knew it was the truth.
Al had been less weepy about PJ than the night before, but he was still sad. It did help him to think of PJ somewhere else, maybe happy chasing birds or in the lap of some indulgent old lady. But that wasn’t good enough. Zack didn’t want his child less sad, he wanted him happy.
"PJ has to come back," Mark said. His eyes were still glued to Al’s Sorry Jar.
When Zack saw he had a call from Mark, he told himself to calm down then he answered it feeling like he would burst.
"I’m at a vet’s office. They have PJ. They called, and I came over here. I wanted to make sure it was her before I told you. It’s PJ, but she is hurt a little. They’ll release her to you, so you have to come down. And can you get Al out of school and bring him? It’s on the way. I’ll text you the directions." As Mark told him all this, all in a rush, Zack was speechless and teary eyed. He was glad Mark didn’t stop talking until he got it all out because he was too choked up to speak. He managed to say, "OK." Not able to move for about a minute, Zack sat at his desk and absorbed the news. Then he rushed out of the office but made sure everyone knew it was good news that sent him running out.
When Zack gave him the news, Al looked like he might cry or scream but he just squirmed excitedly and squeezed Zack’s hand extra hard as they walked out of school. Zack could tell he was saving his real reaction for when he saw PJ again.
Mark must have seen them arrive, because he came out to greet them. Al went to hug him, and Mark picked him up and carried him inside the animal clinic. Once he was faced with the receptionist and the veterinarian, Al was embarrassed and whispered for Mark to put him down. Then they showed Al where PJ was resting with her front leg bandaged.
Al laughed and cried at the same time when he saw her. Because of her leg, he couldn’t hold her though. He hovered over PJ, looking at her from every angle as she meowed. After warning him to take it easy, Zack let him sit with her while he did paperwork. He came back to find Mark looking at Al and PJ from the doorway. Zack put his arm around Mark. Mark turned and hugged him. Zack held him for longer than he should have, but he couldn’t let go.
It turned out that some lady had brought PJ in then rushed off somewhere so they couldn’t even thank her. Mark had distributed the flyers to all the local vet’s offices and emailed the ones further away. Al thanked the veterinarian and her staff for taking good care of PJ. And he thanked the absent lady too. Then they secured PJ in the back seat with Al watching her obsessively during the whole ride home.
"I hurt my wrist, and PJ hurt her wrist too," Al noted.
"Yours got better and so will hers," Zack said instead of pointing out that cats didn’t have wrists.
As he turned around while stopped at a red light, Zack saw Al kissing PJ’s head about a million times in a row.
"You are going to kiss all the fur off her."
"She smells funny."
"Maybe they gave her a flea bath," Zack guessed. They had told him a bunch of stuff about all they had done for her, but he only cared that the wound on her leg would be OK and that PJ was back.
Once they had PJ home, sitting by the couch Al wouldn’t leave her for more than a minute. They ate dinner from the coffee table so Al could stay close. Then they had to put a sleeping bag on the floor of Al’s room so he could sleep next to her since she couldn’t climb on and off his bed yet.
Mark caught Zack watching PJ and Al as they slept curled up on the floor. Seeing the tears in his eyes, he called Zack a big baby and gave him a hug that lasted forever.
Later that night, Zack saw PJ maneuvering around the dark house, mostly on three legs. He picked her up carefully.
"Not going to try to run away again are you? I need you to stay with us and distract Al from what a big screw up his dad is. You can’t ever leave us," Zack told PJ, and Mark caught him doing it.
"That sounds familiar," Mark couldn’t help observing.
Zack didn’t say anything about that. He just kissed PJ between her ears.
Chapter 36
Zack wished he had woken up earlier to go running. Now it was almost ten and the sun was not kind to him as he jogged. Zack stood there dripping with sweat, waiting to cool down a little before going in. Waiting was torture when an air-conditioned house waited just two feet away. He drank some of the water he had left for himself on the front porch.
"It's too hot to run," Zack said as he went in.
"Then why did you?" Mark asked him instead of showing him sympathy.
"Because us old guys can't just sit on our asses and let nature sculpt us into perfect specimen of male beauty," Zack said eyeing Mark’s body accusingly.
"Running is supposed to do that?"
"OK, you have two choices, either be sympathetic or be impressed."
After thinking about it for a minute Mark said, "Aww, you poor baby."
Later in the day, Zack started to notice that he might have overdo
ne it. Ready to put Al to bed, he heaved himself off the couch with a grunt, feeling a little sore.
"Dad, you're old," Al concluded from this.
"Why don't you ever talk about how good looking I am?"
Al tilted his head to consider Zack's good looks with a deeply serious expression.
"You should comb your hair." That was Al's verdict, not "Dad, you are ruggedly handsome." OK, Al would never say that. Still, Zack decided to give him some advice.
"I’m relaxing. I don’t need to comb my hair. And let me tell you something, Al. Grooming tips are a very poor substitute for compliments. I'll give you an example. Which do you like better? 'Al, you look very handsome today.' Or 'Al, make sure to wash behind your ears before you start growing mushrooms back there.'"
"Mushrooms?" Al said distracted by the possibility of growing mushrooms behind his ears. He even touched behind his ear lobes gingerly, checking to make sure no agricultural activities had started there. The point Zack had been trying to make was completely forgotten. "Can that really happen?" Al asked. "Because I don't like mushrooms."
"What would you like to grow behind your ears, Al?" Zack asked him resigned to the detour their conversation had taken.
Al thought hard about this as if his choice would have real world repercussions. Zack decided to give him time to think it over.
"You have until Monday to decide. Now come on. Time for bed."
"Kumquats!" Al said as he climbed into bed.
Finding Mark in the kitchen, Zack stood close behind him. His hand moved over Mark’s back then skimmed up and down his muscular arms.
"Are you saying it’s time for bed?" Mark asked him.
Zack didn’t answer him. He just started kissing his neck. Mark pulled away to lead them to his bedroom. Once in there, Zack groped Mark more firmly. He slid his hands down Mark's body, catching his fingers on the fabric of his t-shirt then on his pants. Mark slipped his hands under Zack's shirt. Zack's groans rumbled and reverberated from his chest to Mark's as they kissed. Mark arched into him wanting to prolong the contact between their bodies. While trying to maintain contact, they stripped. Every inch of Mark’s skin was now available to Zack. His kisses were as slow as his caresses, as if he was waiting for Mark's skin to answer his touch, to bloom under it, to warm then cool as he licked him. As Zack was grinding against him, he slowly thumbed Mark’s nipples and kissed him at the same time. Mark grabbed his ass, felt for the cleft between the cheeks. He teased him by just stroking the valley between his ass cheeks, then he only let his fingertips graze Zack's hole. Maddened, Zack thrust at him harder making sure their cocks rubbed against each other. But then their hard cocks rubbed together too long and Mark had to stop.
"Don't make me come like this," Mark almost begged, breathing hard.
Zack stopped, panting himself. He had a need to make Mark come over and over again. Zack pulled him close. For a second Mark was loose limbed, almost limp, but then his body hardened as he took a hold of Zack, wrapped his arms and legs around him.
"I need more of you," Mark told him and kissed him deep and hard. He then pulled back and looked into Zack's eyes hungrily.
To satisfy his need, Zack turned him around. Mark raised his knees and lowered his shoulders. He put his ass in position that told Zack he was welcome to it. Zack could tell he needed to come.
Feeling Zack lick his hole, Mark gasped then let out a moaning sound he had to stifle into the mattress. Zack’s tongue pushed further in and Mark sighed. Zack replaced the tongue with his finger and stroked his insides. Mark called his name. Knowing how he felt, Zack quickly added one then two more fingers and pumped harder. With three fingers in him Mark came and dropped to the bed shaking. But he was up before Zack could blink. Zack could tell that Mark had the urge to bite him, but he only kissed him and licked him while Zack groaned with need for more. Then Mark was down in front of Zack licking up the underside of Zack’s cock. Soon he felt Mark’s mouth envelop him in heat and then the wonderful suction took him up and over the edge.
Mark slowly worked his way up Zack’s body with licks and kisses until he was lying on top of him. He looked down at Zack, who knew that he saw satisfaction on his face and love in his eyes.
Mark woke up feeling hot and immediately saw why. Though sound asleep, Zack was all over him. Mark remembered falling asleep the other way around. Now he didn’t want to push Zack off him even if he was making him too hot.
Zack was like honey. Mark could never get enough of him. But with Zack, there was more to it than just seeking and giving satisfaction. It was all the quiet moments with just the two of them and all the loud ones when Al was energized and Zack teased him.
It was when they were in bed that they distilled what they felt into pure pleasure. With every look and every touch, Zack showed him what it was like to be truly intimate. Sex with Zack was good and pure and dirty. Being with Zack in and out of bed told Mark this is why we’re alive, to experience this. But being in Zack’s life promised even more. With Zack and Al, maybe "family" wouldn’t be a bitter word in his mouth any more.
Zack left Mark’s bedroom and looked in on Al, but he was already up. He found him playing with PJ in the living room. Noticing that she didn’t have any trouble with her front leg any more, Zack was glad.
"PJ, you’re goofy," Al said as he watched the cat pouncing on a piece of bubble wrap, which Al had already popped. PJ was getting her blunted claws caught on the plastic then struggling furiously to get free. The cat looked up at Zack briefly but decided that bubble wrap was more compelling and went back to pouncing on it. Al watched absorbed only with her even though Zack had just come out of Mark’s bedroom.
This time, Al hadn’t noticed, but soon he would be asking questions. He considered Mark a permanent part of their lives even though he had been warned not to.
"Mark said he won't always be living with us," Al informed him as Zack drove him home from Little Rainbow soon after the summer break had started.
"Of course he won't," Zack confirmed. "One of these days you'll be too old to need a nanny, you know."
"I'm not a baby. Babies have nannies. But Mark can still stay with us."
"No. Mark will want a different job..." Zack was going to say more, but Al interrupted him.
"That's OK. He can have a different job, but he can still live with us," Al insisted.
"Not really. You see, Mark will want to have a place of his own. Like his own apartment."
"He doesn't need his own apartment. He can live with us."
"Al. That won't happen," Zack told him bluntly, maybe even a little harshly. It made no difference.
"I think it will," Al had said stubbornly.
Zack wanted to prepare Al for Mark eventually leaving them, but he just couldn’t convince him. Rather than argue with him when he was being so bullheaded, Zack decided to let time and experience prove one of them right. But seeing that Al was already so attached to him, Zack wasn't looking forward to dealing with the fallout when Mark left them.
That had been months ago. Now losing Mark was unthinkable. Zack knew it was up to him to give Mark every reason to stay.
Chapter 37
After their big Sunday breakfast was over, Mark recruited Al to help him. Zack ruffled Al's hair as he came into the kitchen where the two of them were busy cleaning up.
"Don't tell me you got some useful work out of this one," Zack said seeing that Mark got Al to help out a little.
"Who is this 'this one' all the time? I'm Al," Al asserted.
"Listen to this one wanting to be called by his name," Zack teased him.
"Mark, make him stop," Al whined looking up at Mark for his help.
Mark was up to the challenge.
"Let me introduce you guys. Zack this is Al. Al this is you old man," Mark said enunciating the last two words.
"No!" Zack started to object, but Mark ignored him and told Al how to use this new way of addressing his dad.
"You should say, 'Hi, old man' And
'Thanks, old man.'" Mark instructed Al.
Al opened his mouth as if ready to try out these new phrases.
"Al, he is joking," Zack said in a panicked voice. "And it's not funny," he said to Mark.
Zack crouched down in front of Al.
"OK. Al. I will never call you 'this one' or 'that one' again. But you have to promise never to call me old man. Is it a deal?" Zack asked earnestly.
Knowing he had the upper hand, Al hesitated. He looked up at Mark for his input. Mercifully, Mark nodded, approving the transaction.
"You have a deal," Al said and put his hand out for a hand shake.
Al pumped Zack's hand like he was trying to draw water.
"That's an awesome handshake, Al," Zack said, compelled to be nice for the moment.
"I know," Al said with all due pride.
When Al went off to play, and he and Mark were left alone, Zack asked, "So when I gave you this job, did you hear me say 'Side with Al against me whenever possible and make my life hell.'? Is that what I said?"
"That's how I remember it," Mark said looking him straight in the eye.
Zack couldn't help smiling at him.
Waiting for Mark with a faint buzz of arousal coursing through him, Zack grinned when he heard the door open and then close. He sat up and opened his arms to welcome him into his bed, but Mark only shook his head. He sat cross-legged on the bed, opposite Zack.
"You’re done being patient," Zack guessed.
Since it wasn’t a question, Mark didn’t answer but asked a question of his own.
"Let me ask you. Do you want me here for Thanksgiving?"
"Of course I do," Zack said immediately. It was painful for him to think of Mark not being with them. And it was only weeks away.
"What about for Christmas and New Year’s?"
"Yes," Zack said, starting to get the idea.
