Gnarly

by Mickie B. Ashling

  Javi grinned. “Because….”

  “Get your mind out of the gutter,” Ed scolded. “I haven’t decided what I want to do about your unbelievable suggestion. I just thought he’d like the company.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “It’s true,” Ed said defensively. “Your statement about him being lonely struck a chord. I know what it feels like to be alone.”

  “Of course you do.”

  “Javi, stop it.”

  Javi leaned over and let his hand skim over Ed’s groin. The reaction was immediate.

  “Is this for me or are you already thinking of that gorgeous man?”

  “Stop,” Ed moaned. “You’re a devil tempting me with thoughts of three-ways when it was the furthest thing from my mind.”

  “But now it’s all you can think about,” Javi purred, kneading Ed’s groin.

  “Are you planning on finishing what you started?” Ed asked in a strangled voice.

  Without another word, Javi sank to his knees, unzipped him, and sucked in Ed’s cock with a hungry growl. Ed moaned, clutched at Javi’s hair, and began thrusting, his urgency transferring to Javi like an electrical current, judging by the vigorous sucking and garbled words of encouragement. When he came, it felt like an explosion, and the spurting seemed to go on forever. After his ears stopped ringing and he could talk without wheezing, he stared down at Javi. He was leaning against Ed’s legs. Overflow coated his lips and dribbled down his chin, making him look absolutely debauched. Javi’s flaccid dick hung out of his pants, and there was a shiny pool of semen on the hardwood floor where it had landed after he’d taken himself in hand.

  Ed helped him up, and Javi curled into a small ball on Ed’s lap with a contented sigh.

  “That was without a doubt the best breakfast I’ve had in years,” Ed said. “Bar none.”

  Javi chuckled. “I love it when you’re desperate to come.”

  “Your dirty talk works far better than that blue pill.”

  Javi pushed back and looked him in the eye. “Have you ever needed to take Viagra?”

  “I thought about it when I tried dating after Carol died, but I decided I was too young and shouldn’t need a fucking pill to get into the mood. In the end, I concluded I had the wrong person in my bed if I couldn’t get it up.”

  “You needed me,” Javi said without hesitation.

  Ed tightened his hold. Javi always managed to make Ed’s bisexuality sound so reasonable and ordinary. His easy understanding and acceptance of human nature were probably why Ed had landed in Javi’s bed in the first place. Back in the day when being gay or bisexual turned one into a pariah, Javi’s free-loving group of friends made it seem like the most natural thing in the world. Even the unlikely three-way with Iker didn’t seem so improbable now that it was out in the open.

  “Can I do the dishes after a short nap?” Ed asked. “I’m wiped.”

  “You’re the one who’s anal-retentive,” Javi said. “I couldn’t care less about dishes.”

  “My wife was a stickler for cleanliness.”

  “I’m not your wife,” Javi reminded him. “A clean kitchen is nice, but you don’t have to cater to me. I know how to work a rag, and the dishes will get washed eventually.”

  “Okay,” Ed said, a little put-off. “Does this mean you don’t want me to make you breakfast anymore?”

  “It means you don’t have to worry about my requirements on cleaning, Edu. I have none.”

  Appeased, Ed chuckled. “Fair enough.”

  Chapter 16

  THAT EVENING after dinner, the trio—Ed, Javi, and Iker—joined the crowd walking toward the River Urumea to catch the first night of the international fireworks contest, which began at a quarter to eleven. It was the main attraction of the Semana Grande, and companies from all over the world took part in the competition. The grand prize, the Concha de Oro, was a coveted sign of prestige and honor for the winning team. The fireworks were set off at La Concha Beach and lasted approximately twenty minutes. Fortunately, they didn’t have to make the five-mile trek to that side of town since the display could be viewed from different parts of the city.

  Ed kept a close eye on Javi as he hobbled along on his crutches, mindful of pedestrians who might jostle him in their eagerness to get to the walkway along the river bisecting the city. It was lined with wrought iron railings, and people had been gathering for the last hour to find a choice spot. By the time they arrived, they had to shoehorn their way to capture a small section for themselves. Because of the crutches, people were more inclined to be gracious and kept their grumbling to a minimum.

  Having never attended Mardi Gras or any other public festivity, Ed was unfamiliar with the hyped-up party atmosphere that had infected the city of San Sebastián. Everyone—young, old, and in between—seemed to be out tonight, and the balmy weather made it possible to enjoy the evening in comfort. The general rowdiness that accompanied such events due to booze or drugs hadn’t materialized yet, thanks to the watchful eye of the national police, who were extra vigilant since the recent terrorist attack in Nice, France, at a similar event. Hard-core boozers and the like kept their activities confined to clubs and restaurants. They might overflow to the beach later on, but right then it was a peaceful gathering.

  “How are you holding up?” Ed asked Javi. Although his stamina had improved since Ed arrived, carrying all his weight on one foot had to be taxing. “You can lean on me if you want, or we can sit on a bench.”

  “I’m good for now,” Javi said.

  “Let me know if you get too tired,” Ed said.

  “Stop babying me, Edu.”

  “There’s a big difference between caring and coddling,” Ed said gruffly. “I know you can fend for yourself, but I don’t like to see you suffer needlessly.”

  “Hey, you can count on me, too, if you need a helping hand,” Iker interjected.

  “Will you both leave me alone,” Javi said irritably.

  “Just saying,” Iker reiterated.

  After the fireworks display, which was quite spectacular, they made their way back to the pulse of Gros, where outdoor cafes and pintxo bars overflowed with revelers. Javi insisted he wasn’t tired and decided they should have a nightcap before heading home. Ed did his best to set Iker at ease, plying him with questions about jai alai and life in Miami so he’d feel like a part of their small group and less like the third wheel. It also gave Javi a chance to get to know him better.

  IN THE days that followed, gathering together after the fireworks display became a routine. Javi had to work, of course, but he urged Ed to go with Iker and drop by the bar afterward to give him a recap. In the afternoons, the trio walked along the boulevard, enjoying whichever activity was slated for that day. They attended a free concert at Sagües Square and had aperitifs at the Plaza de la Constitución, the nerve center of Old Town. Windows in the houses overlooking the plaza were numbered, marking the bullring boxes used to watch the popular blood sport back when it was held in the square. Now the dirt had been paved over, and it was mainly used as a gathering place to enjoy a glass of wine or afternoon pastry.

  They watched street entertainers miming, singing, or performing acrobatic tricks, always grateful for the coins casually thrown in the empty hats or baskets on the cobblestones. The highlight of each afternoon was the parade of gigantes and cabezudos, the giants and big heads. Thirteen men and women with outsized plaster-of-Paris heads gathered together in front of the Basilica to the accompaniment of flutes and drumbeats. The big heads, with mischievous human eyes winking behind their masks, would then skip down Calle Mayor, stopping to perform a jig or two. The fantastical creatures carried inflated pig bladders, which they swung around when people got too close, terrifying small children and intimidating adults. They would then pause at a church from which emerged fifteen tall giants in pairs. Swaying precariously, as the dancers underneath the billowing skirts spun around, they’d slot into the parade and march down the streets of Old Town behind the big heads. The
whimsical parade always drew huge and somewhat rowdy crowds, and Ed and Iker buttressed Javi protectively.

  Sunday, the final night of Semana Grande, was one of Javi’s scheduled days off. Since he’d be free to accompany Ed and Iker to the fireworks display, they decided to have dinner beforehand. This time the atmosphere was much more relaxed. Whatever qualms Iker might have had in the beginning dropped off now that he and Javi had found some common ground. They were both sports-minded and competitive, shared a love for surfing, and they were both Basque, familiar with the town, its people, and all their idiosyncrasies.

  Iker’s attraction to Ed was quite obvious. Privately, Javi mentioned their new friend was much more principled than he’d expected, given his youth and looks and the fact that Ed was equally attracted. If the roles were reversed, Javi told Ed he wouldn’t have been as conscientious. This surprising—and admirable—characteristic of Iker’s made Javi like him that much more. If anyone deserved a slice of happiness, he did.

  Ed still couldn’t understand why Javi wasn’t disturbed by the idea of sharing. Given their history, he assumed Javi would want him on a tight leash, but the guy’s possessive streak—if it had ever existed—had disappeared. His flirtatious demeanor in the face of his current physical limitation was confusing. It would have been more understandable if he were in his prime or, at the very least, the same man he was before the shark attack. But he’d called himself broken on more than one occasion, which had led Ed to assume he’d be insecure as hell. The truth was the complete opposite.

  Now that they were actively engaged in a sexual relationship again, Javi felt useful, needed, and vital in and out of bed. Ed had told him many times that he was physically and mentally satisfied, and finally willing to take risks he’d never considered in the past. Javi was of the opinion that if a third party succeeded in tearing them apart, then it was all an illusion in the first place and not worth fighting over.

  They’d ordered a second bottle of wine during dinner to celebrate the end of the long and tiring week. It had brought a huge amount of revenue for the city and small businesses, but everyone was exhausted. Establishments that normally closed on Sunday remained open to accommodate the crowds. Tomorrow things would go back to normal until September. Then the city would fill up once more with tourists and celebrities attending the international film festival. But that was almost a month away, which would give everyone a chance to recuperate.

  After dinner they set off to see the last, and usually the most complex, round of fireworks. It was ten minutes longer than normal, and the company that drew the primo spot was normally a returning champion. It was undoubtedly the best performance of the week. The sky was alight with every color and configuration imaginable, and rockets boomed loudly, making dogs bark and babies cry. Javi stumbled on the way back, feeling the effects of that second bottle of wine, so Ed and Iker made him sit on their joined hands and drape his arms on their shoulders. Slowly, they made their way back to Javi’s place, and he insisted they go upstairs for a nightcap.

  The three of them were sprawled on Javi’s wide sectional in front of the TV, nursing bottles of beer and listening to Javi recounting one outrageous surfing story after another. The majority of his anecdotes involved raunchy sex, and Ed wasn’t at all surprised when Javi got in his face and mock whispered, “I think it’s time.”

  Ed’s breath caught and he felt the blood rush to his groin. “You think?”

  “Iker, come here,” Javi said, making room between Ed and himself.

  “Wassup?” Iker asked. Clearly he was feeling the effects of the liquor as well.

  “Ed and I think you’re hot.”

  Iker smiled dopily. “Thanks, guys. You’re both sexy as hell.”

  “Do you want to watch us make out?”

  Iker’s eyes widened in shock. “Oh… umm… yeah, that sounds really good.”

  Javi leaned in and kissed Ed, who had made the decision to put his scruples aside and pretend he was twenty-two years old again instead of three decades older. He could freak out tomorrow. His body was far too engaged to win any sort of moral argument.

  Iker’s strangled moan made Ed break the kiss. He stared into blue eyes that were heavy-lidded with lust and he shifted his gaze to the obvious bulge in Iker’s jeans. “Do you want in on this?”

  “Umm—what?” Iker squeaked.

  Javi’s mischievous smile was reassuring and the signal Ed needed to reach for Iker’s hand. “Join us,” Ed said, pulling Iker closer.

  “But you two love each other,” Iker protested feebly.

  “Love’s got nothing to do with this,” Javi said. “This is need, pure and simple.”

  “I don’t want to fuck up your relationship.”

  “You won’t,” Javi insisted. “You’ll just make it that much better.”

  Javi reached for the hem of Iker’s shirt, and Ed could see the guy was blindsided but was lifting his arms to help. Dark hair swirled enticingly in his armpits, and before Ed could change his mind, he stuck his nose in the soft depths and inhaled the musky scent, sighing with pleasure.

  “Ed… please.”

  “Don’t worry, big guy. He’s got you,” Javi said encouragingly. “Go with it.”

  Javi rubbed the back of Ed’s neck gently and slowly repositioned him from Iker’s armpits to his nipples, where he began tonguing with abandon.

  The only light in the living room was flickering from the TV set, turning the room and its occupants into a surreal tableau. Shadows bounced off naked torsos as, one by one, shirts were discarded. Ed continued kissing hungrily, moving back and forth from one nipple to the other until Iker’s loud moaning filled the silence.

  Out of the corner of one eye, Ed could see that Javi was busy trying to get Iker’s pants off. Iker helped by lifting his hips, and Javi tugged pants and briefs down, leaving them to bunch below Iker’s knees.

  Ed’s and Javi’s hands met at the base of Iker’s gorgeous cock, and their eyes momentarily locked, completely in tune with one another. Javi dipped his head down and sucked Iker’s glistening cockhead into his open mouth while Ed turned his attention back to the tiny nubs surrounded by wisps of hair.

  “Ed,” Iker begged, “kiss me.”

  Without a second thought, Ed planted a soft kiss, and the younger man licked his way into Ed’s mouth, sliding his tongue over the soft contours of the inside of his lips. Ed allowed it, reveling in the new taste and delicious exploration. Slowly, he pushed Iker down on the sofa so he was now fully reclined. With Javi’s head bobbing at Iker’s groin, Ed decided to get creative. He removed his pants and wriggled around, positioning his body so his face was level with Javi’s groin and his own distended cock was within easy reach of Iker’s mouth. He unzipped Javi and let his cock spring free so that Ed could service him while Iker caught on and began tonguing Ed’s slit.

  It was the single most depraved thing Ed had ever done in his life, and yet he wouldn’t have missed this for the world. How they managed to get each other off without gagging or slowing down was a fucking miracle, and one they’d talk about in the days to follow. The thing that stood out was the absence of guilt. Their connection had crept up on them so gradually that it felt all kinds of right instead of terribly wrong.

  Chapter 17

  IKER SLIPPED away sometime in the early morning, letting himself out the door with the unerring stealth of a ninja. He was slightly hungover, but not from the booze. Iker was sex-drunk, if there was even such a thing, rummy from the amazing experience he’d shared with two very special men.

  At first he’d thought they were pulling his chain, all up in his face because they knew he had a thing for Ed. No matter how hard he’d tried, his interest in the doctor hadn’t wavered. What shorted out his brain was the fact that Javi was aware of his feelings and didn’t care! Or rather, he cared enough for both of them—Iker and Ed—to share his bed. Just thinking about everything that had transpired, from the moment Ed buried his face in Iker’s pits, gave him another ragi
ng boner, the fourth one in less than twelve hours. It was fucking insane, but so damn hot he couldn’t stand it. Even if it never happened again, he’d have enough wank material for the rest of his life.

  He showered when he got home, a little sorry to lose the remnants of both guys but sensible enough to realize he reeked of sex. It didn’t matter that he’d be running in and out of the ocean constantly. If he didn’t wash off the odor of their mingled cum before he left for work, it would be a perpetual reminder of what they’d done and he’d get another boner for sure. There was no margin for error in Speedos.

  By the end of his shift, he was more settled and could think about Ed and Javi without blushing. It was rather incongruous that he, a bona fide gay man, had never experienced a three-way before, while Ed, the uptight, closeted bisexual, had no problem embracing his new normal. Then again, maybe Ed was in the middle of his own meltdown. Iker had no idea what must be going through his head after last night.

  He didn’t have to wait too long to get an answer. Just before his shift ended at two, Ed showed up.

  “Hey,” he said by way of greeting. “Are you off soon?”

  “Ten minutes,” Iker replied.

  “Have lunch with us.”

  Iker raised a brow. “Will it be peaceful?”

  Ed laughed softly. He stepped forward and pressed his forehead against Iker’s. “Don’t worry. Javi wants to reassure you that he’s totally okay with this.”

  “Are you?” Iker asked. “I don’t want to mess up your relationship.”

  “I’ve never been happier.”

  “Last night was….”

  “Awesome?” Ed prompted.

  “Yeah,” Iker said, flushing. “Who knew?”

  “Never done that before?”

  Iker shook his head.

  “My first and last time was also with Javi.”

  “What is it about that guy?” Iker asked. “He’s so likable.”