by _Anthology
“We’re a bit more liberal about such things than most families are,” she allowed, slowly reaching out to smooth Ross’ ruffled and broken feathers. “Can I help you, Ross?” Ross met her eyes. The warmth in them reminded him of the way Tau looked at him. He looked down at his hands. He was itching to pick at his thumbnails, but when he started to uncurl his fingers, the urge was overrun by sharp pain. He gasped and Nita’s hands cupped his.
“Let me help, dear.”
This time, Ross nodded. Lindy was right, he did need help. *** When Ross woke up, he was in hardly any pain at all. The last thing he remembered was Nita giving him a shot of something to make him feel better. He wasn’t in the bear den anymore, though. He was in bed. At home.
He shifted around on his belly, reveling in the lack of pain and making pleased little noises. Nita’s drugs had worked wonders.
“Good morning, sleepyhead,” came Lindy’s voice from somewhere behind him. Ross rolled over and sat up to see.
“Hey.” He rubbed at his eyes with the heels of his hands. “Mmm, how long have I been out? I don’t even remember coming home.” “You wouldn’t,” Lindy answered, sounding amused. Ross tugged at the blanket to cover himself up some more; he was a little cold. “You were asleep the whole time. Two days. Tau’s doctor friend gave you something to knock you out so you’d heal faster.”
Tau’s doctor friend. “Why was Tau with you?” At the time, Ross hadn’t thought about it. Now, though, it didn’t make sense.
“I called him.” Lindy shrugged easily, as though she called strangers to come help them every day.
“You called him?”
“He wanted to help you,” Lindy explained. “I gave him the chance, since you obviously weren’t going to.” Ross couldn’t really dispute that—he hadn’t intended to call Tau—so he let it go and moved on to another question. “How did I get home, then?” Lindy was strong, but there was no way she could’ve carried him all the way back to the apartment.
“I carried you.” Tau was standing behind Lindy, looking into the room over her shoulder.
Ross gaped. “You’re…still here?” He’d expected Tau to be long gone. Ross wasn’t his responsibility. Tau nodded, stepping around a smiling Lindy to come into the room and sit down on the bed beside Ross. “Lindy was kind enough to let me stay, so I could see how you were feeling when you woke up.”
“You stayed for two days?” Ross couldn’t believe it. “Why? Lindy or I could’ve just called you to let you know I was okay.”
“I didn’t want a phone call,” Tau explained calmly, meeting Ross’ eyes. “I wanted to see for myself. I wanted to know you were safe.”
“Why do you care?” Ross didn’t mean to be rude, though he knew it was coming out that way. He just couldn’t understand why a stranger would be so interested in his well-being. “You hardly know me. You only met me a few days ago.”
“You only met me a few days ago,” Tau said. “I saw you for the first time almost a month ago. And I know you’re worth saving. Worth keeping.”
“You’ve been watching me?” That was just weird.
“I’ve been learning about you. Watching, scenting, getting to know you. Deciding if you were someone I wanted to know.” Tau touched Ross’ leg through the blanket. “You are.”
Ross wasn’t sure what to say to that. He glanced up at Lindy; she nodded and smiled, giving her approval. After a moment, Ross admitted, “You’re someone I want to know, too.” Tau’s smile was sweeter than Ross would’ve expected from a lion. He leaned in, rubbing his cheek against Ross’. When Ross didn’t pull away, Tau turned his head, angling in for a kiss. Ross didn’t pull away from that, either.
It was a slow, almost delicate kiss. It felt good to ignore all his worries, just for a moment, and let himself enjoy it. Tau’s lips were so soft and warm. Ross had to draw back, though, and look for Lindy. He had to know this was okay.
Lindy smiled at him, already walking toward the bed. She crawled up on the bed behind Tau and nuzzled at the back of his neck. Tau’s eyes widened and then he smiled a little, obviously enjoying the attention.
“Pretty, isn’t he?”
Ross thought Lindy was talking about Tau, and he was about to answer, when Tau said, “He’s beautiful.” Ross didn’t know what to say to that, so he leaned up, catching Tau’s mouth with his own and preventing either of them from saying anything more. Lindy made a pleased sound and Tau echoed her when Ross licked at his lips. He teased his way inside, his tongue sliding against Tau’s. When Tau sucked gently at Ross’ tongue, Ross was the one making pleased sounds, moaning quietly.
The sounds seemed to energize Tau. He pushed up over Ross, pressing him down onto his back on the bed, and bit at his lower lip. That just made Ross moan again. He loved the sharp edge of Lindy’s teeth on his skin, and Tau’s teeth felt just as good. Ross threaded his fingers into Tau’s hair and whined, asking for more. He bumped into another set of fingers, Lindy’s, and felt her tug Tau back from him. He whined again, but she didn’t stop, and soon their kiss was broken. “Up,” she said. “Get up.” When Tau sat up, Ross could see that Lindy was already naked behind him. She reached around Tau’s body to start unbuttoning Ross’ nightshirt. “I’m feeling a little lonely here,” she murmured, when she’d gotten the shirt undone. She grinned, running her hands down her body. Ross’ eyes followed her hands. Tau noticed and turned around to see, too.
“Yeah,” he purred, showing his sharp teeth in a grin of his own. Tau pulled his shirt off over his head and tossed it on the floor, then shifted to get at his pants. Ross shrugged out of his nightshirt, pushed off his shorts, and then he just laid back and watched. Lindy was gorgeous, and Tau looked just as good.
Tau had to stand up to get his pants off, which made the view even better. His body was gold all over, sleek and muscular. There was a thin trail of tawny fur that led from his navel down between his legs. Ross wondered what it would be like to follow the trail with his tongue. Before he could get up and find out for himself, Lindy crawled up over his body, licking at skin and feathers alike.
When she got up to his mouth, Ross rolled them both over, biting at her lips the way Tau had bitten at his. She hissed in pleasure and pushed up to kiss him, hard. The kisses were so good that he almost forgot Tau was there, until the pressure of Tau’s hard cock against the curve of his ass made forgetting Tau’s presence impossible. Ross groaned into the kisses and pushed back against Tau, inviting more.
Tau’s big hands wrapped around Ross’ hips. “Are you going to fuck her?” he asked, his voice nothing more than a low growl.
Lindy answered before Ross could, arching up under him. “Want to help us?” she hissed, the soft thread of need in her voice that always hit Ross right in the gut. “Put him in me.”
“Yeah?” “Fuck, yeah,” Ross whispered, arching back again and spreading his legs a little more so Tau could touch him. When Tau’s big, warm hand wrapped around the base of Ross’ cock, he couldn’t help but push back into it. Tau’s grip tightened, and Ross keened, dropping his head down onto Lindy’s shoulder. “Please. Don’t tease.”
Tau didn’t tease. As soon as Lindy wrapped one leg up around Ross’ hip, Tau used his grip on Ross’ cock to guide him home. Lindy pulled Ross down into another kiss, arching up against him and fucking herself on his cock. She was tight as always, hot and wet around him, and he rocked his hips to get in deeper. When he pulled back, he felt Tau still pressed against him, and he moaned.
“In the drawer,” he said, when he could get the words out. Tau took the hint, pulling out a small pot of lube. Ross had used it on Lindy; Lindy had used it on Ross. Now, Tau was using it on Ross, too. Tau’s fingers were slick, pressing into him, and Ross pushed back against them, and then forward into Lindy. Lindy tipped her hips up to take him deeper, leaving him moaning, rocking between the two sensations.
“Fuck him,” Lindy murmured, nibbling away from Ross’ mouth and down over his jaw and neck. With all of the scrapes and pinches
making him arch his neck to feel more, it took Ross a moment to realize what she was saying, and then he pushed back against Tau’s fingers, showing his agreement.
Tau must’ve agreed, too, because he pulled his fingers out and, just a moment later, started pushing his cock in, in their place. He was thick, but he pushed in slow enough that the burn just made Ross want it more.
“C’mon,” he muttered, rolling his hips as he thrust in and out of Lindy’s body, trying to hurry Tau up. It didn’t work, but Tau’s fingernails dug into the flesh of Ross’ hips to keep him still, and that was almost as good. “Yeah.”
Lindy hissed against the side of his neck, and then bit down with her long, sharp fangs. She bit hard enough that he couldn’t stop himself from jerking back from the pain. That just made it worse, but that was better, too. Tau used the opportunity to push the rest of the way in, mixing the pain and pleasure even more. It was so good.
Finally, they were all moving together. Tau thrust into Ross, pushing him into Lindy, and then she writhed back against him, sending them all back the other way. Over and over, they moved like that. Ross kept his wings curled down his sides, out of the way. He was trapped between them, lost in the pleasure, until Tau’s fingers tangled in his hair and pulled him back, flush against Tau’s chest.
Ross gasped, his hips still moving between Tau’s and Lindy’s. He gasped again when Tau nuzzled into the side of his neck, his lips brushing over the spot where Lindy had bitten him. He licked and sucked gently, like he was tasting Lindy on Ross’ skin. When his mouth moved an inch or so higher, though, his sharp teeth dug in, too. Ross cried out, shivering hard. It was difficult, when the sensations were so intense, to keep from letting the pleasure overwhelm him. He managed to hold back, though. He didn’t come, not yet.
Tau must’ve felt his desperation; he stopped biting and licked at the skin instead. The relief gave Ross enough presence of mind that he could remember what Lindy liked, how to please her. He slipped one hand between them, rubbing her clit with his thumb, and when she started to writhe, he pinched hard. She shouted, bucking against him, her body clenched tight around his cock as she came.
He dragged in slow breaths through his teeth, trying to hold on. It didn’t last. Tau gripped Ross’ hips tighter, fucked him harder and faster. Every thrust pushed more noises out of Ross, until he was almost screaming with it. He fell forward, braced on his hands over Lindy, coming hard.
By the time Ross could think again, all three of them were in a tangled heap. He mumbled a little—no real words, just questioning noises—but Tau’s big hand rubbed soothingly over his back and he relaxed again. A moment later, he felt a soft, warm cloth sliding over his skin as Tau cleaned them up. It felt…nice. Comfortable and comforting.
Lindy shifted closer in front of him, fitting her body against him from chest to toes. That was comfortable, too. Warm and familiar. Tau’s body wasn’t nearly so familiar, but when it pressed against his back, fitting snugly even against his wings, it was oddly comfortable. Ross was asleep in minutes.
*** It only took another day before Ross could go back to work. Lindy had called his boss to let him know what happened, but there was no one to take over for him, so there was a lot of filing to catch up on when he got back. He worked through lunch, trying to get on top of it, and his hunger felt like it was eating a hole through his belly by the time his shift was over.
He didn’t bother waving goodbye to his coworkers on his way out, and they returned the favor. His boss had already left for the day, and Mr. Carlyle was the only person who bothered talking to Ross. Ross reasoned that it was probably only because Mr. Carlyle knew Ross wasn’t going to be moving on to bigger and better things, so he didn’t have to worry about ever finding a replacement. Being a records specialist for the city wasn’t a glamorous job by any means, but no one cared that the guy doing the filing was a deformed freak.
Except for being so hungry, it felt like the end to a perfectly normal day. The feeling continued right up until Ross saw Tau waiting for him in the lobby. Tau must’ve caught his scent, because he looked up and smiled just as Ross walked in. Ross’ step stuttered slightly and then he smiled back.
“Hey, beautiful.” Tau pushed off the wall, heading over to walk with Ross. “Dinner? Lindy’s meeting us at that deli down the block.”
“I love that place.” Ross didn’t get to go there much. Not with Anil always around.
“Lindy told me.” Tau slid an arm around Ross’ shoulders, between his back and the arch of his wings. He nuzzled at Ross’ cheek, purring quietly. “I thought it might be fun to go out.”
Ross looked up at Tau, surprised. Fun? “Yeah,” he decided. “Yeah, it would be.”
***
After dinner, they walked back to Ross and Lindy’s apartment together, but Tau stopped at the door. Lindy went on through. Ross could hear the burr of coffee beans being ground.
“Come in for coffee?” he invited, holding the door open so Tau could get through.
Tau looked surprised, but he smiled and came inside. “Thanks.” “It’ll be ready in just a few minutes,” Lindy said, walking in from the kitchen. “Are you guys going to stand there in the doorway while we wait, or do you think maybe we could all sit down on the couch?”
Ross turned around to find Lindy grinning at him, laughter in her eyes. Tau’s laughter was audible, and he said, “Yeah, couch would be good.” It was a little uncomfortable at first, the three of them trying to fit together in the small space the couch allowed. Ross shifted up against the armrest, though, and Tau settled against him, and then everything just fell into place.
Tau’s smile was irresistible, sweet and pleased. Ross smiled back at him, and then leaned in to brush a kiss over the corner of his mouth. That was all it was supposed to be—just a quick brush of his lips against Tau’s—but then Tau turned his head at just the right time, and Ross found himself licking into Tau’s mouth and listening to him purr.
At some point, the kisses moved from Tau’s mouth to his neck; Tau tasted so good, like salt and smoke and heat. Ross found himself licking and kissing, biting at Tau’s skin, wanting to taste more. The noises Tau made were soft and surprised, but there was a thread of need Ross could always hear in Lindy’s tone, and it was clear and open and honest in Tau’s voice, too. He forgot all about the coffee, totally focused on what he was doing now.
He pushed at Tau’s shirt until the lion arched up and dragged it off his own body. As the shirt fell to the floor, Tau leaned forward again, asking for more kisses. Ross gave them to him; he wanted the same thing. The kisses weren’t delicate, they weren’t careful. They were hot and hard and messy, and somewhere in the middle of them, Tau’s big hand pressed between Ross’ legs, cupping his hardening cock. Ross moaned and arched up into the touch. The sound must have been some kind of signal for Tau, because the next thing Ross knew, his pants were being pulled open and Tau was kneeling on the floor between his feet.
Ross lifted his hips so his pants could slide past them. He looked around, but Lindy was nowhere to be seen. The coffee, maybe. He didn’t really have time to think about it; his pants were in a puddle on the floor and Tau was rubbing his cheek along Ross’ inner thigh. “Yeah?” he asked, spreading his legs a little more and petting one hand over Tau’s silky hair.
Tau’s teeth were sharp enough to draw blood when he nipped at Ross’ skin. “Yeah,” he growled. “Yeah.” Ross’ hand fisted in Tau’s hair and he jerked up into the pain. “Yeah.” He moaned when Tau’s tongue flicked over the head of his cock, warm and wet. Ross dared to look down, to see how those pink-gold lips looked, wrapped around his dick. Tau was just as gorgeous on his knees as he was standing up straight and tall.
Movement in the corner of his vision caught Ross’ attention; Lindy was back. She smiled and knelt down behind Tau, drawing her hands down his sides. He arched into her touch like a cat being petted. The vibrations from his purrs sent ripples of pleasure through Ross, so that he was arching, too. Ross wasn’t
sure how it happened, but the next time he looked, Tau was naked, his dark gold skin gleaming with a thin sheen of sweat, and Lindy was flicking her long tongue over the length of his spine.
Somehow, her tongue matched the pace of Tau’s mouth, so that each time she licked out, Tau was pushing down over Ross’ dick. Ross couldn’t tear his eyes away from the sight—they were both so beautiful—so he didn’t miss it when Lindy’s fingers trailed down the damp path her tongue had left on Tau’s skin, and then dipped between the cheeks of his ass. He didn’t miss Tau’s reaction either: the silky writhing of his body and the low growls of pleasure.
When Lindy pulled her fingers out, Tau gave a high, needy whine and lifted his head to look back at her. Ross couldn’t find it in himself to complain, not when she soothed Tau with the hottest kiss he’d ever watched. It was like she was trying to eat the taste of Ross’ cock out of Tau’s mouth, and for all Tau’s pleading noises, he didn’t just roll over and let it happen. He bit and sucked at her kisses, leaving her lips bleeding when she pulled away.
Licking the traces of blood from her lips, Lindy flashed Tau a slow, sensual smile, then turned her attention to something in her hands. Ross couldn’t see it through the solid bulk of Tau’s body, but when Tau moaned, he quickly figured out what it was. She’d used the double-ended dildo on him often enough, and he knew how good she was with it.
He threaded his fingers into honey-gold hair again and pulled Tau’s mouth down to his dick. “C’mon,” he murmured, arching so the head of his cock slid over Tau’s lips. “Suck me. I want to watch her fuck you while you suck me off.”
It took every bit of concentration Ross could muster to keep from bucking up into Tau’s mouth when Tau finally opened up and took him in again. The big lion must’ve caught the shiver of his hips, though, because he reached out and pulled Ross up into him. Soon, the three of them were moving in sync, Lindy and Ross both pushing into Tau, and Tau moaning around Ross’ cock with every one of their thrusts.
