by A. J. Blake
“You sound awfully distressed, son. Is everything alright?”
“No, partly because someone dear to me has been hurt, and partly because I can’t hassle how important it is that I talk to you soon. At least by this weekend, father.”
“Okay, Marbell, calm down,” the man said, “Would you be able to visit me in Manchester on Saturday? I have a very important board meeting with the directors of our UK agency.”
Marbell had tests to prepare for his students over the weekend, but, he said, “Yes, that’s perfect.” His phone beeped as to alert someone on the other line. It was London. “I’ll see you Saturday.”
“By the way,” Rolland said, “Good work reeling in the Japanese company. They are very excited to begin work with us.”
“Thank you, father,” Marbell hurried to end the call. “Goodbye.” Then he clicked over to London, and said, “How is he!?”
London’s voice was both relieved and tired on the other line. “Henry is going to be fine after a few more days in the hospital. He’s shaken up but he’s all good.”
“Thank, god,” Marbell sighed. “Are you going to stay the night or come home? Joyce was wondering where you went.”
“I’ll ask Henry if he wants me to stay and I’ll let you know. I swear to god if I ever get my hands on whoever did this shit to him they are dead. And this fucking hospital bill is going to ruin me.”
“London,” Marbell cut him off, “Don’t worry about that. I don’t want you worrying about anything costly ever again, okay? I just use the card I gave you for the bill, and make sure Henry is comfortable in there so he can come home. Okay?” When he didn’t receive an answer, Marbell said, “Are you still there?”
A faint cry was heard on the other line, and Marbell’s heart shook for not being able to comfort London. The tattooed boy was crying through the phone, the weakness he rarely showed heard plainly. “I thought–,” he choked out, “I thought I was going to lose my brother. For the second time I wasn’t there to protect him, Marbell. When we were younger, I took the beatings for him, I did what I could to keep him safe, and then I let him down by running away, and now that I’m back, it’s still not enough to make sure nothing happens to him.”
“London,” Marbell said, wanting to dry the tears he knew were in his lover’s eyes, “You don’t have to think like that. What happened tonight was completely out of your hands, and you should not be blaming yourself. Don’t put yourself through that, baby. Henry is fine, right?”
“Yes...”
“That’s all that matters. You have done more for your family than you think, and you don’t give yourself enough credit for it. You are absolutely perfect for them; you hear me? London?”
“I hear you.”
“Good.”
When London hung up with Marbell, he sat there in the hall for several more minutes, alone with his thoughts like he needed to be for a moment. He was aware that none of this was his immediate fault, but being out of reach when someone he loved was in danger had struck a chord in him. He’d have much rather it’d been him in that damn car when it lost control, taken whatever broken bones, concussions, or anything that would have come from it. He’d have gone through it all just so Henry would be safe in his bedroom right now instead of a hospital.
After coming home two years ago, London felt like he owed Henry something, and although he never voiced it, always felt the regret that running away left behind. While he was out as a teenager doing drugs, making friends in bad places, and getting tattoos all over his body, he’d abandoned the one person who deserved protection in their house. And for a while...for as long as he could, London had provided that. He took their father’s wrath. He endured the lashes of belts, fists, switches, the constant verbal abuse, and tried to coach Henry into being the kind of son that could avoid such punishments, but when the time came, and London could no longer put up with it anymore, he hightailed it out of there as fast as he could.
Through the years away from his brother, London had wondered how he was doing, but was always too messed up on some drug, whether it had been ecstasy or marijuana, London never focused on past events long enough to consider going back and checking in.
The least London wanted to do now was give his brother and sister a life befitting for a child. He wanted to give Henry what he’d been deprived of when he was younger, and he wanted to make sure Joyce never ever knew what it felt like to be unloved like he did.
With Henry down the hall with tubes and wires hooked up to him, it wasn’t a wonder as to why London felt the way he did now.
Going back to Henry’s room number, London peeked through the window of the door first. Henry was laid in bed fighting sleep, and shook himself awake when his brother walked in. He gave London a crooked smirk, and said, “Can I use your phone to text my friends? Pretty sure mine got jacked up in the wreck, and I’ve got to let my Dungeons and Dragons friends know that Dracon the Great isn’t going to be joining the mission tonight. I wanted to go to Daniel’s after the mall.”
“Dracon the Great...?” London scoffed, handing his phone over, “What a lame name.”
“Hey, don’t you make fun of my Ranger. He’s a badass.”
Taking a seat in the chair beside the bed, London watched his brother text back and forth to his friends. A nurse came in a few minutes later asking questions about discomfort, filled in her chart and took care of Henry before leaving again. When they were alone, London asked, “Do you want me to stay the night, or would it be okay if I went home and came back tomorrow?”
“London, I’m not a baby. I can handle being alone for a couple hours. I mean, you used to work over night all the time, anyway. It’s not like I’m not used to you being away from hours at a time. By the way, whatever happened to that job at the warehouse?”
“I quit,” London put it simple. He couldn’t possibly tell the truth. “You want me to stay or not?”
“You can go home,” Henry said, “I’m sure you want to see your husband and Joyce is probably begging to know where you are. I’ll be fine here. Just come back after you get off work tomorrow. Oh, can you ask Marbell to bring me work from my classes? The last thing I need after this is to fail my sophomore year.”
London nodded and kissed his brother’s hair, “I will see you tomorrow then. Get some sleep and don’t agitate your stitches. Call me if you need anything even if I’m still at work, or if it’s the middle of the night, okay?”
“Yeah, yeah, just go already. I can tell you’re about to get all gushy.”
With a laugh on his way out, London paused in the doorframe and looked back at his brother, smiling to Henry before getting a move on. Just outside of the doors were two officers. They were in their uniforms, and one of them had a notepad open in his hand. “Good evening, Mr. Dawncraft,” the one of the right voiced in a thick Brooklyn accent. He was small for his middle-aged appearance and the only thing intimidating about him was the gun strapped to his belt. “We just wanted you to know that we are going to be looking into this matter, and plan on finding the bastard who did this to your brother. We’ve spoken to a witness who was actually the one to call in help for your brother. So far we’ve got the make and model of the vehicle, but they were a little fuzzy on the color because of the after dark hours. We’re going to do all we can to catch this person.”
London nodded and started away, “I just hope you find them before I do.”
Outside the hospital, London dropped into Marbell’s car and headed home. When he arrived, he sat behind the wheel for a couple minutes before going inside. Only the light to the hallway was on when London went in. The house was spotless unlike it’d been before he left, the food in the kitchen put away, everything straightened out, and there in the living room was Marbell and Joyce. They were asleep on the couch with the credits for a movie rolling up the television screen.
Laid across the couch with one foot hanging off, Marbell had Joyce tucked against him on his chest, her tiny fist balled into the front
of his shirt as she drooled a dark puddle onto him.
After turning off the TV, London tried to pick his sister off Marbell to take her to her room, but she groaned in her sleep and nestled further into the teacher. Trying again, London successfully took her to her own bedroom and tucked a toy beside her, kissing her hair before going back to the living room. He then shimmied his arms under Marbell and lifted him off the couch, carrying the man to his bedroom. When he nudged the door open with his hip, London placed his lover down in the bed, and changed into just a pair of gym shorts for bed.
When he went to turn the hall light off, he heard a shift in the bed and met Marbell’s tired eyes. “Go back to sleep,” London said after hitting the switch.
“I’m going to see my father this weekend,” Marbell said anyway, keeping his voice low as he was pretty tired. “He’s in Manchester.”
Blanketing the covers over himself, London registered the distant location and couldn’t help a sigh of dejection from leaving him. “Manchester, eh? That’s more than four thousand miles away, and, to be honest, I could really use you here right now. With Henry in the hospital, I just wanted the people I love close by, y’know?”
“I’m sorry,” Marbell said, “I can set another date to meet with him if you want me to.”
London reached across the small space between them and ran his thumb down Marbell’s cheek, “No, this is important as is it. I’m sure we can survive one weekend without each other.”
“I’m not even too sure about that,” Marbell said.
London kissed the teacher before letting sleep take over his body, pretty sure himself that Marbell was right.
XX – Father
With wet pink lips wrapped around his cock, London found himself withdrawn from the world. His hips dug into the mattress supporting him, legs open, and keeping the sound of his needy moans down when clever fingers rung at the base of his shaft. He brought himself to his elbows thrusting softly against the back of the throat taking every inch of him. His mouth fell agape when Marbell swallowed around him before backing off, playing his tongue at London’s prick.
London sat up all the way then, coming onto his knees. He shoved his mouth against Marbell’s, running hands down the teacher’s trim figure and clutched his ass greedily. Tracing two fingers down Marbell’s center, London felt as he flinched when they teased around his hole.
Marbell let his head fall back, lips sucking at the skin of his neck, and the tattooed boy guided him down onto the bed, still half asleep but knowing exactly what he was doing.
Stealing his fingers from Marbell’s body, London dragged the man down until his entry touched the tip of his cock. Marbell squirmed on his back, wanting it more and more.
London quickly applied a dash of lube from his nightstand, easing inside only an inch before pulling back out. He planted kisses upon Marbell’s chest, the rough skin of his burn scar. He sucked his lips around the man’s perked nipple, biting softly with his teeth, and dragged his tongue over it. “London,” Marbell sighed when the mocking pressure struck into his ass again. “Take me, baby.”
Holding Marbell’s hands above his head, London licked at the man’s mouth, and said, “Anything you say, Daddy.”
Marbell breathlessly smirked up at his lover, eyes shutting tight when London finally drove into him, stroking deep into his core. “Been a while since I called you that, huh?” London said. He rubbed his hands down Marbell’s body as he grinded and fucked hard into him, the sound of the teacher’s stuttering breath like music to his ears.
Slowing down after a while, London stole his cock from Marbell. He was stiff as a rod, worked all the way up. Before the man could complain about the cease of his pleasure, London closed his hand around Marbell, circling his fingers around the man’s dripping tip. Licking at the tasteful cream, London pushed back into Marbell, keeping his thrusts measured and relaxed. Marbell couldn’t keep still even if he tried, writhing below London each time the pleasure point deep inside him was struck. The sensual fucking of his being warped his mind, trapping him in a cage of fulfilled desire.
Marbell found himself on his knees after a moment, not being able to recall getting into the position, but not caring in the least either. His face was pressed into his sheets, bottom up, and London’s hands held onto his hips. He moaned out whenever London banged into him, skin hot and sweaty when the tattooed boy finally reached his limit.
London felt the strong arousal travel through his body, and it struck his cock as his seed poured into the man under him. He hissed, emptying everything he could offer, and the moment he threatened to pull out, Marbell brought a hand back, keeping him in place when his own orgasm erupted. They came down together, lying there atop the damp and tangled sheets of the bed.
After catching the time on the digital clock at their bedside, London rolled over onto his stomach, and said, “I guess, it’s time for you to go, huh?”
It was 4:00am and Marbell had his private flight booked for Manchester. Leaving now would have him there by nine o’clock in the evening UK time. The teacher didn’t much want to leave London, especially in the state he was, but this meeting with his father was far more important than any of the others they’d ever had before. Everything from this point on was going to shape their future together, and determine whether or not he and his father would ever have a relationship afterwards. Marbell wanted that very much, to have his father in his life, as well as London and Henry and Joyce. Marbell wanted these people to be his family going forward, but...if he lost his father in doing this...then, that’s how it was going to be.
Getting out of bed, Marbell said, “I’ll be back before you know it. With good news or bad news, it doesn’t really matter. Whatever happens, I’m coming right back here.”
London quivered his lip up at the teacher and held a hand out to him.
Marbell sighed and took his offer, “Don’t give me that pout,” he said. “Where’s my big strong, sexy boyfriend?”
“Oh, I’m right here, Daddy,” he sat up, flexing and showing off his muscles.
“Mmm,” Marbell licked his lips, “Don’t give me the idea of jumping back in that bed. I could use a little more taking care of.”
London pinched playfully at Marbell’s ass before he left for the bathroom.
Since meeting Marbell, it was always hard to deal with a couple days, even hours, without the man by his side, but he’d have to put up with it given the circumstances. If they truly wanted this Rated MA love story happily ever after, he’d have to put up with Marbell’s absence for now.
After, they’d never have a reason to be without one another again.
When a few minutes passed, London rose from bed as well, and slipped into the bathroom, joining Marbell in the shower. Soap and water covered the teacher, and he smiled when London stepped below the showerhead. Without a word, their lips met, London allowing his arms to softly cling around the man’s damp body. Their tongues mingled beneath the water, muted ‘I love yous’ spoken without the need to utter a single word.
Once London pulled away, Marbell tucked himself into his lover’s chest, and they stood there together, letting the water stream down their bodies for several minutes. London could stay here always, nestled with Marbell’s tenderness where nothing from the outside world could threatened to tear them apart. Not that London would ever let such a thing happen. He was in love, the deepest, sincerest love he could ever hope to feel, and Marbell was the founder of it.
“No matter what,” London said.
“I’ll always come back to you,” Marbell finished.
It was time for Marbell’s departure when 4:30am came around. A suitcase was on the couch in the living room, clothes and necessities for a one or two-day trip packed and ready to go. Marbell was dressed now in a boysenberry shirt and ash grey vest, with jet black slacks and a leather belt. His dress shoes were laced and the tie around his neck was secured properly. Taming his hair before London handed him a steaming cup and coffee and his gla
sses, Marbell kissed his lover one last time. “I’ll call when I get there, okay?”
London nodded, seeing him out the door. “I’ll miss you.”
“London, stop!” Marbell laughed, wiping at the bottom of his eyes. “You’re going to make me cry.”
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” London held his breath, feeling the tightness fill up in his throat as well. “I love you, Marbell.”
“I love you, too.”
The bandages around Henry’s torso came off today, and the stitches running down the right side of his ribcage was pretty long. When it healed it would definitely leave a lasting scar, but the boy didn’t seem too concerned about it. Looking it over, Henry held the camera to London’s phone above it and snapped a still shot of it. “Hell yeah,” he nodded in approval, sending the picture out to one of his friends.
It was ten in the morning by now, and London was at the hospital with Joyce. To his surprise, Henry wasn’t as worked up about the incident anymore, instead just admiring the lesion left behind. “What are you doing?” London asked, “You’ve been trying to take pictures of yourself for the past five minutes.”
Taking one more shot, Henry said, “I’m showing it off. Did you know people dig scars? Like, people find scars really sexy and I think this one will come out pretty damn nice once it’s completely healed.”
At the assumption, Joyce peered over the end of the bed to her brother’s chest. “Eww,” she pointed, “That not go away?”
“Hey,” Henry whined, “What do you mean ‘eww’?”
“Nasty,” the little girl grimaced.
Henry moaned and groaned in a fake ‘woe is me’ type of manner. “So you think I’m ugly, now, Joyce?”
The four-year-old gasped, shaking her head, “No, no, no. Henry pretty. Pretty like London. Pretty like me.”
Henry wagged a finger at his baby sister, “You’re a conceited one, aren’t cha?”
London sat down beside Henry on the bed, and dropped a wrinkled paper into his lap. “You’re the conceited one,” he said, “Probably got it from me. Anyways, quit taking half naked pictures of yourself for your friends and read this.” It was the letter written to him by their Old Man, something he figured his brother needed to see. He’d fished it out of the trashcan the other day and set it aside, having read it over and over before deciding this was probably the right thing to do. He hated his Old Man, nothing would ever change that, but he felt there would be some kind of closure for himself if he went through with this.
