The Teddy Bear Club

by Sean Michael

  “We will. I’m not going anywhere and neither is Dylan.” That was the important thing. Where the coffee cups went was just details. Details they might argue about, but still details.

  He put Dylan over his shoulder and rubbed his back, waiting for his boy’s burps.

  Linds had given up waiting on her book, heading over to “help” her Uncle Zack. It was adorable how the man found her things to do that wouldn’t cause breakage.

  He’d thought she wanted the book for bedtime anyway, and he’d be happy to read to her then. Right now he was ricocheting between being ecstatic and overwhelmed by everything that had occurred in the last two days. Figured he’d do all the big things all at once.

  “I suppose you’d rather entertain Dylan than help unpack,” he teased Logan.

  “God yes. Hand him over. I’m his hero.” Logan shot him an arch look. “In fact, if you’re looking for godfather candidates….”

  “Godfather… I hadn’t even thought about stuff like that, but you’re right, I should. Especially as he has a new name now. That would kind of put the cherry on top of things, wouldn’t it? I’ll have to talk about it with Aiden, but you’re definitely in the running, okay?” He got his burps out of Dylan and he stood, moving to bring his little boy over to Logan to entertain while he helped unpack.

  The house was beginning to look like a new normal with the guys’ help.

  He took one last look at his boy, then went to find Aiden. “So what still needs doing?” He was ready to jump in, to help make this place his and Dylan’s home too. Not that they needed things to make that happen, but each cup, each towel, cemented things.

  “You want to put the rest of your clothes away?” Aiden said. “I like how your dresser fit in the bedroom. Did I tell you Bill’s going to buy the guest bed?”

  “Oh, that’s great, and thank you. I liked how it looks in there too. It totally matches the bed. Is there anything in there that you could be working on while I finish putting my clothes away?” He wanted a kiss or two. Well, he wanted more than that, but he was willing to settle while there were other people in the house who could look after the kids for a few minutes.

  “I’m sure there is. There’s all the stuff you had in your bathroom.”

  “Okay, then. Let’s work on that stuff and my clothes together.” Could Aiden tell he wanted a kiss or three?

  “You guys okay with Linds and Dylan?” Aiden had Bee happily cradled in her sling.

  “Here, let me have Bee, man. They can play on the floor.”

  Bless Logan, he was definitely at the top of the godfather list. Like the very top.

  “Sure.”

  Bee went right to Logan, cooing and kicking. That baby was preternaturally cheery.

  Trusting their babies were fine, Dev followed Aiden to the bedroom, drawn to that ass like a moth to the flame. Yum.

  Aiden looked over his shoulder at him. “Hey, you.”

  “Hey, yourself.” He waited until they had the door closed behind them, then stepped in close and took the kiss he’d been dying for since they’d gotten the good news.

  He focused on the connection, on the way Aiden tasted, how this was going to be the next in a bunch of kisses. A lifetime of them, maybe.

  When the kiss ended, he leaned their foreheads together and breathed his lover in. “We’re a family now,” he said quietly, full of wonder over that.

  “We were a family before, but we’re safer now.”

  “We’re legal now.” He grinned and gave Aiden a short, quick kiss. “And I love our kids and our friends, but I have to admit, I want everyone to go to bed and go home so we can celebrate in style, just the two of us.”

  “Ooh. You’re a naughty one, aren’t you?” Aiden grabbed his butt and squeezed.

  He clapped his hand over his mouth as he squeaked. “I am. I’m hoping you are too.”

  “Pure as the driven snow.”

  Dev laughed. “So I’m going to debauch you? Is that what you’re saying? And here I thought it was the other way around.” He wanted to do it right now. He wanted to throw Aiden on the bed and devour him.

  “Nope. I’m an angel. Flutter, flutter, flutter.”

  He laughed. God, Aiden made him happy, like deep down. “Those are some pretty wings you’ve got, though your halo has PB&J smears on it.”

  “Honey, if that’s the only thing smeared, I’m a lucky man.”

  Dev laughed again and took another kiss. “Let’s get this unpacking done, eh? It would be great if we were finished before morning.”

  “I would love that. I would love to make love to you too, if I’m lucky.”

  “I’d say you making love to me would make us both lucky.” He felt warm all over, his cock not hard, but definitely interested. It wouldn’t take much to push him into throwing caution to the winds.

  “Yes, but Logan and Zack will be on us like crazy.”

  “I know, I know. Tonight, eh? After the kids are in bed and everyone has gone home. Try to conserve your energy.” The advice was for himself as much as Aiden.

  “I’ll do my best.” Aiden kissed him hard, the pressure firm, heated, wanton. “I do love you, Dev, and I’m glad you have this off your mind, that you’re both safe with me.”

  He nodded at Aiden. “Yeah, I’m glad about that too. And I’m glad you love me and want me and my boy.” He kissed Aiden back. “Love you too. I mean, really.”

  “Yeah? Because… well, one day I’d like to discuss… I mean. Oh never mind.”

  “You’re talking about it becoming official. I’ve been thinking about it too.” When he signed the papers, he’d almost asked Logan about having Aiden adopt Dylan too, but he hadn’t spoken to Aiden about it yet, and he didn’t want to make a unilateral decision.

  “Have you?” Aiden’s cheeks were bright red.

  “I have. So I take it you’re interested?”

  “Uh-huh.” Aiden reached out, squeezed his fingers with surprisingly shaky hands. “Maybe a little. You don’t think it’s too fast, love?”

  “I don’t know if it’s too fast or not. But we’re a family now, no matter how quickly it happened. It feels too good not to trust.”

  “Yeah. Yeah, and you’re already Daddy D.”

  “Out of the mouths of babes, eh?”

  Aiden leaned against him, playing with his fingers. “So you’d be interested in it if I asked you to marry me?”

  “Oh God.” Wonder moved through him in a wave. “Yes. I’d totally be interested.”

  “Yeah? Because I would totally be interested too. In asking.”

  “Cool.” He grinned, unable to contain his emotion. He grabbed on to Aiden’s shirt and kissed him, hard.

  It was the most awkward, weird proposal ever, but it was his.

  He kept kissing Aiden, not caring who was on the other side of that door.

  “Marry me, Dev. Raise babies with me.”

  “Yes. I will.” He laughed. “I totally will.”

  “Oh good.” Aiden kissed him this time, holding on tight.

  He backed up to the wall, pulling Aiden along with him. Aiden gasped, pushing at their jeans with a clumsy hand, working their flies open.

  “Oh damn, are we doing this now?” He wanted to. God, he wanted to.

  “Shh. Shh. Just real quick. Just because we can.”

  He giggled—there was no other way to put it—and the sound was cut off by their mouths joining together again.

  Aiden pushed at Dev’s jeans, shoved them down along with his own, then grabbed their cocks and held them, squeezing them tight.

  “Fuck! Oh God. Aiden.” His head hit the wall behind him.

  “Hush.” Aiden pushed his tongue into Dev’s mouth, hand moving fast and hard, dragging on their cocks.

  He wrapped his hands around Aiden’s shoulders and held on tight. He wanted… hell, he wanted everything, but right now he wanted this.

  He sucked on Aiden’s tongue and slid one hand down along Aiden’s back, right to his ass, which he cupped,
squeezed, making the lean hips buck and roll.

  He couldn’t catch his breath, and it made him light-headed. Or it was Aiden making him feel that way. Either way, he didn’t want it to stop. He needed it not to stop.

  He grabbed Aiden’s ass with his other hand too, pulled him closer. “Don’t stop,” he begged. “Don’t let go.”

  “Promise.” Aiden worked their tips, tugging them hard, over and over.

  No one had ever promised him they wouldn’t let go. No one. Until now. Until Aiden.

  Dev brought their lips together, burying his cry in Aiden’s mouth. His orgasm shot out of him, Aiden pulling it right out of his balls, out of his soul.

  “Love!” He heard it, the sound wild and fierce, ringing in his brain.

  “Yours. Oh God, Aiden.” He squeezed Aiden’s ass tight, his fingers digging into the gorgeous butt. Aiden answered by squeezing his cock, and he couldn’t help but shoot again, more come dribbling out of him. “Come for me, love. Need you to.” Dev didn’t want it to be one-sided.

  “Uhn.” That was the only thing Aiden said as he came.

  They smelled good together. Hot. Dev leaned their foreheads together, breathing deeply, taking Aiden all in. This man was his, wanted him. Loved him.

  “Guys, are you done unpacking? Linds wants you.” He was going to kill Zack.

  Dev brought their lips together for another kiss. “We can unpack for real in here tonight after everyone goes home,” he suggested.

  “Or tomorrow morning. The kids can sit in here and watch cartoons.”

  “My husband-to-be is really smart.” He took another kiss.

  “Daddy! Daddy D! Where are you?”

  “Coming, bug,” he called, giving Aiden a rueful look. “It’s not the first time we’ve been cut short, and it won’t be the last, but at least we got to come this time.”

  “We did. I meant it. The marriage part.”

  “Well that’s good, because so did I, and it would have been awkward if you hadn’t.” He wanted to say no take-backs, so he did. “No take-backs.”

  “No take-backs. Let’s clean up, huh? She’s only going to get louder.”

  He chuckled, but he went to the bathroom and grabbed a cloth, ran it under the water. The last thing they wanted was Linds working herself into a temper tantrum. It totally wasn’t necessary. He was gentle but quick with Aiden’s cock, not letting himself get distracted.

  Aiden shivered at his touch, the softest moan brushing his cheek.

  “Don’t tempt me, love.” Because he could so be tempted. He cleaned himself less gently, wanting it done quickly.

  “Yeah, but your daughter wants a story.”

  Right. His daughter. His oldest daughter. “I have two girls. To go with my boy.” How amazing was that? Laughing, he did himself up and went to the door and glanced back to make sure that Aiden was decent. Then he opened the door, catching Linds as she launched herself at him.

  Epilogue

  “LINDS, get your boots and coat on! We have to go! Dev, will you help her?” Aiden caught the babies as they both tried to crawl off. “Oh no you don’t.”

  “Come here, bug. We need to get ready if we’re going to go play with Sarah and the twins.” Dev had the huge diaper bag on his shoulder. “You know, you never told me that everything was twice as hard as soon as they started crawling.”

  “Linds was walking when I got her. I had no idea.” He got the hooligans in their stroller. “Come on, sweetie. It’s Uncle Zack’s birthday, and I want to see him.”

  “Oh, the gifts!” Dev darted back inside, coming back with another bag. He shoved the diaper bag into the bottom of the stroller, choosing to carry the present. “I’m not convinced he’s going to appreciate the tablet, but he could sure use it.”

  “Yeah. He has to join the internet generation.” Zack’s girls were going to have to be able to play if they wanted to succeed.

  “You said it. Is it me or has it gotten awfully nippy?” Dev did his zipper up on his coat and grabbed his gloves out of his pockets. “You warm enough, bug?”

  “It’s cold, love. Seriously. You want to walk or take the van?” They’d traded in Aiden’s car for a midsized SUV that held three babies comfortably after Dev had sold his place. It was a good married-guy-with-kids vehicle.

  “I’m all for taking the van—that wind is going right through my coat, and I don’t want the babies to be cold.”

  They turned right and went to the van sitting in the driveway, making short work of getting all the kids belted in and folding down the stroller. It seemed like a lot of fuss for not having that far to go, but worth it to keep the kids warm.

  They toddled down to the Bean, then the whole process repeated in reverse, with Logan and Sarah coming out to help.

  Sarah took Linds’s hand, and they skipped into the coffee shop together. It was adorable.

  Logan grabbed Dylan and Dev took Bee, and they all headed into the warmth of the Bean.

  “Hey, guys!” Zack waved at them from the big round table, Dirk sitting next to him. It was about time he came to their little daddy get-together; they’d invited him right after he’d helped Dev move.

  “Hey there! Happy birthday!” Aiden went to Zack, hugged him so hard. “Having a great day?”

  “I am. The girls made me breakfast in bed.” Zack’s eyes went very wide as he said it, and he didn’t need to say another word for Aiden to guess what a mess that had made the kitchen. And possibly the bedroom.

  “Impressive. Good job, girls!”

  Marci and Missi waved from the play area.

  Dev chuckled and leaned down to press his cheek to Zack’s, holding on to Bee. “Happy birthday, man. And Dirk, hey—you finally made it.”

  “I did. Got on full-time at the school, so my hours are a lot more regular now.”

  “That’s great. And is that your girl in the play area with the others?” Dev began to work Bee out of her lightweight snowsuit, making her suddenly seem half the size.

  “Yes. That’s Melinda.”

  Linds was already over there, jabbering away, talking to the shy, dark-haired little girl.

  “She’ll be one of the gang in no time,” Dev noted. “Linds will make her feel welcome.” Dev held Bee up. “Who needs baby time?”

  Zack immediately reached for her, and she went to him, frowning for the first few seconds before she started jabbering. Logan, of course, kept hold of Dylan. He took his job as godfather very seriously.

  “You want a hazelnut latte, babe?” Dev asked, hand lingering on Aiden’s arm.

  “You know me well.” He leaned over and took a quick kiss. “And a carrot muffin, please?”

  “You got it.” Dev smiled, looking happy all the way to his bones. And when he turned to go to the counter, that afforded Aiden his favorite view of Dev’s ass.

  “You two amaze me,” Logan said. “I’m so jealous.”

  “You’ll find someone,” Aiden told him. “When you least expect it.” He certainly hadn’t been looking for Dev when he’d found him.

  “I hope so. I really do.” Logan grinned. “Not that you two aren’t enough to give a man cavities.”

  “Are you saying we’re sweet?” He didn’t mind. There were worse things to be called.

  Logan snorted, and Dylan crowed like he understood. That child adored his Uncle Logan.

  Dev came back with two steaming coffee cups, handing one over before dropping into the chair next to Aiden’s. “So how is everyone?”

  “I’m good. Busy, but work will ease up drastically closer to Christmas,” Logan said, and Zack chuckled.

  “It’ll be the opposite here, man.”

  “Yeah?” Dirk asked. “I’ll have Christmas break if you need a hand.”

  Dirk was a good guy. He had to have had his daughter pretty young; there was no way he was even twenty-five—Aiden would guess closer to twenty—and that little girl was at least Linds’s age.

  “We could babysit all the girls a few times, if it would help either
or both of you,” Dev offered, then grinned at him. “As long as it’s okay with my better half, that is.”

  “Sure. Linds would love company.” Aiden winked at his lover. Dev had come into his own and was a spectacular father.

  “Oh wow, really?” Dirk gave them a grateful look. “I just got full custody of Melinda, and it’s been harder than I thought it would be to keep on top of everything.”

  “We’ve all been through that,” Dev noted. “You’re in the right place, though. My life really turned around when I started coming here for daddy-and-kid hour with the guys.”

  “I appreciate the invite. Seriously. Would you guys mind if I brought some more toys for the playroom? Some stuffed animals? I can even make kid-sized furniture….”

  “Kid-sized furniture?” Zack nodded eagerly. “It really is my birthday. That would be awesome, Dirk, thank you.”

  “We’re going to need to name the group at this rate.” Dev took a long swig of his coffee.

  “Desperate Dads?” Aiden suggested and Dirk almost choked on his coffee.

  Dev cackled for him. “Maybe something not so on the nose.”

  Logan was laughing too hard to chime in, but he did point at Dev and nod.

  “The Teddy Bear Club,” Zack suggested. “Something kid-friendly.”

  “But totally us,” Aiden agreed.

  “Oh, I like it.” Dev nodded, grabbing a bottle out of their diaper bag as Bee began to fuss in Zack’s arms. He handed the bottle to Zack, who stuck it in Bee’s mouth without missing a beat.

  “Me too. So this is it,” Logan pronounced. “Welcome to the first official meeting of the Teddy Bear Club. Someone hand me my coffee.”

  Often referred to as “Space Cowboy” and “Gangsta of Love” while still striving for the moniker of “Maurice,” SEAN MICHAEL spends his days surfing, smutting, organizing his immense gourd collection and fantasizing about one day retiring on a small secluded island peopled entirely by horseshoe crabs. While collecting vast amounts of vintage gay pulp novels and mood rings, Sean whiles away the hours between dropping the f-bomb and pursuing the Kama Sutra by channeling the long-lost spirit of John Wayne and singing along with the soundtrack to Chicago.