by Sable Sylvan
The clicking of the keyboard gave it away. Randall was on his computer. All Bruce and Zach had to do was hope he didn’t get up and see them as they shimmied along the side of his house opposite the bedroom.
Bruce and Zach made it to the sidewalk. There, they walked naturally, so as not to arouse suspicion, before getting in the car.
“Oh my gosh, I am so happy to see you two,” said Natalie, exasperated. She got out of the driver’s seat and moved to the passenger seat. Zach got in the driver’s seat, and Bruce sat in the back.
“We got the key,” said Zach, passing the necklace to Natalie.
Natalie fingered the fine silver chain and the ornate silver key. She couldn’t believe it. They really had found it. She was worried the plan wouldn’t work or that Randall was bluffing about having the key, but, the proof was in the pudding. Randall had stolen it, and the boys’ plan had worked.
“I don’t know how to repay you,” said Natalie, tears of joy running down her face as Zach started the car and they made their way out of Randall’s neighborhood. “Holy shizz. I can’t believe this is happening. I’ve never been this happy.”
“You can start by letting us take you out to dinner,” said Bruce.
Chapter Six
“I guess you two have earned a dinner with me,” said Natalie. “Do you have a place in mind?”
“Do we ever,” said Bruce. “You like sushi?”
“Uhm, of course,” said Natalie. “I haven’t had it in ages, though. Isn’t that kinda pricey for a first date?”
“Ah, so you admit it’s a date,” teased Zach.
“Yes, this is a date,” said Natalie, still fingering the necklace. “I still can’t believe you two not only managed to find it but managed not to get caught.”
“Here, hand it over,” ordered Bruce.
Natalie passed Bruce the necklace.
“Turn,” ordered Bruce.
Natalie turned to face Bruce.
“No, the other way,” said Bruce, and he gently moved her face with his hand. Just the feeling of Bruce’s commanding hand on her face sent a tingle down Natalie’s spine.
With Natalie facing the window, Bruce pushed her hair off her neck and carefully threaded the necklace around her curvy neck. Moving her hair released a bouquet of scents that made Bruce’s shaft pulse. She smelled of berries. It must’ve been from her shampoo. There was something else there, a sweet muskiness, which must’ve been her natural scent. That was what Bruce was aroused by. Of course, there was nothing he could do about it in the car. He forced himself to focused on the task at hand. Bruce gingerly closed the silver necklace’s clasp before pushing her hair back into place.
“There,” said Bruce. “Now you don’t have to worry about losing it.” Of course, he couldn’t say the same about his willpower. Natalie made it so hard for him to hold back. Hopefully, tonight, they would finally get to get down.
In ten minutes, Zach pulled into a parking lot. He and Bruce took Natalie by the hand. Natalie couldn’t help but blush. How would people react to seeing her with two guys? She had never been on a date with two men at once, and while menages weren’t unheard of, they also weren’t exceedingly common, even in a city with a lot of shifters like Seattle.
The Japanese hostess with sleek black hair greeted them.
“How’re y’all doing?” she asked with a Southern lilt. “Three for the boat buffet, or are you ordering entrees?”
“Boat buffet, for three,” said Zach.
“Boat buffet?” asked Natalie.
“You’ll see, you’re really in for a treat,” said Bruce.
The waitress led the trio past the main area, which was full of standard tables and chairs, to a large back room that had a few groups but wasn’t too crowded. She sat them at what looked like a bar with a moat. Natalie watched as wooden boats with small three piece trays of sushi seemed to float by. What the heck was this place?
“Have y’all been here before?” asked the hostess.
“We have, but she hasn’t,” said Zach.
“Well, then you’re in for a treat, missy,” said the waitress. “The thing most people don’t like about sushi is having to choose which rolls to order. Here at Venice Sushi, you don’t have to worry about that. You can eat as much sushi as you like. Little boats come around with sushi and other delicious yummies. You can take whatever trays catch your fancy. There are three rolls per boat, perfect for sharing with your boyfriend and your…boyfriend’s brother?”
“They’re both my boyfriends,” said Natalie with pride.
“They are?” said the waitress. Natalie was nervous about what the waitress said next.
“Well, good for you,” said the waitress. “Don’t let my husband know this, but, I’ve always wondered what that’d be like. Anywho, feel free to try as many rolls as you want. There are little guidebooks on the table that you can keep, which tell you what each roll contains. You have any allergies?”
“Nope!” said Natalie.
“Then you’re good to go,” said the waitress. “Oh, there’s another thing. Make sure to grab a little dish of that pink stuff. It’s ginger. It’s a palate cleanser, so have some between different foods. If you have any special orders, just press this red button here, and ask the chef for your special order. They’ll make it right away, and a waiter will deliver it to your seat. Can I get y’all started with anything to drink?”
“Green tea would be lovely,” said Bruce. “Thanks.”
“That accent…do you mind me asking where it’s from?” asked the waitress.
“Australia,” said Zach.
“Australia? Like, kangaroos and platypuses and koalas?” asked the waitress.
“Yes, you have no idea, the place is just crawling with them. In fact, there’s enough of them there for everyone to take two home,” said Natalie with a grin, and the waitress walked off to get their tea.
“Boyfriends?” asked Zach.
“Yeah, isn’t that what you two wanna be anyway?” asked Natalie.
“Now you’re the one that has no idea,” said Bruce. “I’m glad that’s settled.”
The boats came along, and Natalie got to try a variety of yummy sushi. There was a variety of cuts of sashimi, including fatty salmon, orange with white streaks. There was tuna, in thick red slabs that melted in Natalie’s mouth. There were rolls of cooked eel in a thick teriyaki-like sauce that were sweet and smoky at the same time. There were edamame beans, very refreshing, but not what Natalie was there to eat. For dessert, they had deep-fried green tea ice cream, drizzled with red bean syrup, topped with whipped cream, with a side of deep-fried bananas.
“I’m thoroughly stuffed,” said Natalie. “I think I’ve eaten all I can eat.”
“Then what do you say we take the party back to your place?” asked Bruce.
Natalie hesitated. Was she ready? She had to be, after what had happened that night. Why not at least try and see if she could muster the strength to take the plunge?
“We don’t have to, you know,” said Zach.
“No, don’t be silly,” said Natalie. “Let’s go back to my place and have some more fun. The night is young, and so are we.”
“Now that’s what I like to hear,” said Bruce.
Natalie’s stomach churned. Was it the food? Was it because she’d mixed raw fish and ice cold dairy? Or was it something else? Was it the fear of disappointing the Aussie hunks?
Zach settled up the check, and they headed back, Bruce driving this time. Natalie’s apartment was only twenty minutes away. They got out of the car and walked up to Natalie’s apartment with her. Her stomach had kept on spinning. Should she call the whole thing off and tell them that she had the stomach flu? No, that’d be silly. She just had to get ahold of her nerves.
“Give us the grand tour,” said Zach.
“The grand tour?” said Natalie. “Well,…there’s the kitchen and dining room and living room combo, right here.”
Natalie walked past her scant furniture to
a small hallway with a door on her left and a door on her right.
“To the left is the bathroom, if you need it,” said Natalie. “And to the right…”
Natalie opened the door.
“This is my bedroom,” said Natalie. “Sorry, it’s a mess.”
“A mess?” said Bruce. “It looks fine to me.”
“Yeah, this might be my favorite room in the whole apartment,” said Zach, sitting down on the bed. “Perfect for…entertaining.”
“Entertaining?” asked Natalie.
“You know, entertaining,” said Zach. “Bruce and I…we are entertainers, after all.”
Zach reached out and pulled Bruce close to him. Bruce leaned down and brushed his lips against Zach’s, before he pressed his lips against Zach’s mouth, hard. That wasn’t the only thing Bruce was pressing against Zach. His cock was throbbing against his pants, yearning for Natalie’s honeypot, but Zach’s hand, rubbing it from the outside, would do…for now.
Natalie couldn’t believe it. Zach and Bruce were putting on a private show for her? In her bedroom? It seemed unbelievable…but it was also unbelievably hot.
“Are you gonna join the party?” asked Zach. Zach and Bruce stopped kissing and looked at Natalie expectantly.
This was it. The moment of truth. Would Natalie be able to take the next stop?
Her mind told her ‘do it.’ Her heart told her ‘try it.’
Her stomach? It was too busy flipping and flopping to say a dang thing.
“I wish I could, but…” started Natalie. “I…I just can’t.”
“You can’t?” asked Bruce. “Why not?”
“Because I still have feelings to process,” admitted Natalie. “I like you two a lot. A lot-a lot. But…I’m worried.”
“About what?” asked Zach.
“About your mate marks,” said Natalie. “I have no clue what they could mean. A beaver? A duck? There’s nothing in my life that could be about.”
“Once we try to claim you, we’ll know for certain. You know that, don’t you?” asked Bruce, putting Natalie’s hand on his chest.
Natalie pulled her hand away.
“That’s the problem,” said Natalie. “What if…what if the marks don’t tell you that you’re meant for me? What if it turns out I’m not your fated mate? Right now, we don’t know if I am your fated mate or not. But…the longer we wait to find out, the longer I can live this fairy tale with the two of you.”
“But if you let us try, we can know for sure that you’re ours, princess,” said Zach, brushing Natalie’s hair from her curvy neck.
“I’m just not ready yet,” said Natalie. “I’m sorry, but…I don’t know when I will be ready. I understand if you want to leave my apartment…or, leave me.”
“Leave you?” said Bruce. “Natalie, we’re not going anywhere. We’ve looked for you our whole lives. We aren’t about to let you get away, not when we’ve finally found you.”
“You’re not?” asked Natalie.
“We’re not,” promised Zach. “Now, why don’t you go get ready for bed?”
“Ready for bed? But…” started Natalie.
“Don’t worry,” said Bruce. “We won’t try anything. But there’s no reason we can’t have a sleepover with you.”
“You’re right,” said Natalie with a smile. “I’ll be right back.”
Natalie went into her bathroom to brush her teeth. She couldn’t believe that she’d had the guys to lay it all out there and be honest with them. She’d been so worried about their reactions, but of course, they’d been understanding. She had hit the love lottery.
Natalie went back into her room. There was a pile of clothes on her bed, but the boys were gone. She frowned. Where the heck had they gone? She looked around her room.
Were they in her closet? Nope.
Under the bed? Nada.
She scanned her room. Where the heck could they be hiding?
She heard a small purr. What was that? She looked around. She heard it again. Then, she saw a wiggle out of the corner of her eye.
In the center of her stuffed animal collection were two familiar furry faces holding poses. Of course, the charcoal brown koala, Zach, had a straight face, but Bruce, the light gray koala, was pulling a funny face. Natalie couldn’t help but giggle.
“What the heck are you two doing?” asked Natalie. “You want to be my stuffed animals tonight?”
The koalas broke their pose and nodded.
“Well then, you better let me carry you to bed!” said Natalie. She reached her arms out, and Zach and Bruce carefully climbed onto Natalie. Bruce held onto Natalie’s upper arm while Zach let himself be cradled like a baby in Natalie’s arms.
“I didn’t remember you two being this heavy before,” said Natalie. “Holy heck.”
Natalie made her way over to the bed and let Zach and Bruce down onto her soft duvet. After Natalie quickly changed into some pajamas, Bruce opened the sheets for her. It was like she had a koala butler. All he was missing was a little vest!
Natalie got in the covers and Zach tucked her in with his little koala paws. It was adorable. Bruce propped open the sheets and snuggled in, holding onto Natalie. Zach got into the other side of the bed and hugged Natalie’s back. It was like she had two little living teddy bears all to herself, and nestled between the two men she was proud to call her boyfriends, she had a wonderfully restful sleep.
Chapter Seven
Three Months Later
For the next three months, Natalie went on many, many dates with Bruce and Zach. However, she still hadn’t had sex with them, nor had she opened the box. She was afraid that as soon as she did either, her fairytale world would shatter like a Faberge egg dropped in a dark alleyway, unable to be put back together, gone forever. While she’d had some spicy time with the koalas, and gone on many dates with them, she was still worried. What if their mate marks weren’t pointing them to her? After all, what the heck did a duck and a beaver have to do with her life?
For their three month anniversary, Bruce and Zach had told Natalie to expect a surprise. They picked her up on their three month anniversary, not with a fancy limo, but with their SUV.
“Put this on,” said Bruce as Zach opened the door for Natalie. He tossed her a bundle of fabric.
“What is this?” asked Natalie. She opened the bundle. It was a deep crimson hoodie, lined with black fleece.
“It’s to keep you warm,” said Bruce. “Trust me. You’re gonna need it.”
“What? Where the heck are we going?” asked Natalie, putting on the hoodie before she got into the car. The hoodie was the perfect size, slightly loose over her ample curves, and was very warm but breathable.
“That’d ruin the surprise,” said Zach as he got into the drivers seat, leaving Natalie and Bruce in the back seat. While they had experimented with multiple car seating arrangements, having one of the koalas drive while the other sat in the back with Natalie meant that they had more time to mess around.
Twenty minutes and more than forty smooches later, they had arrived. Because she had been making out with Bruce, Natalie hadn’t noticed where Zach was taking them. He had taken them out of the Seattle city limits and parked the car in a gravel parking lot. The trio got out of the car and opened the trunk. Bruce and Zach carried a few bundles and a basket, and Natalie followed them out of the parking lot and down the trail.
The trail was wide and surprisingly well lit by motion activated lights, the black metal housings of the lamps imperceptible in the darkness until they flickered on. Bruce and Zach walked slowly so Natalie could keep up.
Finally, they reached a clearing, and Natalie couldn’t help but gasp.
The clearing was a meadow near the edge of a steep hill. Behind them was the forest which led back to the parking lot. In front of them was the most gorgeous view that Natalie had ever seen.
The moon was full. It illuminated everything its beams could reach. There was Mount Rainier in the distance, capped with white snow, with fores
ts in front of it, leading to the Puget Sound. Boats on the sound glistened like falling stars.
All around them the world was quiet, except for the sounds of chirping insects and rustlings in the leaves, made by small animals. The air was fresh and clean, and there was a slight breeze in the air. It didn’t warrant a hoodie, but the gentle caress of the wind on her neck made Natalie smile. Her boyfriends were so frikkin’ thoughtful.
“You like the view?” asked Bruce, coming up to Natalie and giving her a peck on the head.
“It’s gorgeous,” said Natalie.
Bruce took Natalie by the waist and gently turned her. Zach had set up a few picnic blankets and was putting out food.
“We’re having a picnic? No frikkin’ way!” said Natalie. “What did you bring?”
“You’ll have to come here and find out,” said Zach.
Natalie walked over and browsed the goods. The boys had gone all out. There were mince pies, still hot, full of delicious spiced beef. There were three small bottles of Australian wine. There were even green grapes for dessert.
“This is gonna be the best anniversary ever,” said Natalie, bringing Zach and Bruce in for a (koala) bear hug. She had no idea just how right she’d be.
Natalie’s head was on Zach’s lap. Bruce was feeding Natalie green grapes. She felt like a princess.
“You have a good anniversary?” asked Bruce.
“Yeah, I haven’t felt this great in a long time,” said Natalie. “No offense to you two or our other dates! Just…getting out of the city has been nice, real nice. I usually am a little nervous about traveling. Okay, I’m a lot nervous, about going anywhere new for the first time. But around you two…I just feel secure. It’s a feeling I missed for a long time, but ever since I met the two of you, I’ve felt safe and protected. I never want this feeling to go away.”
“When was the last time you felt secure?” asked Zach.
“Honestly, I don’t know,” said Natalie. She took another grape into her mouth and chewed it while she chose her words. “My parents…well, they divorced when I was young enough to not fully understand it but old enough to know something was wrong.”
