Chapter Nineteen
Toby
Ernest was a good sport, he really was. Toby had nearly wet his pants laughing when he had seen what Morty had made, and Niall had helped decorate. The cum coming out of the top of the penis was creative and so like Morty—naughty.
Ernest cut into the penis just as Rick wandered through the back door.
Tall and bulky like Ernest, the man could still be stealthy on his feet when he wanted to be.
Toby discovered this the other morning when Rick appeared as if from nowhere, making his heart take flight in fright when he’d turned to find him standing there.
He halted in the doorway, his eyes going wide when they landed on the cake. Clearly, Rick figured out what it was at first glance.
“Erm… why… interesting yes… cake…” he spluttered, chin trembling. Then Rick rocked back on his heels, his whole body shaking with laughter, transforming his craggy features and making Toby blink twice at how attractive he became.
Ernest glanced at his friend with heat creeping up his neck, wearing a sheepish expression. “Morty and Niall thought this was… art imitating life… if you catch my drift.”
That didn’t help Rick gather his composure at all, and his eyes were already streaming with tears.
“Do you want some?” Toby could not help but ask, since this was the first time he’d seen Rick do more than give a half smile at him or lose his composure.
“A piece of Ernest-size cake,” he choked out. “I think I will.” He managed in between snorts and chuckles as they both watched Ernest return his attention to negotiating cutting up a cock.
Toby couldn’t wait to tell Morty and Niall how much hilarity the cake actually caused. Rick couldn’t seem to get control of himself, which set off Toby’s giggling.
He liked Rick, but he had been a little standoffish towards Toby when Rick arrived for work on Wednesday to find Toby in the kitchen, semi-dressed, having his first coffee of the day.
His gaze had lingered on Toby’s claiming bite, and Toby hadn’t been able to get a read off him.
At first, he’d thought he looked sad, but he couldn’t say for sure.
He was mostly quiet around Toby until now.
“Toby, can you get another plate?” Ernest asked, concentrating on the cake slice he was plating.
“Of course.” Toby grabbed one and placed it next to the box, grinning at the now lopsided penis.
“Rick, would you like tea, coffee, or a beer?” offered Toby when he glanced back at the man hovering. Toby had seen Rick drink all three and knew they had all three in the house.
“With cake, I’ll have a coffee, if that’s alright.”
“Of course.”
Toby busied himself, and when he went to hand the coffee to Rick, he met two bemused stares. “What?”
“You look right at home,” Rick responded first, taking the cup from Toby.
Shouldn’t he look at home when this was where he now lived?
“It’s like you’ve always been here.” Ernest gave him a sappy smile that turned Toby’s insides to jelly but made another part of him very hard. “I’m so happy.”
Toby felt the truth of those words through their link and how emotional it made Ernest. His mate believed Toby had given him the biggest gift by being there.
Toby got a little starry-eyed and though he wanted to show Ernest exactly how happy he was to be with his mate, Toby knew he couldn’t with Rick right there, watching them. Instead, he gave Ernest a mischievous wink. You can show me later how happy you are…with your penis sized cake replica.
Ernest groaned and shifted as the scent of arousal wafted towards Toby from a blushing Ernest. The knife he was holding waved around like he was instructing an orchestra before he finally nodded eagerly, then returned his attention to the task at hand.
Rick, who had taken a seat at the table, eyed the pair of them cautiously when his nose twitched. “I’ve finished the planting in the far field, and the insurance company came for a second look at the field after the email I sent with what I assessed as the damage costs.”
Ernest looked so relieved at the change of topic, Toby coughed to hide a giggle.
“Good. Good, then we can look to get more seedlings in, if they agree.” Ernest handed a plate of cake to Toby, which thankfully didn’t resemble a penis any longer because that might have been a little awkward to eat in front of Rick. “It’ll still take weeks to sort it all out.”
There was a glumness that Toby hated after the delight of moments ago.
“I can help, you know, after work. Or maybe take some vacation time. I’m a quick learner, and I promise I’m nowhere near as clumsy as Morty.
” Toby had gotten a tour of the planting fields on Wednesday after work while the sun was setting.
A lilac sky had given the fields an ethereal feel as they’d wandered hand in hand while Ernest talked about how he’d built up his flower business.
There was something peaceful about being amongst the heavenly fragrant earth and seedlings that Toby would never have considered he’d love with his nose being a little too sensitive to strong smells.
Yes, yes, that’s all wonderful, but you promised I would get to meet his elephant today, his animal interjected.
We’re having a nice time and see, Rick is relaxing around us, so you’ll just have to wait.
I’ve waited long enough. An entire week.
Behave!
“You won’t mind getting your hands dirty?”
Rick sounded a little skeptical, but Toby didn’t hold it against him as he nodded. He’d been Pierre’d too!
The man was dedicated, and Toby understood why he was so upset about the damage Pierre had caused. He would be only too happy to help repair it since he had inadvertently caused some of the destruction.
Rick picked up the cake and gave it a sniff.
Toby struggled to hold back another giggle at his nose touching what was the head of a penis.
“Nope. I’ve worked in the café for years, and that means cleaning public restrooms…
some folks have real dirty habits when out, let me tell you!
” He shut off all thoughts of the poo smeared toilet bowl and once up the wall too. Ernest didn’t need to know that.
“You don’t—”
Uncertainty, it was there, coming at Toby from Ernest. How Pierre hadn’t seen what a treasure Ernest was, totally baffled Toby, although he was grateful for that blessing because it meant Toby had nothing to worry about.
“I want to help. What’s important to you is important to me.
I think it’ll be fun to work among the plants.
And learning about what you love will just make me feel closer to you.
” Toby fluttered his eyelashes at Ernest flirtatiously.
And it’ll be fun watching all those muscles of yours getting a workout… a type of foreplay, don’t you think?
Oh, my…
The sexy groan that followed was all in Toby’s head.
So when Rick murmured, “Exactly,” softly Toby had a moment of panic he’d spoken aloud. But when he glanced at Rick there was nothing to suggest that, so he assumed that agreement was about him helping and released a relieved breath.
“This is a fantastic cake.” Rick munched away, his gaze traveling back to the box as Ernest and Toby sat.
“Morty is a great baker. And if there are any leftovers—those won’t be penis cakes, I assure you—then we take them home.” Toby giggled at the look of relief Rick wasn’t quick enough to hide.
He patted his shirtfront, where there wasn’t any sign of a bulge. “I can see I’ll need to be careful.”
Ernest snorted loudly. “With all the manual labor we do, you’ll have little to worry about, my friend.”
The conversation turned back to work, and Toby listened with interest. The two men were clearly very comfortable with each other and at times finished each other's sentences.
Ernest made an effort to include Toby in the conversation, making him grin when he was somewhat clueless about fertilizer and seeding regimes.
Amid a talk about which suppliers they needed to use for a Christmas delivery, Rick paused and glanced towards the open back door, a deep scowl forming. “You hear that!”
Toby’s bird’s hearing was good but evidently not to the same extent as Rick’s. Ernest got up right as Rick did, both marching towards the door in a rush.
He wouldn’t dare show up!
That came at Toby in a wave of panic, and he ran after the two men onto the back porch, only then catching the sounds of a fast-approaching car.
Toby squinted into the distance at the trail of dust left in the wake of the fancy car heading their way. A sinking feeling came from Ernest that matched Toby’s when he realized who was in the car—Ernest’s car.
Having seen Pierre twice, he was unforgettable, and Toby went and slipped his hand into Ernest’s. He was never known for being the most confident when it came to confronting someone, but in defending a friend and now his mate, Toby was all in.
He stood up straight to ensure he looked as tall as he could. Being short was a disadvantage, but he was fast, and his animal side had a mean beak if riled, like he was now. Don’t worry, we’ll show him he’s not welcome here.
Yes, we will, his bird affirmed to Toby. He won’t get to upset our mate again.
The hand gripping his squeezed even when Ernest released a big sigh.
Rick made a disgruntled snort as the car came to a skidding halt at the bottom of the steps in a cloud of dirt.
“Let me do the talking.” Rick didn’t wait for Ernest to respond; he walked to the steps leading off the porch.
The man who got out of the car paused for effect to allow everyone to look their fill, or that’s how it appeared to Toby, who rolled his eyes.
Pierre had clearly come dressed to impress, in skinny, designer jeans that outlined everything he had to offer and a shirt that enhanced his upper torso, wearing boots that were all about style and nothing to do with practicality, as he traipsed over the dirt-encrusted ground, avoiding rocks.
His smile was sly and calculating as his gaze dropped to their joined hands.
“You aren’t welcome here.” Rick stepped in front of Pierre to stop him from getting any closer to the house. “The injunction for coming on this land includes driving on it, too! Now, why don’t you fuck off?”
A gasp of surprise came from Ernest, which Toby also felt. It seemed Rick didn’t use foul language.
“Ernest, tell this big brute to take a hike.” The silky demand came as Pierre sidestepped Rick, a glint in his eyes that Toby took an instant dislike to when aimed at his mate.
“You’re the one who needs to take a hike, dude. This is private land. You know this, and you seem to think you have a right to treat my mate like crap, well, you don’t.”
Oh, my.
Toby got a blast of pheromones, and so, it seemed did Pierre. Only the dimwit thought he had caused it, especially when Ernest released Toby’s hand to step in front of him in a protective move, making Toby’s heart soar.
Pierre was fast and up on the porch before Rick could stop him.
His hand stroked down the front of Ernest’s chest, heading south.
“Babe, get rid of the baggage, and I’ll make it up to you.
I’ll show you how sorry I am.” The smarmy voice, the touching of their mate, and the innuendo sent Toby’s bird into a flap.
Toby had no control—not that he wanted any when he agreed that pecking Pierre’s eyes out and tearing off his fingers was the right course of action—of his animal side as they shifted. Their clothes landed in a heap as he rose out of them, squawking and flapping angrily at the interloper.
We’re gonna sort you!