Epilogue #9
Richard laughed softly. He played with Jun, letting him keep his thumb, never pulling away enough to make Jun lose. Jun leaned forward and sucked the entire digit in his mouth. Gods, they were beautiful together.
“I think your captive may be hungry, Pup,” Richard said.
Jun smiled around Richard’s thumb and sucked harder.
“He should be.” Damian stroked Jun’s cheek. “He gave me a hard chase and a harder fight.”
“Let’s clean you both up enough for the house, then.” Richard gently pulled his thumb away from Jun, stroking his bottom lip one more time.
Jun
Damian urged Jun up to his feet and helped him balance.
“I’m going to shower right there,” Damian pointed to one of the hoses down at the end of the barn near the entrance to the covered coral, where horses had previously been washed.
“I’m not going to hose you down in the rope.
We’ll wipe you down. There’s a bath with your name on it in the house. ”
Jun nodded. Words still felt like too much. But he rubbed his cheek against Damian’s jaw. Richard felt safe now. A shield, like Damian.
Richard retrieved a towel and handed it to Damian. Damian traded him the leash.
“We’ll stay here,” Richard said, leading Jun close to the water but out of its reach. “But we can watch.”
Jun sank to his knees and leaned against Richard’s leg.
Richard’s hand went into his hair, playing with it, scratching lightly across his scalp.
He would have closed his eyes to revel in the feel but he had to keep them open to watch Damian.
The water sluiced over his shoulders and down his flanks, highlighting each curve and movement.
Shadows moved behind the water. Collin stepped into the barn with émeric behind him. He was bridled, a bite spreading his lips and disappearing behind his teeth. His arms were bound behind him in leather and he was dusty. Reins from the bridle around his head trailed behind him to émeric’s hands.
Jun blinked and looked up at Richard.
“émeric is trialing out teaching Collin to be a pony,” Richard said.
Jun blinked slowly and looked back. Collin was looking at him, then moved his attention to émeric as émeric turned him to the wall and looped the reins around a hook.
He moved away, picking up supplies from a nearby bench and came back, starting to wipe Collin down as if he were a horse.
He picked up each of Collin’s feet, checking them and cleaning them before putting them back down.
Collin balanced on one foot, with his head against the wall for each one.
His attention was on émeric but every now and then he glanced towards Jun, Richard, and Damian.
émeric tapped him on the rear once with his crop and Collin fixed his eyes on the wall again, staying in position as émeric went through the rest of getting him clean, including taking the bridle off and dabbing salve on the edge of his lips.
Damian turned off his improvised shower and toweled himself dry, moving towards Jun.
Richard tapped Jun’s shoulder and helped him stand. Damian moved Jun to the wall beside Collin and started to wipe him down with damp towels.
Jun’s face flushed. He bit his cheeks and glanced sideways. Collin was watching him, also from the side of his gaze.
Jun flashed a smile. Collin’s eyes crinkled up and he smiled back, then started to giggle. Jun giggled back.
He couldn’t stop it. Laughter rolled through him. He leaned against the wall, shaking with it. Collin fell against the wall, catching himself with his chest against the wood.
“These two are going to get each other in trouble,” émeric said to Damian.
“Let them,” Damian said. He squeezed Jun’s ass and spread Jun’s cheeks, working a cloth between them.
Jun groaned and hid his face from Collin.
Collin wiggled towards Jun and kissed him on the shoulder.
“Kitten,” émeric snapped. He moved Collin back into position and slapped both his thighs.
Jun gave Collin a grateful look. Collin smiled back.
Jun turned his head further, catching émeric eyes.
émeric shook his head, eyes soft and amused.
Damian
émeric had planned a lunch picnic for the deck.
Damian and Jun put down blankets on the wood planks and fetching pillows from a storage closet.
Collin and Richard carried up most of the dishes.
émeric finished up the prep and brought out the last items in a cold box.
Damian had dressed after bathing Jun, but his boy was still bare except for a collar around his neck and the leash attached to it, though for purposes of the meal, Damian had looped the end of the leash back up to the collar.
It hung down Jun’s back, available, but not in use.
Jun and Collin were both staring at the food like it was the answer of life. Collin was glowing but tired from his morning. He threw himself down on his stomach by Richard and folded his arms under his head.
Jun settled by Damian and put his head on Damian’s thigh.
Damian rewarded him by rubbing his scalp. Jun tried to catch his fingers in his mouth.
“Wait for food,” Damian flicked his nose without any real force.
Jun scrunched up his face and huffed. “Hungry.”
“We’re ready. Ready?” émeric sat down and started dishing. Damian’s mouth watered. Deviled eggs. Barbecued ribs. Pasta salad with fresh green onions and tomatoes. Roasted chickpeas and Brussel sprouts with a white sauce. There was a board of cold cuts, crackers, and cheese.
“No hands,” Richard put his palm over Collin’s.
Collin slumped back down to the blankets and stuck out his bottom lip, looking up at Richard.
“We’ll feed you, pet.” Richard ruffled his hair.
Damian filled his plate and settled back against the pillows he’d collected. He took a bite and Jun looked at him hopefully. Damian bit into one of the deviled eggs, taking half of it, then held it above Jun’s mouth. Jun rolled onto his back and opened his lips, taking the entire half at once.
“Don’t choke,” Damian said, pushing him to roll over.
Jun grinned and rolled onto his stomach, leaning up on his elbows and chewing.
“It’s delicious, as always,” Richard said to émeric.
“This day deserves good food.” émeric stripped meat from a rib and held it out with his fingers towards Collin.
Collin moved between his master and his sir, taking food. Damian alternated bites between himself and Jun. Conversation was low, pertaining only to the meal. They were all hungry.
As the initial round slowed down, Collin crawled over the blankets and nuzzled Jun. Jun rolled over on his back and opened his arms. Collin dropped into them. Jun licked barbecue sauce off Collin’s nose. Collin smiled and kissed Jun.
Jun kissed him back, rolled him over, and got on top of him. Collin’s eyes fluttered and his lips widened in a smile. Jun kissed him across his cheeks and looked up at Damian.
Damian watched, waiting. Jun nodded towards a strawberry on Damian’s plate. It was already de-headed and cut in half.
Damian offered it to Jun in his palm. Jun took it between his teeth and leaned down, slowly, making eye contact with Collin.
Collin’s tongue slipped between his lips. He opened his mouth, letting Jun put the fruit on his tongue. He closed his mouth, taking half, leaving Jun with the rest. They watched each other grinning, each chewing their half.
Collin’s eyes softened as he swallowed. He reached up and threaded his fingers through Jun’s hair, drawing him down. They kissed, slow, Collin’s hands stroking Jun’s sides, Jun’s body swaying gently over Collin’s. They broke away gently.
Jun pushed Collin towards Damian. Collin blushed and rolled over onto his stomach, looking up at Damian. Damian put his plate to his side, opening his arms.
“Little crime,” émeric said. He held up profiterole, topped with raspberry preserve and full of cream, the way Jun liked them best.
Jun crawled across the blankets to émeric.
Damian wrapped Collin in his arms, soaking in the scent and the warmth of his kink brother as he watched his wolfling lick and mouth his way through the profiterole in émeric’s hand, making the dark French man smile.
émeric’s hand fell to Jun’s waist and he said something.
Jun groaned and fell sideways into émeric’s lap.
émeric reached for blueberries and held one to Jun’s lips.
Damian met Richard’s eyes. His mentor and sir was smiling. More than smiling. There were actual tears in the older dom’s eyes.
“We’re home,” Damian mouthed the words.
Richard nodded and looked away, discreetly touching his sleeve to the corner of his eye.
Damian didn’t bother. He let the one tear fall down his face.
They were home. All of them.