22. Ellis
CHAPTER 22
ELLIS
Really, how hard was it to have quiet sex? Maybe quiet shower sex would be difficult because of the echoes, but the shower in the en suite for the main bedroom wasn’t big enough for more than two of us at a time anyway. If Rory or Shane couldn’t shut up, I was more than happy to visit the nearest adult toy store for some gags.
That thought led to some musings about the three of us visiting an adult toy store together, so I was pretty quiet the rest of the way home. Though from the way Shane and Rory kept glancing at each other and breathing a little heavily, I may have been letting some of my arousal leak through the bond. But they didn’t say anything, so I didn’t mention it.
When we walked through the front door, Shane’s granny was sitting on the couch next to Pia. Ms. Jackson was laying on the floor by the TV in their tiger form, and Supernatural was paused on the screen.
“Granny? What are you doing here?” Shane handed Rory the pizzas he’d been carrying and hurried over to the couch to hug her insubstantial body .
“Pizza!” Pia cheered. “Did you get cheese for Ms. Jackson? Granny Dimi’s been telling me stories about you as a kid, Shane. Did you really pee in the refrigerator vegetable drawer?”
Shane turned red. It was adorable. “I went through a sleepwalking phase in first grade!”
He glared at his grandmother, who smirked. “I remember it like yesterday.”
Rory, who’d been walking toward the kitchen, stopped in his tracks. “Wait. Dimi, how were you even visible when I wasn’t here? We were pretty far away today.”
She scoffed and turned to Shane. “Have you taught this boy nothing? He doesn’t know about his own powers!”
Shane seemed as bewildered as I felt. “Granny, I don’t know anything about his powers either.”
She tsked . “I can’t believe I raised you, and this is how you turned out.” She reached up and grabbed his cheek. “It’s a good thing you’re cute and lovable.” Then she let go and slapped his cheek lightly.
“Granny!” Shane rubbed his cheek.
I took the pizzas from Rory and put them on the table while Dimi talked. Because Shane was on the couch, I couldn’t go as far as the kitchen, so we’d have to set the table later.
She sighed. “Rory, you’re bonded. Your powers are bigger now.”
I came back out into the living room in time to see him looking between himself and me and Shane. “Really? Because I still can’t see our connections. Or bond I guess now.”
Dimi groaned. “Shane and Ellis explained to you how that particular ability comes with age. Keep up! ”
I wondered if I could go sit at the breakfast table so I didn’t get yelled at. Probably not. I’d just get yelled at for hiding.
Dimi put a ghostly hand on Pia’s shoulder. “This one is yours now, Rory. Same as those two knuckleheads.” She waved a hand at me and Shane. Okay. I could live with being a knucklehead.
“A Medium’s family can see family. Ghosts, not ghosts, blood or no blood, it doesn’t matter. Family is family, and family can see family.”
I raised my hand like a kid in class. “But this morning Rory was talking to Carlyle and Lorraine in the kitchen, and we couldn’t see them.”
Rory snapped his fingers. “But I did that. I didn’t want Pia to hear what Carlyle said, so I forced him to be invisible to you. It must’ve affected Lorraine as well.”
Dimi threw up her hands. “See? You do have some smarts after all. You’re still a Medium, and being family doesn’t give us the ability to override your powers.”
“Is Arch family to you, Rory?” I grimaced. “As much as I wouldn’t wish that on you, if he can see your grandfather and Dimi when you’re not around, they could talk directly to him during the raid tomorrow night.”
Rory and Dimi exchanged wicked grins, and she popped out of sight. I tried to feel sorry for Arch, but I wished I could watch his reaction instead.
“Come on, let’s eat before the pizza gets cold.” Shane got up, so I went to wash my hands and set the table.
Pia trailed Rory and Shane into the kitchen. “Shane, your granny isn’t very nice to you and Rory. ”
I raised an eyebrow at him as I dried my hands. She wasn’t wrong.
He put his hands on his hips and stared at the ceiling for a moment. Then he looked at Pia. “You’re right. She learned it from her mother. It’s a kind of twisted way of showing affection. She won’t do it to you, Pia, at least not until you’re a little older. And if you—any of you—tell her it bothers you, she’ll try to do better. But underneath all that bluster, she’d fight to the death for any of us. Once you’re family, you’re hers to protect.”
Pia frowned doubtfully at him, but I could see it.
Ms. Jackson yawned as they sat on the floor next to the table.
“Not enough napping time in the hammock today?” I asked as I set a plate in front of them.
They manifested their Ouija board. R-E-G-E-N-E-R-A-T-I-N-G-M-A-G-I-C-F-R-O-M-H-E-A-L-I-N-G-M-A-N-N-Y
“Oh. Wow, I didn’t think about that. Are you almost, er, back to full capacity?”
The Yes sparkled on their board. Pia put a couple of slices of cheese pizza on their plate.
“Pia.” Shane sat down in the chair next to her. “My granny’s old room is going to be your room now.” He smiled wryly. “You probably already figured that out—it’s the only other option.”
She smiled around a mouthful of pizza and nodded.
“Right. Well, tomorrow or Saturday I thought we could go pick out some paint and maybe new sheets and a bedspread. We’ll move the old desk out and get you something you can use for schoolwork. ”
Pia bounced in her chair as she swallowed. “Yes, please! Thank you, Shane!” She threw her arms around his neck. I thought my heart would burst at the happiness coming through our bond.
Next to me, Ms. Jackson purred, and I exchanged a wide-eyed look with Rory.
When Pia finally let go of Shane, I said, “Um, before we do that, tomorrow morning we should go shopping for some new clothes for you, Pia. I’m sure you’d rather have something designed for someone your age.”
Her face lit up, but before she could respond, Dimi appeared on Ms. Jackson’s other side and said, “I told Pia that very thing earlier.” She tsked and shook her head. “Poor girl wearing an old woman’s clothes. How do you expect her to make friends?”
Once we’d all recovered from being startled—except possibly Rory, he was probably used to ghosts popping in and out—Shane glared at his grandmother. “We haven’t had a lot of time up til now. That’s why we’re going tomorrow.”
Rory put his hand on Shane’s arm. “Dimi, were you able to speak to Arch?”
Her face twisted into an evil smirk. “Caught him right in the middle of talking to his boss. He screamed like a little girl—not you, Pia. You’re a badass.”
Pia turned pink but seemed pleased with the compliment.
“They agreed to let us help. Dominic said there’s no need to keep watching Randolph and Hugo since we know the plan now, so Garfield and Mercy are going to take a break tonight while Carlyle and I make sure the buildings are clear for the Hunters to set up their surveillance points. Then tomorrow night the four of us will help with the raid.” She nodded in satisfaction.
“That’s great, Dimi. Thanks.” Rory looked around at the rest of us as if asking if we had any more questions, but none of us spoke up.
Dimi seemed to read the room. “Enjoy your dinner. One of us will let you know how things go tomorrow night.”
We quickly finished eating, and then Ms. Jackson watched another episode of Supernatural while the rest of us debated paint colors and other décor decisions for Pia’s new room.
After that I lent Pia my Butterfly Yo-Yo and showed her how to do a basic throw, then the Sleeper and Around the World. Rory and Shane watched but didn’t seem interested in trying it out. I’d wear them down.
Before bedtime we let Pia watch one episode of We Are , her favorite Thai BL show. Ms. Jackson made grumbling noises but agreed to pause Sam, Dean, and Castiel to allow Pia to use the big screen.
“Do we need to get Ms. Jackson their own iPad?” I whispered to Rory and Shane as we cleaned up the kitchen.
Rory nodded. “Let’s do it. We owe them way more than that anyway.”
“Um, then the iPad would be the only thing Ms. Jackson owns. They don’t have anything else, except maybe that tiara Pia put on their head.” Shane gestured at the living room. “What else do they need?”
We stared blankly at each other.
Bedtime was a comedy of errors. Pia didn’t have any nightclothes of her own, and it turned out Dimi had liked to sleep in, um, lacy garments that none of us wanted to show Pia. We finally got her set with one of Rory’s t-shirts and a pair of basketball shorts with the waist rolled up. Then we discovered she didn’t have a toothbrush. The dryads had given her one, but she’d left it behind. Luckily Shane had spares.
At long last, way after a thirteen-year-old should be going to bed, we all exchanged cheek kisses with Pia and said goodnight. We left her door cracked open so she didn’t feel locked in, but I know all of us were worrying about sound carrying down the hallway.
Ms. Jackson elected to sleep outside on the hammock. I was a little envious—I hadn’t been able to hang out in the hammock by myself yet, and given that Rory and Shane were still on a fifteen-foot leash around me, it’d be a while.
I was the last one into the bedroom, and as soon as I shut—and locked—the door, Shane and Rory crowded me, moving me over to back against the wall. Shane leaned on his forearm next to my head. I could feel his breath on my face. “Ellis.” He dragged a finger from my earlobe to the collar of my shirt.
“Y-yes?”
Rory pulled my shirttails out of my shorts. “You were being very naughty in the car earlier.”
Oops. “I don’t know what you mean. I didn’t do anything.” Hah.
“Shh. We have to be quiet.” Shane pulled my shirt to the side and licked my collarbone before kissing his way up my neck.
I couldn’t help but tilt my head to the side, but I did stifle my moan .
Rory worked on my buttons. “You were sitting in the car, looking all calm and collected in your preppy clothes. But you were thinking some dirty thoughts, Ellis. Shane and I could tell. We could feel them.”
Shane helped Rory peel my shirt off.
I panted and licked my lips. “Um, I’m sorry?”
Shane chuckled into my ear. His hot breath made every nerve ending send a message to my dick. “Don’t be sorry. We weren’t. Just tell us what you were thinking about.”
“You, uh, didn’t get that through the bond?”
“Nope.” He bent down and sucked my nipple. I went up on my toes, but I managed not to squeal.
Rory put a hand behind my head to prevent me from knocking it against the wall. “Careful. If you wake Pia, you’ll have to be the one to explain the noises to her.”
I hissed as Shane gently took my nipple between his teeth.
Rory used his free hand to open the button on my shorts. “Now tell us what had you all hot and bothered, Ellis.”
Shane opened his mouth and blew, and I almost cried out as the cool air hit my dampened nub. Then he fucking went down on his knees. Holy shit. He looked up at me as he took over opening up my shorts. “Tell us.” I wasn’t sure I had the brain cells to talk right then. The arousal reverberating through our bond was almost enough to get me off all by itself.
Rory ran his palm over my other nipple. “El-lis. What were you thinking?”
“Um. Something about us visiting a sex toy store. Together. Um. I can’t remember why.” I panted as Shane pulled my shorts and boxers down to my knees. My dick was rock-hard. “ But I thought it would be hot if we walked down the aisles discussing all the options. In public. Where other people could hear us.”
“Ooooh.” Shane’s breath was hot against my dick as he spoke. “Ellis has a little exhibitionist streak.” He ran one hand up the inside of my thigh. I spread my legs apart as far as my shorts around my knees would allow, and he rewarded me by rolling my balls in his palm.
Fuck. “Shane.” I could feel he and Rory were almost as close as I was. The sound of our breath and moans filled the room.
Rory’s dick, slick with precum, pressed against my hip. When had he taken his clothes off? He twisted my nipple, so I put my arm around him and dug my fingers into his ass cheek.
I checked to see if Shane’s clothes had magically vanished too. They hadn’t, but he’d opened his fly and was working his dick as he mouthed mine.
“Shane, please.” Please put my dick on your tongue. Please swallow me down. Please suck me.
As I imagined Shane performing each of those actions, he and Rory thrust their hips in time with my thoughts. Rory moved his hand from my nipple to Shane’s head. He had his feet on either side of my leg, grinding into me.
Rory caught my lips in a kiss, invading my mouth with his tongue. I tried to engage with the kiss, but Shane nosed his way from my balls to my crown, then he finally took my dick in his hot, wet mouth. I lost it, my orgasm slamming through me as I tore away from Rory’s kiss and bent over Shane’s back, my mouth opened on a silent scream.
Shane swallowed as best he could, but my cum spilled out of his lips. He stiffened, his mouth and tongue going slack. Through the bond I felt his orgasm crash into me, into us. Rory pulled me tighter, his release spurting hot onto my skin. Shane and I both shuddered as if Rory’s orgasm were our own again.
We rested against each other, panting, for a good minute. My brain was fuzzy, but my feelings for Shane and Rory were bright and clear.
“I love you. Both of you.”
The seconds of silence following my confession ticked by, and I cringed. Shit, I’d only met Rory on Monday, and Shane and I hardly had more history than that.
I straightened my glasses and reached down to pull up my shorts, though I didn’t bother fastening them. “I’m gonna get a shower.” I didn’t look at either man as I edged to the side to disentangle myself.
“Wait.” Rory clamped an arm across my chest, pinning me against the wall again. I kept my eyes on the floor.
Shane stood up. “You can’t just drop that and run.”
“Pretty sure I can.” I tugged on Rory’s arm, but he wouldn’t let go.
Shane cupped my cheek. “You were brave enough to say that, but you didn’t check the bond to see what our reactions were?”
I finally lifted my gaze. Shane’s eyes were warm and caring, full of... love? Or that’s what the bond was telling me. I jerked my head toward Rory, and he was sending the same emotions through the bond.
He leaned in and kissed me softly, not full of lust like before. This kiss was full of love. “I love you too. Both of you.” He put his hand around the back of Shane’s head and pulled him in for a three-way kiss. Even with the taste of my cum on Shane’s lips, this kiss was sweeter and a lot less clumsy than the last time we’d tried it.
Shane smiled. “I think you can feel it already, but I love both of you too.”
I kissed him, just from me, before pulling Rory in for another three-way. We ended with the hug to end all hugs, our feelings bouncing between us through the bond. I’d never been so happy.