22. Camden
Camden
“Are any of you guys going to the Folsom Street Fair tomorrow?” Ezra asked, while his parents were occupied at the bar. His siblings had cornered Zeph and were asking about the NFL.
“Isn’t that usually in September?”
“How do you know that, Declan?” I asked, nudging him with my elbow.
“They moved it up because of the Olympics,” Ezra answered. “Thought it would be interesting to see.”
“Zeph and Colton mentioned it a few day ago,” Luke added.
“We’ve been a few times,” Declan said. “You could probably convince us to go.”
“Like a bachelor party?” Ty asked, sounding hopeful.
“I thought you weren’t having one of those,” Luke said.
“We aren’t,” Ty and Declan said in unison, before laughing. “But,” Declan continued, “I’m game for Folsom if you are.”
“Clothed or unclothed?” Ty asked.
Declan leaned in to whisper in his ear and Ty appeared to like what was said.
“Well, that’s settled. Anyone else coming?”
A few bits of laughter resulted from that question and it was Austin who answered. “We might have to come another time. I’m not sure that’s somewhere I should be taking private security.”
“He can still come,” Ezra said. “He would certainly look nice in a harness.”
I wasn’t sure Folson was somewhere Luke and I should be either, but the next day, there we were.
I wasn’t ashamed or anything, but hopefully attendees would be mindful with their cameras.
I wasn’t hoping for a photo of Luke and I watching dudes fuck in public to go viral.
Not quite the wholesome image USA Gymnastics would support.
But this was San Francisco, and we were gay. If it happened, it happened.
In honor of sport fetishists, Luke and I wore matching jock outfits.
We both went commando under too-small see-through white shorts from Rufskin.
The kind that had the side cut-outs almost up to the waistband.
It was the next best thing to being completely naked, which was not something we’d do in this public of a space.
Running shoes and backwards Stallions baseball caps finished the look.
His was red, mine was black. We had slathered the sunscreen on earlier.
“You guys are adorable,” Ty said.
“Thanks. You’re not so bad yourself,” I replied.
Ty wore sandals and white lycra leggings and that’s it, other than a rainbow armband on his left bicep.
His hair was tied back, falling well beyond his shoulders now.
It was the longest I had seen it. He was also still wearing the cage.
The lycra didn’t hide anything. I said a silent thank you to the universe that Zeph didn’t draw attention to it and start shit. I would’ve told him to shove it.
Let he who is without kink cast the first kink stone.
Declan wore a white leather harness across his broad chest and loose-fitting athletic shorts that did little to hide his massive member that snaked its way down one leg of the shorts.
Pressed against the flimsy fabric, it jiggled with every step.
Like the rest of us, not naked, but basically showing it all anyway.
Zeph and Colton - not surprisingly - were the least conservative of the group. Colton wore a red jockstrap with brown leather chaps and a cowboy hat. Zeph had a black harness on his upper body and a black jockstrap that barely contained his entire length, which was probably the point.
Whenever Declan and Zeph got together, it was always a dick-off.
We all knew Zeph was the bigger of the two by half an inch, but Luke had told me O was bigger than Zeph, he just didn’t brag about it. Christ on a cracker, I wish he did. I’d love to see Zeph’s face if O ever flopped it out.
Ezra was the real surprise of the morning.
He dressed like a frat guy on his way to a mixer, but once we got inside, he asked us to wait a sec while he went into one of the clubs to use the bathroom.
Of course some of the guys - mainly Colton and Zeph - took the opportunity to scope out the scenery.
“Where to first? The shibari demonstration or just go straight to the public sex area?” Zeph asked.
“I’d like to look at some of the jewelry vendors,” Ty said.
“We were thinking about a couples tattoo as well,” Declan added.
“Aw, that’s such a cute idea.”
“Cute enough to do it?” I asked Luke.
“I don’t know.” Luke shrugged. “You don’t have any tats yet. It would be hot, but I kind of like your skin all tan and smooth.”
“Hey.” Some dude in a puppy hood walked right up to me and Luke. “Can you hold my bag? I’m gonna go explore.”
Wait.
“Ezra?”
I should’ve recognized the hood from before. It was the same coloration - teal. He had a matching jockstrap…and a tail. And teal Chuck Taylors. So much for only having some other stuff.
“Bro, is that tail…inside you?” Ty asked.
Everyone in our group was staring.
“I decided to say ‘Fuck it’. I’m not ashamed of liking pup play. This is why I wanted to come. If you have a problem-”
A chorus of guys admitting there was no problem erupted.
“Then why are you guys staring?” Ezra asked.
“‘Cause you look hot as fuck, puppy boy,” Colton answered. “Where was all this the other night?”
To confirm Colton’s assessment, a complete stranger walking by offered his ‘bone’ to Ezra, but only if he was a good boy.
“Uh, I hadn’t realized puppy play was so hot. Why didn’t anyone tell me?” Declan asked.
“First stop, jewelry. Second stop, puppy gear.” Ty grabbed Declan’s hand and they took off.
“So, do you mind holding my bag?” Ezra asked again.
“Of course not.” Luke took the bag.
“You’ve got your phone. You’ll be okay?” I asked, unable to help myself.
Ezra nodded. “I’ve been researching this a while. This is a super professional group. I joined their website a year ago. Vetted pups and handlers only. I’ll be just fine.”
“Have fun, Tadashi.” I whispered the last word before giving his butt a gentle slap.
A mistake, I realized only too late, because Colton and Zeph took the opportunity to really give his ass a slap as he walked past them, but he didn’t seem to mind.
The swagger and confidence in his step, tail wagging back and forth, made him almost unrecognizable from the pup curled in my lap last week.
Maybe Zeph and Colton’s sex romp with Brody gave him more confidence?
“Well, that’s something I thought I’d never see,” Zeph said, watching Ezra walk off like the rest of us.
“What? You want a little puppy now?” Colton asked.
“If it looks like that? Yes.”
“Was this what you had to tell me about Ezra but forgot to until now?” Luke whispered.
I nodded. “Yeah. He wore the hood once or twice in the dorm. Said it helped him relax.”
“I get it.”
“You do?”
“It’s about headspace. It’s not always sexual, it can be meditative as well.”
“Well, Dr. Rivera, sexual therapist, is now serving real-time advice, live at Folsom,” I teased.
“Were you serious about the tattoo thing?”
I shrugged. “We can go see what they have, I guess. I’m assuming Zeph and-”
They were already gone.
“If anyone can take care of themselves at Folsom, it’s Zeph and Colton,” Luke said. “I wonder how many people will take selfies with Zeph’s dick before the day is over.”
“At least twenty.”
“I really wish you got something on your butt,” Luke teased.
“You just wanted to see me bent over for that hunk of a tattoo artist with my bare ass exposed.”
“Well, duh.”
“Noah’s going to kill me as it is.”
“For that? It’s tiny. Well, it’s not tiny, but it’s not elaborate.”
“I’m not sure how I’m supposed to avoid excessive physical activity either.”
“It’ll be fine. I’ll help you take care of it.”
Luke and I each got matching platypus outlines on our biceps that, when we put our arms together, formed a heart. It was minimalist, or in Luke’s words, tiny, but it was very clearly a platypus.
And I loved it.
That was our first real date, and I would always remember that day.
“Let’s find Ty and Declan,” Luke suggested.
“I’m actually thirsty. Can we find a water fountain or head into one of the bars?”
“Sure thing,” Luke said, looking around. “Hole in the Wall or Driftwood?”
“Driftwood. Reminds me of Florida.”
The bartender ended up being really friendly.
His name was Kelly. I shouldn’t have been surprised, because a friendly bartender makes sense.
If he were grumpy then he wouldn’t make as much.
He didn’t recognize us either, which was refreshing.
It wasn’t that often we needed to explain who we were and what we did, especially when we were together.
If someone didn’t recognize me, they usually recognized Luke, or vice versa.
He also didn’t try to hit on us either. I’m assuming we gave off couple vibes, or maybe he wasn’t looking, or maybe we weren’t his type.
I took a few sips of Luke’s fancy cocktails, but for the most part remained faithful to my iced tea and water.
I still had a few days before competition, and the tattoo would already push Noah’s buttons enough.
I was just about to ask Luke if we should text the group, when Kelly asked if we were staying for lunch.
“I’m good with here if you are.”
"Looks like it, Kelly,” I answered.
While we were waiting for our food, I checked in on social media.
Luke was way more active than me. Considering his contracts, it made sense.
I kind of felt bad I hadn’t really cared much about it since arriving in California.
At least USA Gymnastics had posted some photos of me.
I hurriedly went through and liked various posts and comments, adding mine where I could.
“God, I feel like an ass.” I had missed so much.
“What for?” Luke asked, glancing over from—shirtless dudes—Instagram, it looked like.
“I don’t think I’ve looked at my profiles for a week. Having fun over there?”
“Like your feed isn’t the same thing, and why are you so worried? Lots of thirsty DMs?”
“Shut up! I haven’t even looked at those yet.”
I did probably have a few. Sometimes it was hard to tell between genuine fans, and people that wanted a dick pic.
Tyler: Where my bros at?
I texted him the name of the bar.