Neil
Moment of truth. I clutched Bubblegum’s leash tightly in one hand as I rang Sawyer’s doorbell. Sawyer answered before the bell had even finished chiming, releasing a cloud of sweet-smelling steam from whatever he was cooking.
The full wattage of his smile almost blinded me, especially when he leaned over and hugged me to his chest, squishing Bubblegum’s fluffy body between us for a moment before he stepped back.
“I hope our kids get along,” Sawyer joked as I set Bubblegum down in the hallway. “This way. The Princess is asleep in her cat tree.”
Sawyer had turned his living room into a full-on cat paradise. A three-story climbing tower, complete with platforms anchored into the wall, led up to a cat bed that looked down over the living room. He’d even managed to make the platforms look like part of the mural he’d painted previously.
Purring loudly, Princess blinked at us from that high bed.
“Not sure how they’re supposed to meet like this,” I said.
“I’ll get her down.” Sawyer stood on his tiptoes and reached. His fingers just brushed Princess Fluffybutt’s head. With a few quick strokes, he coaxed her up and into his hands. The cat really loved him because as loud as she was already purring, she increased in volume as he cuddled her to his chest and sat on the couch. “Here, sit next to me with Bubblegum.”
Bubblegum was a wiggling mass in my lap, so excited was she about the kitty. But she was good and pranced in place, her tail wagging like a banner.
Fluffybutt didn’t even seem to notice the dog, even though Sawyer held her facing Bubblegum.
I exchanged a glance with Sawyer, who shrugged. “Let Bubblegum go?” he suggested.
“Go see kitty, Bubblegum,” I said. Despite her nervous energy, Bubblegum pranced only a few steps before sticking her nose into the cat’s face. Fluffybutt only blinked slowly and didn’t move.
“Success!” Sawyer declared, leaning toward me and pecking me on the cheek. He stood up and deposited Fluffybutt onto the top of the cat tree. Ears prinked with interest, Bubblegum jumped off my lap and pranced after Sawyer.
Bubblegum stood at the base of the cat tree while Fluffybutt stood in the bed in the middle, looking down at her. The cat didn’t seem agitated; her tail wasn’t poofed out, and her ears only skewed in question, not fear.
“I think we’re safe to leave them,” I told him, giving him my best sultry look. “And I might have a surprise for you in the truck.”
“Do you, now?” Sawyer’s face turned sly, and he winked. “I might have had a premonition.”
Oh, snap, I should have thought about that. Good thing that Sawyer was smarter than me.
“You go get it from the car while I start prep.” Sawyer grabbed my hands and pulled me to my feet, jolting me from my woolgathering. He reminded me of Bubblegum right then, with energy high enough to have him bouncing on his heels.
I left Bubblegum in the living room while I ran outside. By the time I got back, Sawyer was in the bedroom already naked, legs spread as he lay on his back. I glanced into the living room to check on the animals. Bubblegum had lain down on the rug and was looking up at Fluffybutt, who still sat midway up the tree, regally licking her leg.
A low moan came from the bedroom.
“Wait for me!” I shouted.
I almost ripped my shirt in my haste to get undressed. “I don’t even know which dildo you want,” I said as I fumbled in my bag. Sawyer had his eyes closed as he stretched himself, moaning and thrusting his fingers. He was not in a state where he could answer questions. I put the smallest one into the harness, playing it safe since he said it had been a while.
Sawyer’s eyes popped open as I climbed onto the end of the bed. “Yes, I’m ready,” he moaned. Sweat beaded his forehead, sticking a lock of dirty blond hair to his forehead.
His hands rested on his knees, which he cocked out to the side, exposing his hole to me. I’d already lubed the strap on and lined it up, biting my lip as I looked up at Sawyer, asking silent permission.
“Do it,” Sawyer crooned, thrusting his butt up.
I pushed one of his knees out a little farther and used my other hand to guide the head of the dildo home. Sawyer cried out in pleasure as I slowly slid in. When I bottomed out, I gave him a beat or two before rolling my hips and thrusting.
“God, you’re so good,” Sawyer said between gasps, his hard cock bouncing on his stomach as I moved. “I’m not going to last long.”
I was close to coming myself just from watching Sawyer and from the thrill of topping. This was the part I loved best about using the harness: the way it moved with me. The harness felt like an extension of myself.
Sawyer cried out and spurted all over himself. I ground against him, rutting against the base of the dildo until I came a moment later.
“Shit, Neil; you’re amazing.” Sawyer gave me a half-lidded look from underneath his bangs as I slowly pulled out.
My legs shook with exhaustion, but I forced myself to crawl off the bed and remove the harness before flopping down next to him on my back. Sawyer reached over and ran a hand down my arm, then rolled over and rested his head on my chest.
I drifted off with the smell of saltwater and the cries of gulls coming in through the open window.
When I woke up, Sawyer knelt by the bed, a finger to his lips.
“What—” I started to say, but Sawyer cut me off.
“C’mere, you have to see this,” he whispered, pulling me off the bed and leading me into the living room. Bubblegum lay curled up on the couch with Fluffybutt.
Sawyer
A line of flag streamers hung around the parking lot, surrounding a teenage band who had set up on a temporary stage and a TV crew preparing to film.
“Is all this pomp really necessary?” I asked Neil, rubbing my hands on my board shorts. “It’s not like I’ve been covering the mural. It’s been visible to everyone the whole time I was painting it.”
“I know, this is just for show. But the shelter needs the press.” Neil shrugged and leaned into me, putting his head on my shoulder. “You don’t need to appear on camera; you could have stayed home.”
“I wanted to be here to support you on your big television debut.”
“It’s your big day, too,” Neil said, gesturing at the shelter and my mural that was now covered with a tarp for the big reveal. This whole thing was really silly if you asked me, but it was important to Neil, so I’d be here to support him.
I shook my head. “Just be sure to mention that I’m the artist of Faerly Hunter , or Hector will kill me.”
“It’s time, Neil,” Neil’s boss, Arthur, called from the front steps.
“Want me to hold Bubblegum’s leash for you?”
“Thanks.” Neil handed me the leash as he fumbled in his pockets for his notecards.
Bubblegum yipped and tried to follow Neil, but when she reached the end of her lead, she came back to me, tail wagging.
Neil smiled and waved at the cameras while his boss hovered in the background.
I couldn’t hear what he was saying from over here between the distance, the cheers of the small crowd, and the breeze snapping the decorative flags. But Neil’s little speech seemed to go over well. Then, with a dramatic flourish, he pulled the rope. The tarp came down with a flutter, revealing the mural I’d spent the majority of my free time painting for the last few months.
The crowd clapped, and the journalist interviewing Neil gasped, a look of delight on her face.
I’d done the animals in a more cartoony style than my usual pictures. Oversized heads with exaggerated expressions with all manner of pets. People had paid for me to immortalize their cats and dogs, as well as a ferret, a hamster, a chicken, an iguana, and even a goldfish.
It looked cheesy to me, but everyone who’d seen it had loved it. But I wasn’t looking at the mural now. I was intent on watching Neil’s expression when he saw the surprise I’d added for him. I’d painted that part on last, right before putting up the tarp yesterday for today’s big reveal.
Since most of the space had been taken up by donors, I’d had a devil of a time working out how to fit it in. But when someone donated to have their service dog included, the answer came to me.
Neil’s mouth fell open, and he barked out a laugh. Then he covered his mouth with one hand as he turned to look at me.
I winked at Neil and picked up Bubblegum, pretending to have her wave at him. “Look at your daddy’s face. I think he liked my surprise, don’t you?” I lifted Bubblegum higher and pointed her toward the mural. “You look so cute as Jake. And Neil makes a good Finn. But Fluffybutt steals the show as Cake if you ask me.”
Our pets were in the upper right corner: a white dog with its arm around a white cat made to look like Jake and Cake. Of course, I hadn’t done Bubblegum and Fluffybutt in Adventure Time style since I’d had to match it to the rest of the mural so it wouldn’t look too incongruous. I also hadn’t wanted to put humans in my animal mural, so Neil dressed as Jake was on the mug Bubblegum held in the paw, not around the cat. Dressed as Fionna, I showed up in the reflection of the sword that Fluffybutt’s cartoon image held across her body.
After oohing over the mural, the news anchor turned back to Neil to ask him another question, but Neil was still laughing too hard over my surprise to talk. He gestured to Arthur, the shelter owner, to take his place and stepped aside.
The interview ended after a few more minutes, with the cameraman taking one more long panning shot of my mural before they packed everything back up. The crowd didn’t disperse right away. Instead, most of them headed toward the line of vendors and food trucks or over to the stage where the teenage cover band was starting up their set.
I waited where I was, letting Bubblegum sniff at the weeds until Neil rejoined us.
“I can’t believe you didn’t warn me. Let me look like a fool on the news!” Neil gently punched the side of my arm. I pretended to be hurt and scooped up Bubblegum, holding her up like a shield.
“Don’t hurt me! Take the dog instead!”
Neil took Bubblegum and cradled her to his chest with a small smile as he glanced at me. “I will! So there!”
Chuckling, I slung an arm around his waist and planted a kiss on his cheek. “I’m sorry, I didn’t think about the fact you’d be doing a live interview when you first saw it. But you have to admit, your face was priceless.” A thought occurred to me. “Shit, do you think I can find a recording?”
Neil punched my arm again, harder this time.
“It is pretty awesome, though,” Neil said, craning his head up to admire the mural again.
“Not as awesome as you.” I bumped Neil’s hip with mine. The words, “I love you,” passed through my mind, but I couldn’t force them out yet. But I had a feeling it was just a matter of time.