Ethan woke up early, pissed off and with a hangover. He looked at Jack who was still asleep, and kissed his forehead. He put on a black hooded sweatshirt and sweatpants, left the room to check on EJ first, then texted Carlos: Are you up? Cuz if not WAKE THE FUCK UP.
Carlos texted him back a few minutes later: I’m up.
He texted: Meet me in the main dining room. Now.
Carlos text back: uh-oh.
Ethan went upstairs and found Stacy in the kitchen bright and early making eggs. He put the coffee on, then turned on the ovens to warm up the bacon, sausages and hash browns for the morning breakfast. Carlos came in wearing the jeans from last night, and a CUNY sweatshirt.
He yawned, “Yo, cabron do you know what time it is?”
Ethan said to Stacy, “Can you give us a minute? I’ll watch the stove for a bit.” Stacy left dutifully, closing the door behind him.
Ethan started, “Los-”
But Carlos cut him off, “I know I know, I took it too far last night. Lo siento. Lo digo en serio. (I’m sorry. I mean it.) I’m serious. Jorge tore me a new ass hole last night and not in the way I like.” He sighed, “I won’t call him Baby Jack no more. I’m going to respect yalls relationship, ok? I’ll apologize to him today.”
Ethan looked at him a moment, then said, “We’re getting married, Carlos.”
Carlos froze. “Are you serious?” he asked.
“Yes.” Ethan said simply.
“When?”
“In September.”
Carlos leaned against the wall. He groaned, “Uuuuuugh, Ethan don’t do this to me.”
“Do what to you?” Ethan did not expect that serious a response.
“Get married on me, man,” Carlos said.
Ethan laughed. “I got married on you before remember? Trish?”
“Yea but we all know that was a fucking sham,” Carlos said. “But you marrying Jack? That shit is real man.”
“It is real between us,” Ethan said. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you.”
Carlos groaned again. “This is a fucking nightmare.”
“I don’t understand you at all,” Ethan said. “Every opportunity we’ve had to be together, you shut me down. You, not me. You. You said, what I want, you can’t give me, we’re better off as friends. You’re words, not mine. I respected it and now we’re friends. So why the fuck are you acting like this now?”
“Because Ethan, you know who you are to me,” Carlos said.
Ethan said hotly, “No I don’t. Tell me.”
They looked at each other in silence. Then Carlos said, “I told you yesterday.”
Ethan was getting angry. “So..so… so… you just thought you were just going to keep me in your back pocket until you were ready to commit to me? What kind of shit is that?”
“That’s not what I was doing,” Carlos looked away.
“That’s exactly what you were doing,” Ethan said angrily. “And I knew this from jump, when I was with Justin, and you pulled the same shit you did yesterday. Practically trying to fuck me in front of him. And when we broke up I asked you then, are we doing this or not? And what did you say to me Los? Hmmm? Because I remembered it verbatim. What did you fucking say, Carlos? Want me to tell you?”
“I told you the truth, mi amor. That I don’t love you the way you love me,” he said quietly.
“Right.” Ethan said. “The same shit you told me at 16. But that was the day I stopped loving you, since you want to bring up seven years ago and shit. Because that time was going to be the last time I let you fuck up my life with your commitment issues. And I meant that shit. That’s why I went back to Hutch. Because at least he wanted to be with me and commit to me and wouldn’t fuck with my head or my heart.”
“Ah, but he ended up doing both so what does that tell you?”
“That I’m a shit judge of character when it comes to people I fall in love with. You included.”
Carlos laughed. “And you think Jack is different?”
“I know he isn’t. Jack has his own fucked up issues, but the difference is, he actually is in love with me and wants to be with me. He’s never fucked with my head or my heart and he knows I’m fucked up too. So we’ll be fucked up together, forever in this bitch.” He let a moment pass. “I love him, Carlos. I’m in love with him. And we’re going to get married.”
Carlos was silent, then said, “I don’t know what you expect me to do here, man.”
Ethan sighed. “Just let me go. Let go of this idea of us. For real this time. And be happy for me, like a real friend would do.”
“I am your real friend.”
“Then act like it.” Ethan said. “Cut the jealous acting out shit, and just be happy that I am seriously happy with Jack.”
Carlos walked over and stood in front of him. He touched Ethan’s shoulders and said, “If I kiss you right now, what would you do?”
Ethan was honest. “I would probably kiss you back. And it would confuse and annoy the fuck out of me. Because you don’t want me the way that I’ve always wanted you. We’d be kissing for two different reasons. Is that what you want?”
Carlos looked at Ethan, he sighed and stepped back to his wall. He asked, “So is Jack a substitute because you can’t have me the way you want?”
“No, you arrogant asshole! Jack is what happens when you hesitate on someone you love. Someone better comes along and scoops them up. And make no mistake, Jack is better than you in every way imaginable. And I’m not just saying that to piss you off or challenge you. I am telling you, Jack is and always will be the better man, and best thing that has ever happened to me. And if you really do care about me and want me in your life, respect that. If not, then this is goodbye.”
Carlos scoffed. “Adios!? Adios mi culo are you fucking kidding me right now?”
“No. Accept it or walk away.”
“Daaaamn cabron you’re so serious about him, that you would give me up?” Carlos asked incredulously.
“Yes, I will give you up for him,” Ethan told him. “I will always love you. But I don’t love you like that anymore. I can’t love you like that anymore, and that has nothing to do with Jack. It’s because you made it clear many times that you don’t love me in that way so I let you go a long time ago. Now you let me go. Or I will walk way from this friendship for him without looking back. For Jack, I’d do anything.”
Carlos leaned against the wall in silence for a while, eyes closed. Ethan watched him and waited. “Iight.” He finally said, opening up his eyes. “I can’t lose your friendship you know that. I don’t have anybody else.” He walked back over to Ethan. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m happy for you and Jack. I want you to be happy and if this is it for you….then it’s done with you and me, for real.”
He gave Ethan a hug and Ethan hugged him back. He leaned up and said, “Can I get a goodbye kiss tho?”
Ethan pushed him off. “No, asshole.” he said but then laughed. He put his arm around Carlos’s shoulder and said, “Jorge’s a good guy. He seems to be your speed. And he really likes you, I can tell. You should give him a real chance.”
Carlos said, “Maybe.” Then he said, “I can’t believe you getting fucking married, yo. Like, for real, for real. Damn. mi corazón está rompiéndose.”
“You’re heart’s not breaking, shut the fuck up,” Ethan said.
Carlos laughed, making Ethan laugh. Carlos said, “I do love you, you know.”
“I know. I love you too. As a friend.” He paused and said, “Apologize to Jack, please. And be nice to him. I’m pretty sure if I didn’t lay on him last night he would have broke his foot off in your ass. Don’t test him. You don’t know what he’s capable of.”
Carlos said with a smile, “Yea, yea sure.”
Jack leaned on the wall outside of the kitchen and heard every word, unsure of how to feel. He had come upstairs to look for Ethan and Stacy told him he was in the kitchen talking to some guy. He knew it was Carlos and couldn’t help but to eavesdrop. But now he had heard enough.
He turned around and went back down to the basement to pretend to be sleep again for when Ethan made it back downstairs. However EJ was wide awake, looking for his dad. EJ being up was an easy distraction; Jack busied himself with getting him dressed for the day, or rather watching EJ pick out and put on his own clothes.
“I can do it!” he said stubbornly. So Jack stood in the doorway and watched.
Ethan came in and wrapped his arms around Jack from behind, kissed the back of his neck. Jack turned around and reached his arms around his neck, and kissed his lips, then put his tongue in his mouth. Ethan moaned in surprise, but palmed Jack’s ass and kissed him back with the same passion. After a minute or so, Jack pulled back first, rubbing the back of his neck with both hands said, and said, “Good morning.”
“Great morning!” Ethan said with a smile. “What was that for?”
“Just because I love you. Like, a lot. A lot, a lot. And because you love me a lot. And we’re a lot in love.”
Ethan laughed. “Okay. You still drunk?”
Jack laughed as well. “No but I wish you were. I like drunk Ethan.”
“Oh you like when I keep talking and spill all my heart out to you,” Ethan said amusingly.
“Fuck yea. I found out some interesting things,” Jack said slyly.
“Like how I love your eyes?” Ethan said.
“Like how you dreamed about fucking the garbage kid.”
Ethan’s eyes went wide. “I didn’t say no shit like that.”
“Oh yes the fuck you did.” Jack laughed. “How you dreamed about me inside of you even when you were still calling me The Garbage Kid. And something about my damn dimples.” Jack smiled wide.
Ethan let out a belly laugh. “Oh my God, I’m never getting drunk around you again.” They both laughed and kissed again.
~~~
By the time Jack and Ethan took showers, got dressed and came up out the apartment with EJ, breakfast was well underway. Nine happy couples, including Ethan and Jack, sat down for breakfast. When they came into the dining room, Jorge nodded toward them a hello, then nudged Carlos.
Carlos got up and walked over to where they were sitting. “Buenos dias, amigos. Jack, I want to officially apologize for my behavior last night. It was uncalled for. Although half the shit I don’t even know I did or said, still, it was enough for my best friend and my boyfriend to snap at me this morning so, my bad dawg.” He reached his hand out for a shake.
“It’s all water under the bridge now, man,” Jack said easily and shook his hand.
Carlos turned to Ethan, “I know check out is at 11am but can we hang around a bit more? I want to give Jack the chance to get to know the real me, and for me to get to know him, for real.”
Ethan smiled while Jack continued to resist the urge to hit Carlos. “Of course man, stay as late as you’d like.”
After breakfast they hung around late in the dining room as Carlos and Ethan exchanged childhood stories, none of them of the sexual nature, which placated Jack for a little bit. They walked around the Inn and Ethan proudly showed them a couple of paintings he had created so far and Carlos was really supportive, “It’s what you do best amigo, you paint with your heart and it shows.” Then Jorge and Carlos went back upstairs to spend time together and pack.
Ethan said to Jack when they were alone again, “That’s my friend Carlos. I’m glad you finally got a chance to meet him.”
Liam came in around 5pm and took over the evening desk duty with Stacy who was still around for the holiday weekend. Jorge and Carlos came downstairs with their bags, and hugged both Ethan and Jack.
Jorge said to Jack, “You’re a good dude. Keep in touch.” And Jack said he would.
Carlos said to Jack, “Take care of our Ethan for me, yea cabron?”
Jack couldn’t help it. He smiled and said, “My Ethan.”
Carlos smiled back and said, “Riiiiiight,” and then laughed. Carlos turned to Ethan and said, “Thanks for this weekend. It was….fun. We’ll do it again next year.”
Ethan said quietly, “Hopefully with Jorge again.” He nodded in his direction.
“We’ll see,” Carlos said quietly.
As they were leaving, Ethan said to Jack, “I’m going to walk them out. You ok with that?”
“Yea, it’s cool,” Jack said.
When they left the Inn, Liam said, “Why is Ethan asking for your permission?”
Jack sighed, rubbed his temples. “I’ll tell you later. I just want to forget a whole lot of things from this weekend right now.” He went to stand by the bay window to watch them off with Liam next to him.
Ethan walked them both to the car and watched them get in. He stood on the sidewalk, pleased with how the weekend turned out. He had closed this chapter out with Carlos, finally, and felt freer to move forward with Jack, who was the love of his life. All this he was thinking when Carlos got out of the passenger side car again and came up to Ethan. He said, “I’m letting go. But first…”
And Carlos leaned in, kissed Ethan on the mouth and stuck his tongue in.
It happened in slow motion for Jack. He watched Carlos get out of the car as Liam was telling him a funny thing that happened in the casino yesterday. He watched Carlos say something, and then he watched Carlos lean in and kiss Ethan on the mouth. His Ethan.
It lasted about three seconds. In the first second, Carlos’s lips touched Ethan’s and Ethan was shocked and confused. In the second, Jack saw Carlos’s tongue flicker and Ethan close his eyes. It could have been mistaken for a blink, but Jack knew it wasn’t. In the third, Ethan’s eyes flew open wide and he pushed Carlos forcefully and angrily.
“What the fuck Carlos!??” Ethan yelled. “What the actual fuck are you doing!?”
Carlos threw up his palms. “I’m letting you go, bro. That was goodbye.”
Ethan instinctively turned back to the Inn, thankfully that Jack wasn’t at the window, then turned back to Carlos and said pushed him again, “Get the fuck out of here, Los.” He said angrily.
Carlos said again, “That was goodbye, EB. That was goodbye.” He got back in the car.
Jorge, who saw from the car window what happened, just shook his head. He said to Carlos, “You got fucking issues, cabron.”
Jack had stepped back from the window, breathing hard, opening and closing his fists, seeing red.
Liam exclaimed, “Whoa!” He went up to Jack. “Are you ok?”
“What happened?” Stacy asked from the desk playing with EJ.
“That dude kissed Ethan,” he told his sister.
Stacy’s mouth dropped. “Kissed him how!?”
But Liam didn’t answer, he knew his best friend was about to lose it, he was way too quiet. He said cautiously, “Jack…?”
Jack closed his eyes, took some deep breaths to slow down his breathing, opened them and looked at him, then started walking toward the door. “I’m just going to talk to him,” he said calmly.
Liam grabbed his arm knowing Jack all too well. “Don’t do it. Let Ethan handle it.”
Jack said quietly and dangerously, “Let. Me. Go.”
Stacy said from the desk, “Let him go, Liam. What if it was June?” Liam reluctantly released Jack’s arm and he left the Inn.
Once Carlos got back in the car, Ethan turned around furiously and started walking towards the Inn when the door opened and Jack came out. His walk was unhurried but Ethan could tell he saw what happened. He stopped in front of Jack, “It didn’t-”
Jack interjected and said in an even tone, “I just want to talk to him. I’m cool.”
He stepped around Ethan and he watched as Jack walked to the car. He tapped on the window, made motion for Carlos to roll the window down. Carlos had a smug look on his face as he did, and he started to say, “Listen cabron, don’t get upse-”
But the words never made it out of his mouth as Jack swung five to six quick punches in the open window hitting Carlos in the face, eye and jaw. And then for good measure, he took the back of Carlos’s head and slammed his nose into the glove compartment, hard. Then stepped back and waited, fist closed.
“Get out of the car,” he said calmly.
Liam saw from the window and yelled, “Holy shit!” He ran outside.
Ethan’s mouth dropped and he also ran toward Jack, getting there first. He grabbed his arm and said, “What the fuck, Jack!” But Jack did not look at him, only at Carlos screaming and falling out of the open car door with his bloodied face.
“He broke my fucking nose!” Carlos screamed. “I’m going to murder that fucking sonofabitch!”
Ethan ran toward Carlos who was trying to get to Jack; Jorge had jumped out the car to help hold him back as well. Liam pushed Jack all the way to the wall of the Inn, put his arm across his chest, foot between his legs and said, “Down, puppy. Let Ethan handle it.”
Carlos had made it to his feet and Ethan and Jorge was trying to hold him back and calm him down, as Carlos continued yelling threats in English and Spanish, “Te voy a matar you fucking gringo cabron (I’m going to kill you fucking white bastard)! I’m going to fuck you up you, fucking pussy. Hit me when I’m standing cabron, let me see what you made of para que pueda sacarte la mierda (so I can beat the shit out of you), you fucking pussy ass faggot!”
Jorge said as he was gripping Carlos’s arm, “You brought that on yourself, ‘Los! Take that well deserved ass whooping like a man, dawg.”
Ethan knew Carlos was not going to stop so he yelled, “Liam, get Jack out of here! Now!”
Liam tried to pull Jack along but Jack said, “No.” He did not budge.
“Jack, it’s over. You won. Ethan’s yours. Let’s go.” Jack didn’t answer. Carlos was still screaming threats at him and wanted to see him follow through on them.
Liam pulled out his phone and said, “If you don’t start moving I’m going to call your dad and tell him you’re out here fighting over a boy like you’re in middle school. And you know he’s going to come up here.” Jack looked at him annoyed.
“Let Ethan handle it,” he told Jack a third time. “I’m not kidding. Move.” Liam grabbed Jack’s arm forcefully and pulled him down the block and around the corner.
Carlos was still screaming even after he couldn’t see Jack anymore, “That’s right, run you fucking pussy!”
Ethan grabbed him by his jacket and slammed him back against the car. “What the fuck Carlos? Why the fuck would you do that!?”
Carlos yelled back, “I told you, that was goodbye!”
“No, this is goodbye!” Ethan said. “Get the fuck in the car and get the fuck out of my town.”
Carlos yelled again, “He broke my fucking nose!”
Ethan told him, “The closest hospital is in Providence, 20 minutes away. Now get the fuck out of here!”
Carlos started, “EB…”
Ethan screamed, “Don’t fucking call me that anymore! Don’t fucking call me at all! Just get the fuck outta here!”
Carlos looked shocked standing there holding his bloody nose. Jorge opened up the passenger side door and said, “Get in the fucking car cabron. It’s over now.” Carlos angrily got in the car and Jorge closed it.
Jorge turned to Ethan. “Sorry bro. Jack will get over it though. It will be fine. I’ll take care of this granuja for you.” He patted Ethan on the chest, and went to the driver’s side of the car and immediately drove off. Ethan called Jack but he didn’t answer his phone. He called two more times, no answer.
“SHIT!” he said out loud.
~~~
Liam took Jack to a pub a few blocks down where Jack told him all about Carlos, the initial interrogation, the drunken admission of fucking around and threesomes that Ethan never told him about, the conversation he overheard where Ethan sounded way too conflicting for his liking about his feelings for Carlos, but also elated that he would give up his lifelong friendship for him.
“It’s just another reminder of how little we know about each other, Liam,” he said. “I kept so much from him but apparently he’s been keeping things from me too. I don’t know what to do. But what I do know is that there isn’t enough room in Ethan’s life for the both of us. And I’m not going anywhere. So he has to go.”
Liam said, “Well you can’t kill him so…” He looked at Jack and smiled.
Jack sighed. “June told you.”
“Of course she did. She’s my baby, she tells me everything,” Liam said happily. Jack shook his head.
Liam said, “When it’s your first love, it’s hard to let it go. But it’s you he’s chosen, you said he told him that. You’re not the default. You’re the better option and he told him that too, don’t forget that. Everything Carlos is doing is literally out of desperation to keep Ethan under him. But it’s not working anymore because he’s in love with you. Trust me when I tell you, Ethan is not going to allow him to come between the two of you. It’s Ethan’s responsibility to make sure you know you come first.
“But,” he continued, “That is his best friend too, so you’re gonna have to put up with it a little. He’s always going to be in Ethan’s life and that needs to be Ethan’s decision how close they will be. And since Ethan’s the one fucking up here, he knows what he has to do. But you gotta keep a level head about it and know you already got him. You just gotta walk that hard line until something gives.”
Jack was quiet, sipping his beer. He flexed his aching knuckles. His phone rang and it was Ethan again. He pressed the End button for the ninthtime. Then said, “Liam, I just realized I haven’t asked you yet. Will you be my best man?”
Liam laughed. “Did you really have to ask? I thought it was a given. June and I are taking the ride to Vermont with you that morning. I know my place is by your side. I take my best friend title seriously.” Jack smiled.
~~~
Jack came home a little after 9pm. EJ was already asleep and Ethan was sitting up waiting for him on the couch, grateful because he honestly did not know if Jack was going to come back. Jack sat on the couch next to Ethan and looked at him.
Ethan started, “I fucked up. I underestimated how Carlos really felt about me. I should have listened to you and I’m sorry. I’m cutting Carlos off, completely. He won’t be in my life anymore. I’m really really sorry about all of it. All of it.”
Jack took a moment, then said, “It’s up to you if that’s what you want to do. I know he did that shit to come between us, more than because he actually wants you, so I won’t apologize for my reaction. But I know you consider him your best friend. And I knew you guys had a history but I also know that he’s the one person you can turn to when you need an outlet.”
Ethan said, “Jack-”
Jack continued, “I do wish I would have known about the continued fucking around and threesomes after your teenage years, but that’s whatever, in the past and we all got one, right? The truth is there are people in this town that I’ve fucked, or that fucked me, that you do see every day, and you don’t ask me about it and I don’t talk about it. Because it doesn’t matter, no one is actively trying to fuck me or come between you and me because they respect our relationship. So as long as Carlos starts to really respect it too, then I don’t care about him being in your life.”
Ethan said, “I-”
Jack interrupted again, “As long as you know I’m not going to let him touch you or kiss you. He can say whatever he wants to say, bring up all the nasty shit you two used to do with anaconda dicks and shit, I don’t care. I just don’t want him touching you. Can you do that? Can you not let him touch you?”
“Yea, of course,” Ethan said automatically. “He won’t be around anyway, like I said.”
Jack ignored him. “Because the next time he puts his mouth on you, I’m going to fucking kill him.”
Ethan looked at Jack intently. Jack relented. “Ok, I can’t say shit like that anymore, got it. I won’t kill him. But I will shoot his fucking balls off. And that’s a promise.”
Ethan laughed. He leaned over and pulled one of Jack’s legs on the couch to crawl in between them, then laid on top of Jack. He kissed him on the lips three times. “I hope you gargled before you kissed me,” Jack said.
Ethan laughed again. “You really are amazing, mature and sexy. And there is nothing baby about you, Jack.”
“You better fucking believe it,” Jack said, and wrapped both legs around Ethan as they kissed. Then Ethan moved further down and started unbuckling his jeans. Jack watched silently as he pulled his dick out of his underwear and began licking the head of his penis all around until his pre-cum started dripping out. Then he opened his mouth and took all of Jack in, proceeding to suck him off.
Jack closed his eyes and held onto Ethan’s head as he pushed his hips up on the couch to meet the back of Ethan’s throat, his black hairs tickling Ethan’s lips, moaning as quietly as he could. He gave Ethan no warning but he didn’t need to, Ethan always knows when Jack is about to come. Jack thrusted up a couple more times then held Ethan’s head as he arched his back and released his Irish cream directly down Ethan’s throat.
Ethan moved up and put his head on Jack’s chest, and lightly touched his penis that was still hanging out of his pants and running his hands through Jack’s dark pubic hair. “I’m really sorry. I’ll make it right, I promise. I love you, Jackie Bear,” he said.
Jack sighed and stroked his hair. “More than you’ll ever know.”
~~~
Carlos called Ethan the next day and apologized profusely about it. “Ok ok I took it too far again, I know. You told me not to test him and I kinda did anyway.”
Ethan listened for a bit as he and Jack sat at the dining room table in the apartment together, then put him on speaker and said, “Apologize to Jack.”
Carlos said flippantly, “Hey Jack. My bad, cabron, sometimes I play around too much and forget myself.”
Jack didn’t say anything at first. Ethan said to Carlos as he looked at his fiancé, “I want you to never touch me sexually or try to kiss me ever again. If you even attempt to do it, you can kiss our friendship goodbye for good. Respect Jack starting right now or lose me in your life forever. I’m not kidding. He’s the love of my life and my family now.”
There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone. Then Carlos said, “OK. Done. I’m sorry and I respect you Jack. We’ll all be one big happy family.” Jack rolled his eyes. “Do you accept my apology Jack?”
Jack finally said, “As long as you don’t touch Ethan again.”
“Ok cool, cool. So Ethan, we’re good now?” Carlos asked.
Ethan took a deep breath, then said, “Yeah, we’re good. But one more thing. I’m asking AJ to be my best man and our other witness. You can’t stand there for me. And I don’t want you at the ceremony either. You’re still invited to the reception with everyone else though.”
Jack’s eyes grew wide, as he did not expect Ethan to do that. He said as much by shaking his head, whispering, “Don’t-” But Ethan held his hand up to stop him.
Carlos was quiet on the other end for a long moment. Finally he spoke to Ethan in Spanish, “OK, Entiendo. Etan, lamento mucho que lo sepas. Mi temo que nuestra amistad cambiará y no puedo manejar eso. Pero sé que tiene que hacerlo ahora, porque tienes a Jack. Solo promete que siempre estarás allí para mí….¿Por favor?”
(OK. I understand. Ethan, I’m really sorry you know. I’m afraid our friendship will change and I can’t handle that. But I know it has to now, because you have Jack. Just promise you will always be there for me…please?)
Ethan said, “All that you could have said in English, you know. Pero no, mientras respetes a Jack como el hombre de mi vida, no me perderás. Los sentimientos de Jack son lo primero.” (But no, as long as you respect Jack as the man in my life, you won’t lose me. Jack’s feelings come first.)
Carlos spoke in English again. “I respect Jack as the man in your life. I’m sorry to you both for how I acted.”
Jack nodded, “And we accept your apology. Please come to the reception and be there for your friend.”
Carlos said, “I’ll be there.”
Ethan hung up and looked at Jack. They stared at each other for a moment, then Jack stood up and reached for Ethan’s hand. Ethan took it and Jack led him to the bedroom. They did not talk as they took off each other’s clothes and fell into bed together, kissing and touching.
Jack moved to lay in between Ethan’s legs and started out by kissing and licking his lips and neck, taking his time along Ethan’s chest and biting his nipples, kissing along the side of his body down to his thighs. Jack licked his lips and kissed along both inner thighs and groin area before his tongue began to dance in and around his hole, making him moan.
Ethan’s dick stood straight up wanting attention too, but Jack ignored it for a while. He came up to lick his balls and returned to the bottom, taking his time and relishing in how good he makes Ethan feel, mentally vowing to always do so.
Ethan raised his hand to the bookshelf headboard to feel around for the lube they keep there and handed it to Jack. He recognized he has been bottoming for Jack all weekend and it made him happy to do so, to relinquish all control and to know he is in good and loving hands. Jack used his fingers to lube and finger Ethan for a while making him moan louder until he said, “Fuck, just fuck me already!”
Jack laughed and used the lube on himself. “Lift up so I can put a pillow underneath you,” he told him and Ethan obliged. Jack then took Ethan’s penis and used his tongue again, starting at the pinkest part of Ethan’s slit and making his way down, driving Ethan crazy. By the time Ethan got to enter his warm wet mouth, he was already leaking excitedly and panting harder.
“I’m…not sure… if this… is punishment… or… forgiveness.” He said breathlessly. Jack did not respond at first, as he continued to deep throat Ethan’s dick, coming up tracing one of Ethan’s vein with his tongue, then making his way back down.
After a bit, Jack finally let Ethan’s dick out of his mouth and came up to kiss Ethan, with the taste of his pre-cum still on his tongue. He leaned up, reached down and guided himself, slowly entered Ethan. Then he leaned over so that he was kneeling over him, as Ethan wrapped his legs around Jack’s waist, and they kissed again and rocked together. EJ didn’t need to be picked up from school for another two hours so they had plenty of time.
Ethan moaned holding onto Jack’s forearms as the tip of Jack’s long dick put continuous pressure on his sweet spot. Jack kept his mind, body and heart focused on pleasing Ethan to the max, watching his eyes close to slits and his head move up and down with the rest of his body and moan in his throat as he continued to thrust into him. When Ethan could not take the pressure anymore, he reached in between them and began to stroke himself, giving Jack the go ahead to begin pounding him, which Jack leaned up to hold onto his thighs and did so.
After a few strokes Ethan held himself and groaned in his throat as his Irish cream came out in long spurts one after another, coating him from his collarbone to his abs. Jack felt his own waves forming at the height of Ethan’s climax and pushed himself to feel the beginnings of his orgasm, then slowed himself down to a snail crawl to avoid ejaculating, shuddering from his neck to his toes, but not completely stopping.
“Fuuuuuck that was intense,” he said breathlessly, still moving inside of Ethan, who was still coming down from his own orgasm. Jack leaned over and kissed him, moving back into the kneeling position and rocking together again.
Ethan chuckled a bit, then moved his hands back to Jack’s forearms. “I think you got it now, Jackie Bear.” Jack chuckled as well. He leaned down and licked the cum off Ethan’s neck, then kissed him again as they made love.
They stayed that way for minutes, hours, days, centuries it felt like, climaxing together with Jack pulling himself back from ejaculating two more times, before switching to Ethan laying on his stomach, ass sitting high on the pillow. He kissed Ethan from the nape of his neck leaving wet kisses all down his spine and all over his cheeks before he spread them again and tongue kissed his now sensitive hole. Then he entered him once more, holding onto the sides of the one he loves the most, thrusting in and out with more speed than before.
The sweat from Ethan’s back and Jack’s chest made the sliding back and forth easier and more intense. Jack felt his orgasm forming one more time much more quickly. He laid his torso down, stretched his hands over Ethan’s to interlope their fingers together and pumped up and down on him. Ethan squeezed Jack’s hands as Jack recognized the feelings of his orgasm first, as his temperature rose and his body was completely flushed with heat.
He moaned a loud, “hooooooooo!” as he trembled and then erupted like a geyser filling Ethan’s rectum with his own Irish cream. Ethan came again right onto the pillow and bed. Jack slowly pulled out of Ethan and removed the pillow from underneath him, and Ethan laid back down on his stomach. Jack laid on the side of him with his head on the center of his back and drew circles with the pool of sweat that was in the groove between his back and bottom.
“Forgiveness,” Jack said after a while. “And thank you, for putting me first.”
“I always will,” Ethan said. “I love you. Jack.”
“Love you too, Ethan.”
~~~
The Saturday in April right after Jack’s 25th birthday, Henry called them all to come over for a family meeting. When Henrietta, Jack, June and Mina were all seated in the living room he pointed to a medium size box.
“My cousin Lizzy in Ireland wrote to me,” he started. No one spoke or dared to look at each other as he continued. “She heard two of my children were getting married this year and wanted to send along some items for each of you on your wedding days.”
He reached into a box that was sitting on the center table and pulled out four smaller boxes, each with their names on it. “I’ll leave you to it,” he said and left the room.
Henrietta opened her cube sized box first. In it was an embroidered lace veil. There was also a small handwritten note that she read out loud.
“Dearest Henrietta, This veil was worn by our grandmother and then your dad’s sister Betsy who passed away tragically many years ago. I know she would be so proud for you to wear it, carrying on the tradition of our family. May it bring you the lifetime of happiness that it brought her. And for you, an Irish blessing: May you be blessed with warmth in your home, love in your heart, peace in your soul and joy for your life. Love, your Aunt Lizzy.” She looked around to them with wide teary eyes.
“Oh God,” June said, as the tears began stinging her eyes.
She opened her flatter square size box next. It was a beautiful handmade white gold and diamond jeweled Celtic tiara weaved in the style of an endless knot. She was already crying as she read her note. “Sweet June Elizabeth, This tiara…was made…by my favorite cousin’s husband Jamie….(sniff) oh God (sniff) … He gifted it to her… on her wedding day… Betsy would…wear it on random occasions after that… (sniff).. to the grocery store… to football matches… (sniff) She wore it giving birth to her daughter….Oh God!”
She put the paper down a bit so she could wail openly and Jack came over to sit next to her and hug her. When she had gotten herself together, she finished reading the note. “She wore it giving birth to her daughter with the hope that one day she would wear it on her wedding day too. Or to the grocery store. I hope you will find some good use for it. It brought her much happiness.” Jack and June looked at each other and smiled.
Mina, with tears already in her eyes, said, “Ok. Here I go.” She opened her long rectangular box and in it was a Claddagh pendant with blue stone in the center. She gasped. Then read her note.
“Beautiful Wilhelmina, My aunt wore this on her wedding day. It is Edwardian style, which typically is either an emerald or amethyst stone, but my uncle changed out the stone to sapphire to give his wife a Something Blue for her wedding day. My aunt then passed it down to her daughter Betsy to wear on hers. Since sapphire is your birthstone, I felt this would be fitting to pass down to you, for when it’s your turn to marry. May it bring you luck and happiness.”
She looked around at them. “Fuck, now I have to get married.” They laughed.
Everyone turned to Jack who had yet to cry. He smiled and said, “Can’t do this in private can I?”
“No!” they yelled at him, then they all laughed.
He went back over to his seat and picked up his flat square box, similar to June’s. Inside it were items buried in the cotton fabric separated by a small cardboard. On one side were sterling silver cufflinks and on the other side where three Claddagh style marriage rings, two males and female. He picked up the folded note stuck to the top of the box that was written in a completely different handwriting than the others. He hesitated to read it out loud, but then he decided not to have any secrets from them.
“Jack, Galis came to see me and you all are in the clear and free to live your lives without looking behind you. He made sure of it and so did I with Ruben. That being said, never bring your ruddy arse back to Ireland again.” They all laughed again.
“The cufflinks are the same ones I gave to your dad for his wedding day. It is the symbol of the Celtic Warrior, which I should let you know is a Riley family tradition. The Celtic Warrior, if you weren’t aware, were fearless, skilled and deadly on the battlefield. My father only had four made for his four sons, so I gave Jamie my own personal pair. I debated whether to pass them along to you, but I figured it was fitting. You decide whether you want to wear them or not.
“The matching white gold rings were your parents but the male white gold one with the yellow gold hands I had crafted for your lad. I assume you will wear your father’s ring and pass down your mother’s ring. Find an Irish jeweler to size them if they don’t fit properly. I wish you a lifetime of happiness with him and his son. Until we meet again, may the good Lord hold you in the palm of His hands. Love always, Your Uncle Nate.”
He looked up at them smiling widely holding back tears. They stood up and came together for a group hug.
Afterwards Jack went home to Ethan and showed him the cufflinks, rings and the note. They had already planned to wear simple gold bands but Ethan said automatically, “We’re wearing these, no question.” They tried them on and Ethan’s surprisingly fit well, but Jack’s was too big so Ethan took it from him and tasked himself with getting it resized.
“Also, I confirmed the date for Sept 1st at a courthouse in Vermont,” Ethan said. “It’s a Friday. I tried to get our anniversary date of September 10th but it wasn’t available and the next date after that was September 22nd. So I decided for us. I hope that was ok.”
Jack nodded. “September 1st is fine.” He looked at Ethan for a bit. “We’re really doing this, huh? No turning back now,” Jack said a little nervously.
Ethan pulled him into his arms and held him tight. “Nope. No turning back now.”
~~~
Henrietta and Brayden married on May 30th at St. Cecilia’s wearing Betsy’s veil, but that would be her last day as a Catholic. “I’m converting to Lutheran and joining their church,” she announced to her family during the reception. It was surprising to everyone but Jack who understood completely.
“You should join me, you and Ethan,” she told him. “You’ll be accepted there.”
“We’ll consider it,” Jack said.
Ethan laughed and told her, “He’ll never consider it.”
Father O’Donnell caught them at the reception and said, “So I heard a rumor, there is another wedding happening.”
Jack smiled and Ethan said, “I wish we could do it right here with you, but you know how that goes.”
The priest nodded. “Well, maybe I can still bless your union in my own way. Either the day of or right before. Let’s plan it.”
“Really?” Jack liked that idea.
“I’ve known you almost 20 years Jack, and I know what you’ve been through. For you, I will do this,” Father O’Donnell said. “And I hear someone is trying to woo you to the Protestant side, and I would much like to see your face continue at Mass with us.”
Ethan was thoughtful. “I do want to talk with you, Father. I think I’m ready to annul my first marriage, start clean with this one.” Jack looked at him in surprise. He had not mentioned it to him.
Father O’Donnell smiled. “Yes. I think it’s time. Let’s chat this week, see what we can do.”
~~~
On Thursday morning, August 31th, Father O’Donnell came by the Inn looking for Ethan. He handed him the official document of his annulment from Trish, who unsurprisingly agreed to it without a fight. He said, “You are free to marry as a Catholic, if you so choose.”
Ethan smiled and said, “But am I free to marry who I want as a Catholic?”
“That is the question, isn’t it? Well anyway, I have a special blessing that I want to do before your trip tomorrow. Can you and Jack come by the Church, let’s say at midnight tonight? And bring a friend, each of you.” He winked at Ethan, who was confused.
He told Jack when he arrived that afternoon after work and showed him the document. “That’s awesome!”
“Yea it is,” Ethan said. “But what do you think about the other thing? Going tonight, bringing a friend?”
“He is probably going to do some kind of marriage type blessing. Maybe like a midnight mass with communion. Who do you want to ask to come with us? June obviously for me.”
“I don’t know. Maybe Brayden, because we’ve become real good friends, and he’s not Catholic so whatever Father does end up doing, he’s not guilt ridden to tell.” Brayden and Ethan started hanging out a lot more when Jack went to Ireland by keeping each other company, and not talking about the one thing they both had on their minds.
“Well I guess that means Liam and Henrietta too because neither of them are seen without their other half anymore,” Jack reasoned.
“True,” Ethan said, “Ok, let me just make sure it’s ok that it’s four friends, not two.” He called Father O’Donnell while Jack called June and Brayden.
Ethan asked Mina to stay the night and watch EJ while the rest of them trooped over to the Church, five minutes to midnight. They were instructed to use the side door and to be discrete. When they arrived Father O’Donnell had full Mass robes on.
“We are sorely under dressed for this Father,” Ethan said and Jack laughed. They had on jeans and t-shirts just like Henrietta and Brayden and sneakers on their feet. Liam and June were wearing sweatpants.
He ushered them down to the front of the Church and said, “Do you, Ethan Thomas and Jack Nathan, both attest to being here of your own free will, and are willing ready to be joined in marriage?” They both looked at him in amusement.
“Okaaay. What are we really doing here Father?” Jack asked.
“Is this some marriage type blessing you’re about to do?” Ethan asked.
Father O’Donnell said with a straight face, “If you call reciting the Order of the Celebration of Matrimony from start to finish a marriage type blessing, then yes.”
The both stared at him. Jack spoke first, “You….you can’t do that Father.”
“Has the power not been bestowed on me to marry two people in a Christian marriage under holy matrimony?” Father O’Donnell asked.
“You’ll lose your collar if you do this,” Ethan said seriously. “We can’t let you do this.”
“And what is a collar but an outward sign of my unwavering faith in the teachings of Christ who admonished us to love our Lord with all our hearts, minds, bodies and souls, and to love our neighbors as we love ourselves? Is this not an act of love that has brought us all here tonight? My love for you? Your love for each other? Your friends’ love for the both of you? God’s love for us all?”
“I know you care about me, about both of us,” Jack said. “But this is taking it too far. This is a complete sin in the eyes of the Church. If this gets out-”
Henrietta spoke, “No one here will talk.” They turned to look at her.
“Did you know he was going to do this?” Jack asked her.
“No,” she said. “Not until we walked through the doors and I saw him dressed like that. He wants to marry you, Jack. Let him.”
“This is insane.” Ethan scoffed and walked back down the aisle. Brayden went after him.
Jack turned back to the priest. “Why?”
“Because you deserve to know that God’s love is infinite, beyond what us mortals see, believe and feel about one another.” The priest said. “God has brought you two together. Let Him solidify that bond through me. Also, because I want to.”
Brayden made Ethan sit in the back pew. They sat in silence for a while and then Brayden said, “You know, this church really is beautiful.”
“I can’t let him do this,” Ethan said. “This is crazy.”
“What’s crazy? That a man of God wants to marry two people?” Brayden asked.
“No offense but you wouldn’t understand, you’re not Catholic,” Ethan said.
“I’m not gay either but I understand prejudice, hate, hypocrisy and misquoting of the scriptures,” Brayden said. “And I used to be Catholic. You know I was 12 years old when my dad said he was leaving the Catholic Church. I was an alter boy, a boy scout, all of it.
“When scandal after scandal of the priest abusing young boys came out, he couldn’t handle how terrible it was that people allowed it to go on for so long, and that others were either defending or brushing it under the rug to this day. He said, ‘My sons will not grow up in an institution that won’t protect them.’ He told us that we weren’t going to church for the people or the doctrine, we are going for our faith.
“I loved being Catholic, and it took me a while to understand why he moved us, but I get it now. At the end of the day that doesn’t matter. It’s Jesus we have to impress, not the people sitting in the pews or even the man giving the sermons and blessings. We don’t owe anyone an explanation of who we are, or who we love, or the choices we make, or the sins we commit, but Christ Himself. Otherwise, why do we call ourselves Christians?”
Ethan nodded. “I hear you. But this is less about me and more about him, Father O’Donnell. I can’t let him throw his whole life away, for me.”
Brayden shrugged, “That’s what we do for the people we love. Everyone told me I was throwing my life away waiting for Etta. And now look at us. Married.” He paused then said, “Baby on the way.” He smiled.
Ethan’s eyes grew wide. “Daaag that was quick, boy! Congratulations!” They hugged tightly.
Brayden laughed. “She planned it, she’s been clocking her cycle since our honeymoon. It’s early, five weeks, but man. It’s like Christmas morning every day when I wake up.” He smiled widely and Ethan smiled widely with him, giving him another hug.
Jack had walked over. “What are you two grinning about?”
“Nothing,” they both said together, then laughed.
“Bray, can I talk with Ethan for a minute?” Jack asked.
“Sure!” he said. He went back toward the front of the Church with everyone else.
Jack sat next to Ethan. He touched his leg, then found his hand and held it. They sat in silence for a moment. Ethan said “You want to do this, don’t you?”
Jack sighed. “I don’t know. I never dreamed I would get married in a Catholic Church. Ever. I never dreamed I would get married, really. Even in my wildest dreams this wouldn’t happen. It seemed impossible.”
“And yet, here we are. Your wildest dreams becoming even wilder,” Ethan said.
Jack let a moment pass, then asked, “What about you? Do you want to do this?”
“For you, I would,” Ethan said.
“So if I didn’t want to do this you wouldn’t?”
“Probably not,” Ethan said. “One, because I already had a Catholic wedding and it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. And two, I really really don’t want to get Father in trouble. How can we ensure that no one slips and says how he married two gays in the Church? And even if that never happens, because I do trust everyone here, who’s to say he wouldn’t feel tremendous guilt for it afterwards?”
Jack was thoughtful. He asked him, “Do you want to get married Ethan, or are you only marrying me because you think that’s what I want?”
Ethan turned to him. “I want to marry you, Jack. I wasn’t sure if you really wanted to marry me and that’s why I asked you on Christmas, if you actually wanted to get married or if you were just saying it to get my attention. If it was anybody else in the world I would probably be doing it because the other person wanted it, or just flat out wouldn’t do it. But you? I want to be your husband. I want you to be mine.”
Jack felt his heart explode. He made the decision. “Then we’re getting married. Right now.” He stood up. “We’ll do penance for Father O’Donnell every chance we get. But for now….”
Ethan stood up and said, “We’re getting married.”
Jack smiled his sideways smile and they leaned in at the same time to kiss gently, then passionately, holding onto each other’s faces.
Henrietta called, “Hey! Save it for after the vows!”
They made their way down to the front of the church, hand in hand.