Teri and Me

Balancing Act

2011-05-24T11:38:00.000-07:00

Co-written by: Teri and Jodie

Taking advantage of the long empty aisle in front of him, Kyler placed one foot on the bottom rung of the grocery cart and shoved off with the other. He cruised down the length of the meat department and came to an abrupt halt next to his oldest partner.

“Having trouble deciding which one to buy, Hugh?” He grinned at the man who had a package of chicken in each hand. “Hmm, let’s see; whole chicken or cut-up. Make it easy on yourself and buy both of them. Patrick will be thrilled. He’s been yammering at us to eat less red meat and this should just fit the bill.”

“You’re right; Patrick should have no problem with this meat because it contains a lot of proteins and hardly any fat.” Hugh suddenly realized the younger man was much taller than him and sharply ordered, “Get off the cart, Kyler! You’re going to fall or run into someone riding it like that. Besides, it’s been a while since you were six.”

“But it’s still fun to do.” Kyler gave his partner a sassy smirk.

Hugh rolled his eyes. “Don’t think I won’t smack you here, my boy. Now come on, have you got all the things on the list?”

“Yeah, I think we’ve got just about everything. Fresh fruit and veggies, milk, cheese, eggs and yogurt, whole grain bread and bagels, healthy cereal,” Kyler checked the items off on the slip of paper he was holding before folding and stuffing it into his pant pocket. “Now it’s time to start shopping for you and me. We gotta get some junk food, right?”

“No, I didn’t say that.” Hugh corrected, pulling his recalcitrant partner down the aisle. “I said we can pick up a little treat. That means maybe one bag of potato chips.”

“But this is the perfect time to buy it; while Patrick’s at work.”

Hugh shook his head firmly. “One only, Kyler. Goodness; where did that come from? Put it back.”

“But we need one this big, Hugh. After all, you did say I could buy only one.” Kyler held the bag up high in an attempt to keep it out of the older man’s reach.

Hugh swatted Kyler smartly on the side of his hip. “You know very well what I meant. That is jumbo sized, probably meant to feed an entire team of swimmers. What have you been eating, Kyler? You are way too hyper today. Have you been sneaking candy behind my back again, hmm?”

“Give me a break, Hugh. I can’t totally give up sweets and snack food. Maybe you guys can, but I don’t even want to try.”

Hugh looked sympathetic. “I know, honey. I like them too, but Patrick has a point. We cannot keep putting junk into our system and expect to stay healthy.”

“Yeah, but you’re only changing your habits now. You never even considered healthier eating when you were my age,” Kyler sadly pointed out.

Seeing Kyler’s expression, Hugh relented. “Well if you promise to make this last the whole week, I guess we can get the bag of chips and one bar of chocolate. That’s it! No more. And no secret stash when we are not looking. Is that clear?”

“I don’t think our family ‘doctor’ is going to be overly pleased with that.” Kyler wrinkled his brow as if giving the idea some thought. He deliberately avoided making any promises in regard to secret stashes.

“Let me worry about Patrick,” Hugh suggested with a smile. Kyler looked too cute when he scrunched up his face like that. “Come on; let’s get all this to the check-out. Did you bring the reusable bags?”

“Of course; we get extra points if we have our own bags and I’m saving up for a new barbeque; or maybe a new flat-screen TV. I haven’t decided yet.” With that, he replaced his foot on the cart and pushed it towards the front of the store. He chuckled mischievously when he heard Hugh’s growl fading as he put some distance between them.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Patrick whistled softly to himself as he locked his car and sauntered up the driveway to the front door. He hadn’t parked inside the garage because he was planning to go out again after dinner. He had promised his parents to drop in and check up on ‘Uncle Ben’, an old friend of theirs.

“Hey guys,” he called out as he let himself into the house. He could hear voices coming from the kitchen and Kyler’s giggles, so he made his way there. He caught hold of his Brat as he came into the kitchen and kissed him on the forehead. “What have you got there, Ky?”

“The last of the groceries,” Kyler informed him as he tried to hide the frowned-upon treats behind two boxes of cereal in the cupboard.

“Been shopping? Did you get all the things on the list?” Patrick came over to Hugh and they both automatically came together for a quick kiss.

“Every single thing; as well as a couple of items not on the list,” the younger man admitted somewhat shamefacedly. He was embarrassed by being caught in the act of hiding something.

“I told him he could get one bag of chips and one bar of chocolate. That’s to last the entire week, right, Kyler?” Hugh looked warningly at the young man.

“I’ll do my best.” Kyler still wasn’t into making any iron-clad promises.

Patrick grinned. “No wonder you always prefer to go shopping with Hugh,” he teased. “Next week, you shop with me, young man!”

Kyler jokingly stuck out his tongue and carried the last few item into the pantry.

“Why did you park on the road, Patrick?” Hugh inquired.

“I promised Mom and Dad to check in on Uncle Ben. He’s been feeling poorly and I said I’d drop by to save him the trip to the clinic. It’s probably a touch of the flu.”

“There’s lots of that going around at this time of year,” Kyler commented, coming back into the kitchen in time to hear Patrick’s last statement.

“Which is why I think it’s important to watch what we eat. A strong constitution will build immunity. There are all kinds of diseases and illnesses going around lately.”

“I can’t agree with you more, honey.” Hugh winked at Kyler before turning to Patrick with a sombre face. The good doctor was always lecturing them on eating right and exercising regularly. Not that he or Kyler needed pushing on the latter; Hugh jogged and swam several times a week and Kyler ran, swam and was involved in several team sports.

“Geesh, Hugh and I get more exercise than you do, Patrick. Of course, we also have more time than you do; but still….”

“I don’t mean to nag, guys.” Patrick smiled ruefully. “But seriously, if you saw the number of sick people every day that I do...”

Hugh went to stand behind Patrick and draped one arm across his shoulders. Holding him tightly, he leaned down and nuzzled his neck. “I know, babe, it must be trying sometimes. Why don’t you go take a bath while I prepare dinner?”

“Better yet,” the youngest of the trio piped up. “Let’s all take a shower. Shopping can be a real grimy job. Besides, I know a tired-looking doctor who might appreciate a little help.” Kyler was always game for spending time together; especially if in the buff.

The two Tops didn’t need very much more encouragement to get upstairs, get naked, and get down and dirty. The minute they were in the shower together, they were a bundle of arms and legs. Breathing became ragged as torsos rubbed up against one another.

Knowing that Patrick needed to go out again, Hugh didn’t want to waste time. He knelt down in front of Patrick and took the half erect penis into his mouth, glad to hear Patrick’s moan of appreciation.

Kyler grabbed up a sponge and the body wash. He moved in behind Patrick and began lathering his back. When soapy enough, he dropped the sponge and stepped closer to tantalizingly rub the front of his body against Patrick’s. He pressed his own erection into the welcoming space between Patrick’s butt cheeks and reached around to play with Patrick’s nipples. Kyler grinned at the gurgles he enticed from his lover as the nipples hardened. It wasn’t difficult to pick up on the older man’s fast approaching climax.

Fifteen minutes later, all three men emerged from the shower stall well-sated and breathless. When they were all dried and dressed, Hugh pushed Patrick down the stairs ahead of him. “Babe, go sit down in front of the TV while I finish dinner,” he lovingly suggested. “Kyler will bring you a cup of tea. Come, Kyler.”

Kyler obediently returned minutes later with the hot beverage. Then he puttered around fluffing pillows to support Patrick’s back and draping a light throw over his legs. He chuckled mischievously when his exaggerated administrations caused Patrick to groan and roll his eyes.

“Hope I’m not getting on your last nerve here, Patrick,” Kyler teased and he stepped behind his partner to begin massaging the older man’s shoulders.

“I’m not complaining,” Patrick explained. “I love it when you guys pamper me like this.”

“Well you work really long hours and most of them under a lot of stress.“ Kyler’s fingers applied firm pressure to a particularly stubborn knot at the base of Patrick‘s neck.

“Thanks, honey. You guys work as hard as I do. Please don’t stop the massage, just go a little lower, okay?”

Kyler moved his hands down as requested, working out more knots as he went. “It’s a shame you have to go out again. And just when we got you all nice and relaxed.”

“I wish I didn’t have to go out either, but duty calls.”

Hugh’s voice sailed out to the living room. “Dinner’s ready. Come eat, guys!”

Dinner was a simple affair consisting of grilled chicken wraps with plum sauce for dipping.

His hunger satisfied, Patrick kissed his partners and left the house, leaving Hugh and Kyler to clean up.

“I could use a snack just about now,“ Kyler commented as he hung the wet dish towel over the rack to dry.

Hugh shook his head. “You just had dinner, darling!”

“I need something sweet. We didn’t have dessert, remember?”

“Have a fruit instead.”

“Don’t feel like it,” Kyler groused, taking his chocolate bar down from the cupboard shelf.

“If you eat that candy bar now, you’ll have to wait until next week to get another one,” Hugh warned.

“But I think I’m having a sugar low or something, Hugh,“ Kyler pointed out, looking undecidedly at the candy in his hand.

“I’m not going to stop you, Kyler. I’m sticking to the agreement we made. As long as these two treats last the week, I don’t care when you eat them. You’re an adult and should be able to decide for yourself. I’m just reminding you of the consequences of polishing off all your snacks too early in the week. Pace yourself out, darling, but the decision is ultimately yours.”

Kyler put the bar back and went to the fridge. “Maybe I’ll have some cola instead. At least that wasn‘t mentioned on the taboo list.”

Hugh sighed and shook his head. “Okay, technically I agree we did not discuss soda. Not that it’s any better than that candy bar, and you know that as well as I do. So since we were silent on that, I am willing to make a concession. Patrick will have a lot to say to me I am sure for giving in so easily, but you can have one now instead of the candy.”

Opening the fridge door, Kyler merrily grabbed out a bottle of his favourite pop. “This should do the trick.” He grinned as he unscrewed the top and took a long swig of the sugary liquid.

“Now will you settle down?”

“I’ll try, but no guaranties.” Kyler stretched to good-humouredly kiss his partner’s lips.

Hugh kissed Kyler back, and then swatted his butt playfully. “Now go do something quietly in the living room. I have papers to grade. Don’t spill soda on the table or Patrick will really have something to complain about!”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Patrick looked glum as he walked through the door.

“What’s wrong, honey?” Hugh asked at once. He quickly turned the stove off and walked over to give Patrick a hug.

Patrick leaned gratefully into the muscular chest and let go of a long breath. “I’m just tired and drained. Mad day at the hospital. And …”

“What, baby?” Hugh murmured into Patrick’s hair, as his strong arms engulfing his long-time partner.

“I lost another patient today. That’s two this week.”

“Oh honey,” Hugh crooned, rocking Patrick gently. “I’m so sorry. Did you know him well?”

“Yeah,” Patrick sighed. “I’ve been seeing him for years. In fact, both he and his wife are my patients. They’re in their sixties. It was so hard seeing her after he … I don’t know why I chose this field sometimes.”

Hugh placed a hand on the back of Patrick’s neck and gently kneaded the muscles there. “You help people get better all the time. That’s why you do it.”

Patrick disentangled himself from Hugh’s arms, rubbed his face with one hand and then flicked his dark-brown hair back. “I need a haircut.”

“Well, I think you look sexier with your hair this length but I’ll make an appointment for you for this weekend, okay?”

“Thanks, honey.” Patrick glanced around the kitchen with a tired smile. “Where’s Ky?”

Hugh hesitated for a moment before answering. “He’s in the study writing lines.”

“For what?” Patrick raised his eyebrows.

“I found a half-eaten candy bar in his jacket which is not the one we bought last weekend. He’d already eaten that two nights ago.”

“And that horrendous bag of chips?”

“All gone as well,” Hugh replied with a chuckle.

Patrick grimaced. “We’ve been too slack about snacks in the past. He just doesn’t get it! These things will kill you if you are not careful.”

“He does get it, Patrick,” Hugh responded patiently. “It’s just difficult to give them up altogether, and immediately. He’s doing much better already.”

Patrick grunted. “How can it be better when he’s still sneaking snacks behind our backs? You are always taking his side.”

“I’m not! I just understand it better.”

“And I don’t?”

“You don’t have such cravings, Dr Dean; so you don’t know what it feels like. You’ve always been a careful eater. I haven’t. Don’t you remember how and what I ate when we first met?”

“Yeah,” Patrick groaned with a lop-sided grin. “You were a walking time-bomb.”

“Well, it took a lot of discipline and self-control to change my eating habits and I still have those cravings, so I know how hard it is.”

“I guess. Hmm, I’ll go check on him. How many lines?”

“Fifty.” Hugh turned back to the stove. “He should be done any time now. I’ll finish dinner.”

The study door had been left ajar, enabling Patrick to see the blond head bent over the desk and Kyler’s hand moving steadily across the page as he wrote.

The young man jumped when he felt a hand drop on his shoulder.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.”

“It’s okay,“ Kyler murmured with a shrug, not looking up.

“So why are you in trouble?”

“Hugh can tell you,“ Kyler muttered sullenly.

“I’m asking you, not Hugh.”

Kyler turned the chair around and glared up at his partner. “It’s cause I had a measly bit of candy and Hugh freaked out over it.” He knew he was exaggerating but was too unhappy to stick to the facts.

“Why, Kyler? Don’t you know why I … we … want you to eat sensibly?”

“Yeah, I know. It’s just hard sometimes. I’m sorry, Patrick. I’ll get better at it, honest.” Kyler said in a quiet voice, his cheeks blushing slightly. He disliked upsetting either of his Tops. He put down his pencil and neatly folded the paper he’d been writing on. “Guess I should take this out to Hugh so he can see I got it done.”

“Here; give it to me, honey. I’ll check it for you,” Patrick said, holding out his hand.

“You better tally up the lines to see if the number matches the fifty Hugh said I had to do.“

Patrick scanned the page quickly and then handed it back to Kyler. “Okay, you missed a few words but I’m not feeling too picky tonight. I’ll tell Hugh you’re good. Now go wash up and get ready for dinner. It should be done soon.”

“Can I ask you something first?”

“Of course; you know you can ask me anything.”

“I understand your concerns regarding our living habits, but how come we’re having to make so many changes all of a sudden?”

“Do I sound like an ogre to you?” Patrick looked surprised.

“No; that is, not exactly,” Kyler searched for the right words to use. “There just seems to be a lot of new rules lately.”

Patrick hooked a hand into the waist band of Kyler’s jeans and pulled him over. “Babe, you know I don’t set rules to make you unhappy. I’m not Hugh!” Patrick’s eyes twinkled and he laughed at his own jest. “I’m joking; Hugh doesn’t do it to make you unhappy either. There’s always a reason for the rules. Always!”

“Yeah, they’re to help things run smoothly around here. It’s challenging enough being a threesome and without clear expectations of each other, there’d be chaos.”

“That’s right; the rules are to help us function. You do understand that. So why is this rule on snacks so difficult?”

“Because I just happen to like junk food now and again. I want to be able to eat it without worrying about having to account for every candy bar or bag of chips.”

“I know it’s hard and that is why I watch you so closely.”

Kyler was finding it difficult to keep his frustration in check. “But you don’t have to!”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t agree. Honey, its not that I don’t trust you . I just think it’s easier if you know someone is watching over you. Isn’t that usually the case?”

“Most the time it is,” Kyler honestly admitted. “But maybe this new lifestyle thing is something I should just decide on for myself.”

“If I know how harmful unhealthy eating is and don’t do anything about it, then I am really not doing my job. For example, if I know the car is not functioning properly and I let you take it out, am I not then endangering your life?”

“Of course, but that’s different,“ Kyler adamantly point out. “An unsafe vehicle could get me badly injured or even killed. A bit of junk food won‘t do that!”

“It’s the same principle. I just want the two men in my life to be fit and healthy so that I can live with them and enjoy them for as long as possible.”

Just then Hugh hollered from the kitchen demanding to know what was holding them up. Supper was on the table and getting cold.

Kyler sighed at not having gotten his point across. He knew of his partners’ love and concern for him. He also understood where they were coming from and wanted to please them. “Okay, I’ll follow your lead then and try harder to stay away from sweets and stuff,” he not too graciously capitulated as he followed Patrick out of the study.

Taking his seat at the kitchen table, Kyler glanced at his plate and smiled up appreciatively at Hugh. “This is both delicious and healthy. I always enjoy your stir-fry meal,” he complimented as he dug in.

Hugh grinned and turned to Patrick with a mocking glare. “Does Dr Dean approve as well?”

Patrick picked up his chopsticks and waved them in the air. “This is a start! But we can still do more!”

“Maybe we can figure out a way to get more exercise,” Kyler suggested, hastily swallowing so he wouldn‘t be speaking with his mouth full. “I’ve been thinking of looking into the new wellness place that opened recently at the community center.”

“Good idea,” Patrick responded at once. “Count me in. Do they have weights training for Hugh?”

Hugh reached over and punched Patrick playfully on the arm. “No, I’m not interested in weight-lifting. But I’d enjoy the large walking track on days when the weather was lousy. I heard it opens real early seven days a week.”

“Really? That means I can sometimes pop in before I start my shift. Wonderful!” Patrick pulled out his blackberry and checked his schedule. “All right then, I am going to arrange for a day off this weekend so we can go check it out. Great suggestion, Ky! We can at least all be doing something together.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It had been three weeks since they’d agreed to increasing their level of physical activity with Hugh and Kyler adhering rather well to their routine. Although Patrick only made it to the center three times in total, the other two managed to put in at least two days per week. Feeling particularly pleased with their progress, Hugh and Kyler decided to reward themselves for a job well-done. Out of deference for Patrick, Hugh always prepared something lighter and healthier but since Patrick wouldn’t be home for dinner, they decided a little deviation would be fine.

Their mouths were watering by the time they finished making the meal and putting it on the table. Unfortunately, just as they sat down to a longed-for treat consisting of hot hamburger sandwiches with lots of gravy and French fries, Patrick walked in. They’d been so caught up in their meal preparations, they hadn’t heard either his car pulling into the driveway nor his entrance through the back porch.

“Hey, honey,” Hugh called out. “What are you doing back so early? I thought you said you’d be late?”

“Yeah, I know,” Patrick responded rather listlessly. “I got Dr. Andrews to cover for me.”

Hugh got up and went over to Patrick. “Hey, what’s the matter?” Hugh’s voice was soft and full of concern.

Patrick shrugged.

Hugh gave him a quick hug followed by a little shake. “Come on, talk to me.”

Shaking his head, Patrick sat down as if he was too tired to support himself. “I lost another patient today. That’s my third this past month! Three patients dead.”

“But it’s not your fault. These things just happen.” Kyler tried to sound philosophical.

“Kyler’s right, Patrick. You can’t blame yourself.” Hugh seated himself again and picked up his fork.

“I don’t know. I could have tried harder I think; been more diligent with his routine. This last patient wasn’t even an old man. Only in his early fifties! He shouldn’t have died, not of heart disease. He didn’t have a family history or any of the genetic traits.”

“I bet you did everything possible, Patrick,” Kyler insisted.

“Everything possible would have meant I made sure he took the proper precautions!” Patrick pointed out harshly. “I didn’t!”

“And how could you have done that, Patrick?” Hugh asked. “You don’t live with him. You are not his caregiver. You are his doctor and as such, all you can do is advise.”

“Maybe I missed something,” Patrick mumbled, running a hand down his face.

“Not necessarily. You know, some patients aren’t always upfront with their physicians. Uncle Bob was like that. He’d tell his doctor everything was fine and that he was following orders but he wasn’t being truthful. He died as a result of his own lack of care and he wasn‘t even fifty.”

Hugh turned to the younger man. “Which relative is that, Kyler?”

“Well, he wasn’t exactly a blood relative; just a real close friend of the family back in the Maritimes. He got injured in that mining accident that took my dad’s life. Bob had to go on permanent disability after that because of his leg being crushed and he really let himself go. He could have lived for a long time; instead he died two years later.”

“Maybe his doctor didn’t advise him properly!” Patrick commented with uncharacteristic contempt, still unwilling to let go of his self-blame.

“He sure did. I don’t know a lot of the details cause I was just fourteen at the time, but I overheard Mom and Uncle Kipper taking about it. They flew back east for the funeral and to pay their respects. I remember it was in the Spring, because I couldn’t go and had to stay with Chad . I wasn’t too thrilled about that, I can tell you. Mom said the doctor had told Uncle Bob to eat properly and exercise sensibly. But Bob chose to be a couch potato and munch down on fast foods and stuff from the local greasy-spoon diner. That stuff will kill you every time. Of course, Bob wouldn’t admit his horrible eating habits to anyone, including himself. So you see, his doctor wasn‘t at all to blame.”

Hugh looked meaningfully at Kyler. After all, what Kyler was describing came pretty close to what they had been about to chow-down on. But it was a little too late; his Brat had not picked up on the implicit message. So Hugh made an attempt to smooth over the moment. “Well, every case is different, Kyler. He could have had other complications as well. Sounds like the accident took away more than just his ability to work.”

“Whatever his condition may be, what he puts into his body will determine his ultimate state of health. Now you see why I stress so much on how we care for our health?” Patrick said severely.

“Yeah, I guess so,” Kyler reluctantly admitted, almost regretting having told Patrick about his Uncle Bob. He wondered if he had said something inappropriate.

“What are you guys eating?” Patrick raised his brows as he looked at the two heaped plates. “Is that gravy? On top of fries? Is that burger store-bought or home-made? You know they put in all kinds of fats and unhealthy bits when it’s processed in the factories!”

“We didn’t know you were coming back to eat, Patrick,” Hugh explained. “Or I would have fixed something lighter.”

Patrick threw up his hands in frustration. “You shouldn’t be doing it just for me, Hugh!”

“No. But what I am saying is I would have fixed something lighter because I know you don’t enjoy such a substantial dinner. I didn’t fix this because I thought you wouldn’t know.” Hugh’s brows were starting to pull together.

“It’s just a one-time binge to kind of reward ourselves,” Kyler piped in. “Patrick, it’s just for one night. We have been eating very sensibly for the last three weeks.”

“That doesn’t mean you blow it all with one calorie-laden, fat-saturated meal!” was the explosive response.

“But we’ve kinda already burned it off ahead of time,” Kyler pointed out, using his own brand of logic.

“Well, it’s a waste of all that effort!” Patrick snapped.

“Don’t worry, Patrick. We get to the gym more often then you do, so we’ll be okay with this,“ Kyler tried to assure him.

“That’s not the point!” Patrick got up, sounding irritated. “You don’t go to the gym and then pig out. The only reason I didn’t go as often as you guys is because my schedule didn’t permit me to go. And just because you went more often doesn’t mean you ...”

Hugh also got to his feet. “Patrick!”

“What?”

“I think you need to stop.”

It wasn’t often Hugh used that tone with Patrick and it got his attention. Patrick glared at Hugh silently for a moment and then with a shake of his head, he walked out of the kitchen.

Kyler hung his head and shoved his plate away. Any enjoyment he would have had in the meal was now gone; a feeling of guilt in its’ place. He glanced up at Hugh to see what his take was on the whole situation.

Hugh looked after Patrick’s disappearing back. His brows drawn together made him look extremely stern. Suddenly aware that Kyler’s eyes were on him, his face relaxed and he reached out to the younger man. “Come here, Kyler.”

Pushing back from the table, Kyler warily got up to obey.

Hugh dragged his chair away from the table, sat down and folded Kyler onto his lap. His strong arms wrapped around his Brat and held him tight. “He’s just tired and depressed. He’ll be fine.”

“Guess I wasn’t much help, huh?“ Kyler mumbled, wrapping his arms around the older man’s neck and placing his head on his shoulder.

“No, you were very supportive. And you didn’t say anything wrong at all.”

“But it didn’t make Patrick feel any better did it?”

“Let him have some time alone. I will talk to him in a bit.”

Just then, Kyler’s stomach protested its’ emptiness. “Ya think we should make something else for supper?” he asked while gazing longingly at the delicious-looking meal on his plate.

“I think this is a very good dinner we’ve made and I see no reason why we shouldn’t finish it. I’ll make Patrick a sandwich later.”

“Okay then,” Kyler jumped up with a bit more enthusiasm than he’d shown a few seconds ago . “I’ll just re-heat these in the microwave.” If his Top said they could eat this, then that is exactly what they’d do. Although Kyler’s mind was at ease with their food choice, he was still inwardly fretting over the manner in which Patrick had spoken to them.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The study was in semi-darkness and Patrick was sitting on the leather sofa with his head in his hands. His eyes were closed and his lips firmly pressed together. A sure sign of distress.

Hugh switched on the softer lamp and placed a small tray on the side table; then he sat down next to Patrick. “Honey,” he murmured, strongly suspecting his mate might prefer not to be disturbed just yet but not wanting to let this hang between them too long. That had always been Hugh’s way; what you could get resolved right away, you did. No procrastination.

Without opening his eyes, Patrick mumbled, “I was an ass, wasn’t I?”

Hugh gave some thought to the question and with a soft chuckle, agreed. “Yeah, kinda. Well, if you really want the truth; you were a real pain!”

Patrick cracked open one eye and looked up at his long-time partner. “Thanks.”

“You wanted to know.” Hugh smiled.

“I wonder how you both put up with me.” Patrick’s voice was sombre.

Hugh ran a finger along Patrick’s arm, rubbing gently. “When you love someone, you find a lot of reasons to do so. It’s hard though sometimes.”

“You’re not letting me off easy, are you?” Patrick demanded, as he pulled himself up to a more upright position.

“You don’t expect me to,” Hugh replied easily. “Listen, Patrick. Even Tops are allowed to go off the rail sometimes. But they better be quick to get back on track or some other Top is gonna have to come and kick their butts!”

Patrick gave a rueful laugh. “I get you.” He caught a movement and saw Kyler lurking uncertainly at the doorway. His brow creased. “Ky?”

“Hope this isn’t a conversation for two,“ Kyler teased nervously as he advanced towards the sofa.

Patrick grabbed Kyler’s hand and tugged him down beside him. “I’m sorry, sweetie. I was an utter ogre earlier and Hugh is giving me hell. Come save me!”

“Better you than me,“ Kyler responded with a soft chuckle. “It shouldn’t have been such a big deal. After all, it was our first treat in three weeks and not an overly large one at that.“

“I know, darling. I was just trying to explain things and doing a poor job of it. There was no excuse for being so mean-tempered. I am really sorry for being such a pain, as Hugh referred to it.”

“Hugh might have something there. But what the heck, we all lose it at one time or another. Well maybe you and I do; not Hugh though.“ Kyler winked at Patrick and then smirked at his other Top.

“Oh, you just haven’t seen it, babe. Hugh’s no saint!” Patrick retorted with an affectionate grin at the older man.

“No, I definitely am not and you should know there’s no such thing as a perfect man!” Hugh shook his head wisely. “So don’t knock yourself so hard, Patrick.”

“Although I did go overboard,” Patrick admitted. “Losing a patient is never easy, but I didn’t have to take it out on you guys.”

“It’s been a bad month, Patrick. We get it. Don‘t we, Hugh?“

“Of course, we do. Patrick, you’re overworked and exhausted,” Hugh concurred. “It’s easy to work yourself up. We understand that. But seriously, darling, a little treat now and then won’t kill us!”

“Not picking sides here, Patrick, but I agree.” Kyler smiled somewhat ruefully.

Patrick looked so apologetic that Kyler couldn’t help but throw his arms around the good doctor’s neck and kiss his cheek. “Maybe you could help balance things out more to your liking if you took some of the meal planning and preparations chores, Patrick. Whatcha think of that idea? Any comments, guys?”

In due time, Kyler would come to regret that suggestion. Patrick’s idea of well-balanced meals and his own differed dramatically.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kyler had put in a long day and was stressed out by the time he had left his last client. He was thankful he only had to do the end of month financial statements for Mrs. MacKenzie, the town’s seamstress, because he didn’t think he’d survive going over the same accounting principles more often than that. He still couldn’t wrap his mind around someone thinking it was okay to add an extra amount to a deposit that had not actually be made in order to balance the general ledger to their banking records.

He’d ended up with a headache that was probably aggravated by his not having eaten since breakfast. To be truthful, he wasn’t looking forward to supper at home. It was Patrick’s turn to cook and Kyler knew instinctively the menu would not be to his liking. So he stopped off at the Dairy Queen and treated himself to a double bacon-cheeseburger, an order of onion rings and a large pop. With his hunger satisfied and the pain in his head quickly receding, Kyler headed for home.

Even though he was well aware of running late, he didn’t let it bother him. He’d be surprised if supper didn’t include something revolting and similar to a lot of the strange stuff being served lately; much of it not overly tasty as far as Kyler was concerned.

He parked in his usual spot in their driveway, shut off the engine and slurped down the last few mouthfuls of his drink. Then he got out and ran towards the house, dropping the now empty cup in the trash on his way.

Entering the kitchen, Kyler discovered his partners already sitting at the table with steam rising from the food on their plates. He kicked off his loafers and skirted around them in order to get to the washroom as soon as possible. His bladder was strongly protesting the amount of soda he had imbibed.

“Be right back,” he shouted.

Hugh called after his retreating back. “Hurry up if you don’t want the food to get cold.” And under his breath he muttered, “It’s not that great even when it’s hot!”

Patrick swiped him on the arm and Hugh grinned back. “Just kidding, love. I don’t know how you did it but I am no longer revolted with this dish, and I consider that a near miracle!”

Kyler returned, took his seat and stared down at the pile of he-knew-not-what on the plate in front of him. “What the hell is this!” he demanded, curling up his lip in disgust.

Hugh raised his eyebrows at the tone but Patrick quickly interjected before the older man could speak. “It‘s tofu, honey. You’ve had this before and it wasn’t that bad. Remember?”

“And more importantly, it’s good for you. High in protein so it helps builds muscles for your sports and games.” Hugh looked at Kyler steadily, a silent warning in his eyes.

“Well, I’m not hungry so I think I’ll pass.” Kyler chose to ignore the look directed at him and made to get up from the table.

Patrick tried not to sound upset. “Ky honey, don’t ...”

Hugh spoke at the same time. “Stay right there! Patrick spent time cooking this meal for us and you are going to eat it!”

“No way, man!” Kyler hotly exclaimed. “Here, if you like it so much you can have mine.” With that, he scooped up a hand full and slopped it onto Patrick’s plate. The soft substance splattered over the front of the older man’s shirt, a couple of smaller chunks landing on his face.

His action hadn’t had time to registered when Kyler found himself being hauled out of his chair and his other Top taking his place. In less than a heartbeat, his jeans were undone and lowered along with his boxers, and he was facedown over Hugh’s lap.

Hugh landed a hard smack on Kyler’s white bottom. “There is no way a Brat of mine is going to get away with this show of disrespect.” He spanked again, just as hard. “I don’t know why you think you can behave in this way, Kyler.”

The punishment continued, while Patrick looked upon the scene in suspended horror. Although it had been agreed that on his days to cook he could plan any meal he liked, he still felt awful. In a way, he felt it was his fault. He had insisted on cooking tofu when he knew how much his partners hated it. Sure, Hugh had said he didn’t mind, but Patrick knew Hugh would rather not touch that food if given a choice.

Kyler cried out his apologies and struggled to avoid the painful onslaught. By the time the spanking ended, his pants and underwear had been kicked halfway across the room.

As soon as he was set on his feet, Kyler made a beeline for the stairs leading up to the master bedroom. Once there, he threw himself down on the bed, and sobbed into his pillow. Several moments later, he felt someone next to him.

Hugh put his hand on Kyler’s head and stroked his hair. “Move over,” he ordered but not unkindly. Settling down beside Kyler he asked rather sternly, “Why did you run away? You don’t run away after a spanking, do you? I wasn’t done and we need to talk.”

“It’s not fair, Hugh. We shouldn’t be forced to eat all this so-called healthy crap.” Kyler wiped at his eyes and tried to speak coherently while hitching over his words and sniffling.

Hugh didn’t say anything, only continued stroking Kyler’s hair and listen to what was being said.

“We never get dessert anymore unless it’s fruit. Last Sunday, because of Patrick’s ongoing preaching about eating right, my mom couldn’t serve her delicious homemade apple pie and ice cream. She served Jello and fat-free Kool-whip instead.”

“And that was a real shame,” Hugh agreed with a wry grin. “I missed her pie too!”

Glancing up, Kyler heatedly declared, “It’s your guys fault that when I want a treat, I have to sneak it and that’s not right.” Burying his head in his pillow, he again began to cry out his misery. “If we have to keep this up in order to fight off dying prematurely, I’d rather be dead and get it over with.” His mumbled distress heartbreaking to hear.

Hugh looked across the room to the doorway where Patrick had been standing all the while. Patrick looked pale and sad. Encountering Hugh’s eyes and seeing his invitation, he came into the room and went to the other side of the bed.

Sensing his other partner’s presence, Kyler glanced up somewhat apologetically. “Guess you heard it all, huh?”

“Yes, I heard you loud and clear.” Patrick handed Kyler the clothing he had picked up from the kitchen floor.

“I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings, Patrick,“ Kyler softly responded as he moved closer to Hugh to make room for Patrick to join them. He accepted the boxers and struggled to get them back on without putting too much pressure on his sore backside. Dressing proved difficult as he was determined to do it while still on his stomach. Hugh spanked hard. The message regarding his lack of tolerance for disrespectful behaviour had been painfully delivered.

“No, it’s good to hear the truth sometimes.” Patrick bowed his head and remained silent for a moment. “Have I been that strict?”

“I guess not. But things were a bit better before you took over all the cooking,“ Kyler truthfully admitted. Sad as he was, it wasn’t his intention to make his partner feel worse.

“I am sorry. I really didn’t mean to make you this unhappy.” Patrick sounded sincerely remorseful. He looked at Hugh. “Neither of you.”

“You had good intentions, babe,” Hugh assured him, reaching across Kyler to touch Patrick’s face. “Don’t be too hard on yourself. What you are trying to achieve is excellent; making us more aware of our health and all that. But the intensity and the approach was a bit off.”

“The exercise ideas worked well,“ Kyler offered as a conciliatory gesture. “It’s just that the food choices left a lot to be desired. I mean, healthy eating is okay like Hugh says; I‘m not trying to knock it or anything.”

“I think it’s a good habit actually, only it needs to be tempered,” Hugh commented in an attempt to clarify his and Kyler‘s feelings on the subject.

Patrick digested the words and felt miserable for what he had imposed on his partners. “I know, I hear you. Say no more please. Gheez, how the hell did ‘Patrick the doctor’ sneak into the house instead of ‘Patrick the man‘. I must have been dreadful to live with!”

“Don’t beat yourself up, Patrick!” Kyler insisted. “Maybe you can just drop the whole ‘no junk food’ bit. And possibly ease up on the lectures.” He grinned to take the brusqueness out of his words.

Hugh tried to pull Kyler into sitting position but wasn‘t completely successful. “Nice try, but no, Kyler. That’s not going to work either. We are not going to load up on junk food. However, we won’t ban it either and we also won’t be too strict about it. Right Patrick? Balance is what we are looking for.”

“Yes,” Patrick readily agreed. “Sensible eating it is. Okay, guys? I want us to watch what we eat and to exercise right but I was stupid to expect us to live like a Spartan.”

“So you’re saying there should still be room for treats in our diets, right?” Kyler looked to Patrick for agreement while squirming to find a comfortable position. His bottom definitely wasn’t ready to have unnecessary weight put on it.

Patrick grinned at the young man. “Yes, darling, that is what I am saying.”

“Okay then, just so we’re all on the same page here. We’ve jointly come to the conclusion that balance is the key!” Kyler wrapped up the topic in that one last statement. Then he rubbed his hands together to show his satisfaction when both Tops nodded to seal the deal.

The End

Commitments

2011-02-20T07:29:00.000-08:00

Co-written By: Teri and LJ

Kyler dreamily played with the last of the cereal in his bowl as a reoccurring thought played over in his head. He glanced across the table at Patrick and smiled. It was kind of nice having one of his partners home all to himself and infrequent for it to be Patrick who was often called into the clinic on a Saturday morning. Not that Kyler expected them to be alone much longer as Hugh was just downtown picking up ingredients for the supper he wanted to prepare that evening.

“Patrick,” Kyler spoke softly to attract the man’s attention and smiled when the newspaper was lowered. “You and Hugh were together for over four years before you met me. Being as same-sex marriage had been legalized during that time, did you guys ever consider getting married?”

Patrick’s eyes narrowed as he pondered over the question. “Why do you ask?”

“Just curious,” Kyler shrugged nonchalantly. “It wouldn’t have made any difference to me or my feelings for either of you. At least not when we first met, but it would now. And even though same-sex marriage is a go here in Canada, we can’t get married anyway, right?”

“What are you saying, honey?” Patrick put his paper down and regarded Kyler seriously, sensing his partner’s mood. “What do you mean by ‘it wouldn’t have made a difference’ on how you felt?”

“Well, I’m pretty sure I would still have fallen in love with the two of you and would still want to have our relationship.” Kyler stood, gathered up his and Patrick’s dirty dishes and took them over to the sink. He squeezed in a few drops of dish liquid and turned the water on full blast for a couple of minutes. Leaving everything to soak, he sat back down to continue the conversation. “I think had you been married would have been kinda cool. But now, if you were to consider it, I’d feel left out. After all, bigamy is illegal, right?”

Understanding Kyler, Patrick said very gently, “As far as I am concerned, we are married; the three of us. We don’t need a certificate to prove it, do we? We live it every day of our lives. And honestly, darling, do you really think either Hugh or I would ever consider getting married without you?” Patrick raised his brows so high they almost reached his hairline.

Kyler smiled and moved over to straddle the older man’s lap. “You’re absolutely right; we don’t need a certificate. But you know a ceremony to celebrate our union might be nice. In a couple of months, it will be three years since we met and in less than six months it will be three years since we became a threesome. The weather would be perfect by then for a nice outdoor party. What do you say, Patrick? Think Hugh will be willing to at least think it over?” He tightened his arms around his partner’s neck and teased him by applying light kisses along his jawline before deeply kissing his lips.

For several minutes there was only the sound of lips meeting and hot breathing. When the couple finally broke apart, Patrick leaned away from Kyler so he could look at him to ask quizzically, “Has anything happened lately that I am not aware of? Why this sudden fascination with marriage, sweetheart?”

“It’s just that several of my friends have exchanged vows lately. And the other night when I was visiting my mom, we were going through some old albums that had pictures of my dad. There were even some of their wedding and I realized that when we’re older, the three of us won’t have anything as special to remember. And even worse, what if something was to happen to one of us? What would we have to look back on?”

“Nothing is going to happen to any of us, okay?” Patrick said, gripping Kyler by the arms. “And we do have plenty of photos and videos for us to look at in our old age.” He paused as if deep in thought. “But tell you what, why don’t we bring this up with Hugh when he comes back. What do you say?”

“Sounds like a plan to me!” Kyler smiled brightly and got off Patrick’s lap. “How about it if you introduce the subject to him? You have a much better approach than I do.”

Patrick grinned. “It’s your question to begin with! Besides, I am sure Hugh would love to hear you ask him!”

“Would love to hear him ask me what?”

Both heads turned to the tall sun-tanned figure at the doorway with bags of groceries hanging from both hands.

“Ah,” Patrick threw out his hands in a magician’s pose. “Here’s the man himself! Kyler, he’s all yours!”

Kyler ran over and threw his arms around Hugh’s neck as soon as the packages had been placed on the counter. “Can we have a commitment ceremony maybe sometime this summer? Patrick didn’t say ‘no’, so I guess it’s up to you.” Kyler figured jumping right in would be better than slowly leading up to the topic.

“Whoa!” Hugh wrapped his arms around Kyler to steady them both. “Easy, Brat! And stop strangling me!” He turned to look enquiringly at Patrick. “What have you got us into now, hmm?”

Patrick raised his brows innocently. “Me? I haven’t done a thing! Kyler, let Hugh breathe please. He’s turning blue.”

Kyler released his hold to bounce excitedly on the balls of his feet. “There’s nothing cast in stone yet, Hugh. We’re just kind discussing the possibilities of having one. The end of March which would mark the anniversary of the day we met is coming up to soon, but May will give us plenty of time and that’s the month I moved in and we became a threesome. So it’s perfect, don’t you think?”

Giving Kyler’s bum a little pat, Hugh walked over to the sink and began to fill the kettle with water. He pulled a tea bag out of the cupboard and dropped it into a mug, then turned around and leaned against the counter. “Either of you want some tea?”

Patrick looked slightly wary but Kyler just shook his head.

“Why do you…we…need a commitment ceremony, Kyler?” Hugh asked, crossing his arms.

“So we can have special memories in our old age, Hugh. Gosh, I’d think you go for the idea as you are getting on in years, you know.” Kyler smirked up at the older man.

Patrick hooted with laughter and Hugh dropped his arms. “I’ll show you just how much I am getting on in years, young man. Come here!” He crooked his finger at Kyler and waited.

Kyler laughed and immediately obeyed the summons. He didn’t for a moment believe that Hugh would take his teasing as being sassy. He came to a halt in front of his Top and grinned up at him.

Hugh looked down at his young partner and tapped the tip of his nose. “What should be the punishment for being sassy, would you say?”

“Hmm, let’s see. I think in this case it should be for the three of us to head upstairs and make mad passionate love as soon as your purchases are put away. What do you think, Patrick?” Kyler’s eyes sparkled with a mixture of mischief, amusement and anticipation.

Hugh grinned and promptly turned Kyler sideways to land two swift, but not particularly painful swats to his backside. “I said punishment, not reward!” he admonished as sternly as he could with Kyler staring up at him with open love and adoration.

Patrick came towards them and wrapped his arms around his two partners, giving a tight squeeze. “Call it what you want, but Kyler’s suggestion sounds too good to turn down. So are you guys coming up or what?”

Kyler freed himself from Patrick’s embrace and scurried about putting meat and fresh vegetables in the refrigerator, and can goods in the pantry. Then he was off up the stairs before his partners could change their minds.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hugh and Patrick quietly pulled the bedroom door closed, leaving their young partner worn out and soundly asleep in their bed. They made their way to the kitchen to prepare a late lunch, as it was already past two o’clock in the afternoon.

“What do you feel like having?” Hugh asked, going to the fridge to peer inside.

Patrick came up behind Hugh and put a hand on his butt. “I don’t particularly care. I just need food. I am famished.”

Hugh turned around with some eggs, bacon strips and a chunk of cheese in his hands. “How about an omelette with bacon and cheese? That’s quick and easy.”

Patrick nodded his agreement. “Sure. That sounds good, perhaps with some salsa on the side?” He moved easily passed his partner to gather the required ingredients; tomatoes, onions, cilantro and a nice big lemon.

At the end of twenty minutes, the two men sat down to a simple yet satisfying meal. They ate quickly and without talking, perfectly comfortable in their shared silence. When they were done they both leaned back in their chairs to drink their coffee, enjoying the strong aroma and each other’s closeness.

“Nothing like good sex to work up an appetite,” Patrick said with a devilish grin.

“I’ll say!” Hugh agreed wholeheartedly. He put out a hand and leaned over the table to grasp Patrick’s as the other man got up to clear away some of the dishes. “Hey, wait a minute. I want to ask you something.”

Patrick immediately sat back down, his face serious. He didn’t need to ask what Hugh wanted to talk about. His voice was gentle when he spoke. “We agreed a long time ago we would not go through any kind of commitment ceremony or get married even when they legalized it. There’s no reason for us to change that agreement. I’m sure Kyler will understand.”

Hugh hesitated. “Yes, but did you get the impression it was something he wanted very badly? Kyler sometimes gets these ideas into his head and he must do them at all costs at that moment, regardless of the consequences. But these ideas sometimes do not last very long.”

“I know what you are saying, Hugh,” Patrick said with a short laugh, “which is why we’ve got a Brat on our hands.”

Hugh sighed softly. “How did this subject come up anyway? Did the notion of a commitment ceremony suddenly pop into his head because some of his friends were going through it, or is it something more serious, more lasting?”

“I really don’t know.”

“Has it been brewing in his mind? Did we miss any signs?” Hugh continued to mull.

Patrick shook his head. “I don’t think we missed anything. But if you are not sure and I definitely am not sure, then why don’t we ask him?”

“We could. Only thing is ...” Hugh’s voice trailed off.

Again Patrick picked it up without difficulty. “We can explain why we never considered it. If this thing is important to him, then he needs to know our position.”

“That’s not what I am worried about,” Hugh murmured. “We can explain and knowing Kyler, he will try to understand and abide by our decision and even tell us he is okay with it. But what if he really, truly wants it?”

Patrick paused, but before he could think of a suitable response the phone rang, startling both of them.

“Damn!” Patrick cursed under his breath as he picked up the phone extension in the kitchen. “Yes, this is Dr. Dean.” He listened quietly for a few seconds and then replied crisply. “All right, I will be there in about half an hour. In the meantime, keep her calm and put her on a saline drip.”

“Emergency?” Hugh inquired, inured to such calls after more than five years together.

“Yeah,” Patrick answered, already heading to the stairs. “Sorry, honey, but I need to be at the hospital right away. Are you leaving for your swim meet soon? It’s today, isn’t it?”

“Yes, I will need to leave shortly. But you go on ahead, I will take care of the dishes. I’ll also leave Kyler a note if he is not awake by the time I leave.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kyler stirred, rolled over and pushed back the blankets. He paused in mid-stretch to listen for sounds in the house. There were none; the quietness was almost eerie. He thought over the conversation he’d had earlier with his partners. They had promised to resume ‘negotiations’ later this evening, but Kyler found himself re-thinking his stand on the subject. Oh well, he’d wait to see what Hugh and Patrick had to say about it all.

Eventually crawling out of his warm nest, he padded around the room gathering up the articles of clothing he’d flung in different directions during his haste to get naked and wait for his lovers’ attention. He smiled at the memory of how quickly they played with his body until he begged for release, which proved as mind-boggling as always.

“Double the manpower, double the fun,” he sang as he got dressed, re-made the bed and headed downstairs to the kitchen.

He spotted Hugh’s note on the large wooden table and heaved a sigh of disappointment as he read it.

Darling,

Patrick’s got an emergency at the hospital and I’ve gone for my swim meet. I will be back after to prepare dinner but have no idea when Patrick will be home. Please make sure you eat a proper lunch. See you later, sweetie.

Hugh.

Rather than making something substantial to eat, Kyler wrote a note of his own to let his partners know he was going to the coffee shop. Then grabbing up his cell phone, keys and wallet, he sailed out the back door to look for companionship.

Knowing Cameron was off somewhere with Chad for the day, and learning that Rene was helping out at the ceramic shop, Kyler continued on to Tim Hortons where he had the good fortune to find someone to hang out with.

“Hey, Travis, mind if I join you?”

“Not at all; I’d kinda like the company.” Travis folded up the sheet of paper he’d been perusing and shoved it in his pocket. “Anything exciting going on in this one horse town?” he asked jokingly.

“Not for me at the moment. Almost everyone I know is busy. I could have offered a hand with the kid’s birthday party Kadyn has booked but I didn’t feel like spending a couple of hours chasing after a bunch of ankle-biters. Or I could go visit my family, but Uncle Kipper and Gaetane have bad colds. I wouldn’t dare interfere with my Mom when she’s in her glory playing nurse-maid to them.”

“I’m on my own, too. Callum is tied up with compiling marks for the report cards going out next week.”

“Luckily Hugh teaches Phys-Ed, so there are not a lot of written exams for him to grade.” Kyler swallowed a mouthful of coffee. “So you got any plans for the afternoon?”

“Matter of fact, I do. Have you ever been to Spotted Lake?”

“No, but I’ve heard of it. It’s a saline, alkali lake located northwest of Osoyoos beside highway three. I was told it is quite beautiful because of the extremely high concentrations of numerous minerals that leave large spots on the surface of the water. The First Nations consider it a sacred site because of its’ therapeutic properties. If that’s where you’re going, I wouldn’t mind tagging along.”

“I was told it’s only an hour away from here, so we should be back well before dark.”

“Lead on, my friend.” Within minutes, they were driving out of town in Travis’ car down highway 97.

“I think it’s been well over an hour, Travis,” Kyler commented after glancing at his watch.

“There’s the sign!” Travis announced as he rounded a bend in the road. “Don’t worry about being late. We can make up for lost time by taking a shortcut home. Someone at the post office told me about it.”

Once the car had rolled to a stop, the young men got out and stretched. They could easily make out the lake at the bottom of a shallow gorge, but were disappointed in its’ lack of colour.

“Maybe it looks better close up,” Travis muttered.

“I’m pretty sure that fence is there to discourage people from walking down there,” Kyler pointed out.

“Well I don’t see anyone around to stop us, so I’m going down. I didn’t come all this way to gawk at a big semi-frozen puddle.”

With that, Travis swung his leg over the fence and started down the hill. Not wanting to be left behind, Kyler followed suit.

“Doesn’t look good enough to have been worth the effort to climb down here, does it?” Travis griped.

“Not really,” Kyler agreed and pulled out his cell phone to call home. “I better let my partners know I’m gonna be a little late.” He hit speed dial and waited. “Nuts, there’s no reception here. Let’s get out of here.” The words had barely left his mouth when the phone slipped out of his hand and into the lake. “For shit’s sake!” he hollered as he set about removing his boots and socks. He took off his coat and handed it to Travis. Then while rolling up his shirt-sleeve, he stepped into the freezing water.

“Fuck, is this cold!” he complained through chattering teeth. After a bit of splashing around he finally found his phone and stomped back to shore. “Definitely not a good activity for the end of January,” he carped, shouldering into his jacket before slipping and sliding his way back up the hill in his bare feet.

Back in the car, Travis turned up the heat while Kyler dried off and put on his footwear.

Half an hour later, he was still shivering and his phone was still dripping water on the floor. Travis had tried two more times to call on his cell phone but couldn’t get a connection either.

“Where the hell are we?” Kyler asked when he realized the sun was beginning to go down.

“I was hoping you wouldn’t ask because I haven’t a clue. This is some shortcut,” Travis grumbled while looking for a sign post.

“Turn there!” Kyler instructed at the next junction. “Keremeos is just over the next hill. It is a little out of the way, but at least we’ll have the use of a payphone.”

It was dark and hours later than Kyler had planned to be home by the time Travis dropped him off. Although he fretted for most the return drive, he hadn’t said much to Travis. He sure as hell hadn’t mentioned having an unhappy Top to go home to. He didn’t know Travis well enough to trust him with that kind of information.

Seeing his partners’ cars in the driveway and knowing they were waiting for him caused a groan to escape his lips. He reluctantly entered the house, wondering what the evening had in store for him.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Meanwhile the swim meet had ended and Hugh was trying to get in touch with his younger partner. He called the house first and waited until the ringing tone died. He tried Kyler’s cell phone next but didn’t even get a ringing tone this time. With a frown on his brow, he then called Patrick. Luckily he got an answer almost at once.

“Hey, heard from Kyler?” he asked without preamble.

“Nope,” Patrick replied. “Why?”

“Oh, nothing much. I tried calling the house and his cell. No answer.”

“He’s probably gone out for a bite and forgot his phone or it’s flat,” Patrick responded calmly. “I had to go into an emergency surgery but I’m done. Where are you?”

“I’m on my way home. Are you coming soon?”

“Yeah, I am actually in the car park now. See you in a bit. Let me know if Ky calls back.”

“Will do.”

Hugh hung up and pressed Kyler’s cell again. No answer. He tapped a finger on the steering wheel and then called the house. Still no answer.

Just where was their beloved Brat?

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kyler hung up his jacket, stepped out of his boots and walked into the kitchen, tossing his dirty socks down the basement stairs as he passed the door. Although he could hear his partners’ low voices coming from the living room, he was tired, still very cold and in no frame of mind to face an interrogation. He dragged a straight-back chair over to the stove and turned on the oven. Sitting down, he opened the oven door and rested his bare feet on it. The warmth was heavenly. He closed his eyes, leaned back and loudly exhaled his contentment.

In the living room, Hugh suddenly stopped talking. “Did you hear something?”

Patrick shook his head. He was sprawled on the sofa, exhausted. “No, but go check, honey,” he suggested. “And bring me some soya milk, will ya?”

Hugh leaned down and planted a kiss on Patrick’s head as he passed. “Sure thing. I think Ky’s home.”

“Good, you can quit worrying now. He’s a big boy and he can take care of himself. Besides, he did leave a note!” Patrick said the last bit loudly enough to catch Hugh’s retreating back.

Hugh made his way into the kitchen and spotted Kyler in front of the oven. His brow creased as he tried to figure out what his Brat was doing. “What the ... Kyler!”

Kyler jumped at the unexpected shout, pulled his feet off the oven door and swung around in his chair. “Whaaaat?”

“What are you doing?”

“Trying to get my feet warm as fast as possible.”

“The oven is not for you to dry or warm your feet, young man!” Hugh sternly admonished, pulling Kyler up and shutting off the oven in one motion. He landed a swift, but not particularly hard, swat on Kyler’s behind.

“Ow!” Kyler pouted and pulled away.

Hugh looked down at his palm. “Why are you are damp?”

“I slipped in the snow.” Kyler crossed his fingers behind his back, hoping the other man wouldn’t pursue the subject.

Hugh sighed in resignation. “Go on up and change into dry clothes. Then you can come down and tell us all about it. Go on, now.”

Kyler moved the chair to its’ proper place by the table and reluctantly obeyed.

Hugh watched until Kyler had turned and trudged into the hallway before he went to the fridge and extracted a box of soya milk. He headed back to the living room and nudged Patrick awake. “Here you go. I was right, our boy is back and guess what he was doing in the kitchen?”

Patrick opened his eyes enquiringly and when Hugh told him, looked stunned for only a moment before he burst out laughing.

“Shut up!” Hugh scolded as sternly as he could. “You are almost as bad as he is!”

“Well, it is rather ingenious!” Patrick mused. “Quick and effective.”

“And totally unsafe!” Hugh glared at his partner. “The oven is for cooking, not for drying clothes or parts of the human anatomy!”

“Well, don’t lecture me.” Patrick grinned broadly, shaking his head. “There, your quarry is here.”

Kyler quietly entered the room wearing flannel pants, heavy sweatshirt and thick wool socks. He curled up next the Patrick to absorb the bigger man’s body heat.

“Have you eaten, sweetheart?” Patrick inquired.

“No,” Kyler mumbled into the front of Patrick’s shirt. “But the supper Hugh made really smells good. Hope you guys saved me some ‘cause I’m starving.”

“Sure did. Want some soya milk while Hugh heats it up for you?” Patrick held out the box to him.

Kyler lifted his head and sneered at the carton. “You’re kidding, right? I can’t stand that stuff! Give me the real milk any day.”

Hugh looked over at his two lovers and couldn’t hide his smile. “You should have eaten earlier, Kyler. Didn’t you get my note? Never mind, don’t answer. Come into the kitchen and I’ll get you some of my stew, which if I may say so myself is pretty darn good!”

“Hugh is absolutely right,” Patrick agreed, gently shoving Kyler off him. “You’re getting fat!”

“Then you should stop trying to force feed me,” Kyler pointed out with a mock glare.

Hugh held out his hand to Kyler. “Don’t listen to him. You still look hot to me.”

“At least someone has good taste.” Kyler stuck his tongue out at Patrick and followed his other partner into the kitchen.

Hugh went over to the stove and began to dish out some stew into a deep bowl. “I’ll microwave this. It will be much faster and you look starved.”

“Yeah, I am rather hungry.” Kyler answered getting some bread and butter out and setting them on the table along with some cutlery.

Hugh placed the bowl into the microwave oven and while waiting for the beep, turned to ask, “Of course you should be hungry; it’s after eight o’clock already. So where on earth have you been Kyler? I got worried when I couldn’t get hold of you at all.”

“I’m sorry for being so late, Hugh. But at least I got a chance to call from the pay phone and leave a message about getting lost and running a bit late. The shortcut Travis was given to Spotted Lake proved unreliable.” Kyler clamped a hand over his mouth as he sat down at the table. He felt like kicking himself as he had intended to keep that information to himself.

Patrick, who was about to take a seat as well, stopped short and Hugh whirled around to face the young man. Both Tops simultaneously towered over Kyler, eyes pinning him in his seat.

“Excuse me? Where did you say you went?”

“What did you say? You went to Spotted Lake?”

“Ah, yeah. I thought I told you that. I must have forgotten to mention it.” Kyler chuckled nervously and tried to shrug off the activity as trivial.

Hugh and Patrick exchanged a quick look and both shook their heads to indicate neither had known about Kyler’s plan.

“Eat,” Hugh ordered crisply as he placed the steaming dish down in front of Kyler, “and then we are going to talk.”

Kyler’s appetite suddenly waned as his stomach tightened. He took a small bite out of the slice of bread he had buttered and picked up his spoon. He hoped to at least win brownie points for eating his supper.

Patrick sat opposite Kyler and watched the young man spoon stew into his mouth with less gusto than would have been expected.

“What, stew no good?” he asked somberly although his tone was teasing.

“It’s okay,” Kyler mumbled into his bowl, ignoring the gentle jibe.

Hugh poured a glass of milk and brought it over to the table. He sat down and pushed it over to Kyler. Then he reached out to ruffle his Brat’s hair, at the same time saying quite firmly, “Finish up the stew. Hurry up, please.”

Kyler failed in his attempt to eat faster, but eventually only his drink remained.

Finally the bowl was empty and Hugh waited until Kyler had taken a sip of the milk before he started speaking. “All right, Kyler. Now would you care to tell us why you went to Spotted Lake?”

“After I found myself home alone, I went down the street for a coffee and met up with Travis. You know the new assistant postmaster; the guy whose partner teaches music at the high school. Seems we were both at loose ends and when Travis told me he was going to that lake I asked if I could go with him.”

“Why?” Hugh demanded.

Kyler blinked at the suddenness of the question. “Cause I’ve never seen it before, but had heard it’s really beautiful.”

“Honey, you know very well Spotted Lake is off limits to the general public.” Patrick shook his head at the contrite young man.

“I thought we’d stop by the roadside and only study it from the lookout point that’s erected there for sightseers. It wasn’t at all like we’d expected; kinda colourless with just a bunch of odd-shaped circles because of the overcast skies. We thought if we got down closer it would look better, but it didn’t.” Kyler’s expression clearly showed his disappointment.

“It’s private property,” Patrick informed him. “It is owned by the First Nations and you really shouldn’t have gone down there, Ky.”

“Wasn’t there some kind of fencing around the lake to prevent trespassers?” Hugh asked with a frown. “Not to mention signage to warn people off?”

“Yes, there was a sign,” Kyler answered, reluctantly but truthfully. “But we figured that was for the tourists in summertime, not for a couple of guys in the middle of winter. And it wasn’t much of a fence anyway.”

Patrick sat up straighter. “You climbed over it?”

Hugh sighed with displeasure. “That much is obvious. Darling, why this sudden fascination with Spotted Lake? What’s the attraction?”

“Not a heck of a lot actually. Like I said, I’d heard it was beautiful because of all the chemicals coming from the ground below it. I guess that is only so in the summer though. And I do know how some people feel about it and that it is supposed to have healing powers of some sort. We weren’t gonna damage anything; we just wanted to see it up close.”

“Exactly! And your desire to see the lake does not override the fact that this is considered sacred ground by the First Nations! There is a fence around the property for a reason. The authorities put up signage for a purpose. What possessed you to ignore all these reminders and precautions and to simply trespass into private property?”

When Hugh lectured and questioned like that, there was very little a person could offer in response.

“I hadn’t planned to; it just kind of happened.” Kyler had no intention of admitting that he’d just been following along rather than take a chance on being called a chicken. He glanced at Patrick for support.

Patrick shook his head, for once unwilling to help. “No, Kyler, this is not acceptable and I agree with Hugh whole heartedly. I am very disappointed.”

Kyler’s head dropped and his shoulders slumped as he fought back tears. He hated having his partners upset with him, especially Patrick who was the easier-going of the two.

“Is that why you didn’t answer my calls?” Hugh inquired.

“Huh?” Kyler was momentarily confused until he remembered why he hadn’t answered. “I never received any calls because we had no reception. We found that out when we tried to call home ourselves.”

“All right, so you weren’t ignoring my calls. But couldn’t you have called me when you started your journey back? Didn’t you see my missed calls then?”

“Ah, well you see…it kinda fell in the lake.” Kyler grimaced when he thought of his Tops’ possible reaction to that tidbit of news.

“Into the lake?” Patrick looked and sounded quite shocked. “You dropped your phone into the lake?”

Hugh’s head jerked up. “Is that why you were damp when you came in? Tell me you did not go into the lake.”

“Sort of; but I didn’t actually drop my cellphone. I was frustrated because I couldn’t get it to work and was giving it a shake when it flew out of my hand and landed in the water. I only had to take a couple of steps into the lake to get it out. I removed the battery right away and wiped it off on my shirt. I haven’t tried it again yet so I don’t know if it’s working or not.” Kyler looked from one of the older men to the other and felt a need to exonerate himself. “It’s a new cell; I couldn’t just leave it there, for Pete’s sake!”

Patrick threw his head back and sighed loudly. “Kyler, Kyler! What were you even thinking? It’s January for crying out loud!” He seemed at a loss of words.

Kyler pushed away his unfinished milk and let out a low groan. “The fact that it has warmed up some doesn’t cut it, huh?” The look he got from both Tops shut him up quite effectively.

Patrick glanced at Hugh and seemed to ask ‘what next?’ Hugh returned the look without giving away any hints of his thoughts. After a moment, he got up and began to clear the dishes and placed them in the sink.

“So can we talk about something else now? Maybe we can return to the conversation we were having this morning if this one is over.” Kyler hoped introducing another topic would provide the opportunity to escape today’s adventure unscathed.

Hugh turned and came to stand behind Kyler’s chair. He leaned down and planted a kiss on his Brat’s head. “Nope, this is certainly not over, babe. There are a few facts we need to establish and deal with before we can move on and call it a night.”

Patrick sat quietly, letting Hugh take the lead. He usually tended to be more relaxed and forgiving of their Brat’s escapades but this was one time he felt Kyler had really overstepped his boundaries. The doctor held a time-honoured respect for the natives of his country. He took the protection and preservation of the sacred ground in a serious light.

Kyler’s brow creased in thought as he tried to determine what his older his partner had in mind when Hugh voiced his request.

“Patrick, can you please fetch a pen and some writing paper?” Hugh requested.

Patrick nodded. “Sure.”

‘Damn it,’ Kyler silently swore. ‘I so don’t feel up to writing lines.’ He put his head down on folded arms to keep his thoughts hidden. Both his Tops were rather adept at reading his facial expressions, especially negative ones.

When Patrick put the writing material down in front of Kyler, Hugh continued. “Write down all the things you think you shouldn’t have done today, Kyler. Let’s see if you regard this little adventure of yours at the same level of gravity as Patrick and I do.”

Kyler pulled the items closer and clicked the ball-point pen a few times. “I’m sure I was doing fine when I first went out. I did leave a note after all,” he facetiously reminded them before buckling down to the task at hand. ‘I better keep this as short as possible.’ He wisely kept that thought to himself.

“I should have called before we left town to let you guys know where we were going,” he spoke slowly as he wrote it down.

“Getting lost wasn’t really our fault,” he looked up and received nods of agreement.

“Now I’m getting into dangerous territory,” he griped under his breath as he continued his list.

“What’s next, Kyler?” Hugh prompted when Kyler hesitated.

“Next, I shouldn’t have climbed the fence and trespassed on private land.” He paused to think if he’d done anything else he might not have done, had he thought it over first.

“Good, go on,” Hugh encouraged.

“Guess I shouldn’t have gone splashing about in the lake to fetch my cell either, huh?” The expressions on the older men had him hastily writing down his third offence.

“I am in trouble for putting my feet in the oven?” he artlessly inquired.

Patrick kept his face straight as Hugh responded. “We’ll let that pass, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Anything else, Kyler?” Hugh’s voice held a certain warning tone which made Kyler tense up. “Think.”

Kyler’s frown showed his confusion. “Nothing else comes to mind, Hugh.”

“When I asked you why you were damp, what did you say?”

“I told you I had slipped in the snow.”

“And is that not a lie?”

“Not exactly! I really did slide most the way down to the lake and fell a time or two on the way back up. But I never fell in the lake. I mostly only got my feet wet.” Kyler paused and took in the raised eyebrows and matching looks of expectation on the older men’s faces. “Okay, so maybe a bit of water got on my clothes but not much.”

Patrick peered at the sheet of paper and shook his head. “Kyler, I don’t want to add to your woes but I have to say that sounds awfully like telling us only a half of a story, and that you well know constitutes a lie! Just so we are clear, Hugh and I cannot always ask questions to cover every little bit of what has happened and it is up to you to tell us; truthfully and completely. Isn’t that right, Hugh?”

“Absolutely! Well said, Patrick.”

Kyler’s nod indicated his acceptance of what had been said and he took the writing pad back from Patrick. He read over his own list and the growing burden of guilt caused him to add more.

“I lied by omission,” he sadly murmured as he wrote the words. He paused for a moment before adding one final act of thoughtlessness. “I needlessly worried my partners.”

Watching him write the last sentence, the two Tops shared a private smile.

“Thank you.” Hugh turned Kyler’s face around and gave his cheek a small pinch, with more affection than anything else. “Now let’s get this over with.”

Kyler caught his breath at the speed in which he found himself face down over Hugh’s lap, his flannel pants half-way to his knees. He gave up on any notion of being stoic. He was just too warn-out. Although he didn’t put his hand back or try to get away, he was crying before the sixth swat landed.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kyler lay contentedly sprawled on his stomach between his two partners. His backside was still a little too tender to put a lot of pressure on it for any length of time and there was a lot they had to talk about.

Last night, once they had laid to rest the poor choices that had led to his misadventures and both Tops had taken part in making him aware of their displeasure, they had taken him upstairs and fussed over him in a way which had more than made up for the burn in his bottom. Hugh had meted out a more than adequate spanking and to Kyler’s surprise, Patrick had followed up with a few firm swats of his own. That was most unusual as Patrick had never added to Hugh’s punishments in the past and that only spoke volumes for the good doctor’s feelings on this incident. Still it was what Kyler had come to expect in the lifestyle they had jointly agreed to share. And he was at least honest enough to admit he’d most likely feel out of his depth if his partners weren’t willing to occasionally help him keep his feet on the ground and his head out of the clouds.

As he lay there in the quietness of the dawn, Kyler felt a wave of possessiveness sweep over him. Here were the two men he loved most in his life and he wanted so badly to have something tangible to link them together as a family unit. Since the law forbade them the legal recognition, he had to find some other way to prove their commitment to one another.

He shifted restlessly as his mind drifted once again to yesterday’s unfinished discussion involving their having a commitment ceremony. It would not be the same as a civil marriage but it was better than nothing. He wondered if the topic had crossed either of his partners’ minds yesterday and came to the conclusion that it probably hadn’t. It sure hadn’t entered his and he had been the one to bring up the subject in the first place.

Well, now was as good a time as any to re-introduce it.

Lifting his head and holding it in his hands, Kyler unrelentingly ventured forth. “So guys, what are the chances of us having a commitment ceremony this spring?” He smirked at the unenthusiastic groans that emanated from his still half-asleep lovers.

“Why are you this chirpy so early, darling?” Patrick murmured, pulling Kyler closer to his body.

“Can we have this conversation when we are awake, babe?” Hugh grunted.

“Come on now, it takes time to make plans for one of these events. It’s not gonna happen on its’ own.”

Both Tops sighed but neither made any movement or response. Patrick just turned his face into Kyler’s shoulder and Hugh buried his in his pillow.

Staring impatiently at his immobile lovers, Kyler inched over and slowly began tickling first Patrick and then Hugh, totally ignoring their demands to cease or else.

“Stop!” Hugh ordered, sitting up suddenly and grabbing the young man. He pulled Kyler easily over to his side and away from Patrick. “I said ‘stop’, Brat!” he ordered and landed a sharp slap on Kyler’s bum. When Kyler opened his mouth to protest, Hugh leaned back, taking the young man with him.

Kyler squirmed in an attempt to get away. “Let me go, Hugh!” His demand fell on deaf ears.

Without a word Hugh threw a massive thigh over Kyler’s hip and pinned him under his greater weight, effectively imprisoning him within his arms. “Stay put now and don’t move. It’s not even light yet outside. Quiet now!”

Patrick reached out across Hugh’s body and softly ruffled Kyler’s hair and patted what part of him he could find. “Be a good boy, Ky. Later when I am awake, I will explain to you why we don’t have serious conversations at seven on a Sunday morning.”

Kyler exhaled a loud sigh of feigned resentment, but nevertheless nestled contentedly against the older of his two lovers and was soon fast asleep.

An hour and a half later, Hugh felt something warm move against his groin. It was very pleasant and he smiled with his eyes still shut. When the movement stopped, Hugh cracked open an eye. Kyler was sound asleep in his arms, his head resting against Hugh’s muscular chest and his butt trapped in between Hugh’s thighs. The older man let his eyes close as he dreamily slid his hand down to Kyler’s hip and stroked him. That brought a moan to Kyler’s lips and the young man unconsciously moved again, his backside squirming into Hugh’s already semi-hard shaft.

Hugh sighed with contentment and let his hand drop down to the front of Kyler’s pyjamas. He held the soft appendage for a moment, and then gently squeezed. It didn’t take long before Kyler’s penis was hard and pulsing.

Coming fully awake, Kyler jerked his hips to pump his straining erection into Hugh’s large hand.

Hugh’s hands were strong as he held Kyler immobile. “Don’t move,” he whispered into Kyler’s ear. “Let me do it.” His hands quickly removed Kyler’s pyjamas, followed by a slow exploration of the familiar body in front of him. One hand moved to cup Kyler’s naked right buttock before a finger slid in between the firm, round cheeks. It wormed its’ way in until it found the tiny puckered opening.

Kyler softly moaned and he couldn’t help himself from moving his hips back onto the probing digit.

“Can you reach the lube, honey?” Hugh asked softly as he kicked off his own pants.

Easily locating the requested item, Kyler quickly unscrewed the top and squeezed a bit on his lover’s hand.

Once Hugh had managed to get some lube on his finger, he brought it back down and began to probe his young lover. Without too much difficulty, his finger found the spot and slid in.

Kyler’s moans of pleasure grew louder as his panting increased and he found it harder to stay still.

“Hush, soft and easy, babe. Patrick is still asleep.” Hugh added another finger and continued to slide both slowly in and out of Kyler until he felt his young lover’s muscles relax.

“Move your legs a bit, babe,” he instructed. “Yes, like that. Ready?” He positioned Kyler and then himself, half-lying on his side. His fully erect penis was pointing at Kyler’s opening.

Kyler reached one hand behind him and grabbed one cheek to allow Hugh easier access.

Hugh squeezed his buttock muscles and pushed as the tight muscle ring slowly expanded to accommodate his girth. He let out a deep breath as he slid all the way inside. He made Kyler lean back against him and they both stopped all movement for a while, simply enjoying the feeling of being so intimately connected.

“Can a guy get in on some of the action?” a sleepy voice sounded from the other side of the bed.

“Why not?” Kyler giggled his response. “That’s one of the benefits of being a threesome. It’s one for all and all for one.”

Hugh turned his head to look at Patrick. “Wanna come in from behind?”

Patrick’s eyes opened wider and he grinned. “Pass the lube.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kyler loved it when they all made love together. In some respects being a threesome might involve more work, especially in ensuring that no one felt left-out. But the benefits more than made up for it. With the discovery of how versatile they could be, their three-way sex had proved to be incredibly liberating, amazingly exhilarating and surprisingly intimate. Their individual sexual creativity and potential guaranteed them many hours of bedroom fun.

Kyler pulled a casual shirt and slacks out of the closet and tossed them onto the bed. He’d been told to dress up because they were going out to eat at the Trillium Inn and everyday clothing would just not do. It wasn’t a special occasion or anything; just a last minute decision to do something exciting after spending the afternoon doing mundane household chores.

Half an hour later, they were led to the table that had been reserved for them. They made their choices from the menu, the candle in front of them was glowing and their crystal glasses were filled with ice water.

While running his finger lightly over the condensation forming on the side of his glass, Kyler glanced around the large room. He recognized a number of patrons which included the Pierce family. It was an all-male family that consisted of two gay couples; the older couple being the parents of one of the younger men. Seeing them reminded, Kyler of the conversation he’d been meaning to bring up again since its’ derailment yesterday morning.

“What’s on your mind now?” Patrick asked with a half-smile on his lips. He could pick out Kyler’s mood without too much difficulty these days. So could Hugh. They had come a long way during their soon-to-be three years together.

Leaning forward, Kyler pointed out the family to his partners. “The Pierce men are as unlikely a set as you can get but they sure make a happy looking group, don’t they?”

Hugh and Patrick exchanged a quick look. “Yes, they do,” Patrick responded. “And so do we, wouldn’t you agree?”

“Sure I do,” Kyler assured him with an emphatic nod. “Both couples are married and seeing them just reminded me that we’re not. We were going to talk about that, remember. Or have you forgotten?”

“No, of course we haven’t forgotten,” Patrick answered at once.

“So even though we can’t get legally married, don’t you think a commitment ceremony would be nice?”

Hugh’s voice was gentle but firm when he answered. “The commitment is in what we do every day. It is in the way partners treat each other, not in some one-time fancy occasion.”

Patrick saw Kyler’s crestfallen face and interjected. “I don’t think that is what he means, Hugh. Is it, Ky?”

“No. I understand what you mean, Hugh, about it being an everyday type of thing. But I think a ceremony makes it kinda special and leaves memories of a very important day in a person’s life. Of course, if you’ve got something against the institution of marriage….” Kyler left the rest of his sentence hanging.

“You are wrong, honey. I don’t have anything against marriage. I just don’t see why it matters so much. I am not putting it down. I just don’t see the need for myself and my partner, well partners now, to go through a ceremony. Patrick and I discussed this subject many years ago when our relationship began to turn serious, and we agreed we would not need to prove our relationship in any way, even if gay marriage was legalized.” Hugh turned to Patrick, who was smiling warmly at him. “Right, honey?”

Patrick reached out and gave Hugh’s hand a quick squeeze, then as quickly withdrew. It was too public a place for any show of affection but he could not resist that one little gesture. “Absolutely! And let me just say this for the record. In all this time, I have never once needed to have our union legalized. I am happy the way we are. However,” he turned his eyes towards Kyler. “Since we’ve never discussed this subject with you, we don’t really know how you feel and we certainly do not expect you to feel the same way we do. More importantly, it’s all right to be different. Do you understand, babe?”

Hugh too was looking at Kyler intently. Their young partner appeared to be mulling things over and didn’t seem ready to respond yet.

Patrick then shifted to directly face Kyler. “Marriage isn’t the end all and be all for every couple, honey. Take Hugh and me for instance, we’re both content just being together. Nothing more was needed. In a way it meant more to me. It showed we didn’t need a licence or any form of legality to bind us together. We stayed because we wanted to, not because we had to or because it was easier than trying to get out of a legal contract.”

“I’ve seen enough break-ups and divorces to know it does not mean a thing.” Hugh’s eyes were sombre. “You can have all the ceremony and signatures in the world, and yet it will not help you stay together if either party has stopped trying.”

Kyler slowly nodded as his understanding of their words became clearer. He thought over the various aspects of their relationship and realized the truth that was evident in everything the older men said. Their day-to-day conduct along with their love and respect for each other not only proved their commitment, but also cemented it. He smiled brightly as an idea took hold. “Hmm, kind of like ‘different strokes for different folks, huh? Sooo, maybe instead of spending a lot of money on an unnecessary party to prove something that doesn’t have to be proven, we can do something else with it. Like a special holiday or trip to celebrate our third anniversary in a few months.”

“Should we tell him now?” Hugh asked Patrick with a sly glance at Kyler.

“I think this is as good a time as ever,” Patrick replied.

Kyler glanced suspiciously from one partner to the other. “You guys been keeping secrets?” he teasingly accused.

“Well, Hugh and I have been planning a surprise for you. Do you wanna hear it?” Patrick queried.

“Of course I do!” Kyler bounced in his seat and reached over to lightly punch Patrick on the arm, almost knocking over his water glass in the process.

“Settle down, honey. People are looking our way,” Hugh admonished but he was smiling in a way that belied his sternness. “Patrick, did you bring it?”

“I sure did,” Patrick said as he brought out a long envelope with a colourful design. “There you go, honey. I hope you like what we’ve planned.”

Kyler accepted the thin package and closely examined the outside, hoping the logo matched the contents. “Is this for real?”

“Look inside and you’ll find out if it is.”

Hugh and Patrick waited with bated breath while Kyler spilled the contents onto the table.

“It’s a match!” Kyler joyously exclaimed as he picked up the brochure that read ‘Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines’. Accompanying it were three tickets for a 14-night all-inclusive Transatlantic Eastbound Cruise. For several moments he was spellbound as he looked over the papers. “Wow, this is so awesome,” he murmured, momentarily overwhelmed.

Kyler’s obvious delight was infectious and his joy made his Tops smile.

“We haven’t taken a proper vacation in years.” Patrick suddenly sounded almost as excited as Kyler. “It’s about time we did something spectacular.”

“That’s right!” Hugh reached out and placed his palms briefly over each of his partners’ hands. “Can you just imagine it? A whole two weeks all to ourselves. What do you say?”

“I say this is really awesome.” Kyler’s blue eyes were sparkling. “It’s gonna be sooo hard to wait until May first.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It was their second day out to sea and the three men were lazily lounging on the sun deck, soaking up the sun. After about an hour Hugh and Patrick, who were on either side of Kyler, exchanged a look, nodded and stood up.

“Come on, Ky, it’s too hot now. Let’s go back to our room, shall we?” Patrick held out a hand and winked.

Kyler didn’t need another sign to quickly scramble up and follow his partners down the stairs into the narrow corridor. Together, they made their way back to their cabin. When they arrived, Hugh opened the door and went in first. He looked around and smiled at the bottle of champagne which he had ordered earlier, sitting in an ice bucket.

“What’s that? Champagne?” Kyler asked, his eyes round with surprise.

Hugh grinned while Patrick headed directly to his suitcase and pulled a small item out of the side pocket.

“What’s going on?” Kyler looked questioningly from one partner to another.

Patrick looked at Hugh and seeing his nod, opened his palm to reveal the item. It was a small, velvet jewellery box which he handed to Kyler, who just stared at it in bewilderment.

“Sweetheart, open it.”

Kyler turned over the small, velvet jewellery box and obediently opened it to discover three gold rings nestled inside. “Three for three, huh?”

“Yes, one for each of us.” Hugh too peered into the box and watched as the sunlight streaming through the porthole sparkled on the contents. “Do you like them, Kyler?”

“They’re beautiful!” Kyler barely managed to breathe out.

“We got these made a few weeks ago,” Patrick informed him as he carefully picked up one of the rings, took hold of Kyler’s left hand and gingerly slipped the ring into his third finger. “Fits?”

“Perfectly! Thank you so much, guys.”

“Great. Now you take this one,” Patrick instructed as he indicated the bigger of the two rings left in the box, “and put it on Hugh’s finger.”

Hugh obligingly held out his hand while Kyler performed the simple act. “Thanks, darling; and now I guess it’s my turn.” He solemnly slipped it into Patrick’s finger and smiled at his two lovers.

“I hope you are not too disappointed, Kyler,” Hugh said, as he pulled the younger man closer for a quick kiss. “I know you wanted a proper ceremony ...”

“I know I did,” Kyler interrupted. “But this is sooo much better. There is a lot to be said for privacy, you know,” he assured both his partners

“I couldn’t agree more, darling.”

“Now we are all committed to one another, in every way possible. May the circle never end,” Patrick said gravely.

“Amen to that,” Kyler quickly concurred before throwing his arms around both of them. “I love you both so much. I can’t imagine what my life would be like had you not let me become part of a threesome. No fancy commitment ceremony could ever hold a candle to this private one we’ve just shared.” Kyler’s voice rang with heart-felt sincerity.

The End

A Place For Tommy

2010-07-28T05:56:00.000-07:00

Co-written By: Teri and LJ

Characters: Hugh, Patrick & Kyler;
and introducing Tommy

Patrick frowned and looked up from the paperwork on his desk. “What the …” he left the word hanging and stood up. As he walked out into the waiting area of the ER unit, the noise level increased in both intensity and volume.

“What’s going on?” he inquired of a nurse who was standing near the door of the examination room. A small cluster of people consisting of nurses, orderlies and the janitor were gathered in the middle of the room engrossed in a noisy discussion.

The nurse started when she saw Patrick. “Oh, Dr. Dean …” she stammered and pulled herself together while at the same time clearing her throat loudly. One by one the group members looked over and stopped talking.

“What’s going on here?” Patrick asked again, advancing into the room. Today was his turn to be on duty at the ER and he was about to wrap up his shift and go home. Patrick knew this place had seen its share of some horrific and bizarre situations, but they were usually not so disorganized. All the nurses knew their jobs well and if there had been an emergency, someone would have come to get him.

The group slowly parted to allow Patrick’s eyes to move down and see what had been the reason for the commotion.

“Who’s this?” he inquired as he took in the sight of a tousle-haired little boy looking forlorn in the middle of the room.

“We don’t know,” one of the nurses replied in a tone which hinted at some mystery.

“We found him. Um, he just appeared?” another supplied in a mystified whisper.

“Out of nowhere it would seem,” someone offered rather unhelpfully.

Patrick ignored all the comments. “Hello,” he greeted, his voice gentled as he advanced towards the boy. “What’s your name?”

“Tommy.”

“Well Tommy, are you hurt?” Patrick had gone down on his haunches and was peering into Tommy’s eyes, trying to read any sign of pain or distress. The boy looked lost and frightened, but showed no sign of any kind of physical pain.

Tommy shook his head.

“Is your mommy here, Tommy?” Patrick kindly questioned, “or your daddy?”

Tommy looked around at the people staring at him and slowly shook his head again, apparently close to tears.

Patrick heard a collective murmur behind him and he turned his head back to the personnel gathered. “Is this an assembly, people?” His voice was calm but it instantly got everyone’s attention. Feet began to shuffle. “Nurse Brenda, you may stay. The rest of you please go back to your stations.”

Tommy silently watched the group troop out from the corner of his eye. He shrank back in alarm as Patrick reached for him.

“It’s okay,” Patrick said soothingly, dropping his hands immediately. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. I just wanted to examine you to see if you are all right. I am a doctor and I am in charge of the ER here. It’s my job to examine anyone who is brought here. Do you understand?”

Tommy looked doubtfully at Patrick, still distrustful.

Nurse Brenda came forward and brought her face down as well, as she gently added, “Dr Dean is a very good doctor, Tommy. He is the one in charge here. Can you do as he says?”

Tommy looked from one to the other and after a moment’s hesitation, moved one step towards Patrick.

The doctor smiled warmly and patted his shoulder before drawing him nearer and gently steering him into one of the examining rooms. “I’m going to get you to sit on that bed over there, okay?”

Blue eyes opened wide and turned towards the bed. “’Kay,” the little voice was barely more than a whisper.

“It’s a bit high, so let me help you.” Patrick picked up the boy and deposited him on the examination table. The nurse came over and removed the thin, worn jacket. Patrick began to carefully examine the child, casually asking, “So, how old are you, Tommy?”

“This much.” A little hand was held up. Three chubby fingers were straight and a fourth remaining slightly bent with the help of a thumb. “Almost four.”

“Almost four,” Patrick repeated soothingly while he quickly completed the examination. The kid seemed all right, though a bit thin. “Did your mom or dad drop you off while they went to park the car?”

Tommy frowned at the question but after a moment, he shook his head.

“And you are here all by yourself?”

“Uh-huh.” A vigorously nodding head caused blond curls to bounce.

An eyebrow shot up. “So who brought you here then?”

“I wasn’t ‘zactly brought. I comed by myself.” Tommy’s eyes filled and his lower lip quivered as he glanced around what to him was a rather strange place. “It was getting dark and I-I saw the lights.”

Patrick looked at Brenda, obviously asking for help. He had no idea what Tommy was saying.

“What lights, honey?” Brenda asked.

“The ones behind the big glass doors.” Tommy pointed towards the hallway leading to the ER entrance. “I don’t like the dark,” he murmured.

Patrick froze as a sinking feeling filled his stomach. He cleared his throat. “Ah, Brenda, can you stay here with Tommy while I go outside for a while?” He looked meaningfully at his nurse.

“Of course, Doctor. We’ll have a chance to get to know one another better, won’t we, Tommy?” She attempted to pacify the child when she saw him looking somewhat uncertain about the doctor leaving.

Patrick forced a smile at the boy before he left the examination room. He went to the reception counter and started to make inquiries. Security personnel were called in. No one seemed to have any idea where Tommy came from or how he got there.

“Oh Christ!” Patrick cursed under his breath, one of the few times he allowed himself to do so in the hospital. “It would appear we have an abandoned child on our hands!”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“It would be nice if Patrick made it home before supper got cold,” Kyler commented hopefully. “He’s been held up twice this week already.”

Although the young man was hungry, he’d much rather wait for the arrival of the last family member so they could eat together and share their day’s news. Hearing a car in the driveway, he rushed over to the opened window and glanced out.

“He’s here!” Kyler unnecessarily announced as he ran to open the back door.

Hugh came over to stand behind Kyler, wrapping an arm around Kyler’s slim waist. “We’ll eat as soon as Patrick gets out of his work clothes. Then perhaps we could …”

Kyler never knew what Hugh planned to do that evening because he never got to finish the sentence. They both gazed in surprise as Patrick went round to the back of the car and opened the door. A small boy tumbled out and immediately clutched Patrick’s hand.

“Hi guys,” Patrick called cheerily, although Hugh didn’t miss the forced note. “This is Tommy.” Patrick looked down at the boy and smiled encouragingly. “Come on, Tommy, let’s go inside and get you something to eat, okay?”

Tommy shyly grinned for the first time and nodded.

Hugh let go of Kyler and moved out to the back porch. He raised an eyebrow at Patrick but refrained from the obvious. Instead, he smiled at Tommy and introduced himself. “Hello, Tommy. I’m Hugh.”

Looking up through big round blue eyes, Tommy’s uneasiness returned and his smile faded a bit. However, he still willingly went into the house.

“And this is Kyler.” Patrick pointed to his younger partner. “Ky, come say ‘hi’.”

“Hi there, little guy.” Kyler bent at the waist and offered his hand to Tommy. His smile widened when his handshake was accepted.

“We are very hungry!” Patrick announced deliberately as he shrugged out of his jacket. “Aren’t we, Tommy?”

“Uh-huh,” Tommy readily agreed, glancing around the brightly lit kitchen.

Hugh took the jacket out of Patrick’s hand and gestured towards the stairs. “Go wash up, Patrick. We will eat right away. Tommy, you should go wash your hands as well.”

“Come on, kid, I’ll help you while Hugh sets another place at the table. Bet we’ll get back before Patrick, huh?” Kyler kept his tone light in an attempt to put the little fellow at ease.

He was anxious to learn more about their unexpected guest and therefore in a hurry for everyone to get seated with their meal on the table.

Tommy obediently went along with Kyler and even allowed this stranger to wash and dry his hands and face. When they returned to the kitchen, he let Kyler lift him onto a chair that Hugh had put the thick telephone book on, and push it closer to the table.

Patrick came back downstairs, changed into sweats and looking fresh. He sat beside Tommy, spooned some re-heated stew into his bowl and cut the meat into smaller pieces. “I want you to eat that slowly, Tommy. I know you are hungry but it will give you indigestion if …” Patrick saw the little brows pucker and amended his sentence. “It will make your tummy hurt if you eat too fast.”

“Okay,” Tommy agreed with a shrug. He was hungry but not as hungry as he had been a few times in the past. He had eaten a nice breakfast that morning. Wanting to please Patrick, he picked up his spoon and slowly shovelled some of the warm food into his mouth. It tasted very good and the next spoonful went in a little faster.

Hugh placed a half-filled glass of milk on the table in front of the little boy. “Here you go, Tommy. Kyler, do you want milk as well tonight?” His eyes crinkled at the young man.

“Sure thing; why not?” Kyler returned the teasing. Although he liked milk, it was usually something he drank for breakfast or with dessert as he wasn’t a big coffee drinker.

Patrick seemed pre-occupied as he chewed his food. He suddenly looked over at Hugh. “Do we have anything small enough for Tommy to change into for tonight?”

Kyler looked up in surprise. “He’ll be spending the night?”

“Yes, he is staying over for at last tonight,” Patrick answered with a wary eye on Tommy. Fortunately, the little fellow was quite engrossed in his meal and paid no attention to the adult conversation going on over his head.

“Doesn’t the kid have any other clothes?” Kyler was becoming more curious by the minute. Just where had Tommy come from and why was he with Patrick? However, he had enough manners not to ask in front on the boy.

“No,” Patrick quietly replied. He was a bit reluctant to elaborate with Tommy there. “Absolutely nothing; but I am sure we can work something out. It’s too late to go to the stores. If I had thought of it earlier …”

“I think I can get him one of my smaller t-shirts,” Kyler offered. “I wouldn’t mind hearing some of the particulars as to how we ended up with him in our care.”

“Of course, I intend to fill you in later, okay?”

Hugh reached over and covered Patrick’s hand briefly, the touch eloquent. “It’ll be fine. I am sure we can work something out for tonight.”

Tommy finished eating, pushed his almost empty bowl away and drained his glass of milk.

Kyler smiled at the little guy. “Guess I can wait a bit to learn the facts.”

Hugh also smiled as Tommy licked his lips. The boy was really quite cute. “Hey, Tommy, are you done? Can you try to finish the carrots?”

Tommy looked at the big man, then at his bowl. Not wanting to anyone angry with him, he pulled the bowl back and slowly ate the remaining pieces of vegetable.

“Good boy, Tommy. You’ve put me to shame.” Kyler got up and walked around the table. “You look kinda sleepy. Come on, I’m gonna let you sleep in a really special room. You’re gonna like it. There’s a nice comfy bed with a soft, fuzzy blanket.” Leaning down, he whispered in Patrick ear. “Don’t talk about the kid until I get back, okay?”

“I won’t,” Patrick assured him. “Don’t forget to let him brush his teeth. Use one of the spare toothbrushes. They’re adult size but will have to do for now.”

Hugh and Patrick cleaned up from the meal during the half hour it took their young partner to get Tommy settled in the guest room.

“Sir Galahad?” Hugh asked lightly as he started to wipe down the counters.

“Ha!” Patrick snorted. “I don’t know what I was thinking of but …” he shook his head as he trailed off.

Hugh came over and kissed his lover on the forehead. “Whatever you were thinking, I am pretty sure it was the right thing to do.”

Kyler skipped into the room and threw himself down on one of the kitchen chairs. “Okay, there’s just the three of us again. Come, Patrick, sit and start telling us how and why Tommy is here with us. Who is he and where did he come from? Where are his parents or other family members? How long is he gonna be here?” Kyler began bombarding his Top with questions.

“Just a minute, I’m going to make us some tea first.” Patrick began to fill the kettle with water.

“Shall we go into the living room?” Hugh suggested.

“Here’s fine. Do we really need tea?” Kyler’s impatience was obvious.

“You can wait two minutes, darling.” Hugh laughed. “We’ll be so much more comfortable.”

“I don’t want a drink, but I guess Patrick deserves that much after putting in such a long day.” Kyler reluctantly caved in. However, he got up and paced until they finally left the kitchen and turned out the light. Once he was seated in the big armchair facing his partners on the living room sofa, he repeated his questions.

“He came into the ER by himself,” Patrick answered one of them. “He caused quite a commotion with the nurses. After all, he is rather cute, isn’t he?” Patrick chuckled.

“Yeah, he is? But who does he belong to?” Kyler was most curious about Tommy’s parents.

“I don’t know. In fact, no one seems to. We couldn’t get him to talk about much. He just said he came in because it was getting dark and the ER was lighted.” Patrick suddenly looked serious. “God, how can anyone leave a kid like that out in the streets?”

“Could he be lost? Separated from his parents somehow?” Hugh inquired. “Perhaps his parents are looking for him right now? Did you check with the police on a missing kid?”

“Of course, we did. Checked with our own security first in case some adult lost a kid like you said; maybe while visiting a patient. No missing kid reports. We called in the police but had a hard time getting a hold of someone at social services and child welfare. No one knows who he is. It’s like he just appeared out of nowhere.”

“Wasn’t anyone even able to offer suggestions as to what to do with him?” Kyler was appalled over the inability of government services to help out in an emergency like this.

“Well, we had quite a wait for a child welfare officer to even respond. Then we were told it was unlikely they’d find a placement for him and to call back on Monday, which is four days from now” Patrick shook his head as he related the events. It obviously touched a deep part of him from the look in his eyes. “Poor kid; he just sat there staring at us with those big blue eyes. He looked so trusting too. How can anyone abandon a child?”

Hugh took in a deep breath and moved over to sit closer to Patrick. “Honey, I am glad you brought him home. But couldn’t those agencies come up with anything?”

Patrick rolled his eyes. “You wouldn’t believe the red-tape and the hassle. First of all, it’s late on Wednesday and the Canada Day weekend has begun. It was almost impossible to reach anyone as they were all off duty. I couldn’t just leave Tommy there while they waited to find a place for him to go to. God knows where he would have ended up.”

“Hell, they might have even decided to keep him in the children’s ward of the hospital until the holiday was over,” Kyler muttered, getting a little short-tempered.

“Well, they just needed a temporary place while they sorted this thing out. But all their usual homes were full. I guess they would have to come up with some solution in the end. However, I didn’t want to just leave the kid there in the ER! I really had no confidence in them finding a suitable place.”

“So whoever you were speaking to, agreed to you bringing him here?” Kyler sat back in his chair, shaking his head in dismay.

“They were actually quite relieved when I said I would take him for the weekend. They did a quick check, all the usual routine with the hospital administration. A worker came over and gave me some forms to sign and then I brought him home with me.”

“I’m glad you did,” Hugh softly assured Patrick of his support.

“I tell you, this has made me re-assess humankind.” Patrick sounded bitter. Hugh squeezed his hand.

“I guess the system works as best it can. Nothing’s perfect. Good thing you were there for him, Patrick.” Kyler’s expression was one of admiration for the older man. “So, we have a little houseguest until Monday. This should be fun.” He smiled as plans for activities began to form in his head.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The next morning, Kyler woke before either of his partners. He lay between them for a few minutes, just enjoying the physical closeness. He was about to snuggle down and catch another few minutes of sleep when he heard a strange mewling sound and suddenly remembered their houseguest. Quietly slipping out of bed, he headed for the guest room where he found Tommy softly crying.
“What’s wrong, little man?” Kyler gently inquired, squatting down next to the bed. He didn’t receive an answer and after looking around, realized he didn’t need one. “Hey, it’s okay, Tommy. We all have accidents now and again. It probably happened because of being in a strange place with people you never met before. Come on, let’s get you cleaned up. Then we’ll get breakfast started, okay? How do pancakes and syrup sound?”

Kyler quickly stripped the bed, bathed and put another one of his own clean t-shirts on the boy. It came down to well below Tommy’s knees, which was a good thing because Tommy’s underwear had been tossed along with his other clothes into the dirty laundry last night.

Tommy glanced down at the shirt and back up at his caregiver. “Too long.”

“Yeah, I know. Here, I’ll fix it.” Kyler reached between Tommy’s ankles, grabbed the hem of the t-shirt from the back, pulled it though Tommy’s legs and pinned it to the front of the t-shirt’s neckline. “There you go; a one-piece outfit to wear until we get the laundry done.” The two smiled at each other, more than satisfied with the temporary outfit.

Kyler ushered Tommy downstairs to the basement where he threw the soiled linen along with Tommy’s dirty clothing into the washing machine.

“We’re all set now, so how about we go get those pancakes?”

Tommy nodded eagerly. He was beginning to love this house with predictable meal-times.

“Here, you start with this, Tommy,” Kyler instructed, handing the little guy a glass of orange juice. “I’m gonna mix up the batter.”

Tommy climbed onto a chair at the counter and knelt to slowly sip his juice. His eyes followed Kyler around the kitchen as Kyler took eggs and milk from the refrigerator, and a box of pancake mix and a bottle of syrup from the pantry. The little fellow watched with interest when a fresh pot of coffee started brewing and the griddle was turned on low.

Upstairs Patrick stirred, reached out and found Hugh. “Hey,” he murmured thickly and Hugh wrapped a heavy arm around him. Their heads came together and lips found each other. They began to kiss slowly, enjoying the sensation. Morning sex was one of their favourite pastimes.

“Wait!” Patrick pulled away abruptly.

Hugh opened an eye. “What?”

“Tommy.”

Hugh pulled Patrick back. “Relax. Kyler’s got him. I think I can smell coffee.”

Patrick threw the sheets back and began to get off the bed. “We should go see what they are up to.”

Hugh groaned but made no further protest.

They washed up and headed down to the kitchen without bothering to change. It was a holiday and they could afford to be sloppy.

Kyler looked up at the entrance of his two partners. “Well, looks like two sleepyheads decided to join us after all, Tommy. Should we share our breakfast?”

Tommy grinned and nodded his head.

“That smells good!” Hugh grinned. “Do you like pancakes Tommy?”

“Yes,” Tommy answered, shyly lowering his eyes.

“Good morning, Tommy.” Patrick tousled the boy’s golden head. “Did you sleep well?”

Tommy reverted back to nodding his responses. He glanced up at Kyler, his eyes conveying his uncertainty.

Kyler’s wink was one of secrecy. He wasn’t going to mention the state he’d found the boy in earlier. “Tommy was just waiting on his bed for one of us to come get him,” was all he offered on the subject. “And we got a laundry going, right Tommy?” A bright smile answered him.

“I think we need to consider getting some basic stuff for Tommy,” Patrick sat down at the table and eyed Tommy’s dress. “We can’t have him wearing Kyler’s t-shirt like that the entire weekend. Do you have shorts underneath, Tommy?”

“No, just this,” Tommy replied, pulling at the front of the big t-shirt.

“His clothes should be dry soon,” Kyler informed the two older men. “That is they will be once I get them into the dryer. Back in a sec.” With that, he hurried down to the basement and transferred the wet load.

“I don’t suppose you remember where your house is?” Hugh gently inquired, taking Kyler’s place at the griddle and turning over the last batch of pancakes.

“No,” Tommy shook his head.

“Did you wander off and get lost?” Patrick asked. “What do you remember of yesterday?”

“I didn’t get lost. They were just gone.” Tommy stared wide-eyed from one man to the other.

Patrick and Hugh exchanged a startled look. Before either could respond, Kyler bounded back into the room.

“Hey guys, can we talk and eat at the same time. This stuff is going to get cold,” Kyler interjected as he began putting hot food on the previously set table. “You wanna fetch the coffee, Hugh?”

Glad to be doing something, Hugh got the mugs down and poured out two cups of coffee, plus one and a half glasses of milk.

Patrick again prepared Tommy’s meal by cutting the pancakes up in syrup, and then he put a fork into the boy’s hand. “Go on, eat up.”

Tommy dug in hungrily. “This is good,” he murmured as he licked some syrup off his fingers. He loved the sweet buttery flavour.

“You sure enjoy your food, kid,” Kyler commented with a chuckle, before digging into the pancakes he’d piled on his own plate.

Hugh waited a while before he re-started the gentle probing. “Tommy, who were you living with? Your mom and dad?”

“Uh-huh, in a house on wheels cause we moved around a lot.”

“Do you remember what happened? How did you come to the ER?” Hugh asked.

Patrick held up a finger when Tommy opened his eyes inquiringly and he re-worded Hugh’s query. “He means the hospital; the place where I found you?”

“I ‘member,” Tommy replied, vigorously nodding his head. “They left me to play in the park at the campground. They were going to play with a bandit who only has one arm.”

“They probably went to the casino in Kelowna,” was Kyler’s best guess. “Did your parents tell you when they’d come back?”

“Before dark; only they didn’t and I went looking for them.”

Patrick’s mouth was set in a grim line. “Was it just your parents with you at home? Do you have any brothers or sisters?”

“There is just mommy, daddy and me.” Tommy squirmed a little in his seat and went back to licking his fingers.

“Do you know your full name, Tommy?”

“My name is Tommy Adams. I am almost four years old. I do not have a phone number or address.” The little boy was obviously parroting off something he had been taught to memorize.

“What are your dad and mom’s names? What do their friends call them?”

“Brian and Shirley,” Tommy readily responded.

“So then, how did you finally end up at Patrick’s hospital?” Kyler asked as he added more milk to Tommy’s empty glass.

“I heard them say something about bright lights where they were going. So I went looking until I found some. I was glad too, cause I don’t like the dark.” Tommy gave an expressive little shudder and then pushed his plate towards Patrick. “Can I have some more, please?”

“You sure can.” Patrick put another pancake on Tommy’s plate. Both he and Hugh were looking extremely solemn.

Tommy flashed a bright smile and held up his fork expectantly as he waited while the pancake was cut up and syrup poured over it. “I only get these when we visit Nanny and Grampy. I like pancakes!” he announced.

“Tommy,” Patrick asked in a casual voice. “Have your parents gone away before? Have they left you in the past, perhaps with a friend or an aunt or uncle?”

“Yeah, but they always come back.” Tommy paused to think over past events. “I don’t ‘member staying overnight with anyone else unless Mommy and Daddy were there too.”

“And you do remember your grandparents, right?” Kyler softly enquired. He was finding the situation somewhat unsettling and hoped the more information they could gather, the easier it would be to locate the boy’s family. It was inconceivable to Kyler that anyone would abandon a small child in this manner.

“I haven’t seen them for a long time. I think they live far away,” Tommy answered vaguely. This didn’t prove helpful as small children really had no concept of time. “Is my mom coming back?” he suddenly asked with a definite quiver in his lips. His voice dropped to a small sad whisper.

Patrick sucked in his breath and Kyler busied himself with the remaining piece of pancake on his plate in an effort to hide his feelings of dismay at not having an answer for the little fellow.

Hugh got up and began to clear the dishes. He hadn’t said much, but he now put a hand on Tommy’s shoulder and squeezed it reassuringly. “We are going to try to find them. Maybe they got lost or held up somewhere. In the meantime, you can stay with us. Would you like to watch some TV while we clean up?”

Tommy shovelled the last bite into his mouth, drank down the remaining mouthful of milk and wiped his face on his shirt sleeve. He smiled up at Kyler. “I wanna watch ‘Bear in the Big Blue House’.”

“Sure, kid. Let’s go see if it’s on.”

Hugh waited until Tommy was out of hearing range before he asked Patrick. “What did child welfare have to say about this case? Do they have any idea who the parents are? Any record of them at all?” He couldn’t keep the disgust out of his voice.

Patrick shook his head. “Nothing; no one knows anything about them. It’s ridiculous and absurd how this could happen.”

Hugh let out a breath and shook his head. “I know. Well, there’s nothing much we can do for now.”

“I believe the agencies will contact me on Monday and maybe we’ll know more then. Maybe the parents got into an accident. I don’t know what else to think.”

“Tommy’s settled in front of the boob-tube,” Kyler announced, coming back into the kitchen.

“Thanks, Ky.” Patrick swung an arm around Kyler’s neck and pulled him in for a kiss. “You’ve been a great help.”

“He’s a good kid and no trouble at all.”

“What have you planned for today, guys?” Patrick asked his two partners. “I thought we might take Tommy to the mall, pick up some stuff for him and get some groceries at the same time. Ky honey, did you make a list?”

“No need, Patrick. It’s Canada Day and all the stores are closed for the day.”

“Oh darn!” Patrick rolled his eyes. “I forgot. Well, what are we going to do about clothes? He can’t go round the way he is right now.”

Kyler laughed at his partner’s obvious distress. “Stop; I’ve got it covered. I’ll get the kid’s clean clothes out of the dryer in a few minutes.”

Hugh grinned at Patrick. “Tommy’s in good hands. Kyler seems to be a natural! I am thinking we can take him some place fun today. Maybe take his mind off things. How would that be?”

Patrick’s mouth curled in a lop-sided smile. “Good plan, and you are right; Ky is a natural. Who would have thought?”

“Hey, I know a bit about kids. I was one myself not too long ago,” Kyler responded to the light teasing in kind.

“So what shall it be? Zoo? Park? Beach?” Patrick rattled off as he tried to imagine what a four-year old would enjoy.

“I bet Tommy would love to go to the parade this afternoon and to the fireworks in Kelowna this evening. What do you say? That should be a fun day for him. We can shop tomorrow.”

Both his partners heartily agreed.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Tommy leaped into the car as soon as Kyler opened the door for him. “We’re really going to a parade?”

“You bet we are, Tommy,” Kyler laughingly assured the little boy while getting in beside him.

Patrick grinned at Tommy’s exuberance. “Buckle up back there!” he ordered.

Tommy looked around him, a little lost. He didn’t get to ride in a car often. In fact, he had never ridden in such a fancy one before.

“Here, let me get that for you,” Kyler offered. “We’re ready, Patrick,” he informed his partner as soon as he had both himself and Tommy buckled in.

They made their way to the center of town, parked the car behind the pharmacy and walked to Main Street where the parade would soon be passing by.

Hugh and Patrick watched with amusement as Kyler held Tommy’s hand and the pair of them walked ahead, happily chatting away. The child had lost all shyness with them but it was obvious Kyler was whom he trusted the most.

Tommy turned his face up to look at Kyler often and absorbed every word his new friend uttered.

“There’s going to be clowns, majorettes, bands and lots of floats, Tommy. We’ll try to find a good place right down front so you won’t miss a thing,” Kyler promised much to the little boy’s delight.

“I can hear some noise already,” Tommy excitedly exclaimed, pulling on Kyler’s hand to get him to walk faster.

“Don’t wander off too far, guys,” Patrick called out. “And keep your cell phone handy, Kyler, in case we get separated and need to call you.”

Kyler waved to indicate he had heard the directive; then he picked Tommy up and tossed him over his shoulder.

Tommy laughed joyously as he bounced while Kyler ran to get to the parade site faster. They found a good spot in the shade of a grand old oak tree and waited for the two older men to catch up with them.

The event lasted about forty minutes and left Hugh and Patrick wondering who was more hyped by it; Kyler or Tommy.

They decided to stay downtown for lunch and after weaving their way through the throng of people, were fortunate enough to find an empty booth at the Maple Grill.

By the time they finished their meal Tommy was yawning and fighting to keep his eyes open. On reflex, Patrick bent and scooped Tommy up as they exited the restaurant. He looked down at the small face. “I suggest we head home now and take a nap.”

Tommy merely nodded and laid his head down on Patrick’s shoulder.

Hugh took the car keys from Patrick. Tommy was more than half-asleep on Patrick’s shoulder by the time they reached the car so Patrick carefully slid into the back seat with the small boy in his arms while Kyler sat in the front passenger seat.

In the end, all four of them napped in the living room. The walk and the parade had tired them all out.

Refreshed after an hour’s sleep, Kyler and Tommy watched TV while Hugh and Patrick put together some sandwiches in the kitchen.

After an early supper, they piled back into the car and took off for Kelowna for an evening of entertainment. Three hours later they were on their way home again.

“Man, that city sure knows how to put on a fireworks display. The colours seemed to dance in time to the music.” Kyler’s voice held a note of awe as they left the bright lights behind them. He turned to check on Tommy. “Guess who’s fallen asleep?” he softly asked, not really expecting an answer.

“I think we thoroughly tired him out today,” Patrick said, then added a little anxiously. “I hope we didn’t overdo it.”

“You’re the doctor,” Hugh retorted.

The hour long ride passed quickly and quietly. Once again, Patrick picked Tommy up and carried him into the house while Hugh wrapped an arm around Kyler and leisurely walked with him up the drive.

“Had a good day, honey?” Hugh asked.

“You bet. I never expected to spend it with a little kid, but it’s really been a lot of fun.”

“You were wonderful with Tommy, you know that?”

“I was kinda hoping I was, but wasn’t sure.”

“Well, you were!” Hugh leaned over and kissed Kyler on the lips. “Why don’t you go up and shower. I’ll lock up down here.”

Kyler willing complied with the suggestion and ran upstairs. He made a slight detour when he went in to see if Patrick needed any help getting Tommy settled for the night.

“Hey,” Patrick looked up as Kyler quietly came into the guest room. He had already laid Tommy down on the bed. “Grab his shoes for me.”

Kyler assisted with removing the child’s footwear and went to fetch something for the boy to sleep in.

Between Patrick and Kyler, they managed to get Tommy into another over-sized t-shirt. Patrick pulled the covers up and stood for a moment, looking down at the sweet face on the pillow.

“He sure looks angelic, doesn’t he?” Kyler whispered.

“Yeah, he does.’’ Patrick swallowed the sudden lump in his throat. “I can’t imagine who could ever …” his voice trailed off.

Tommy stirred and his little face puckered up a bit. “Mommy, where are you?” He appeared to be in the midst of a bad dream with his eyes tightly shut.

“Hey, it’s all right, Tommy,” Patrick said quickly as he sat down on the bed. He reached out and stroked the hair back from the small forehead. “You’re safe with us.”

Tommy’s eyes fluttered open and he gazed up at the two men with a look of confusion.

“You okay, Tommy?” Kyler asked as a worried look crossed his young face.

“I want my mommy,” Tommy whimpered.

“Honey, we’re going to find your mommy soon, okay? But right now, it’s very late and you need to sleep.”

“Is my mommy gonna be home tomorrow?”

There was a tense pause and before either of the men could think of a suitable response, Tommy started to cry softly. He turned his face into the pillow. “I miss my mommy.”

“I’m sure your mommy misses you too,” Patrick said, hoping he was going in the right direction. His words did nothing to stop the crying and on impulse, he leaned down and gave Tommy a hug. A pair of small arms snaked around his neck and clung on. Patrick swallowed hard a few times, avoiding Kyler’s eyes.

“Bet your mom put in as busy a day as you did,” Kyler added, not sure of what else to say.

“Oh yes,” Patrick quickly agreed, as he allowed Tommy to press into his stomach. “We did lots today. Did you enjoy the fireworks, Tommy? Wasn’t it grand?”

“Uh-huh, but it was awfully noisy too.”

“You got that right, kid, but it’s all part of the fun,” Kyler responded with a bit of a chuckle.

“Are we gonna be busy tomorrow too?” Tommy asked, his distress temporarily forgotten.

Patrick patted Tommy’s head and gently pushed him back onto the pillow. “Well, tomorrow we will go and do some shopping,” he said, relieved they had managed to turn the conversation.

“We will even let you pick out some new clothes,” Kyler offered.

Tommy’s nod indicated his agreement to the plan. “Can I get a new toy?”

“Well, if you go to sleep now and dream sweet dreams, we’ll get you a toy tomorrow. Is that a deal?” Patrick asked as he got to his feet.

“It’s a deal!” Tommy held up his hand to high-five Kyler’s before squirming down in the big bed. “And maybe my mommy will come home tomorrow,” he whispered under his breath, more for his own benefit than anyone else’s.

Patrick shook his head at Kyler. It would have been a fruitless discussion, so they both wisely refrained from acknowledging the remark or responding to it.

“Let’s get you tucked back under the covers, little guy, okay?” Kyler bent over to straighten the top sheet and blanket, and tuck them under Tommy’s chin. “Nighty, night; sleep tight!” He tousled the blond curls.

Tommy giggled and repeated the unfamiliar words. His eyes closed and in a few moments regular breathing could be heard as he slipped further into dreamland.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

As promised, Friday proved to be another action-packed day. As soon as breakfast was over, they all headed for the mall where Kyler handed his partners the extensive grocery list he had written out with instructions not to forget anything. Then he and Tommy took off for the ‘fun’ section of Walmart.

When they met up almost two hours later, both parties were pushing carts loaded down with bags and parcels. The dirt on Tommy’s face was evidence of Kyler having treated him to a chocolate ice cream cone at some time during the morning.

Gripped tightly in Tommy’s right hand was a talking ‘Woody’ action figure and securely tucked under his left arm was one of ‘Buzz Lightyear’.

Hugh raised an eyebrow and smirked. “Looks like someone paid a visit to the Disney store.”

“Yeah,” Tommy concurred excitedly. “We got Buss Lightyear pyjamas there too; and two ‘Toy Story’ movies.” Tommy tried to hold up two chubby fingers, but was unable to do so for fear of dropping one of his toys.

Kyler gave his partners a guilty grin and shrugged his shoulders. “It’s easy to spoil him. Besides, what other reason would I have for going to that neat store?” He looked at the over-flowing carts and shook his head. “Maybe we should put all this stuff in the car before deciding what to do next.”

“Yes, that’s a good idea as we do have perishables,” Patrick agreed as he began to turn the cart towards the exit. “Let’s go back home, put all our purchases away and then maybe take a drive to the lake. We can have lunch at one of the cafes along the waterfront.”

“That sounds like a treat!” Hugh declared with a smile, glancing at the little boy. Patrick was obviously trying to pack as much fun into the weekend as possible, which Hugh suspected was his partner’s way of trying to compensate the child for what he had been put through. Not that any of it was Patrick’s fault but the soft spot in Patrick, the one that his patients frequently saw, was actively asserting itself. “Tommy will like the drive, I’m sure.”

“I like that idea,” Kyler enthused. “What do you think, Tommy?”

“I like the idea too,” Tommy repeated dutifully, already echoing Kyler every chance he got.

Hugh and Kyler were putting away the last of the groceries and Patrick was upstairs getting Tommy changed into a newly purchased outfit when two cars pulled into the driveway.

Kyler glanced questioningly at Hugh and walked over to the window. “It’s our Police Chief. I don’t know the guy who got out of the other car, but they’re both heading in here.” He waited somewhat impatiently while Hugh opened the back door and welcomed in their guests.

After shaking hands with Hugh and Kyler, Chandi introduced the stranger he had with him. “This is Mr. Howatt from Social Services. He met Dr. Dean at the ER two nights ago and took care of some paperwork at the time.”

With introductions taken care of, the four men sat down at the kitchen table. “Is Dr. Dean available?” Mr. Howatt inquired, taking more paper out of his briefcase.

“He’ll be right down. He is taking care of something upstairs,” Hugh answered and sat back in his chair. He noticed Chandi doing the same.

Kyler glanced from one man to the other, dying to ask questions but knowing they’d have to wait until Patrick joined them. He grinned broadly when the man in question entered the room.

“Oh hello, Chief,” Patrick greeted Chandi with raised brows. He turned to the other gentleman. “Mr. Howatt, isn’t it? Are you here about Tommy?”

The social worker got right to the point. “As I feared when talking to you the other night, Dr. Dean, with it being the long weekend, we’ve been unable to locate a suitable home in which to place the boy.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem, Mr. Howatt. We can -” Patrick’s reply was spontaneous.

“Wait,” Hugh raised a hand to halt the conversation. “Patrick, where’s Tommy?”

Patrick regarded Hugh with a frown. “He’s in the living room, watching one of the new movies Kyler bought him.” They didn’t usually make family decisions without first discussing with one another, but he couldn’t imagine this being an issue. He looked at Hugh inquiringly.

“Okay. Sorry for interrupting but we don’t want him wandering in while we are discussing this,” Hugh explained, understanding Patrick’s expression. He nodded to Mr. Howatt. “Please, go ahead. You were saying you can’t get a suitable home for Tommy due to the short notice?”

“I’m afraid that’s right. We called everywhere. We are planning to take him into Kelowna and putting him up at the Young Offender Facility. Of course, he’ll not be mingling with the other residents.”

“That’s like a jail or something!” Kyler hollered and jumped to his feet. “You can’t put him there! He’s just a little kid!” He looked from one of his partners to the other, willing them to do something.

Hugh pulled Kyler down and sent him a warning look.

Patrick cleared his throat and addressed the social worker. “Is there any possibility for us to keep Tommy until you find his parents? After all he’s been through; moving him now to another strange place isn’t going to do the poor kid any good.”

“I agree with Patrick,” Hugh added in a soft but firm tone. “Tommy seems to have adjusted to us rather well, even though it’s only been a couple of days. We would hate to see him have to go to another home, much less a facility.”

“There will be absolutely no trouble this weekend.” Patrick looked at his partners for confirmation. Even though they had not had a chance to discuss it, he felt certain they would back him up.

Kyler and Hugh nodded immediately.

“In fact, we shouldn’t have any trouble working something out for the next week if need be,” Hugh offered. “School’s closed for the summer and we can work around the swim team’s schedule.”

“Don’t forget, my hours are pretty flexible too,” Kyler reminded his partners.

“That sounds fine!” Mr. Howatt said, greatly relieved. He had actually come hoping to hear this. He wasn’t exactly looking forward to removing the child and placing him in a strange, cold facility. As far as he could see, this was a warm and comfortable home. These men looked decent enough, although he would have hoped for a woman’s presence as well.

“So what’s next?” Hugh asked. “Do we have any paperwork to do as well?” He nodded to the pile of documents on the table.

“Yes, there are some to take care of. Chief Barrett has already vouched for all of you,” the social worker informed them. “Mr. Jackson and Mr. Jamieson, if I could just get your signatures on these forms permitting me to do background checks I’d appreciate it. I already have Dr. Dean’s. You do understand that Tommy is not to be left with anyone else other than yourselves, right?”

All three men nodded absently as Hugh and Kyler quickly read over the forms and signed them. Then Mr. Howatt took his leave with promises to drop by on Monday.

“Well, guess we’re going to have our little houseguest for a while longer,” Kyler happily exclaimed. “Bet he’s gonna get spoiled when we take him to my folks place on Sunday for the BBQ.”

“Speaking of the little guy,” Chandi spoke up for the first time since making the introductions. “I wonder if I might have a few words with Tommy. I need some information in order to put out an APB on his parents.”

“Sure, he’s in the front room. Do you want us to fetch him?” Patrick got to his feet.

“Yes, please.” Chandi pushed his chair a little further from the kitchen table. He wanted to appear as least intimidating as possible to the small boy he would be meeting for the first time.

“Tommy may be a bit shy at first, Chief, but he warms up to folks real easy,” Kyler informed him.

Tommy entered the room with a tight grip on Patrick’s hand. He’d been told someone new wanted to speak to him. He looked over Chandi appraisingly and slowly approached the man in uniform when the chief smiled and held out his arm. Tommy felt at ease with what he saw. He liked the numerous, long tightly-braided hair, the warm coffee-brown eyes, and the friendly black face. He tentatively returned the smile as he came to a stop in front of Chandi.

“How do you do, Tommy? My name is Chandi and I’d like to ask you a few questions. Are you okay with that?” The Chief took a pencil and small pad out of his shirt pocket.

“Uh-huh,” Tommy nodded and stepped closer to see what the man had in his hand.

“Great. I understand your name is Tommy Adams and that you are almost four-years-old, right?” Getting another nod, Chandi continued. “I was also told that your parents’ names are Brian and Shirley, but I was wondering if you could tell me anything about your home.”

“It was the kind that moved around and we never stayed in one place very long. It’s big and kinda white on the outside.” Tommy began then stopped to watch his words being written down. “There are some blue and gray stripes along the sides. Oh, and there’s two words on it; one begins with a really big ‘C’ and the other with a ‘T’. It is also the only trailer with a brown bear sitting in the back window. It’s my bear and helps me not get mixed up with the other trailers that might look like ours.” He paused and seemed to think things over. “That’s all I ‘member.”

“Thank you, Tommy. You’ve been a big help.”

“Will you be able to find my mommy and daddy now?”

“I’m certainly going to give it my best shot, little guy.” Chandi ruffled the blond curls. “In the meantime, you’re with some really nice people who will take good care of you.” The chief put away his note pad and pencil; then getting to his feet, turned to the other men in the room. “I’ll get this info out to the other police forces in the province. I will keep you informed and up-to-date on our progress in the search for Tommy’s family.”

“Thanks, Chief, we appreciate that,” Hugh responded and held out his hand. His partners nodded their approval before doing likewise.

“You did a great job with giving the police so much information, Tommy,” Kyler praised as soon as Chandi was gone. He squatted down to be at eye-level with the boy. “You ready for that drive Patrick promised us and a rather late lunch by the lake?”

A bit of a scrabble followed but soon enough they were taking off for another interesting afternoon.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kyler was again the first one to wake on Sunday morning. After relieving himself, he crawled back in between his two partners and smiled at the memories filtering through his mind.

Upon returning from their drive on Friday, they’d had an impromptu picnic in front of the TV and watched the two Toy Story DVDs until Tommy fell asleep and was carried off to bed. Yesterday, they had gone back into Kelowna and spent the entire day taking in the petting zoo, one of the large water parks, and participating in as many outdoor activities as time and energy allowed.

Having a young child on their hands made a huge difference. For one thing, they could not go to just any restaurant. They had to think of places that offered meals suitable for young children. For another, they had to time events and not stay out too late; otherwise the boy would fall asleep on them. They also had to take into consideration things like afternoon naps, extra long car rides, and a fascination with colourful balloons.

But it was the way Tommy often reacted to the things they took for granted, that made the biggest impact. For instance, eating well at least three times a day and having choices like juice or chocolate milk. The discarding soiled clothes into the hamper instead of putting them on again the next day; being able to wear shoes with proper laces and no holes; having a coloring book that had not been coloured by someone else were just a few that put a lump in their throats and made them fell rather sad.

They’d arrived back home last night completely worn out and ready to seek out their beds; all but Kyler that is. As was often the case after an extremely active day, the young man was still on an adrenaline-high when everyone else only wanted to crash.

Patrick easily got Tommy settled for the night, but it had taken several swats from Hugh and the threat of a sound spanking to get Kyler calmed down enough to prepare for bed.

Kyler now felt refreshed and raring to go. He glanced first at one sleeping partner and then the other, trying to decide which one to awaken first. With a sly smirk, he reached under the light cover and wrapped a hand around Hugh’s flaccid penis. He chuckled softly when it immediately sprang to life.

Patrick opened an eye when he felt the bed shift rather vigorously. He grunted, rolled over and was soon entwined with his partners. The bed shifted even more as Patrick leaned over to kiss Hugh and he felt a warm mouth engulf him. He groaned loudly as he felt a wet tongue slide along his length and was about to let out another groan when all three of them froze.

“Patrick?” The voice was small and sleepy.

Patrick almost knocked Hugh’s eye out as he scrambled up and Kyler was just about suffocated by the covers he was hidden under.

“What are you guys doing?” Tommy asked, coming over to the bed while rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “Isn’t it time to get up yet?”

Patrick quickly jerked at the covers, making sure no indecent body parts were exposed.

Hugh sat up, fingers tentatively checking out his eye while he glared at Patrick and patted around for Kyler at the same time.

“Found them!” Kyler announced as he crawled out from beneath the sheet, holding up a pair of boxers. “Mornin’ Tommy; couldn’t sleep any longer, huh?” Not sure what the boy had or had not seen Kyler did what he could to hide his embarrassment.

“I woke up and heard some weird noises. I got scared and didn’t want to stay by myself.”

It was an adorable whine and Patrick almost succumbed to it. He would have invited Tommy in to share their bed but he quickly changed his mind. He didn’t want Tommy regaling someone later with tales of how they all shared a bed while stark naked under the covers. “Come on, let’s go brush our teeth and you can help me fix breakfast. What do you want this morning?”

“More pancakes with syrup.” This was the third morning in a row that Tommy had given the same answer when asked what he wanted.

“Maybe you’d like to try something different for a change, kid,” Kyler suggested. He really didn’t fancy eating the same thing yet again. “We’ll be downstairs shortly. Isn’t that right, Hugh?”

“Hmm,” Hugh grunted as he felt Kyler’s hand on his thigh.

“Well, don’t take too long you two,” Patrick said with meaning, fully aware of what was happening. “We’ve got chores today and don’t forget we’ve got to leave early for the BBQ.” He quickly slipped into a pair of boxers and turned to Tommy. “Have you ever been to a BBQ, Tommy?”

“I’m not sure,” Tommy replied after a moment spent pondering over what a BBQ actually was.

“Well, you are going to enjoy it, kiddo,” Patrick promised.

“Lots of fun and food to be had, and you’re gonna met our folks; Patrick’s and mine anyway,” Kyler reminded the boy. “But right now, you go and help get breakfast started.” He gave Hugh a nudge in the ribs and a suggestive grin.

Patrick turned and gave his partners a severe look before he took Tommy out of their room. He was careful to close the door behind him with a deliberate click after mouthing the words ‘be quiet!’

Hugh returned Kyler’s grin and grabbed him, pulling him onto his lap. With Kyler straddled over his thighs, they kissed slowly, enjoying the gentle exploration of tongues.

“Shhh,” Hugh murmured over Kyler’s mouth.

A soft moan was the younger man’s only response as he tightened his embrace and deepened the kiss.

Hugh wrapped one arm around Kyler’s waist and easily flipped him onto his back. He slid on top of his Brat and pinned his arms above his head. They continued to kiss while Hugh rubbed his erection over Kyler’s. He could feel the heat from both of them.

“Shhh!”

“Can’t help it,” Kyler whispered around a giggle.

“And stop giggling too!” Hugh admonished as he expertly spread Kyler’s thighs wider apart. “They’ll hear us!”

“Then stop teasing and get down to business.” Kyler reached for the lube on the night table, unscrewed the cap and handed it to Hugh. He squirmed impatiently while his lover quickly stretched him and liberally spread the lube where needed.

The groan that escaped Kyler’s lips as Hugh entered him was swallowed up in another mind-blowing kiss and within moments, their bodies were rocking in a well-rehearsed rhythm that soon had them both straining for their release.

Hugh aimed his strokes to make sure he was hitting Kyler’s prostate every time he plunged into him. He was stroking Kyler with one hand and holding himself back for him. Only when he felt Kyler shudder, did he let himself go. A couple of powerful thrusts and he was spent, lying limp over his lover.

“Jesus!” Hugh murmured, catching his breath.

“Oh my God!” Kyler barely managed to gasp out his pleasure. As their panting ebbed, he mused with a soft chuckle, “Hope that wasn’t too loud.” Of course, at this point in time he really couldn’t have care less.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kyler dropped down into the big armchair, put his feet up on the coffee table, folded his arms up behind his head and waited for his partners to join him. Patrick was putting Tommy to bed and Hugh was in the kitchen preparing some iced tea.

Kyler couldn’t get over how quickly the holiday weekend had flown by. Tomorrow morning they’d be getting back into their routine and starting a new week. All but Hugh, that is. Being as school was out for the summer, Hugh was officially off for the next two months. However, he usually filled as much of this time as possible with a packed training schedule for the school swimming team. Of course he had to work around the availability of the team members since many of them had summer jobs and it had been quite a task getting everyone to fit in.

Hugh had gone over the schedule again after the visit by Mr. Howatt and Chief Barrett. Swimming practice was easy as he could simply bring Tommy along. But there would be some events where the child would be totally out of place. After careful consideration of everything involved in his summer timetable, Hugh was able to assure his partners that he would have no problem looking after Tommy for coming the week while still fulfilling his commitment to the team. All of them had been relieved as none of them relished the thought of Tommy being placed with a temporary home.

A lazy smile played across Kyler’s face as he thought of their day. Sunday was ‘chore’ day and as was their custom, right after breakfast everyone pitched in, even their little guest. It hadn’t taken long with them all working together, and it was amazing how much more fun it had been with Tommy around. He had looked so cute helping the three men as eagerly as a puppy running after a ball, the sound of his laughter making them smile.

Then it had been off to Uncle Kipper’s place with a slight detour to pick-up Patrick’s parents. Bette and Doug had been enchanted with Tommy from the minute they set eyes on him. It warmed Patrick’s heart to see his mom and dad so taken with the child. A pang twisted in his stomach at the thought of never being able to give his parents a grandchild. From the reaction at the back of the car, it would appear that was something the two of them would really enjoy. He kept up a bright smile but he was thoughtful throughout the BBQ.

As promised, there’d been more than enough to eat and plenty to keep them all entertained. Not only were Bette and Doug captivated with Tommy, but Clarissa too appeared charmed by the little fellow. The older folks were completely taken in by his antics and the joy he exhibited whenever something new was handed to him. The child seemed equally enthralled by them and not at all shy, provided Patrick, Hugh or Kyler were close by.

Kyler glanced up when Hugh entered the room carrying a tray.

Hugh put a tumbler of iced tea down in front of Kyler and slapped his Brat’s feet off the coffee table. “Feet off!” he barked, not too sternly.

Sitting up a little straighter, Kyler glowered at the older man. Unfortunately, the pout lost its’ effectiveness in the yawn that escaped the young man’s mouth.

“Tired?” he asked but didn’t wait for Kyler to reply. “Finish your drink and go on up to bed. You need to be up early tomorrow.”

“I’m not that tired. And besides, you can probably use a bit of help with Tommy in the morning,” Kyler responded, before picking up his glass and taking a sip.

“Don’t worry! I’ve got it all worked out and I’ll be fine. Tomorrow will be easy because I haven’t scheduled any training for the day. I will need to go in Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday though.”

“What are you going to do with the kid on those days? I can change my usual routine if you like.”

“No need to do that. I’ll just bring Tommy with me to the pool. He’ll probably enjoy watching the swimmers. Maybe I could even take him swimming after the team’s done with practice. Bet he’d like that.”

“Like what?” Patrick asked, coming into the room. He squeezed down beside Kyler in the armchair and wrapped an arm around the younger man.

“Hugh was just saying Tommy might like to go swimming.” Kyler snuggled against his Top’s chest. He actually was tired but had no intentions of admitting it.

Patrick nodded. “I wonder when we’ll next hear from Chief Barrett?” he thought out loud.

Kyler shrugged while playing inattentively with the condensation on his glass. “Who knows? There’s really no rush now that we have Tommy’s care figured out for the coming week.”

Hugh handed Patrick his tea. “But one week may not be enough, honey. We don’t know where his parents are or if they are all right. There’s a big question mark there. After all, what kind of parents leaves their child behind like that? Unless something happened to them, that is. Anyway, I’m just glad the timing is so good. If I had school, I wouldn’t be able to stay home.”

Patrick sighed. “Yes, I have to agree. I would hate to see Tommy go to some strange place or worse still, that facility. What’s it called again?”

“The young offender’s home-away-from-home,” Kyler responded with a shudder.

“Yeah, that’s the one.”

“Unless, of course, they managed to find him another temporary household to go to,” Kyler added; no more thrilled with that idea than he had been with the first one.

“Honestly, I cannot imagine Tommy being handed to a complete stranger.” Patrick’s voice was suddenly low and intense.

“When you brought him here, we were the strangers,” Hugh responded, a sardonic look on his face.

Patrick managed to sigh and scoff at the same time. “That’s true. I know it’s only been a few days, but don’t you feel as if he belongs here?” He paused. “I mean, it’s like he is a part of the family.”

“He sure has settled in fast,” Kyler readily concurred.

“He is a tough little kid!” Patrick couldn’t keep the admiration out of his voice. “He’s not quite four and yet he took charge when he went and looked for ‘the lights’ all by himself! Did you see my how mom and dad doted on him? Heck, even your mom did the same, Kyler.”

“Maybe they miss having a young kid around? Then again, my mom may still have hopes of someday being a grandmother,” Kyler suggested, not altogether sure how he felt about that unrealistic dream.

Hugh stared at the younger man and Patrick raised his brows.

“She used to talk about having grandchildren when I was in my teens and before I came out,” Kyler explained and checked to see if his partners’ expressions would give away their thoughts on where this conversation seemed to be heading.

“I hope she knows the unlikelihood of that happening!” Hugh murmured.

Patrick cleared his throat before speaking. “Well, that is not altogether unachievable.”

Hugh looked at Patrick steadily. “What?”

Kyler glanced up to see if the good doctor was pulling their legs.

“What I mean is; we don’t have to marry and bear children for our parents to be grandparents. There are surrogate moms or we could adopt.”

“Would you seriously think about doing such a thing?” Kyler was more than a little surprised.

Patrick shrugged. “What? Adoption and surrogacy? Maybe. Lots of people consider such options these days and not just gay partners either.”

“Society is undeniably more open and accepting nowadays,” Hugh agreed. “And medical science makes it possible.”

Kyler turned his attention back to Patrick, slightly anxious. The older man seemed to be trying to say something while holding back at the same time and it was suddenly making him wary.

Sensing the young man’s unease, Patrick patted his Brat’s thigh and rubbed it soothingly. “There’s no reason why gay men and women cannot have kids. It has been proven they are totally capable of bringing up children in an acceptable manner. It just needs determination and planning. Don’t you think so?”

“I know gay people can raise kids,” Kyler stated. “Remember, Uncle Kipper helped raise me and he’s gay.”

“That’s right. But let’s take Tommy’s case as another example. If his parents are not found, theoretically he would be a good option for someone who might want a child in their lives.”

“But what if he has family somewhere besides his parents?” Kyler inquired.

“That changes things of course,” Patrick said reasonably. “The first choice is always in favour of those related to the child, unless they prove to be unreliable or unworthy.”

“He did mention grandparents, didn’t he?” Hugh spoke up.

“Yes he did,” Patrick replied.

“They’ll probably take him, so why are we even having this conversation?” Kyler was becoming steadily more uneasy with this discussion.

“I am just saying, as a case in point.” Patrick rolled his eyes, beginning to get impatient with his Brat’s obvious resistance. “When a child gets abandoned, other folks get a chance to adopt.”

“Yeah, but other people doesn’t mean us!” Kyler jerked away from Patrick and turned to glare up at him.

“I am not saying we will, Ky.” There was a pregnant pause before Patrick spoke again. “But let’s say we have considered this and we want to adopt; this would be a perfect situation. He’s a great kid.”

“Only we haven’t considered it, have we?” Kyler’s astonishment was becoming more apparent with each added comment and he shifted somewhat uncomfortably. He found himself working hard to keep his thoughts from spiralling out of control.

Patrick turned to Hugh. “What about you? Is it as shocking to you, Hugh?”

Hugh’s eyes crinkled and he smiled over at Patrick. “I have to admit I haven’t given this any thought before, but it’s not entirely impossible. There are many things to take into account before we would even begin to consider a step as big as this. God, our lives would be quite different with a kid around and if we really did want to adopt a child, I would be happy to find one like Tommy.”

Patrick smiled back, his own eyes warm. “He sure deserves a chance to have a proper home and be happy.”

Kyler pushed himself off the chair and stood uneasily eying the two other men. “There are lots of kids who deserve better lives. That doesn’t mean we have to provide it.”

Patrick gave a sigh of frustration. “Kyler, for heaven’s sake, we are just discussing possibilities.”

“The way you’re talking about Tommy, sounds like we’re doing more that just ‘discussing’, Patrick.”

“What’s wrong with talking about him? He is a great kid and deserves a chance. You like him too Kyler, so I don’t …

“Yeah, I like him as a houseguest,” Kyler curtly interjected, “but not to live here permanently.”

“I don’t understand what you are getting so riled up about!”

“Cause I don’t like where this is going,” Kyler spat out, folding his arms over his chest and taking a combative stance.

“Will you let me finish? I am trying to explain …”

“You mean you’re trying to suggest we keep him!” Kyler interrupted yet again, his voice rising along with his irritation.

Hugh decided to step in as the voices escalated. “Guys!” His manner had turned stern. “Let’s keep it down, okay? I think we’ve discussed this subject quite enough for this evening. We are all tired from a long day and I say we go up to bed and leave this for another time.”

“I say we leave it for good!” Kyler insolently expressed his thoughts on the subject.

“Kyler.” Hugh’s tone held a note of warning.

Kyler backed down and left the room in a huff. As he climbed the stairs to do his Top’s bidding, his chest tightened. His head was spinning with the possible implications of what they’d been talking about and he was confused as to why he found it so disturbing.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

As was becoming the case, Kyler was the first one up in the morning. He was still a little tired after having spent a restless night. He quietly got dressed and headed downstairs where he ate a quick breakfast of toast and peanut butter. He highlighted the day on his work schedule that was tacked to their bulletin board for his partners to keep track of his whereabouts. It showed where he was each day as he kept books for several small companies. Today he would be at Dairy Queen until approximately two in the afternoon and then on to the bakery.

Patrick came in as Kyler was finishing his toast. Their eyes met briefly, neither in the mood for conversation.

“Coffee?” Patrick asked shortly as he spooned some instant coffee into a mug. He wasn’t in the mood for conversation.

“No thanks. I’m good.”

Nothing more was said as Patrick munched on a biscuit while leaning against the counter. He watched Kyler’s back as he was washing up his plate and glass. “Have a good day,” he called out when Kyler patted his hands on the dish cloth.

“You too,” Kyler responded coolly, walking over and kissing his partner. “See you tonight.” With that, he was out the door.

Patrick sighed to himself. Not the best start to the day but at least he got a goodbye kiss.

Last evening’s conversation continued to play on Kyler’s mind as he drove to working, stopping to pick-up a coffee at Tim’s. He arrived earlier than expected and filled in time helping with the preparations for opening. He enjoyed cleaning out and reassembling the ice cream machines. Once the boss arrived with the mail, Kyler went downstairs and cloistered himself in the small office. His worries slowly dissipated as he became absorbed with data input of debits and credits.

He walked in the back door of their home just after five o’clock to the mouth-watering aroma of meat pie cooking in the oven. He found Hugh reading the newspaper in the living room and greeted his partner with a kiss. Tommy immediately got up from the floor where he had been playing, and ran over to give Kyler an enthusiastic hug.

“Look what I got!” he exclaimed, pointing to the little cars scattered about.

“That’s quite a collection you got there,” Kyler enthused before noticing how familiar everything was.

“Where did that box of toys come from?” he asked suspiciously, sitting down next to Hugh in hopes of a cuddle.

“Your mom dropped them by on her way to the lounge,” Hugh answered and dropped an arm over his Brat’s shoulders. “Apparently she dug them out of the attic where you had packed them away several years ago.”

Kyler pursed his lips as a feeling of resentment hit him. The emotion only lasted a few seconds and left him somewhat bewildered. ‘What’s it matter if the kid has my stuff,’ he thought. ‘It’s not as if I’m gonna use it again.’

Hugh’s arm was squeezed comfortingly around his shoulders. “You should have seen his face when he was given the box,” he whispered next to Kyler’s ear.

“Bet he got pretty excited.” Kyler tried to push any negative thoughts away.

“He sure was!”

“That’s good. He probably doesn’t get too many toys.”

“I’m not inclined to think so. Makes you feel good, doesn’t it?” Hugh suggested gently. “It’s so much better than if the toys were just stuck up in the attic.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Kyler softly mused, pleasantly surprised to notice he actually was feeling better about the little guy having his things.

Just then the buzzer sounded from the kitchen, indicating their supper was ready.

“Where’s Patrick?” Kyler inquired as he quickly set the table.

“He called to say he’d be late,” Hugh answered while pouring milk into a small tumbler. “He mumbled something about the pending arrival of a new baby. He said the labour would likely take hours as this is the mother’s first.”

“The joys of family practice. These events never seem to consider other peoples’ plans, do they?” Kyler chuckled when voicing the rhetorical question.

Hugh only smiled in response, his attention mostly on preparing Tommy’s plate. Just after one day and Hugh was already in the comfortable habit of looking after the young boy. Tommy never complained and hardly asked for anything. He just accepted everything he was given with a smile and joyful curiosity. He was so easy to enjoy.

Kyler silently watched the expressions on Hugh’s face as the older man concentrated on every little thing Tommy did or said. While Kyler willingly admitted he liked the kid too and even found him adorable, he was also beginning to feel he was being ignored. He kept his head down to hid his pain at the thought of being supplanted by the little fellow and having to vie for his Tops’ affection and attention.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A somewhat casual routine fell into place over the next couple of days. After the guys left for work, Hugh would get breakfast for Tommy and himself. Then he took the boy off to the swimming pool and left him on the benches while he drilled his swim team. Tommy sat quietly by himself, his large eyes following all the action. The guys joked and played good-naturedly with the little fellow on their break. Then when swimming practice was over, Hugh allowed Tommy to get into the pool with him and taught him a few basic strokes.

More than a few times Hugh caught himself looking at Tommy with tenderness. It was a new emotion; one he didn’t really know how to deal with, so he kept it to himself and waited.

Meanwhile, with each passing day Kyler was finding it increasingly harder to deal with his feelings of being disregarded as his partners’ preoccupation seemed to strengthen daily.

The likelihood of Tommy’s stay being extended indefinitely didn’t come up again until Wednesday evening when Chief Barrett dropped by with news concerning the child’s parents. Hi visit came shortly after Tommy had been put to bed.

“We’ve located the RV belonging to Brian and Shirley Adams. Seems they lucked out at the casino and took off for parts unknown after ditching their rather rundown home behind a vacate gas station somewhere between Kelowna and Penticton.”

Hugh, Patrick and Kyler stared at Chandi in disbelief.

“You mean they are all right? Not hurt or dead?” Patrick sounded aghast.

“Do you know where they are now?” Hugh inquired.

“RCMP officers are still trying to track them down, as well as any other family members.”

“Not a heck of a lot of news, is there?” Kyler murmured, suddenly feeling very sad for the little boy sleeping upstairs.

“Sorry for our information being only sketchy at best, but it’s all we have at the moment,” Chandi informed them, somewhat apologetically. “How are you getting along with the little guy?”

Hugh was the first to speak. “He’s doing fine with us, and is no trouble at all.”

Patrick quickly added. “That’s right. No point in finding another home for him at the moment and unsettling him yet again. We can keep him for a while, at least until you find his parents.”

The Chief of Police was happy to hear all was going well and that Tommy was welcomed to stay as long as necessary. He didn’t stay long, leaving them alone to digest this latest news and its’ potential ramifications.

As soon as their visitor had left, Kyler turned to his partners. “It sure is beginning to look like we might end up having our houseguest a lot longer than at first thought.” He was a tad put out by the situation and while knowing his disgruntlement was uncalled for, he couldn’t help how he was feeling.

“I don’t think we need to discuss this just yet, do you?” Patrick shook his head firmly at his younger partner.”

Kyler was still very uneasy and added to this was a new found fear. He suddenly realized that the longer Tommy stayed with them, the harder it would be for them to see him go. The growing attachment between his partners and Tommy was becoming so very obvious. Plus, he was as confused as ever by his aversion to increasing the size of their family.

“I hope they end up going to jail,” Kyler scoffed. “Tommy’s better off without them.”

“Don’t be unkind, Kyler!” Patrick scolded gently. “And we really need to have more information before we discuss our next steps.”

Stung by the mild reproof, Kyler sunk further into his chair. His head was swimming with worrisome thoughts but he kept them to himself. He sat quietly while listening to his partners talk over the few facts they’d been given. He mentally crossed his fingers that Tommy’s grandparents or some other relative would be found.

“So how’s it going so far for you?” Patrick asked Hugh. “It may turn out to be longer than we expected. I had thought a week at the most, but at the rate the investigation is going, who knows? Are you okay with being saddled with the kid for so long?”

“I’m all right,” Hugh answered easily. “Quit worrying. In fact, I am beginning to enjoy having the little fellow around.”

Patrick chuckled. “Smitten too, aren’t you?”

Hugh laughed as well. “It’s hard not to be. He is certainly a well-behaved child. God only knows how he managed to have such a great attitude when it’s obvious his life hasn’t been a bed of roses.”

Kyler maintained his silence as he absorbed his partners’ comments. To him the conversation seemed endless. It was Tommy this, Tommy that and when Kyler realized he couldn’t put up with it for another minute, he got to his feet.

“I’ve something to do,” was the only explanation he gave as he left the room.

Both Hugh and Patrick looked at his disappearing back with some surprise.

Patrick was halfway out of his seat when Hugh stopped him. “No Patrick, give him some time.”

“What’s eating him? Oh!” Sudden realization hit him. “Tommy?”

Hugh nodded his head. “I was hoping he would get over it after a few days. I invited him to come swimming with me yesterday but he refused. Did you call him from work at all today?”

“Yeah, I did. He said he was busy and couldn’t talk.” Patrick frowned. “We need to talk to him.”

“Yes, but when he’s more ready.”

Patrick sighed in resignation and acknowledged Hugh’s advice with a nod.

Once in the back porch, Kyler slipped his feet into a pair of sandals and quietly walked out of the house.

Slowly backing out of the driveway, he tried to figure out where he could go. The lounge, his family home and Patrick’s parents were the first places his Tops would look for him. Without much further thought, he headed out of town towards the reserve over an hour’s drive away.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It was well after nine in the evening when Kyler arrived at his destination. He slowed down to park in front of the bungalow nestled in the trees on the furthest side from the highway. He hadn’t been stopped as he was fairly well-known by most the folks living on this large track of First Nations’ land. Getting out of his car and seeing the house in darkness, Kyler walked around to the back of it. He strongly suspected that the man he sought would be in the sweat lodge.

Although Kyler had been here only a dozen or so times in the past, he’d enjoyed his visits with the wise, quiet-spoken Band Elder and felt this gentleman just might be the one to help him out.

“Enter, my young friend,” a voice from inside called out even before Kyler had made his presence known. Responding to the bidding of the Elder, Kyler entered the lodge with his head respectfully bowed, removed his footwear and sat down next to the man on the floor. The one-room structure was hot and humid so with the older man’s permission, Kyler quickly stripped down to his shorts, tossing the rest of his clothes on top of his shoes near the entrance.

“You seem troubled,” the older man observed.

“Yes, sir; kinda,” Kyler sadly answered.

“Before we go any further, what have I asked you to call me in the past?”

“Grandfather,” Kyler responded shyly and glanced up to see the sparkle in the other man’s eyes and the patient expression on his face; a face creased with age and wisdom.

“Good,” the Elder nodded his approval. His voice cracked with age when he spoke. “You have not been to visit in a long time. I trust it was because you were busy. Harry told me you now have two partners and that you had completed your university. Both pieces of information pleased me. So tell me a little about your partners, and then you can start at the beginning when your troubles first started bothering you.”

“My partners’ names are Hugh and Patrick.” Kyler knew last names were not important to the old man. “Hugh is a high school Phys-Ed teacher and Patrick is a Doctor.” Kyler shifted a little uncomfortably at the thought of bringing up the topic of Tommy. He was confused and embarrassed by his feelings regarding the little boy, but reminded himself that this was exactly why he had come to speak to this man.

Taking a deep breath and squaring his shoulders, he bravely began his tale of sadness. “A week ago, Patrick brought home a little boy who had been abandoned. Tommy is really a cute kid; very polite, easy to please, seemingly contented with his lot in life even though he’s definitely been given a rotten start on it. At first, I enjoyed him being with us but now I’m not too sure.”

“Why is that?” the Elder gently prodded.

Kyler felt his face heating up and it wasn’t because the other man had just added more water to the hot stones piled in a circle in front of them. “They’ve been talking about maybe keeping Tommy if he isn’t claimed by anyone. But I don’t want them to.” This last was barely audible as the young man blushed furiously with shame.

The Elder smiled. He was aware of Kyler being raised as an only child, and that he was now the young Brat of two Tops who all but doted on him. The man waited patiently for Kyler to continue.

“I know the kid deserves a good home and a family that really wants him; a family that will love and care for him. I just don’t want it to be us. I know I must sound very shallow and selfish, but it is how I feel and I can’t seem to help it.”

There was a long pause as if the elder was considering his thoughts. Finally he spoke in a soft tone. “I do not think you are either, simply because you are neither of those things. However, I understand you finding it difficult to share certain things you hold dear, and that includes the love and attention of your two partners.”

“But it’s not only them. Patrick mentioned that his parents would enjoy being grandparents and my mom used to say she looked forward to having grandchildren one day. Patrick said we could adopt or maybe find a surrogate mother to bear us a child of our own. They seemed so taken with the idea and the older folks really took to Tommy last Sunday when we were all at Uncle Kipper’s for a BBQ.”

Kyler’s lips pressed together as he thought of how everyone had fawned over the boy. A feeling of revulsion swept over him. “I’m the only one who’s against the whole idea! It’s selfish, but I can’t and don’t want to share my family!” Kyler was practically wailing out his distress. It was the Elder’s firm hand on his arm that made it possible for him to calm down.

“And you are already suffering the dread of being replaced.” The Elder’s quiet voice offered assurances that no judgments were being made.

“Since Tommy’s appearance, everything has revolved around him. I know he needs what everyone is giving him…that is, I know it on a logical level. But in here,” Kyler touched his chest, “it’s starting to hurt. My mom even gave the kid my old toys and that kinda pissed me off.” Self-disgust accompanied this last statement.

“Have you talked any of this over with your partners, little one? They need to be informed of your feelings, before they come to any final conclusion. I assume they are the ones who make the decisions regarding your relationship, is that right?”

Kyler nodded his head. “I always get to have my say, but then Hugh and Patrick have to agree on the end result. If they can’t come to a pact on something really important, Hugh gets to make the call.”

Having former knowledge of the type of lifestyle his guest participated in, the Elder was able to respond to the young man’s need with understanding and compassion. “Your Tops,” he paused when Kyler’s head shot up with blue eyes widening in surprise. “Yes, I know,” were the only words needed to appease the astonished man.

“As I was saying, your Tops are responsible for meeting your needs; be they physical, spiritual, or emotional. You, on the other hand, are responsible for keeping them informed of any problems you are having.”

There was a pause before the older man gently prodded, “Am I right?” Getting a nod of agreement, the Elder leaned in closer to place an arm around the other man’s bare shoulders. “Once a decision is reached, it is up to you to accept it.” He sadly shook his head when he saw the despair in Kyler’s eyes.

“I don’t think I will be able to this time, Grandfather,” Kyler murmured tearfully. “And I don’t want my partners put in a position of having to choose between me and Tommy. That’s why I am hoping someone shows up to take the kid.”

“And should your partners still want to bring a child into your relationship through adoption or some other means; what will you do then?”

Kyler shrugged his shoulders and was relieved when the Elder didn’t insist on a response. They sat quietly for several more minutes before the Elder spoke again.

“You are a kind-hearted man, my friend. But like all of us, you have your weaknesses. One of which is your inability to share with others, especially when it comes to family members and significant others. Do not judge yourself too harshly, little one. Talk things over with your spouses; all will work out for the three of you.”

Kyler sat silently for a while. He really hadn’t come to get a solution; that resided only within him self. What he had been in need of was for someone else to know his secret thoughts; thoughts which he felt were so base and low, he could not come to terms with them on his own. But there had been no horror in Grandfather’s eyes. The old man had not recoiled or told him to leave. Instead he had looked with understanding at him and told him to talk to his partners.

For the first time in his relationship with his Tops, this was something he could not share with them. Hugh and Patrick were too close to the problem. He needed someone who wouldn’t judge him or think less of him for having those thoughts.

Feeling a little better than he had when first sitting down, Kyler sent his wise old friend a weak smile. “Thank you for allowing me to visit and for listening to me.” Looking at his watch, he let out a soft whistle. “Dang, it’s after midnight and I have well over an hour’s drive home. I better get going.”

Grandfather acknowledged Kyler’s thanks with a nod. “Drive safely, my son.”

The younger man impulsively threw his arms around the Elder’s neck and hugged him. “I’ll return to let you know how things turn out. Promise!” Kyler whispered and felt the hug being returned.

The two men got to their feet to shake hands and say goodbye. “Have you made a decision as to what you will do should things not go the way you want?” the Elder inquired; his facial expression was one of kindness and support.

“Yes, I have,” Kyler softly murmured, looking down at the floor. He grabbed up his clothes and shoes; then made a hasty departure. He didn’t want the Elder to see the tear slowly making its’ way down his cheek.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It was almost two in the morning when Kyler drove into the yard and turned off the engine. He saw the light on in the living room and wondered what the consequences were going to be for being gone so long without informing his partners where he was going and when he’d be back. He had even forgotten to take his cell phone.

Smacking his hand on the steering wheel, Kyler worked on getting up his nerve to go into the house and face, what he assumed would be, two very angry Tops.

Having heard the soft crunch of tires, Hugh got up from his armchair where he had been distractedly watching TV. The volume had been turned down low in order not to disturb Patrick who was snoozing on the sofa. Both men had elected to stay up and wait for their young lover to come home.

Hugh went to the kitchen and opened the back door, waiting for Kyler to appear. When he saw no sign of the young man, he slipped his feet into a pair of sandals and walked out to the driveway. He saw the silhouette of Kyler sitting in his car and his heart gave a lurch.

‘Is he hurt?” the older man wondered. His footsteps quickened and he reached out to open the car door. “Honey, are you all right?” he inquired in an anxious tone.

Kyler looked up at his partner and opened the driver’s door a crack. “Yeah, I’m fine.” He studied Hugh’s face to try and determine just how deep a hole he had dug for himself.

Hugh stepped aside to let Kyler come out. He ran a quick eye over his Brat and was relieved to find him apparently unharmed. He pulled him close for a quick kiss and tapped his butt with his open palm, not quite a smack but firm enough to get Kyler’s attention quick.

“Where have you been, young man? Do you know how late it is?”

Kyler mumbled a vague affirmative, having quickly decided not to retort with the smart-aleck comeback that had made its’ way to the tip of his tongue.

Hugh didn’t really seem to listen anyway as he was more concerned with getting them back into the house. He picked up Kyler’s cell phone which was lying on the kitchen counter and handed it to him. “We called.” His tone was dry.

“I forgot to grab it on my way out.” Kyler explained in a low voice and returned the cell to its’ resting place in the charger.

Hugh gave him a look but did not expound on Kyler’s explanation. With a hand on Kyler’s back, Hugh silently walked Kyler into the living room.

Patrick was sitting up on the sofa and stretching his arms amidst a big yawn. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and fixed them on Kyler. “What time is it?” he asked.

“It’s what Mom would refer to as the wee hours of the morning,” Kyler answered, a fragment of guilt creeping into his voice.

“Are you okay?” Patrick’s expression was as gentle as his manner. “We got worried.”

“I’m fine, really. I went for a drive and ended up visiting with an old friend at the reserve. I guess time kinda got away from us.”

Hugh raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

“You know you are not supposed to take off like that,” Patrick remarked, but it was more of a statement than an accusation. There was certainly no reprimand in the tone, which relieved and troubled Kyler at the same time. It was unexpected and abnormal.

Kyler sighed and closed his eyes for a moment before adding to what he had already said. “I just felt I needed some space; I’m sorry I was gone so long but it really was unintentional.”

“Look, sweetheart, we understand. Well, we think we understand what you are going through but I wish we could have talked about it instead.” Patrick looked at Kyler a little sadly.

Kyler’s bewilderment grew with every passing minute. ‘Why are they being so nice? How come they’re not jumping all over me for breaking the rules?’ He shook his head as if doing so would provide him with the answers to his unspoken questions.

“We were just worried. The last thing we want is for you to be unhappy.”

That brought a lump to Kyler’s throat. To hide it he said gruffly, “You should know by now that I’m able to take care of myself.” Kyler averted his eyes and looked at the carpet. ‘Not that I always want to,’ he mutely admitted to himself.

“You know you can tell us anything.” Patrick gazed keenly at Kyler, hoping to catch the young man’s eyes.

“Yeah, that’s usually so,” Kyler murmured, still keeping his eyes on the floor.

Patrick and Hugh exchanged a quick look. They had discussed earlier how to handle the situation and had decided to give their Brat some leeway to let him work out his feelings if he was not quite ready to share. They felt this was one time forcing him to talk prematurely would be a wrong decision. Much as they hated to leave things hanging, Kyler needed time to be able to understand his own heart.

Patrick let go a breath and spoke with as much good grace as he could. “Well, it’s your call. You let us know whenever you want to talk. I think it might be easier to just tell us and get things off your chest but if you need more time, then that’s fine with us too.”

‘What the hell is going on here?’ Kyler wordlessly wondered, glancing from one of his Tops to the other. His confusion grew with this unforeseen reaction to his behaviour, which he knew in his own mind, was unacceptable. Although these two partners of his were always fair and understanding, they were also firm in maintaining the boundaries they’d all agreed upon. Why were things changing?

Hugh had been silently watching their exchange, with his arms folded across his chest. Noticing the weary droop of Kyler’s shoulders and the dark circles around his eyes, the older man quietly suggested, “Why don’t we go up to bed? It is way past all our bedtimes.”

Patrick came over and slipped his arm around Kyler’s waist. “Yes, good idea. We’re all bushed.”

Kyler moved along in a slight daze. Maybe his fatigue was responsible for the confused thoughts tumbling around in his head.

The three men walked tiredly up the stairs and headed to their master bedroom. It was well past two am and with all the stress and tension, they were more than ready to roll into bed and catch a few hours of sleep. As they passed the guest bedroom, they heard a soft whimper followed by sobbing.

Hugh raised his eyebrows and Patrick immediately let go of Kyler and went in to check on the little boy.

Kyler groaned and rolled his eyes. ‘Now what?’ he groused to himself.

Hugh patted Kyler on the bum and encouraged, “Go wash up and get into bed, darling.” He had already seen the dark look on the young man’s face.

“You’d think he could sleep through the night by now,” Kyler grumbled.

Hugh frowned. “He’s not yet four years old, Kyler. Children also get nightmares.”

“I guess,” Kyler quietly agreed somewhat shamefaced.

Hugh pushed his Brat gently into their own room while resisting an urge to roll his eyes. “Patrick will take care of him while I take care of you! Now go brush your teeth and then you can crawl into bed!”

Kyler got clean boxers and a t-shirt from his bureau and unquestioningly followed his Top’s instruction. He couldn’t understand why things were so different. Usually by now, after the stunts he had pulled tonight, he’d have been punished. But not much had even been said. Maybe his partners figured going over the same ground wasn’t worth it any more; maybe he was no longer worth the effort it took to repeatedly remind him. He pushed aside the heartache and regret these thoughts were engendering. He was just too burned out to think about anything at the moment.

Just as Kyler emerged from the en suite cleaned and in his sleeping clothes, Patrick walked in with Tommy in his arms. The little blond head was lying against Patrick’s shoulder and small arms were tightly wound around Patrick’s neck.

Patrick shot an apologetic look at his partners. “He wouldn’t settle.”

Hugh went over to Patrick and brushed the hair from Tommy’s forehead. “Hey, Tommy,” Hugh called out softly. “It’s time to go to sleep. Let’s go back to your room, okay?”

“Noooo, don’t want to!” Tommy whined, stubbornly tightening his hold on Patrick.

“I tried telling him that already,” Patrick mumbled.

“Just where do you think he’s gonna sleep then?” Kyler belligerently inquired. He didn’t miss the silent exchange between his two partners. Driven to the edge of his endurance, he exploded. “I can’t believe you are even thinking of bringing him into our bed. Oh hell all right, you can if you want, but it’s too damn hot for all of us to sleep there.”

Tommy began to whimper again, reacting to Kyler’s harsh tone. Hugh frowned and Patrick glared.

For Kyler, this was the last straw. “I’m like, so outta here!”

With that, he pushed past his two partners and left the room. He deliberately slammed the door on his way out and then stomped down the stairs to the study where he slammed that door too.

Throwing himself face down onto the leather sofa, he angrily pounded the armrest with his clenched fists. “If they want the kid so badly, they can have him. First thing in the morning, I’m history!” His voice cracked, but he obstinately refused to cry.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Hugh and Patrick watched the disappearance of Kyler’s back for a second time that night. The first door slamming made them all wince; the second was considerably muted but nevertheless equally forceful. They were left in no doubt of Kyler’s frame of mind.

“Looks like we need to re-think our strategy,” Patrick muttered.

Hugh mumbled something unintelligible under his breath. Of all the things he would not tolerate from Brats, slamming of doors was high on his list of unacceptable behavior. His jaw was set in a square line, his face looking sterner by the minute.

With Tommy still clinging wide-eyed to Patrick, both men had to control their own tempers. Patrick looked uneasily at Tommy, who was beginning to fret. A tired, heavy-eyed Tommy was very different from the sunny child they had got used to. With limited experience in such matters, he wondered if Hugh might prefer to deal with the little boy. He looked hopefully at his partner.

Catching the unspoken question, Hugh nodded toward the bed instead. “Why don’t you put Tommy down and stay here with him. I’ll go after him.” The jerk of his head indicated clearly where his preference lay.

“Oh, okay.” Patrick moved towards their big bed, hoping Tommy wouldn’t start to wail. The kid looked perilously close to tears.

Tommy’s eyes darted fearfully around the unfamiliar room, and he began to suck on a thumb while one fist still clung on to Patrick’s t-shirt.

“It’s okay, sweetie. Do you want to sleep here with me tonight? Good, climb in.” Patrick threw back the covers.

Crawling into the center of the big bed and flopping down with his small head dwarfed by the pillow, Tommy gazed questioningly at his caretaker. He sent Patrick a shy smile when the big man stretched out beside him.

In spite of his misgivings, Patrick smiled as Tommy shifted as if to nestle in. It sent a powerful stab of warmth and protectiveness through him. “Good boy,” he cooed soothingly, his hand caressing the blond curls.

“Ky’r is mad at me for waking up?” Tommy apprehensively asked around the thumb in his mouth.

“No, of course not; no one is mad at you.”

Hugh came over and planted a kiss on Tommy’s head. “That’s right. You didn’t do anything wrong. Patrick’s going to stay here with you, okay? There’s nothing to be afraid of. Just close your eyes and go to sleep.”

Tommy immediately rolled over and snuggled against one of the men he was beginning to depend upon. If asked who he loved and who loved him, the little boy would have rhymed off all three of their names.

Hugh gave Patrick a quick kiss as well before he went out of the room. He padded softly down the stairs and headed towards the study.

Kyler heard his partner enter the room and shifted onto his side to glare up at Hugh. “Why don’t you just leave me alone?” he antagonistically demanded. “Doesn’t Tommy need both of you?”

The sarcasm didn’t go over well with Hugh. He walked straight over to the sofa and yanked Kyler to his feet. Without preamble, he turned the young man around and landed six firm swats to Kyler’s bottom.

“Would you mind telling me what that was about?”

“What’s what all about?”

“Do I really need to explain, Kyler?”

“Look, I’m tired. I’m in a pissy mood and I just want to be left alone.” Kyler’s voice had dropped to a slightly more respectable level as he finally realized just how far he might have pushed things.

“Well, you are certainly right about the ‘pissy’ mood thing,” Hugh said sharply. “But I have no idea why you think you are allowed to behave in this manner just because your bad frame of mind. Slamming doors? Is that the way to tell us something?”

“No,” Kyler reluctantly admitted and felt a warm blush spread over his face. The bout of temper he’d been reacting to was rapidly losing its’ hold on him.

“In case you haven’t worked it out, you are stepping well over the line and we are going to be having a very long chat about it.”

“I’m sorry, Hugh. I know I’ve pushed too far.” Kyler’s tone was bordering on pacification, his roller-coaster ride of explosive emotions coming to an abrupt end. He was crashing, but was still too confused to do anything about it other than strike out at one of the people he considered responsible for the pain he was experiencing.

Bound and determined not to break down and cry, he settled instead for trying to out-stare his Top. Patrick would have tried to gently talk him around, but that was not what Kyler needed at the moment. He desperately needed Hugh to firmly put the boundaries back in place. Kyler knew that, but didn’t know how to ask for it. He silently pleaded for the older man standing in front of him to fix things.

Hugh wasted no more words. With a firm hand on his Brat’s arm, he took a seat on the sofa and pulled Kyler over his lap.

It had been a while since Kyler’s last spanking and although this felt more like the norm to the young man, he was nevertheless somewhat alarmed to find himself in this position.

Hugh let his hand rest heavily on Kyler’s butt while he continued in a stern, no-nonsense voice. “Patrick and I understand you’ve been bothered by something and we’ve tried to be patient. We wanted to give you some breathing space. But it’s not working out for you, is it? And while I don’t know what you have thought or concluded or misunderstood, slamming doors is not the way to tell us something is wrong.”

“I just couldn’t seem to stop myself, Hugh. I didn’t mean for you to take it so personally.” Kyler sincerely tried to rationalize his behaviour, all the while knowing his reasoning was feeble at best.

Hugh snorted. “Not take it personally?”

“Well…that is…” Kyler wriggled, feeling mortified.

Hugh didn’t wait for Kyler to continue. “Neither is sarcasm ever acceptable.”

As he spoke, Hugh slipped his fingers into the waistband of Kyler’s boxers and easily pulled them down. The twin half-moons were exposed, pale and smooth and at that very moment, clenched tight. Hugh patted the skin that was already a pinkish shade due to the previous swats and intoned in a firm voice, “Such behavior is not acceptable and we will not tolerate it. Not from you or anyone else.”

Hugh raised his hand and brought it down in a powerful smack. The spot immediately blossomed into a deeper rosy hue, leaving a clear handprint on one side of his Brat’s bum.

Kyler grunted and reached for a throw pillow, clutching it tightly and burying his face in it.

“But especially not from you. I expect better of you than this!” Hugh added for emphasis. He raised his hand again and delivered a series of spanks. The pace was not hurried but neither was it slow and the fire in Kyler’s butt would be hardly quelled before the next spank landed. The flame steadily increased; Hugh apparently meant business.

Kyler began to squirm as the heat built. Two dozen or more extremely heavy swats landed before the tears he had been holding back began to flow unchecked.

“Are you still unclear as to why you are now over my knee?” Hugh asked when he heard the hitched breaths, gasps and sniffling.

“I’m not sure!” Kyler wailed. He lay there panting when he realized the barrage of painful smacks had stopped. As was always the case when finding himself over one of his Top’s knees, two modes of thought conflicted with each other. On one hand, he didn’t want to be spanked because it was embarrassing to acknowledge that it was deserved, plus it darn well hurt. On the other hand, he needed the structure and security this process afforded him as well as the opportunity to clear the slate and start again. “I guess I’m being punished for taking my bad humour out on the people around me.”

“And…” Hugh prompted, gently patting the heated flesh.

“For door slamming and rudeness,” Kyler tearfully added.

“All right then, you care to tell me what this is all about?” There was an unmistakably gentle note in Hugh’s voice.

“I can’t talk to you or Patrick. You just don’t get it and I don’t know how to explain it to you because I don’t even understand it myself.” Kyler once again buried his face in the soft cushion. He wondered if and when he’d be permitted to get off the bigger man’s lap.

Hugh heaved a sigh. “Try anyway.” His hand tapped encouragement.

Kyler shook his head, still unable to voice his concerns. Although he was starting to feel less wound up as the smarting of his backside diminished, he still had a ways to go before he’d be able to open up completely.

Sensing the resistance still in his young Brat, Hugh tightened his arm around the slim waist and pulled him closer. Having lived with Kyler long enough, he knew the other man rarely did anything in half-measure. Whatever Kyler was obviously still clinging to, must be pretty big; possibly some suppressed emotion that the young man felt he couldn’t tell his partners. And until he did, Hugh’s job was incomplete.

Hugh began to spank, picking up the pace and delivering a series of even spanks on the quivering bottom. Kyler squirmed desperately as the heat instantly returned in full blast.

“We may have let you off the hook on some things but nevertheless our rules remain unchanged.” Hugh’s palm was beginning to burn as he quickly emphasized every other word with a hard swat. “Do you remember what rules I am talking about, Kyler?”

“Yes,” Kyler cried out. “The ones about going out and not telling you where I was going or when I’d be back; forgetting my cell and coming in really late.”

“That’s right. But there’s one more. What is the most important rule of all, Kyler?”

With the firestorm raging across his bum, Kyler found it hard to focus and come up with a response that would satisfy his Top, but after a moment or two he finally managed to do so. “That I’m to talk to you if I’m having problems instead of trying to run away from them.”

“Yes, exactly!” Hugh delivered three more powerful smacks which had Kyler yelping loudly. He took a deep breath and stilled his hand. “Are you ready to talk to me now?”

Giving a shaky affirmative nod, Kyler slumped on Hugh’s thighs and gasped with relief. Within moments, he found himself sitting on Hugh’s opened thighs and wrapped in two loving arms. This was one of his favourite places, although he preferred to be here without a badly burning bottom, snotty nose and tear-stained face. He worked at calming down so he could converse with as little sniffling and hiccupping as possible.

“Is the slate wiped clean yet, Hugh?” Kyler hopefully asked for reassurance.

“My love for you has never wavered and never will no matter what you do, honey. The slate is clean but you must tell me what has made you so upset.”

“Sometimes it’s hard to find the right words, Hugh.”

“Come on, Kyler, give it a shot. You can tell me and I won’t judge you.” Hugh planted a gentle kiss on Kyler’s forehead.

“I know it’s really late, but can you give a bit of time to get things straight in my own mind?”

“Take as much time as you want,” Hugh said, holding him close.

Kyler drew in a deep breath of relief, as he relaxed against his Top’s broad chest. Over the next several minutes, his convoluted thoughts gradually became more coherent. He conscientiously had to pull himself out of the dreamlike state he often fell into after a tough discipline session.

Upstairs, Patrick had succeeded in getting Tommy to sleep again and not wanting to risk waking the child up, Patrick decided to leave him in their big bed while he went to find out what was holding up his partners.

Finding the silence somewhat disconcerting, he tiptoed out of the room and left the door slightly ajar so they could hear Tommy if he woke up. He knew he would find his partners in the only other room they used for discipline, so he headed downstairs and cautiously opened the study door. He saw Hugh and Kyler cuddling on the sofa, and stood quietly leaning against the wall. Kyler was speaking in a low voice and he didn’t want to interrupt.

“I’m not too proud of how I’ve been feeling and acting the last few days, Hugh,” Kyler softly began, nervously twisting the front of Hugh’s T-shirt with his fingers. “At first I really enjoyed the novelty of having a little boy around the house, but after a few days it paled rather rapidly.”

Hugh’s hand was a soothing presence on Kyler’s back, gently moving and massaging tight muscles. “But then?”

“I started to resent the kid and all the attention he was getting. Listening to you and Patrick talk about maybe someday becoming parents gave me a lot to think over.”

Hugh had caught sight of Patrick but didn’t react as his fellow Top held a finger to his lips to silence Hugh when the other man seemed about to give his presence away. Hugh merely gave a tiny nod to indicate his understanding.

Kyler paused and swallowed before continuing. “Even though I have no desire whatsoever of being a father, I can understand the appeal it holds for the two of you. You’d both make great fathers and I don’t want to be the one to throw a damper on you pursuing that thought should you wish to do so.”

“Oh, Kyler.” Hugh laid his chin on Kyler’s head and his eyes met Patrick’s across the room.

“It’s been exactly a week since Patrick brought Tommy here, so it’s looking more and more each day as if the kid will be needing a good home and you two seemed interested in providing him with one.” Kyler hoped his misgivings weren’t coming across in his voice.

Folding Kyler even closer, Hugh replied, “Yes, we both did consider for a moment what it would be like to be dads. But remember, it’s not something we had ever thought of before now. All these years together and it never crossed our minds. But when Tommy appeared and we started to consider it, to know it was a possibility, I’ve got to admit we were pretty excited.”

“Yeah, I kinda picked up on that,” Kyler responded somewhat despondently.

Patrick decided it was time to make his presence know. Walking over to the sofa to join them, he chipped in by saying, “But that does not mean we had made up our minds, Ky.”

“That’s right,” Hugh concurred. “We were merely toying with the idea.”

Sitting down next to them, Patrick beckoned Kyler with a crooked finger and smiled when Hugh willingly relinquished his armful of Brat.

“I don’t ever want to put you in the position of having to choose between me and having a kid of your own,” Kyler whispered almost inaudibly. “But I really suck at sharing.”

Patrick clicked his tongue. “First of all, if we ever have a kid, he or she will belong to all of us. There will never be such thing as a kid of ‘our own’; there is no such equation, Ky.”

Patrick waited a moment for the thought to sink in before proceeding. “More importantly, and I want you to pay close attention here, Kyler, we will never make such a decision without the consensus from all of us. This is one time it will not be a democracy where the majority vote wins. It has to be unanimous. So the question of choosing will never arise.”

“But if you two should someday want a child and I still don’t want one, then it would be rather selfish of me to say so and stand in your way.”

“It’s not about being selfish at all,” Hugh said gravely. “You need to tell us exactly how you feel because that is important to us. We each have the right to an opinion and the others have the right to know what that is. Keeping your feelings hidden does not help at all, and you know it! It makes you cranky and frustrated.”

“Tell me about it,” Kyler grumbled with a ghost of a smile as he reached back to tentatively rub at his still aching bottom.

Patrick turned the younger man around so he could look him in the eye. “Listen to me, baby. The idea of giving Tommy a home here may be tempting, but we have not even seriously started to consider it. And if and when we do, it has to be something all three of us want. There is no shame in telling us you do not support the idea. There is no wrong in that.”

Kyler glanced back and forth between his two partners and read the sincerity in their faces, but a trace of uncertainty remained.

“I totally agree with Patrick, Kyler. For something as major as this, we need to be honest with one another. And I will tell you one more thing, babe. Patrick and I will never do anything that will make you unhappy because you are our top priority. Nothing will ever replace that.”

Patrick raised his eyebrows at Kyler with a questioning smile on his face asking if he understood.

Kyler’s young face lit up with the happiness and relief his two lovers’ words filled him with. He knew beyond a doubt that they would keep their vows and he couldn’t begin to express how knowing he took precedence in their lives made him feel. “But what about Tommy? He’s still going to need a permanent home.”

“Well, we’ll wait and see what the rest of week brings us. Tommy will always have a place in our hearts, no matter how it turns out with his parents. He’s a great kid and we’ll make sure he is well taken care of. It doesn’t have to be us to do it, okay?”

Kyler nodded. “That works for me.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The rest of the week went pretty much like the first part with maybe two exceptions. Kyler used up most of Thursday playing catch up after sleeping in late. On Friday he eked out an extra long lunch period to join Hugh and Tommy at the pool. It was a nice break and he promised to do it again.

By unspoken consensus they made no major plans to go far from home that weekend. All three men were silently anticipating some kind of news from either the police or children’s welfare. Hugh decided they should eat supper out on the patio, hoping the change would make everyone less jittery. It was very pleasant out in the open as they were all seated around the patio table, listening to Tommy regale them with different aspects of the day they had spent at a couple of places Kyler referred to as ‘tourist traps’.

Tommy looked up with a bright smile of anticipation on his little face when he heard Kyler asked if anyone had any plans for the next day. The little fellow jumped in surprise when the unexpected ringing of the front doorbell abruptly ended the would-be conversation.

“I’ll get it,” Kyler offered, pushing his chair back and getting to his feet.

Hugh and Patrick remained seated and continued to listen to Tommy, although they had their ears trained on the other end of the hall.

“Hugh, Patrick, can you come here? Chief Barrett has someone he wants to introduce us to,” Kyler called out a couple of minutes later from inside the house.

A quick look was passed between the two men as they both got up and Patrick patted Tommy’s head. “Stay here, Tommy, while we go see what Kyler wants, okay?”

Leaving the child alone, they walked into the house and saw Kyler leading Jade Heights’ Police Chief into the kitchen along with two people who were partially obscured by the doorway. The Chief greeted Hugh and Patrick as they approached.

“I’d like you to meet Jenny and Andy Martin,” Chandi started the introductions but before he could voice the reason behind the Martin’s visit, a bundle of excitement barrelled into the kitchen and flung itself at the middle-aged couple.

“Nanny and Grampy!” Tommy hollered, first hugging and kissing the woman then transferring his attention to the patiently waiting gentleman.

Three men looked on in astonishment while Chandi barely managed to hold back his bark of laughter at the shocked expressions on their faces. For the several minutes, they watched the exhilarated greetings between Tommy and the happily smiling older couple.

That is Hugh and Patrick watched while Kyler kept a wary eye on his partners. He easily picked up on the various emotions they were trying to keep hidden. He understood their mixed feelings that ranged between disappointment and delight, regardless how fleeting some of them may have been warring with each other. He himself felt a sense of relief; something he would later give more serious thought to.

“These are Tommy’s maternal grandparents,” Chandi eventually explained, once they had settled down around the kitchen table and Tommy had gone to look for his box of toy cars to show them off.

“We guessed,” Patrick said with a smile. “So what happened to his parents?”

“The RCMP apprehended the Adams couple when they attempted to cross the border into Washington. From there, they were able to locate Shirley’s parents.”

Jenny wiped at her eye while her husband shook his head with disgust.

“What’s going to happen to them?” Hugh asked gently, aware of how this must be impacting the grandparents. It had to be difficult, not only to see how irresponsibly your child had behaved, but even worse to know your grandchild had been the victim of such ill-treatment.

“Both she and her husband, Brian, will be facing charges of child abandonment.” This last was said quietly for the adults only while Tommy was busy dragging out the box of toys he had been given.

Jenny and Andy turned their attention to Tommy as he showed off each toy car and truck. They smiled at the little boy’s enthusiasm and Kyler looked on with a sudden swell of pride when he saw how his old toys were bringing so much delight to the family.

“Kyler gave them to me,” Tommy announced loudly, giving his benefactor a bright smile.

“All except this set with the fire engine, little buddy,” Kyler reminded him, taking the three pieces and returning them to the display box they belonged in. “You get to keep all the rest, right?” Most the toys Kyler had kept had been given him by his father. But this set, consisting of a large extension ladder truck, a slightly smaller hose and equipment truck, plus an emergency squad vehicle, held special meaning to Kyler. He had received it from his father for his twelfth birthday, just a month before the man was killed in a mining accident. As a result, he could not bear to part with it.

“That is so kind of you!” Jenny turned grateful eyes to Kyler. She reached out on impulse and squeezed Kyler’s arm. “Thank you!”

Kyler’s face flushed a deep pink, both from shy pleasure and from a tad of residual guilt at the memory of his first reaction when seeing the little fellow with his toys.

“We were just about to have our dessert,” Hugh announced. “How about I make a pot of tea and we can all have a piece of apple pie?” he asked politely.

“That would be lovely,” Jenny said appreciatively. “I could do with a cup of tea. But then we need to be on our way, don’t we dear?”

Andy nodded. “Yes, we’ve got quite a bit of road to cover. Does Tommy have a lot of things to pack?”

There was a startled silence.

“Tommy will be going with his grandparents. They will be providing him with a permanent home and are even planning to eventually adopt him.” Chief Barrett stepped forward to explain as gently as possible. He strongly suspected the three men had understandably formed an attachment to the child they’d been caring for over the last ten days.

“But do you have to all leave so soon?” Kyler inquired, surprised at not wanting to see Tommy go. It all seemed to be happening so quickly.

“I can’t speak for the Martins, but I really have to be going,” Chandi answered. “Thanks for the invite though.”

Hugh got up and started to make tea while Patrick walked Chandi to the front door. He thanked the Chief and waited for him to get into his patrol car before taking a deep breath and heading back into the kitchen.

Tommy had climbed on top of his grandfather’s knee and was nibbling on a cookie.

“Tea’s ready,” Hugh said softly, his eyes anxiously searching Patrick’s face.

“Thanks. Um, you guys go ahead while I get Tommy’s things together,” Patrick offered.

Making his way upstairs, Patrick felt a tightening in his chest. His legs moved automatically to the spare room where Tommy had been sleeping for the past week.

The room was beginning to look like it belonged to the boy. He hadn’t brought anything with him except the clothes he wore and yet there were unmistakable signs of his presence now. The jacket he had looked so cute in was flung over a chair and the small cap, which had made them all grin when they had first put it on Tommy’s head, was hanging on a hook behind the door. Small things which made Patrick blink.

Patrick looked around, suddenly a little lost as to where to begin. Subduing a sigh, he went out to the hall closet and found an unused backpack. He brought it back to Tommy’s room and started to put in clothes, books, and toys. Halfway through, he sat down heavily on the bed and the bag slid slowly to the floor. A muscle twitched at the corner his mouth and he closed his eyes.

“Patrick?”

Patrick’s eyes flew open and he cleared his throat awkwardly. He managed a weak smile. “Hey, Tommy.”

The little boy looked at him with large questioning eyes.

Patrick opened his mouth to speak and found he couldn’t. His hands gestured aimlessly but fell listlessly to his thighs instead. He bent his head.

Without a word, Tommy came and put his arms around Patrick, snuggling close and burying his face in the man’s chest.

“I love you, Patrick. I love all you guys,” Tommy softly declared.

Patrick smiled, immediately hugging Tommy close. “Are you okay going with your grandparents?”

“Yes.” The voice was small but positive. “I like staying with them.”

Satisfied with the answer, Patrick leaned down and dropped a kiss on Tommy’s head. “I’m going to miss you, Tommy!”

Patrick felt the small head move on his chest, followed by a tiny sniffle which was valiantly stifled.

“Hey,” Patrick whispered. “Look at me.”

Tommy pulled away just enough to raise his head, his lashes damp. He asked in a shaky voice, “Am I ever gonna see you again, Patrick?”

“Sure you are,” Patrick said lightly, brushing the hair off Tommy’s forehead.

“Promise?”

Patrick held up his hand solemnly, as if giving an oath. “Promise.”

Tommy managed a doubtful nod, which did not speak of confidence. In his short lifetime, a lot of promises hadn’t been kept.

Patrick put both hands on Tommy’s shoulders and looked into his eyes. “I promise we will come and visit you once you have settled down with your grandparents. Wild horses couldn’t keep us away. And,” he let the sentence hang expectantly for a moment. “I am going to give your Nanny our telephone number so you can call us anytime you want.”

“Really?” Tommy looked a bit more cheerful.

“Really! Can you trust us?”

Tommy cocked his head to one side. After a moment’s reflection, he flashed a smile and nodded his head.

“Good!” Patrick pulled him back for another hug, holding Tommy somewhat more tightly than he had meant to.

Pushing away, Tommy announced, “I gotta get back downstairs. I only came up to get Woody and Buzz Lightyear to show Nanny and Grampy. We’re having pie and ice cream. What some?”

“I sure do. Go on now; I’ll be right down.” Patrick waited for Tommy to grab up his two action figures and leave. Then he packed the last few articles in the backpack, took one last look around, let out another deep sigh and walked out of the room.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Forty minutes later, Hugh, Patrick and Patrick were saying goodbye to their guests. They had exchanged pertinent information with each other with promises to keep in touch.

Tommy first hugged Patrick. “Thank you for bringing me here and taking care of me, Patrick. Don’t forget your promise.”

“I won’t,” Patrick assured him with a smile.

Next, Tommy hugged Hugh. “I really liked being with you guys. Patrick says I’m gonna see you all again so you won’t forget me.”

“There’s no fear of us ever forgetting you, Tommy. We enjoyed having you with us.” Hugh returned the hug, in no hurry to end it.

The last one Tommy hugged was a kneeling Kyler. “I got an idea, Kyler,” Tommy whispered, unaware of speaking loud enough for all to hear. “You guys can be kinda like my uncles and we can visit each other. Is that a good idea?”

“It’s an excellent idea, little buddy,” Kyler answered around the lump in his throat. “You know, come to think of it, I kinda like the sound of Uncle Kyler.” He chuckled and gently ran his fingers though Tommy’s curls. “I really gonna miss you, so I sure hope you come and spend time with us as often as possible. Love ya, kiddo. Here, don’t forget your ‘Toy Story’ DVDs.”

Kyler gave Tommy one last squeeze and stood up to stand next to his partners. He hadn’t been at all prepared for it being so dang hard to see the little fellow go.

Together they watched the Martin’s car back out of the driveway and down the street, waving until it disappeared from sight. Then with matching heavy sighs, they entered their home and Hugh shut the door.

Noticing the somewhat lost looks on the other men’s faces, Kyler sought to lighten the atmosphere. “Well, if it’s any consolation, you still have me!” Kyler announced half-jokingly, but also half-seriously. He briefly wondered if his Tops would consider him such.

“Come here, you!” Hugh growled just the way Kyler liked. He put an arm around each of his partners and walked them into the living room.

“Hmm, the house feels kinda empty,” Patrick commented as he sank into the deep sofa.

“Yeah, believe it or not, I think I’m really gonna miss the kid. Even though we know Tommy is going to a good home with someone who loves him and will take excellent care of him, it’s still gonna take some getting used to not having him around,” Kyler quietly intoned, sitting down next to Hugh and leaning against the bigger man.

“He may have only been with us a few days, but he’s left a lasting impression in our hearts,” Patrick softly acknowledged, finding comfort in the thought that his partners felt the same.

The End

No Welcome Here

2010-06-15T04:18:00.000-07:00

Kyler wanted his share of the limelight in the WL Spring Challenge, so here is his 'It's Not My Fault' Drabble.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Written By: LJ

“It isn’t my fault!” Kyler insisted.

“How can your standing there with a monkey on your shoulder, not be your fault?” Hugh demanded.

“Kadyn’s not allowed to keep him.”

“Well neither can you.”

“But he likes living with a family, and he’s had all his shots.” Kyler tried to persuade his Tops.

“We discussed it and decided on no pets, Ky honey,” Patrick patiently reminded him.

“No! You said no snakes.”

Hugh’s eyes narrowed and he menacingly advanced on his Brat. “Get that creature out of here. Now!”

“I’m getting! I’m getting!” Kyler hollered as he beat a hasty retreat.

The End

(Follow-up note: The little monkey finally finds a home with Kipper and Gaetane.)

A Hard Road To Recovery

2010-02-15T07:03:00.000-08:00

Sequel to ‘I’ll be Home for Christmas’
Co-written By: Teri and LJ

Kyler sat on the floor carefully placing each tissue-wrapped, delicate ornament into the individual sections in the box. Hugh and Patrick were winding up strings of lights in hope of them not becoming a tangled mess before next December when they would be put to use again. He chuckled softly to himself as he listened to the conversation going on between his two partners. It was beginning to sound very familiar.

“Here, let me get that,” Hugh offered.

“I can handle it,” Patrick responded at once and began to wind the lights into their boxes.

Hugh picked up the other strand and did the same. “I will do the rest, Patrick. Why don’t you head upstairs for your afternoon nap?”

“I’m not in the least tired!” Patrick protested. It had been over ten days since he had returned home to recuperate after his narrow escape from the mugging. He was getting cabin fever, but as yet had been unable to persuade Hugh he was well enough to do his fair share of the heavier chores around the house.

“You don’t need to be tired to nap. Besides, this is what the doctor ordered.” Hugh scanned Patrick’s face anxiously.

Patrick rolled his eyes. “And you are beginning to sound like a mother hen!”

It was the final day of the holidays and they were packing away the last of the decorations. Tomorrow Hugh and Kyler would be returning to work, leaving Patrick alone in the house. Hugh was already worrying about how well Patrick would be obeying his doctor’s orders left on his own. It was undeniable that Patrick’s recovery had been rapid and being a doctor himself, he should know his limits; but after the scare Patrick had put them through, Hugh did not want to take any risks. Doctor Bannon had given them a list of instructions and Hugh was determined to follow that list to the letter. Both he and Kyler had wrestled with the real fear of losing their partner. It was too dreadful to even contemplate, and for Hugh that translated to doing everything they needed to ensure Patrick’s complete recovery.

Earlier in the day, Hugh had received a call informing him that the meeting to discuss the upcoming tournament with his swimming team had to be re-scheduled. He had originally planned the meeting to be held during the following week but due to an emergency, there had been a request to change it to that afternoon. Hugh had conceded, seeing no way out of it. After all, he was in charge of the swimming team and he had put in a considerable amount of time and effort to get them ready for the tournament. This was an important meeting and he could not bail out on them.

After reminding Patrick one more time to go for his nap, Hugh reluctantly left the house. Patrick leaned back in his armchair and closed his eyes. After a few minutes, he opened them and found Kyler staring at him. “What?” he inquired.

“I don’t think Hugh will consider you sitting like that that same as napping.”

“Well, I tried but I just can’t sleep. I don’t remember ever sleeping so much in my life. I must have slept a hundred hours in the last week!”

“Yeah, but it has done you the world of good,” Kyler pointed out.

“Sleep is a remarkable means for the body to recover, but I am all slept out.” Patrick’s eyes crinkled in amusement. “Is there such a thing?”

“Probably,” Kyler willing gave Patrick the benefit of the doubt. “Plus a person can miss a lot when they’re in bed by themselves.”

“Well it’s you I miss, so why don’t you come over here?” Patrick shifted slightly and patted the small amount of space he had freed up.

Although he had his misgivings, Kyler insinuated himself between his partner and the overstuffed arm of the chair. “We gotta take it easy, Patrick. I think the doctor said sex was out of the question.”

“Did the doctor really say no sex?” Patrick asked indignantly. “Damn!”

“We can always check with Hugh,” Kyler suggested as he squirmed to get more comfortable in the tight spot he found himself in. “Of course, we’ll have to wait until he gets home. I can’t see him being too happy about us phoning him in the middle of a meeting to ask permission to make love.”

“In that case, you better do something to take my mind off it because I really, really want some right now!” Patrick ran his hand over possessively over Kyler’s butt, making the younger man giggle and wriggle.

Kyler soundly kissed his lover, and then pushed up off the chair. He gazed outside, sharing his observation. “Although it has finally stopped snowing, but not until piling the white stuff deep enough to make it hard for Hugh to get into the garage.”

“So you are planning on shoveling the driveway and sidewalk?” Patrick craned his neck to peer out the window. “Hmm, it’s been some winter. So much snow! I can see they are steadily filling in once again. Great, I’ll help you!”

“Yeah, right! And Hugh will certainly be supportive of that idea. In your dreams, man,” Kyler scoffed.

Patrick got up and cheerfully announced. “If I get tired, I’ll stop. Don’t worry, Ky. I’ll take it easy. Maybe we can have some fun throwing a few snow balls. I haven’t done that in a long time and it’s not work, is it?”

“It may not be work, but are you sure that snowball fights fall under the heading of ‘taking it easy’?”

In the end, Kyler allowed himself to be persuaded and between them, they soon had the driveway and walkways freed of snow.

A good hour later, Kyler stood leaning against the larger of the two shovels. He had insisted on doing the majority of the heavy work, leaving the smaller areas for Patrick to clear away. Both men were working on catching their second wind.

“To think winter has just begun, Patrick, and already we’re heading for record snowfalls. Isn’t it great? Think of all the snowmobiling, snowboarding, skiing and skating we’ll be doing. But right now, it is ‘snowball’ time!”

That said, both men simultaneously bent over and scooped up handfuls of snow. Quickly shaping them into balls, they let fly and the fun began.

Kyler laughed as he lobed another snowy sphere at the other man.

“Ouch!” Patrick cried out as the snowball hit him squarely in the face. He stood still for a moment, blinded and out of breath. He was also conscious of a slight tug at his operation wound.

Kyler immediately headed toward his partner. “Are you all right, Patrick? I’m so sorry; I didn’t mean to hit you in the face,” he apologized, his voice full of contrition.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. Oh look!” Patrick pointed to something behind Kyler and when the young man turned to see, Patrick hurled a snowball at his unsuspecting back. It got him on the head and Patrick chuckled loudly.

“Hey! That’s sneaky! At least I was facing you head on, man!” Kyler shouted his protest as he swiftly fashioned another large snowball and sent it flying.

“You gotta be sharp, my boy! And don’t ever trust anyone in a snowball fight; first rule of thumb.” Patrick laughed when it hit him in the chest. In a matter of moments, he was ready to reciprocate.

“Maybe we should call it quits now, Patrick. After all, you are supposed to be resting.” One look on his partner’s face had Kyler backing up. It was easy to see that the older man had no intention of stopping anytime soon, even though Patrick was not moving as easily as he had been earlier on.

“What?” Patrick had a wide grin on his face but the smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Surrendering already?”

After a slight pause, Kyler continued. “All I know is, if I didn’t follow my doctor’s orders I’d be in trouble.” He ducked just in time and gave a weak chuckle as another missile sailed past him. It was way off its’ mark and Kyler was uncomfortably conscious that there had been hardly had any power behind the throw. “Ha! Missed!”

His holler coincided with Hugh pulling into the driveway. Patrick waited for the SUV to come to a complete stop and opened his arms as Kyler ambled over to stand beside him as if seeking protection. Patrick gave his Brat a comforting squeeze while laughingly muttering ‘damn!’ under his breath.

“Oh-oh, I think we’ve been caught in the act, Patrick. Got any ideas for talking our way out if this?”

Patrick leaned down and kissed Kyler’s head. “Don’t worry,” he whispered in a conspiratorial tone, the laugh in his voice brimming over. “Let me handle this.”

Hugh looked at his two partners as he advanced towards them. “Nice job. So how long have you guys been shoveling?”

Kyler shrugged, pretending to give the question some thought before responding. “Probably not much more than an hour. We were mostly just chucking snow around.”

Hugh raised an eyebrow. “Uh-huh. And you, Patrick; how was your nap?”

Patrick grinned and let go of Kyler. “The fresh air has been good for me. Better than any nap I could have taken.”

Hugh frowned.

“I’ll clean up this last bit and put the shovels away,” Kyler offered, glancing back and forth between his two partners.

Patrick linked his arm through Hugh’s and began to walk with him towards the back door. “Thanks, Ky. I’ll make you some hot cocoa for when you are done. You look like you need one too, Hugh.”

Hugh pulled Patrick against him and his heart squeezed when he felt Patrick lean heavily against him. He had missed him horribly even though they had spent the last week together. It was a strange thing to miss someone who was right there with you but Patrick was a patient recuperating in his own home, not the independent and energetic doctor who injected so much live into their family. Hugh had missed their usual routine, their physical closeness, and he had missed Patrick’s strength and ability to fend for himself.

In a gruff voice to hide his anxiety, Hugh firmly stated his stand on the subject. “You are going to sit still while I make the cocoa. If I find any part of you harmed, I am going to spank you!”

Patrick laughed. “Oh no, you aren’t. I am not your Brat.”

“But you sure are behaving like one! What possessed you to shovel snow when you are supposed to be resting?”

They had reached the kitchen by then and Patrick sat down at the kitchen table, heaving a sigh of frustration. “I am so sick of lying down in bed, Hugh. In the beginning it was fine, because I was tired all the time and my body needed it. But it’s been more than a week now since I got home, and I don’t need as much sleep anymore.”

Hugh was busy putting the kettle on and spooning cocoa into three mugs. He replied without looking at Patrick. “I am not a doctor so I can only follow your doctor’s orders. And one of them was for you to take a nap every day until you went back for your follow-up.”

Patrick grunted ferociously, his fingers tapping impatiently on the table. “Damn it, Hugh; I am a doctor myself. I know what I am doing.”

Hugh turned around, crossed his arms and stared at his partner of more than six years. “Do you?”

Patrick flushed. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Hugh leaned against the counter, keeping his eyes steadily on his partner. “Right now, you are not the doctor, Patrick. You have just been through a arduous surgery. You should rightfully still be in the hospital, being attended to by professional nurses. Which I might add, is not me or Kyler. We know next to nothing about nursing you. The only reason your doctor allowed you to come home was because of the holiday season and because he believed you would be sensible and because I promised him that you would follow his instructions to the letter.”

Patrick glared at Hugh silently.

Hugh’s face changed and he looked down at the floor, his arms becoming untangled and hanging by his side. His voice was low and husky when he spoke again. “We thought we were going to lose you.”

Patrick swallowed hard. “I’m sorry.”

Hugh looked up at him. “For what, Patrick? Don’t be sorry for the accident or for getting hurt. That was not your fault. But you should be sorry if you knowingly and intentionally allow yourself to be hurt by not taking the necessary precautions; like skipping your nap and shoveling snow.”

Patrick drew in a deep breath and held it, stung by the unaccustomed rebuke. It was seldom Hugh ticked him off. Then his usual good sense re-asserted itself and he exhaled slowly, looking a little abashed. “Now I know how exactly Kyler feels after one of your lectures.” His lips twitched and he beckoned with a finger.

Hugh pushed himself off the counter edge and took the two steps to close the gap between them. He bent down until his face was on level with Patrick’s. They stared into one another’s eyes. “I love you, Patrick.”

“I love you too, Hugh; bully that you are!” Their lips met and they kissed, sweetly and gently.

“I want you to promise me you will do exactly what the doctor says. Never mind if he is over cautious or sounds like an old mother hen,” Hugh said dryly.

Patrick grinned at the reference. “You win. I’ll be good. You know, I couldn’t wrestle you right now and you are taking unfair advantage of my situation.”

Hugh kissed Patrick again before straightening up. “Nothing is unfair at all. You belong to me and I intend to do whatever it takes to keep you safe; including topping you if I have to!”

Patrick hooted with laughter. “What?”

“I mean it, Patrick.”

“You are not spanking me, Hugh,” Patrick insisted, his voice soft and gentle.

“No, but there are other things a Top can do,” Hugh replied with a wink. “Don’t test me.”

Having entered the house in a somewhat less boisterous manner than usual, Kyler’s arrival had gone unnoticed. He stopped long enough in the back porch to hang up his jacket and removed his boots. His eyes widened when he overheard the tail end on his partners’ conversation. Was Hugh teasing or was he serious? The younger man felt his stomach tightening and he wondered what the implications of one Top disciplining another would be.

“Ah, I’ll have my hot chocolate later. I’m just gonna go up and get changed,” he announced as he passed through the kitchen a moment later. He made a hasty departure, heading out of the room and down the hall without giving either of his partners a chance to respond.

Once upstairs, Kyler sat on the bed in the spare room; the room that was designated as his discipline room. He chewed on his lower lip and tried to come to grips with the thoughts whirling around in his head. He felt threatened. He didn’t want to share the special kind of attention his two Tops gave him. He definitely wanted Patrick to remain a full-time Top, not a part-time one. He sure as hell didn’t need a pseudo Brat as a member of their threesome.

So absorbed was he in his musing, Kyler lost track of time and didn’t hear Hugh calling for him.

“Kyler?” Hugh placed a hand on Kyler’s shoulder.

The gentle touch startled him and caused Kyler to jolt upright.

Hugh’s forehead creased. “What are you doing here all by yourself? What’s got you so deep in thought?”

“Ahh, I was making a mental list of all I have to do this coming week.” Kyler nervously grinned up at the big man towering over him.

Hugh didn’t look very convinced, but he didn’t press the point either. “Come on down. Your cocoa is getting cold.”

“I haven’t showered yet, but I guess it can wait. Where’s my partner in crime?” Kyler asked with a smirk, leaning over and looking at the doorway behind Hugh to see if Patrick was standing there.

“Patrick’s gone to take a nap like he ought to have done an hour ago.” He noticed the change of expression on Kyler’s face and added. “I am not blaming you for anything, honey. I know you tried to talk him out of shoveling. Patrick told me. Is that what you are upset about?”

Kyler frowned slightly. “Hmm, now that you mention it, I hardly gave it any thought. I had other things on my mind.”

“Okay.” Hugh promptly sat down on the bed next to Kyler and looked at him invitingly. “What’s on your mind?”

Kyler drew in a breath before carefully saying, “I’d really like to talk to you about something I overheard.”

Hugh nodded slightly and waited.

Deciding on a direct approach, Kyler blurted out, “Would you really punish Patrick and would that make him a Brat like me if you did?”

Hugh’s lips curled into a small smile. “What exactly did you overhear?”

“I wasn’t eavesdropping or anything, Hugh. I was putting away my boots and jacket and heard Patrick say something about you not spanking him and you saying Tops could do other things.” Kyler sifted, somewhat uncomfortable with the conversation but knowing he needed to know one way or another.

Hugh put an arm around Kyler and held him close. “Kyler, Patrick is a Top and he will always be a Top. He’s been through a rough couple of weeks and he’s frustrated at his inactivity and confinement. That doesn’t make him a Brat.”

“Sooo, nothings gonna change, right?” Kyler sought clarification to set his mind at ease.

“He will always be your Top, just as I will. That will never change.”

Genuinely relieved, Kyler visibly relaxed. “I don’t want anything around here to change, Hugh. I like our present lifestyle and its’ dynamics.” He paused and chewed on his lower lip as he tried to figure out how to explain his feelings. He always found this type of discussion difficult. “I truly feel a great deal of security in my life with having two Tops, even a strict one like you.” He gave the older man a small smile before laying his head on Hugh’s shoulder. “As you know, I certainly don’t do change well. It’s stressful to say the least, and sometimes kind of scary.”

Hugh turned Kyler around and pulled his chin up. Then he gently kissed him on the lips. “There’s nothing for you to be scared about. Nothing is going to change around here as far as our relationship is concerned. Trust me, okay?”

“I do, Hugh; trust you, that is. Both you and Patrick.” Kyler glanced up and then threw his arms around Hugh’s neck and hugged him.

“Good! Now how about we go get that cocoa of yours?” the older man suggested, returning the hug before getting up and leading the way downstairs.

While Kyler sipped his warmed-over drink, Hugh began to look into the freezer. “What do you feel like having for dinner, Kyler?”

Kyler shrugged his shoulders. “Anything you wanna make will be fine with me. I’ve got no preferences.”

“How about a beef stir-fry with white rice? You like Chinese and so does Patrick.”

“Sounds good to me. Want some help with the veggies?”

“Sure, you can chop up some onions for me if you want. And some ginger too please.”

Kyler drained his mug and got up to put it in the sink. Turning the radio on low, he set out the cutting board and French Chef knife.

The two men worked side by side at the counter with an ease that spoke of some practise. The fresh air and exercise had made Kyler hungry, resulting in him eating raw broccoli, red pepper and carrots almost as fast as they were being chopped.

It became a game for the younger man to see if he could snatch the veggies fast enough to avoid getting his hand smacked by his Top. Kyler strongly suspected he might be pushing his luck, but was having too much fun to stop.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kyler opened the back door with the two only fingers he had available. With his arms so full of packages, he was grateful the door was unlocked due to Patrick being home all day.

Not able to untie his snow-covered boots, he clumped across the kitchen floor and placed all his parcels on the table before returning to the porch to remove his boots and hand up his jacket. He took care to avoid walking through the small puddles left behind from his first trip; wet socks are always so uncomfortable.

He was taking containers out of one of the bags when Hugh came into the room from the hallway.

“Hi, man. Sorry I’m a bit late. I had to make a trip to Staples in Kelowna for office supplies. I called and left a message saying I’d be picking up supper at Swiss Chalet. Guess Patrick didn’t hear the phone, cause he didn’t answer.” Glancing around and not seeing his other partner, Kyler asked, “Where is he anyway? He can’t still be napping.”

“No, he had some emergency at the clinic and he’s not back yet.” Hugh came over to the table and looked into the bags. “What’d you get?”

“Bar-b-qued chicken, fries, salad, rolls, sauce. You know; the usual stuff we get from that restaurant. I also picked up my new tax program so I’ll be ready to file returns for private clients.” Kyler began putting away the computer paper and ink. “So did Patrick get the okay to resume normal activities?”

“No, he is not cleared for work as far as I know. Not unless he called Dr Bannon, which I doubt,” Hugh added rather dryly.

Kyler shook his head. Patrick was pushing his luck and Hugh was far from happy about it. “Hope he won’t be long. This food is going to get cold.”

“He’s on his way back. I just spoke to him a few minutes ago. We can plate this up and he should be home by the time we are ready to sit down.”

“Good! Even though we can re-heat it, I’m too hungry to wait.”

“I’ll get the plates,” Hugh offered.

“And I’ll get us something to drink.” Kyler filled three glasses with water and added ice cubes. “Hey, a car just pulled in.”

Hugh walked over to the kitchen door and held it open. He waited until Patrick came up the porch steps. “Hello.”

Patrick smiled at Hugh and leaned over to kiss him. “Do I smell dinner?” he asked cheerfully.

“You betcha; take-out from the Chalet,” Kyler informed him.

“Hmm, all my favourites!” Patrick planted a quick kiss on Kyler’s lips as well before he went to the kitchen sink to wash his hands. “Can we eat yet? I’m starving!”

“Didn’t you have any lunch?” Hugh inquired, knuckles on hips.

“Ah, I had a late breakfast,” Patrick replied, casually glancing over his shoulder at Hugh. “I wasn’t all that hungry.” He finished washing his hands, went over to his place and sat down. Eyeing the food with relish, he started to serve himself. He spooned some salad into Kyler’s plate as well.

“I should have called to see if you’d like to come with me to Kelowna. Sorry about that. I was rushing and didn’t think of it. I might have known you’d be getting antsy.” Kyler grabbed a couple of fries and shoved them into his mouth.

“No problem,” Patrick responded easily. “I’m glad you didn’t anyway, as it turned out.”

“What time did you go out?” Hugh inquired.

“Sometime after noon, I would say. I wasn’t looking at the time specifically.”

“So no nap either?” Hugh looked at Patrick, obviously expecting an answer.

Kyler ducked his head. ‘Ouch! Not good. The big guy’s a pro at ferreting out the info that will get ya in trouble.’ He continued eating while keeping his thoughts to himself.

Patrick’s eyes flicked over to Hugh with the slightest trace of amusement in them, and locked with his partner’s for a brief moment. He looked down at his plate and ate another mouthful of chicken. He took his time to chew and swallow before he responded. “I called the clinic to check and see how they were coping. Do you know, I had not gone in there for almost three weeks? Not since before my accident.”

“I imagine they probably have been told not to trouble you with any cases while you are still on medical leave,” Hugh stated. “So how did you end up going in?”

“Talk about timing!” Patrick commented, once he’d swallowed again. “Several emergency cases were brought in all at the same time, and one doctor is still on vacation. They were struggling and not coping too well I suspect, because they sure were happy as hell I called; happier still when I volunteered to go in to help.” He saw Hugh’s eyes rest skeptically on him and hurried to add, “It’s not that far really, and I was more than okay to help out. Look, I am fine.”

“You’re looking a little wiped out, man.” Kyler’s observation was verbalized with a touch of concern.

Patrick frowned at that rather unhelpful remark and playfully kicked Kyler under the table. “Well a little tired maybe, but absolutely not wiped out!” Patrick protested with a cheeky grin at the younger man sitting across from him. “Is it that obvious? Am I turning into an old woman or worse, a wimpy Top?”

“Neither!” Kyler hastily assured him. “But you have had a rough go of it, haven’t you?”

“I’m okay,” Patrick replied, softly but firmly. He could see Hugh holding back words and he didn’t want to exacerbate the situation, especially not in front of their Brat. He understood only too well Hugh’s behaviour sprung from concern and love, not a wish to restrict his activities.

“You are going to have an early night then, Patrick,” Hugh announced calmly.

Patrick rolled his eyes. “Mother hens, the pair of you.”

“Sticks and stones……” Kyler smirked at the name calling. “And that must make you our little chick,” he taunted.

Dinner was finished amicably, with Patrick and Kyler continuing to tease one another. Hugh smiled at their verbal jabs and was glad to see the sparkle in Patrick’s eyes. However, as he watched Patrick surreptitiously, he could see the tiredness in his shoulders and the way Patrick flexed his back as if to loosen muscles. He kept his thoughts to himself and his mouth shut.

“Well that was a fine dinner, my love,” Patrick announced, leaning back with a satisfied sigh. “Thank you for that.”

“You’re welcome. I was only too glad to do it as it saved us from preparing a meal.” Kyler pushed back his chair and got to his feet in order to begin gathering up the dirty dishes.

“I’ll clean up with Kyler,” Hugh offered. “You go up and shower, Patrick. Then get ready for bed.”

Patrick’s eyes crinkled but his voice was quite serious. “Actually, I was hoping to have a few words with you before I went up.”

Hugh’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“That’s okay, Hugh. I’ll take care of this. It’s not like there’s a lot to do; no pots and pans at least.” Kyler cheerfully stated as he ran hot water into the sink and added a squirt of dish soap.

“Thanks, honey.” Patrick placed his plate and glass in the sink; then taking Hugh’s arm, he marched the older man into the living room.

Hugh allowed himself to be towed over to the sofa and pushed down into it. He eyed Patrick with mock sternness and asked in a resigned tone. “What are you up to now? I should be so mad at you.”

Patrick smiled and settled himself in the armchair next to the sofa, deliberately putting distance between them. He didn’t want any distraction and the space would help put the right amount of seriousness in their talk. He turned so that they were facing one another. “I thought we should have a little chat.”

“Oh, you do? What about?”

“About you and me; about what you’re doing. Okay?”

Hugh looked suspiciously at his lover and waited.

“Honey,” Patrick started. “I know we talked about me taking it easy and following Dr Bannon’s orders, but you need to remember that I am a doctor first and foremost. When I see a situation where I can be of help; I can’t not pitch in. It goes against everything I have been trained to do and what I believe in.”

Hugh remained silent.

Patrick frowned but Hugh’s face was unreadable and he found himself further justifying his actions. “If I didn’t feel I could do it, I wouldn’t have gone in. You need to give me that much credit.”

Hugh nodded his head. “I do, Patrick. I trust you in everything concerning our lives and you know that.”

“But…?” Patrick prompted, one eyebrow raised.

“But when it comes to your own well-being over someone else’s, then I don’t trust you to think of yourself first.” Hugh’s voice was flat and firm. “Tell me, did you even think of having lunch once you were at the clinic?”

Patrick glared back. “There wasn’t time! And really, I wasn’t even hungry!”

“I can imagine that. Since you didn’t have lunch, did you at least take your medication?”

Patrick flushed guiltily. “I guess I forgot that. But,” he hurried to defend himself, “this is the first time I’ve forgotten.”

Hugh conceded with a nod of his head. “How many emergency cases were there today, and how many patients did you see?”

Patrick paused, suddenly reluctant to go into details. “I don’t know,” he answered with a shrug. “I didn’t really do a head count, you know.”

“Let me guess. Two emergency cases? Three, max?”

“Yeah,” Patrick looked at Hugh warily. “I took over two emergency cases while Chase took the other two.”

“Good! So you left at midday to help in an emergency at the clinic; saw two patients, and then what? “

Patrick already knew where this was headed. He shook his head in frustration. “It doesn’t work that way, Hugh!”

“Then how does it work, Patrick?” Hugh’s mouth was folded into a stern line. “You were supposed to go attend to an emergency, which I accept and understand. Would I be correct to surmise that after you settled the two emergency patients, you went back to your office? And what did you do for the next three or four hours?”

Kyler had finished up in the kitchen and was walking down the hall when he overheard Hugh’s inquiry. Although he hadn’t quite been able to make out the words, he easily picked up on the connotation. Hugh was definitely in ‘Top’ mode and Kyler instinctively knew his partners needed some privacy.

Quietly retracing his steps, Kyler hastily jotted down a short note to inform the others that he was going down to the lounge and wouldn’t be late.

Meanwhile, Patrick was sighing out his frustration as Hugh continued his questioning. “Paperwork? Filled in for someone else and saw more patients?”

Patrick grunted with some irritation. “Come on, Hugh. Why are you being so hard-nosed about this? Don’t you think I know when to quit?”

Hugh remained right on course, refusing to be derailed by Patrick’s remarks. “Tell me truthfully Patrick. Once you were in the clinic and in your office, did you at any time during the day think about yourself? Did you stop to consider if you were tired or needed a rest? Did you even take a break of any kind, or evaluated your own condition?”

The other man remained silent.

“So,” Hugh said softly, reaching out to pull his partner over to the sofa. “You tell me. Did you know when to quit?”

Patrick let Hugh hold him in his arms and leaned his head tiredly on Hugh’s comfortingly broad shoulder. He was tired, more so than he would like to admit. “I guess not,” he finally confessed.

“No, you didn’t.” Hugh leaned down and kissed Patrick’s hair. “Who’s going to look out for you when you don’t do it yourself, hmm? Some doctor! Well, Dr Dean, you can consider yourself grounded and confined to the house.”

Patrick raised his eyebrows at his partner. “Are you serious?”

“Do I look like I am joking?” Hugh asked, exasperated. “I am pulling rank, Patrick, and I don’t want you going anywhere unless I say its okay.”

“For how long?”

“Until your next check-up. If your doctor says it’s all right, then you can go back to work. If not, the ban stays!”

“Is that your final word on it?”

“Yes.”

“Negotiable?”

“No.”

Patrick drew in a long sharp breath. In their eight years together, Hugh rarely overruled him in anything, much less became a ‘Top’ over him. They had been more or less equal partners, so naturally this rankled. But Patrick understood what was driving Hugh and reluctantly admitted to himself that if the circumstances were reversed, he would likely do the same. He let his breath out slowly and finally replied, “Okay.”

Hugh kissed Patrick again, this time on the lips. “Thank you.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The lounge was rather quiet and had been since Kyler arrived. So he sat alone at the bar, slowly sipping on his beer and scraping the paper off the sides of the bottle. He was wondering how things were going on the home front, trusting that his Tops weren’t having a knocked-down, dragged out fight. Although confident in the promise Hugh had made about the dynamics of their relationship not changing, he was still concerned about Patrick’s recovery and what means Hugh would employ to bring their partner’s tendency to over extend himself to an end.

His musings were interrupted when someone tapped him on the head. “Penny for your thoughts, son,” the man on the other side of the bar said with a friendly grin.

“Heck, they’re worth more than that, Uncle Kipper.” Kyler returned the grin with a smirk.

Kipper laughed at the cheeky rejoinder. “How is Patrick doing?”

“He’s getting as antsy as hell.” Kyler grumbled and finished off his drink. Handing the empty bottle to his uncle, he added, “And my two guys are presently talking over how to keep him obeying doctor’s orders for the rest of the week. I figured they didn’t need my two cents worth.”

The older man wisely decided against asking additional questions, instead moving the conversation unto more general topics while they played a game of pool.

Kyler have been at the lounge for almost an hour when his cell phone beeped to let him know he had an incoming message. Flicking his phone open, he saw a text from Hugh. ‘Are you on your way home honey?’

Kyler smiled and quickly responded with ‘I’m on my way’. “Gotta go, Uncle Kipper. Thanks for the game. See ya tomorrow when I come to help you with the books.” Kyler zipped up his jacket and headed out the door.

Arriving home, the young man locked up for the night and climbed the stairs. He stood in the doorway of the large master bedroom and gazed at his two Tops. One was sleeping soundly, the other reading peacefully.

Hugh had tucked Patrick in and had waited until he had fallen asleep before getting ready for bed himself; then had grabbed a magazine, settled in bed next to Patrick to read while waiting for their youngest partner to come home.

He looked up from his magazine, smiled and mouthed the word ‘hey’ while putting a finger to his lips and indicating Patrick. He carefully got out of bed so as not to disturb their sleeping partner and padded over to Kyler, leading him into their en suite.

Once there, he leaned down and put his forehead against Kyler’s. “You okay?” he asked softly. He knew that their Brat had already been picking up the vibes from his two Tops and their silent battle for dominance and authority in all likelihood would make him nervous. It was a strange turn in their normally structured household and Hugh wanted to make sure Kyler was all right.

“Yeah,” Kyler whispered, pulling away enough to glance towards the bedroom and back at Hugh. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

“Good, go get ready for bed.”

Kyler went to get clean nightwear from the dresser drawer as noiselessly as possible and obediently returned to the en suite.

While his younger partner was in the bathroom, Hugh made a sudden decision. He went to their bedside table, removed a couple of items and brought them into their spare room. He turned down the bed there and left the side lamp on, casting a soft, quiet light in the room. Then he came back to their master bedroom and went into their en suite. Kyler was just stepping out of the shower.

Kyler shook the excess water out of his hair and reached for a bath towel, only to come up empty. The one that had been hanging on the rack when he’d come into the room was missing. He looked up at Hugh with a quizzical expression on his handsome face.

Hugh grinned and held up his hands with the towel hanging from them. He threw it around Kyler and began to pat him dry, at the same time kissing bare flesh as he moved the towel over the wet, slim body.

Releasing a long sigh of contentment, Kyler relaxed into the loving care of his partner. He relished these moments when one or both of his Tops would provide him with this extra kind of attention.

The two of them crept out of their bedroom with a sidelong glance at Patrick to make sure he was still sound asleep. Reassured, Hugh half-led and half-bundled his lover into the spare room while trying to keep Kyler’s gurgles of laughter at bay. “Shhh…” he admonished with mock sternness, digging into Kyler’s ribs and making him laugh even more.

They tumbled into bed, mouths stuck to one another. The towel was peeled away and Hugh wrapped himself around Kyler to keep him warm. “Cold, honey?” Hugh asked when he felt the man in is arms shiver.

“Just a bit,” Kyler admitted, snuggling in closer.

“I’ll warm you up!” Hugh promised.

Kyler only let the cuddling continue for a moment or two before opting out for another of his favourite activities.

Hugh allowed himself to be undressed while he went on kissing his lover. As soon as they were both naked, they pulled the quilt over them and continued to explore one another’s bodies with their hands and tongues. It was all familiar territory but nevertheless, extremely satisfying and deeply pleasurable. Soon sounds of heavy breathing and panting were heard from beneath the thick cover. Then a hand snaked out and groped for the tube on the night stand.

Kyler shifted his legs as he opened up to allow the probing fingers easy access. Moments later he was pushing down and then pulling back in an attempt to get them moving in deeper and faster.

“Ready for me?”

“Oh yeah,” Kyler was barely able to murmur. He gasped when the fingers were replaced with his lover’s large erection. After getting into the rhythm they were most accustomed to, it wasn’t long before both men were plummeting into the abyss that awaited them.

“Oh honey,” Hugh groaned as he felt the wave of pleasure sweep through him.

Kyler struggled to catch his breath. “That was sooo good, man!” He grinned inanely at the man still lying on top of him. Neither seemed inclined to move at the moment.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Yes,” Patrick grumbled good-naturedly at breakfast. “I was mangled and bullied and sent off to bed, while you two went and had a gala time without me!”

“Jeez, like I wouldn’t know what that was like, Patrick. Well, the being sent to bed part anyway,” Kyler teased, his eyes lighting up as his grin widened. “I take it then that Hugh somehow persuaded you to stick to the rules for your recovery, huh?” He was curious as to what had taken place last night and hoped Patrick would be more forthcoming.

A lop-sided grin appeared on Patrick’s face. “Persuaded? You mean Hugh bulldozed his way to get what he wanted.”

Kyler made a face at the comment. “So besides being sent to bed, did you get grounded or have to do lines?” Although he kept his tone lightly mocking, there was an underlining seriousness to his query.

Patrick laughed at Kyler’s expression and he affectionately ruffled his Brat’s hair. “No, Ky, I didn’t have to write lines. But Hugh was pretty insistent I didn’t tire myself by going to the clinic or out of the house, so you could say I am grounded in a way.”

Hugh came into the kitchen and overheard the last part. “You look much better this morning, Patrick,” he calmly pointed out.

Patrick snorted but accepted the quick kiss Hugh bestowed upon him.

“Meds?” Hugh inquired, sitting down at the kitchen table to attack his breakfast.

“Here,” Patrick replied dutifully, holding up the pills. He turned to Kyler and whispered loudly, “The Bully!”

“Hugh can’t help it, Patrick. He’s an Alpha Top and that’s all there is to it.”

“Thank you, Kyler.” Hugh’s face softened as he turned to Patrick. “I promise you the moment Dr Bannon gives the green light, we’ll do some fun stuff together.”

Patrick’s eyebrows rose. “By fun stuff, do you mean …?”

Hugh laughed. “Well, I was referring to other things but that would work too.”

“You wanna believe it! Hugh and I will be ready whenever you are,” Kyler happily chipped in.

“Promises, promises!” Patrick murmured, pretending to still be offended but unable to keep the smile from his eyes. The sparkle did however fade a little when his two partners got up and prepared to leave for the day.

Hugh leaned down and planted another kiss on Patrick’s head. “You be good, Dr Dean. You are staying put today, no more gallivanting for you, all right?”

Patrick rolled his eyes at Kyler as Hugh left to fetch his coat.

Kyler was no longer uncomfortable with Hugh pulling rank over his fellow Top; at least not in their present situation. He wrapped his arms around Patrick’s neck and kissed him. “I’ll try to get home for lunch. It’ll break up your day a bit.”

“Sounds like a plan, Ky. Look forward to it.”

Kyler hesitated and then added, “Listen to the big guy, okay?”

“I will, honey. Don’t you worry about me or Hugh.” Patrick’s eyes were warm and slightly quizzical. “We’re both okay. Okay?”

“Yeah, I get it. You’re both Tops and nothing’s going to change that no matter how toppy Hugh tries to get with you.”

Patrick’s tone was dry. “Of course he means well. But take a piece of advice from me; never ever let him speak to your attending physician.”

Kyler burst out laughing. “Sometimes, that ‘physician’ happens to be you. I know you wouldn’t treat me for anything serious; it’s just that the Top comes out in you and you can’t help yourself. And on that note, I better get out of here before Hugh starts hollering for me to get a move on.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Patrick unlocked the front door and hummed softly to himself. A glance at the clock showed that it was almost four PM. Enough time for him to stick the roast he had prepared that morning into the oven, draw a bath and have a good long soak. He was looking forward to the evening.

A short time later, the last two members of the family entered their home. Both sniffed appreciatively at the delicious aroma that greeted them. There was nothing better than coming home after a long day and finding supper started.

“I sure hope Patrick got the okay to resume normal activities,” Kyler commented as he hung up his jacket. “I don’t think even you are going to be able to hold him down much longer. Hmm, I’ll rephrase that. Unless we are all in bed together having some of that ‘fun stuff’ you promised, you’re not going to be able to hold him down.” Kyler chuckled; he was beginning to see a bit of humour in the whole situation.

Hugh grinned. “Is that all you ever think about?”

“Well I could think of something else, but it wouldn’t be near as much fun, now would it?”

Hugh shook his head and flung an arm around Kyler’s shoulder. “Ah, to be young again! Let’s go up and see what our partner is up to, shall we?”

“I won’t be surprised to find him waiting for us. And if he is, I bet I can guess what’s on his mind.” Kyler crossed his fingers behind his back, hoping that he and Patrick were on the same wave-length.

Both men climbed the stairs together, and stopped short on the threshold of their master-bedroom.

“Hello, partners,” Patrick greeted them cheerfully with a wicked grin on his face. He was sitting up in the center of their extra-sized bed, stark naked with his long legs spread wide apart and his arms were linked behind his head as he leaned back against the headboard. He laughed at the expressions on the other two men’s faces.

Kyler striped off his clothes in record time and with a whoop of excitement, leaped on top of Patrick and soundly kissed him.

Hugh watched his two partners, enjoying the moment.

Patrick broke off the kiss and looked over Kyler’s shoulder at Hugh. He didn’t have to say anything. Hugh came forward in response to the silent call. Soon all three partners were fully undressed and on the bed. For once, it was Patrick (instead of Kyler) who was sandwiched in the middle.

“Jeez, I have missed this,” Patrick panted softly. “I’ve missed you guys so much.”

With a grunt and a deep sigh, Hugh disentangled himself and pushed himself up, brushing the hair off his brow. “Before we proceed, I suppose I ought to at least ask how the check up went.”

Patrick chuckled. “I knew you’d ask that! You’ll be happy to know Dr Bannon is pretty satisfied with my progress and thinks that we should resume normal activities as soon as possible!”

Hugh grinned. The emphasis on ‘normal activities’ was unmistakable.

“Well I sure as hell second that motion!” Kyler exclaimed and lightly ran the fingers of one hand down Patrick’s chest, tweaking his nipples into hard nubs before moving further down.

Hugh observed that their Brat, despite his enthusiasm and eagerness, was much gentler in his ministrations than usual and he was reassured. His own hunger began to consume him and he moved to Patrick’s face, their lips gingerly touching.

“Missed you too, darling,” Hugh whispered in between nips.

Patrick was arching his back in response to Kyler’s mouth working in between his legs. He managed a gasp and a weak grin as he pulled Hugh towards him. This time their kiss was deeper and much hungrier.

It took only a minute or two for Kyler’s hot, wet blow-job to bring Patrick his first sexual release in three weeks. Hugh went on kissing Patrick, capturing Patrick’s hands above his head and pressing them down against the mattress. With Hugh’s weight over his torso, Patrick could hardly move. The feeling of captivity and surrender was so powerful that Patrick moaned repeatedly as his chest heaved until his heart beat eventually slowed.

Kyler knelt near the foot of the bed and smirked. “Now that we’ve got that out of the way, we can get down to serious play here and take things nice and slow.”

Patrick nodded, breathless but incredulously getting excited again. “Ky, I swear you were reading my mind.” He shifted to make space for Kyler, who crawled up to lie down next to him and reached across to Hugh; the two of them enveloping their fully-recovered lover.

The End