Chapter Sixteen

Cody

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“Well aren’t you a chipper one today.”

I glanced over at Layla as I dumped a bucket of ice in the cooler.

“Me?” I tried to give her an innocent look, but I knew my face was flaming.

Layla rolled her eyes and took the bucket from me. “You’ve been grinning like a fool since the moment you walked in. What’s his name?”

I bit my lip as Layla put the bucket away under the bar and stood, pushing her long red braid over her shoulder as she did.

There were very few people in the world who could read me like a book, and Layla was one of them. It didn’t matter what I said, she’d figure out the truth. She always did.

“Um, it’s not like that... not really.”

“You haven’t been getting some?” She arched her eyebrow at me as she leaned against the bar.

We’d only opened the doors ten minutes ago so the bar was empty and the skeleton kitchen staff were in the back and couldn’t hear what we were saying.

“Well...”

“Cody, honey. Tell me what’s going on.”

As I looked into Layla’s brilliant green eyes I sighed. She’d seen me at my worst and never judged me. If there was one person I could be completely open with, it was her.

“I’m kinda in a relationship.”

“Oh my god! You have a boyfriend?” She clapped her hands excitedly.

“Not exactly—”

“A girlfriend? Since when are you bi?”

“I’m not. Trust me. All gay, all day.” I grinned as she laughed. “I have two boyfriends... we all date.”

“Well, what are their names? Where did you meet? Details, honey.”

The way Layla skimmed over the fact that I was seeing two men at the same time like I’d told her there was a sixty percent chance of rain tomorrow sent a flush of gratitude through me. Layla really was the most incredible and understanding person I knew.

“One of them is Isaac.”

“I knew it! I’ve seen the way you boys look at each other, but it’s only when you know the other is looking away. Who’s the other?”

“His name is Jonah. I met him when I went into Open Arms one night, then he came here and met Isaac... and yeah.”

“And yeah? Cody, I may not like men but I can handle at least a few details.”

I blushed and bit my lip.

“Isaac and Jonah went out and hit it off, then Isaac told me he loves me. I kissed him, then went to see Jonah. We kissed and... yeah. We all started dating.”

“Wow. I’m so happy for you.” She came to stand in front of me and gently pressed her small hand against my cheek. “You’re the most incredible and the sweetest man I’ve ever met. You deserve to be happy, and I love seeing you smile, hon.”

“Thanks, Layla.” I put my hand over hers, keeping the contact for a few beats longer than I normally would have and she grinned wickedly.

“I see they’ve gotten you over a certain aversion.” She winked and I dropped her hand, chuckling as my face flushed, again.

“Yeah, well, I’m not about to stand on the street corner with a ‘free hugs’ sign, but I’m okay with touching now.”

“That’s amazing, really. I’m so happy for you.”

“Thanks.”

“Oh come here.”

Layla grabbed me and dragged me into a big hug. A few weeks ago I wouldn’t have been able to handle such an aggressive embrace, now I was clinging to her and hugging her back like I never wanted to let her go.

When I finally did loosen my grip she dropped her arms and stepped back, her eyes bright with unshed tears.

“Layla?” I asked, putting my hand on her arm.

“Sorry. I’m a little emotional today.”

“It’s fine.” I smiled. “Are you okay?”

“I’m perfect.” She shook her head, almost as though she was trying to shake away her tears. “I’m just really happy for you. The first time I saw you, I knew there was this bright, open and happy man trapped beneath all of the shit that was weighing you down, and to see it come out is truly amazing.”

“I feel... different. Like this whole new world is open to me.” I blushed and looked at the floor for a second. “Before everything was scary. No matter where I was or who I was with, I had this fear that something bad was going to happen. I could never relax, and even when things were good I was scared. I’m not scared anymore.”

Layla beamed as she listened to me.

“And it’s not just Isaac and Jonah. It’s me too. They helped me trust, to let go of some of that fear, but I did the rest. It feels good to finally be in control of my own head.”

“That’s fantastic, hon. You have no idea how happy I am.”

“Layla, can I ask you something?” My voice was hesitant. I didn’t want to overstep, but there was something I’d wanted to ask her for a while now but never had the courage.

“Sure.” She gave me a quizzical look.

“When I was staying with you, I heard you talking about someone when you were on the phone one day.”

“Who?”

“Joseph.”

Layla’s eyes clouded for a second and I immediately felt like the world’s biggest asshole.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have—”

“No, it’s okay. It’s just been a long time since I heard that name out of the blue like that.” She shook her head and pulled in a deep sigh. “Joseph was my son.”

My mind blanked for a second. I’d had no idea Layla had a child.

“He was premature and was born at twenty-six weeks. They tried to save him, but he died three days after he was born.”

“Oh god, I’m so sorry.”

I wasn’t just the world’s biggest asshole, I was also a colossal jerk and felt horrible.

“I don’t talk about him much. That was a turbulent time in my life. I was hiding who I was and made some stupid choices. He would have been nineteen this year.”

I did some quick mental math and had to clench my jaw shut when it threatened to fall open. Layla was thirty-three. It wasn’t exactly a secret but only Evan and I knew her exact age, the rest of the guys just knew she was in her thirties. That meant she would have had her son at fourteen.

“I guess that’s why I was drawn to you and Blaze. I was only a mom for three days, but I’ve felt this hole in my life for so long. Then you boys came along and you let me mother you. I’ve given up hope that I’ll ever have another child, but you boys make me feel whole again.”

“Layla.” I held her by the shoulders until she looked at me. “You have been an incredible mom to me. We’re not blood, but when I think of the woman who helped shape and raise me, I think of you. I know Blaze feels the same way, and all of the guys love you as a friend and surrogate mother. No matter what happens in the future, you’ll always have five boys to look out for, who would lay down their lives for you. Okay?”

Layla didn’t say anything. She just pulled me into a crushing hug and I gently rubbed her back as she took a moment to calm down.

“Thank you,” she whispered against my neck.

“No, Layla. Thank you. For everything. You and Evan saved my life. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you.”

When Layla finally pulled away from my hug she went into the office to do some paperwork and compose herself.

After spending so much time with her, living in her apartment, I was only now realizing just how much I didn’t know about her. I felt like a conceited dick, always laying my shit on her but never asking about her life and past, and she wasn’t the only one.

I knew quite a bit about Blaze’s past, but only because he’d opened up to me in order to help me deal with my own traumas. I knew bits and pieces of all the guys’ history, but there were big gaps in their lives that I had no knowledge of. They’d always been there for me, listening to whatever I could tell them and respecting my boundaries, but I’d never pushed to get to know them beyond the superficial, or try to be there for them.

That was going to change. From now on I was going to make a point to be more open with everyone at the bar. They were my family, and I was going to be there for them the way they’d always been there for me.

Shy, self-absorbed, and scared Cody was gone. It was time to be an adult and put as much into my relationships as I got out of them.

* * * * *

After work I hurried home and jumped into a quick shower. Isaac was swinging by to pick me up in twenty minutes, and we were going to go over to Open Arms to volunteer. Jonah was working his weekly late shift so we’d thought it would be nice to spend some time with the kids, shooting the shit and keeping them company while we waited for Jonah to get off work. We hadn’t run the plan by him because we thought it would be a nice surprise.

I managed to eat a peanut butter and banana sandwich before Isaac texted that he was outside. My stomach would have loved a second sandwich, but I’d miscalculated just how long it would take me to get home, get ready and eat. I really needed to work on my time management skills.

As I slid into his car Isaac leaned forward and gave me a soft and sweet kiss.

Even after all the kisses we’d shared, all of the blowjobs, hand jobs, frotting and sex, I still got butterflies in my stomach every time Isaac or Jonah touched me. It was surreal to think that someone like Isaac could love me, that Jonah could want me.

“Hey,” Isaac greeted with a smile as I leaned back in my seat.

I felt like I was grinning like a fool, but I didn’t care. “Hi.”

“Ready to go see our man?” he asked as he started the car and checked to make sure it was safe to pull away from the curb.

“Oh yeah.”

We talked about trivial things, mostly work stories. Isaac told me about a comical moment where one of the guys on his crew was carrying around a 2x4 and nearly knocked over every guy within range as he tried to scratch an itch on his back. I told him about the highschool kids who’d tried to use fake IDs to get a drink in the middle of the afternoon. They couldn’t have been more than sixteen, and their IDs had been terrible and looked nothing like them.

When we got to Open Arms we found Jonah in the main room talking with a kid I didn’t recognize. He glanced up at us in surprise, a grin spreading over his handsome face as we waved hello and then headed over to where the bulk of the kids were hanging out.

Schoolwork had never been my thing, and while Isaac had a head for numbers he wasn’t so good in the humanities, so helping with homework was out.

Instead we did what we did best. We played video games on the outdated system and talked shit.

Some of my best memories at the shelter were when people would come visit us. It didn’t matter if they stayed five minutes or five hours, it was knowing someone cared enough to take time out of their lives to spend it with us that meant the world to me.

After about an hour of getting our assess handed to us by teenagers, Jonah nodded for us to follow him into his office.

“This is a pleasant surprise.” He sat on the edge of his desk as Isaac and I stood in front of him. “In the neighborhood?” he asked teasingly.

“We wanted to see you.” Isaac grinned, his eyes sweeping over Jonah’s desk and settling on his crotch.

“What?” Jonah looked down. “Did I forget to pull up my zipper?”

“No. I was just picturing Cody bent over your desk while you fucked him senseless.”

Jonah and I both let out sounds at that declaration— I moaned, Jonah gasped.

“And where would you be in this?” Jonah asked, his voice dropping and taking on that husky quality that always made my dick hard.

“Waiting for my turn to take him.”

Jonah closed his eyes and groaned. “You’re killing me.”

“Good.” Isaac grinned.

“You know, me walking around with a raging erection while working in a youth shelter isn’t the best idea.” He shook his head and I could tell he was trying to control his libido.

“Who says you need to walk around with it?”

Feeling emboldened I stepped in front of Jonah and pulled him down for a kiss. I heard the distinct sound of a metal lock engaging, and then I went to town.

I was on my knees pulling Jonah’s cock free before Isaac managed to cross the room. As Isaac fell to his knees next to me I buried my nose in the dark thatch of neatly trimmed hair at the base of his cock, breathing in Jonah’s unique scent. It was a mix of spice, musk and there was a sweetness there that was all Jonah.

While I would have loved to torment him, delicately sharing his cock with Isaac until he begged us to finish him, we didn’t have that kind of time. Someone could come to the door at any moment, and I wanted to see him come.

The double blowjob was messy and a little frantic. I loved doing this for my men and it always brought me back to the first time Isaac and Jonah had shared my cock, fulfilling my fantasy and giving me new material to think about when I was alone and horny. As we sucked him Jonah held us by the heads, his hands threaded in our hair. He wasn’t forcing a rhythm or trying to control our movements. He just wanted to be connected to us and I loved him for that.

“Fuck, I’m going to come,” Jonah said in a strained voice, his hand tightening in my hair.

Isaac had just pulled off Jonah with a wet popping sound and I quickly sealed my mouth around his cock, swallowing him as far down as I could.

One thing I’d learned about myself was that I loved sucking dick. I’d gone from never wanting a cock near my face to having my mouth water at the mere thought of getting to taste one of my men. I knew my technique could use some work, but I enjoyed it so much I had no issues practicing as often as they’d let me.

“Shit!”

Jonah’s hips snapped forward and my eyes watered a little as his release coated the back of my throat. I hadn’t been ready for it, but the fact that Jonah had lost a little control as he’d come undone was hot as fuck, and I greedily drank down every drop of him.

When I pulled off his cock, drawing in a few deep breaths, Isaac took over and licked Jonah clean until he pulled his oversensitive dick away.

After tucking himself back in his pants Jonah reached down and pulled Isaac and I up, kissing each of us deeply before letting go of our arms so he could palm our cocks through our pants.

“Mr. Green?”

The knocking on the door accompanied by a very young voice had us jumping apart. Jonah looked like he’d been electrocuted while Isaac was fighting back the giggles.

“Just a moment!” Jonah called out, looking between us.

“To be continued.” Isaac winked, managing to slap on a neutral expression.

“You boys are going to be the death of me.” Jonah gave us a pointed look and headed toward his door. “Yes, Rhett?”

Isaac and I hung back as Jonah exchanged soft words with the boy, and then tossed an apologetic look over his shoulder at us as he followed the kid down the hallway.

“Want to stay?” Isaac asked, glancing over at me.

“Maybe head home. I don’t think I can handle getting my ass kicked any more tonight.”

“Same. Hungry? We could grab a pizza and hang out. As much as I’d like to see him tonight, I doubt Jonah will be calling us. He said something about an early staff meeting tomorrow morning.”

“Yeah.” I nodded, following Isaac out of Jonah’s office. “I remember that.”

“Your place or mine?”

“Is Noah home?”

“Noah’s always home.” Isaac shrugged.

“Mine?”

“Done.”

After leaving the shelter we picked up a pizza and some sodas, and brought them back to my apartment. Isaac let me pick the show we watched and I put on an episode of Firefly, partly because I liked the show and partly because Isaac didn’t.

After our pizza was consumed and the box put away, Isaac turned to me.

“Wha—”

Before I could finish my thought, Isaac was on top of me. His kiss was crushing as his hand rubbed against my cock, making me rock hard in only seconds.

“Fuck,” I moaned as his lips moved down my chin and teased the sensitive skin of my neck.

Even as lust and passion built inside me, my mind flashed to Jonah and how he wasn’t with us. Isaac and I had been together countless times now, but always with Jonah there. This would be our first time having sex alone.

Instead of thinking about it I shut my brain off and focused on Isaac. On how incredible his tight body felt against mine, how much I loved the feel of his slightly calloused hands moving over my skin, and the way he could take control and show me how much he needed me.

We hastily stripped off our clothes, only pausing long enough for Isaac to pull a condom and a packet of lube out of his pants pocket, before he was on top of me, pressing my body into the soft cushions of the couch.

The prep was quick, hard, and exactly what I needed. I wanted to feel the burn when he entered me and I didn’t want to drag things out. I needed him and I wanted him, now.

It was a little difficult to spread my legs on the couch since the back prevented one leg from moving at all, so Isaac tried something new. 

After rolling the condom on and slicking it up with the rest of the lube he put my bent knees under his armpits and leaned over my body, essentially forcing me to bend in on myself as my feet rested on his hips.

“Fuck!” I almost screamed as he slid inside me, bottoming out on the first thrust.

The position was amazing. It opened me up in a way I’d never felt before, and it naturally guided his cock right over my prostate with every thrust.

Isaac bent to give me another wet kiss, gently biting at my bottom lip before using his tongue to soothe it, then he started to move.

There was nothing sweet or gentle about his thrusts. They were hard and punishing, and fucking incredible. The sound of our slapping skin and my cries echoed in the room, and I had to lift my hands and press them against the arm of the couch to keep my body in place as Isaac pounded into me.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!” The words tumbled out of me in cadence with Isaac’s strokes. It was as though my mind and mouth were no longer connected, and every sound and word that tumbled from my lips came from a deep and primal place.

I fought to keep my eyes open, needing to see Isaac’s face as he fucked me. I loved the look he got in his eyes, like I was the only thing in the world and he wanted nothing more to be in that moment with me. I also loved to watch him come, to see the moment he was overcome with pleasure and came undone.

“Oh fuck!”

Isaac shifted the slightest bit and it was enough to send me flying into my orgasm. I came with a shout, my entire body clenching and shuddering as cum painted my chest. Neither of us had touched my dick, and while it wasn’t my first hands-free orgasm, this one was by far the most intense I’d ever had.

“Shit, baby!” I cried out as Isaac began grinding against me, his cock reaching places inside me I didn’t even know existed.

My entire body lit up, every nerve ending started firing and the rest of the world melted away until all I was aware of was pleasure and love.

Isaac came with a shout, collapsing on my body as he fucked me through his orgasm. Our bodies were slicked with sweat and we were both breathing so hard we were gasping.

“I love you,” he whispered in my ear, his voice raspy and low as he stroked my hair with his strong hands.

“I love you too, so much.”

I hugged him closer, not caring about the mess on my chest that was now smeared over him, or the fact that he was getting soft inside me. Isaac shifted his arms so my legs were free and I wrapped them around him.

That had been some of the most intense sex of my life, but there was a part of me that was unsure about how to feel.

The three of us had never talked about having sex when one of us was missing, and while I loved the idea of Isaac and Jonah together, enjoying and exploring each other’s bodies, that didn’t mean Jonah thought the same.

We needed to talk to him about this and set some ground rules so no one ended up getting hurt.