Travis Craig

 

 

I have to admit, when I first met this Lawson fella, I took one look at his bow tie and perfect hair, and heard him speak all proper-like, and thought oh boy. Actually, my first thought was, I hope he finds this butterfly soon because he sure didn’t seem the type to last long out here.

But then I got to talkin’ with him when we gave Charlie and Jack some time to catch up, and it didn’t take me long to figure out he was one smart cookie. And then I watched him when he was with Milly, explaining to her how butterflies did their thing. She took him to the garden out back and showed him where those plant-eating caterpillars got into Ma’s veggies, and Lawson listened to her like it was the most important thing he’d heard all day.

I respected him after that.

Then after dinner, Lawson laid maps out over the table and got his iPad out, and he and Charlie went over them, marking GPS locations and talkin’ topography and soil types. He had a tub of equipment he said he took with him everywhere, full of things like a barometric reading thermometer, a satellite phone, and some other gadgets. Charlie was all excited to show him the cattle tracking collars we had installed, showing him on screen that we could see wherever the herds were in any part of the 2.5-million acres we owned. Lawson was amazed, and they talked about how technology and science integration was fundamental. All the while, Jack just stood back and smiled at their entire interaction.

Now, Jack was something else entirely.

He was a big fella, and it was pretty easy to see he worked outdoors a lot. He had that natural strength that showed in his shoulders and arms. He had dark hair and a charming smile, and in that regard, he reminded me a lot of Charlie. I could see why they fell into each other’s company all those years ago.

I hated to admit that I didn’t particularly like knowin’ this other man had experience of an intimate nature with Charlie. There might not have been any emotions involved, but Jack had been with Charlie in bed. He’d been naked with him, touched him, kissed him, tasted him. Looking between them now, I had to wonder which one of them topped. Had Charlie been the one to fuck Jack, or had Jack been inside him?

“Isn’t that right, Trav?”

Huh? Shit. “What? Sorry, I was a million miles away.” I flashed them all an apologetic smile, but I didn’t think Charlie was fooled.

He tilted his head and eyed me cautiously. “I was just tellin’ them of the time you came off Shelby and busted your knee up pretty bad. Spent a day and night out in the desert in the middle of summer.”

“Oh, I’m glad you were found.” Lawson gave Jack a look. “And it’s a little reassuring that I’m not the only one who has had a run of bad luck. Though I couldn’t even imagine being out here in summer. It’s hot enough now in autumn.”

“A run of bad luck?” Jack asked Lawson, his eyebrows near his hairline. He looked at me and Charlie and smiled as he spoke. “We’ve had encounters with bushfires, cane toads, sprained ankles in the Snowies, and―”

“And I don’t think they need to hear any more,” Lawson said, raising his chin. “I assure you, I’m most prepared when on expeditions. The cane toad poisoning was hardly my fault, and Mount Kosciuszko was simply unfortunate footing. Admittedly, the bushfire was foolish, but the Blue Mountains incident was a freak of nature, really.”

Charlie chuckled. “Well, if it’s any consolation, the snakes out here are gettin’ ready for sleepin’ at the moment, being autumn and all.”

“Snakes?” Lawson gaped.

Just then, a pyjama-clad Milly appeared in the doorway with Ma. “Bath’s all done,” Ma said.

Charlie went over to them. “Aw, thanks, Ma. You didn’t need to do that.”

“My pleasure. I knew you boys’d be busy. Can I get anyone a cup of tea?”

We all said, “No, thanks,” but then Lawson said, “If it’s not any bother, I would love a bag of fruit scraps or rotten fruit if you have it. If not, it’s fine.”

Ma stared at him like he’d lost his mind. “Uh…”

“We’ll need it tomorrow,” Lawson explained, “for the butterflies.”

“Oh. Course. I’ll see what I can find.” Ma gave us a nod, bid us a good night with a promise to see us bright and early.

Charlie picked Milly up, and she put her head on his shoulder, clearly tired. “Story time?” he asked her quietly. She nodded with sleepy blinks, so Charlie gave me a smile. “Won’t be long.”

We all watched him leave, then Lawson asked, “Travis, may I trouble you for any more of the photographs you took of the butterfly?”

“Oh, sure. I’ll just grab my laptop.” I’d sent him all the ones I thought were pretty good, but if he wanted to see every photo I took before heading out there in the morning, I had no problem with that. I grabbed my laptop while Lawson and Jack folded up the maps and cleared away the table, but as I was walking back in, I found Nugget wandering the hallway, probably wondering where everyone went. I scooped him up and brought him with me. “Here,” I said, handing Nugget over to Jack.

Jack was a bit surprised, and it was pretty obvious he’d never really held a baby before. Or a wombat. But he soon settled Nugget on his back, and both of them seemed happy with this arrangement. “Wow, he’s heavier than he looks.”

“Yeah, he’s like a brick,” I agreed.

“Milly picks him up like he weighs nothing.”

That made me laugh. “She’s never known life without him.”

Jack looked at Nugget and made a thoughtful face. “How old is this little fella?”

“He’d have to be six.” Jack looked surprised by that, so I explained. “He’s small. The vet said he’s perfectly healthy, but he’s just a runt. Said it could be from when we found him; his mum was on the side of the road, been hit by a car. We don’t know how long he wasn’t fed for.”

Jack frowned at the wombat. “But he’s fine now?”

“Oh yeah. Been a pain in our ass ever since. But we wouldn’t have him any other way.” Then I thought about that. “Well, I coulda done without the foot-bitin’ thing he had going on for a few years. But he and Milly are as thick as thieves.”

Jack gave me a smile, the genuine kind that made me like him whether I wanted to or not. “They’re both as cute as hell. You’re very lucky.”

I nodded. “We know.”

“Travis,” Lawson said. He’d been studying the laptop screen so long I’d almost forgot he was there. “Can I ask you about these?” He pointed to the ground in one of the photos, and we got talking about that for a while. He was probably asking questions I couldn’t rightly answer to the degree he wanted, but he was getting more excited. Until he looked up at Jack, who was standing, leaning against the table, rocking a wombat to sleep in his arms, and I reckon I saw the moment Lawson melted into love all over again.

I recognised it because I’d looked at Charlie exactly the same way every time I saw him holding a newborn Milly. It was an overwhelming thing that detonated in your chest like a bomb, filling every part of your entire being with a need to love and protect.

Jack seemed to sense our eyes on him because he looked up and smiled with a shyness that belied his size. “He’s almost asleep,” he whispered.

Charlie appeared in the door. “Milly’s finally out.” Then he noticed Jack and Nugget, and he smirked. “Come through here. You can put him to bed.”

Lawson and I watched them walk out, and Lawson gave me a slight smile before closing the laptop. I wondered if he was okay with meetin’ Charlie or if he had the same trepidation I had about Jack. I didn’t know why I felt such jealousy, if that’s what it even was. It wasn’t rational. It wasn’t… I didn’t even know what it was.

It was stupid, that’s what it was.

Lawson gave me a nervous smile. “I know Charlie would think it was me doing him a favour by coming all this way, but I can assure you, the contrary is true. Thank you for inviting us into your home with your family, and thank you for allowing me the opportunity to study these butterflies. I’m truly grateful.” He never broke eye contact and he was strangely intense, even though he clearly had no clue how he came across. “But if you don’t mind, I’d like to call it a day.”

“Not at all. Might wanna set your alarm for five.”

Lawson gave a nod and left me feeling even worse. There I was thinkin’ resentful thoughts about Jack, and Lawson was nothing but polite and thankful. Charlie walked in, took one look at me, and took my hand. He led me out, turning the lights off as he went. Jack must have gone to bed too, because the house was dark except for a line of light from under their bedroom door. Charlie didn’t stop, though. He walked me into our room and closed the door behind me.

“Trav, what’s wrong?”

I almost laughed. There weren’t no point in denying anything. He knew me too well. “It’s stupid.”

“Nothin’s stupid if it’s how you feel.” His eyes were imploring, searching mine for answers. “Talk to me.”

“I keep thinking of you being with him.”

Charlie’s eyes went wide. “With Jack? What happened to the Travis tellin’ me ‘It’s my ring on your finger and I know damn well who you belong to.’?”

“That was before he was here. And before he was a real person. A good-looking, real person, I might add.” I sighed. “He’s been with you. He’s touched you, tasted you. He’s heard the way you whimper and seen how your eyes roll closed when you come.”

He blinked.

“It’s stupid and I don’t like feeling like this, but I can’t help it. I thought I’d be okay with it. I was okay with it. Until I saw him. Then he was a real person.”

Charlie put his hand to my face. “It was a long time ago. I can’t change my history.” Then he leaned in all close, took a breath and nudged his nose to mine, giving me an almost kiss. He murmured, “But Trav, if he’s one grain of sand, then you’re the entire fucking desert.”

I tried not to smile and failed. I leaned into his hand. “Thank you. And I dunno why I feel like this.”

He leaned against me, pushing me against the door, and kissed my neck up to my ear. “Because the way I whimper when you’re buried inside me is just for you. And if I roll my eyes closed when you make me come, it’s because you make me. Not anyone else. Never anyone else.”

I ran my hands over his ass and pulled our hips closer, grinding our erections together through our jeans. “Charlie.”

He slid his hand between us and palmed my dick. He spoke against my lips. “Wanna hear me whimper, Travis?”

I kissed him and pushed him toward the bed. The backs of his legs hit the frame, and I turned him around, fixin’ to kiss the back of his neck and grind my hard-on against his ass. Reaching around, I undid his belt. He raised his hips for me. “Fuck yes.”

I hummed and undid his jeans, slipping my hand inside and gripping his cock through his briefs. I shucked his jeans down over his hips, then pulled his underpants down to his thighs. I bit down on his neck as I wrapped my hand around his length and pressed my erection against his ass crack. Charlie let his head fall back onto my shoulder and he moaned. “Trav. Please.”

“Get on the bed.” I stepped back, giving him room to turn around and sit down, and by the time I’d grabbed the lube, he had his boots off and was tugging at his jeans. I grabbed the denim and pulled them off his legs. He grinned and did away with his undies and threw his shirt across the room.

I toed out of my boots, watchin’ as he got himself comfortable, lying back with his head on the pillows and his legs spread wide, giving his own cock a slow pull. I was gonna take my time, maybe tease him a little, but then he licked his lips. “Trav.” He took the bottle of lube and slicked his fingers, then slipped his hand down between his legs. He groaned when he fingered himself.

I stripped in a flash and quickly found myself on my knees, between his thighs. I watched as he fucked his own fingers until I couldn’t bear it. “Take your hand away.”

He did as I said but used his slicked fingers to coat my cock, pumping me and positioning me against his hole. “Just do it, Trav. You want me to whimper, then fucking make me whimper.”

I pushed against him, that brief resistance giving way until I slid inside him. His eyes went wide and his mouth fell open and a whining sound escaped him, so I leaned over him and covered his mouth with mine.

And whimper he did. That glorious sound he made with every thrust, with every slide of my cock inside him, reachin’ deeper and deeper. Part of me wanted to shush him; part of me wanted Jack to hear him.

Charlie gripped my ass, urging me to go faster, harder, until my orgasm crashed over me and I came inside him. I crumpled on top of him, too caught up in my own pleasure, my own head, to consider Charlie.

And he wasn’t havin’ none of that. He rolled us over and pushed me onto my stomach. I was face down on the bed, and he got to his knees and grabbed the lube. I knew what he was about to do.

I wanted it.

I lifted my ass and stretched my spine, relishing in the warm buzz of pleasure still flowin’ through my veins. Charlie straddled my thighs, poured cool lube down my crack, then pressed his cock against my willing hole. And he pushed in. No preparation, no stretching.

Just how I liked it.

When he was fully buried inside me, he gave me a second to adjust, then put his lips to my ear. “As I belong to you, you belong to me.”

He pulled out and slammed back in. I couldn’t explain the noises that escaped me. The grunts, the pleading. He fucked me like he owned me, and in many ways he did. In every way, he did.

And with a final thrust, he filled me completely and spilled inside me. Shuddering and jerking as his orgasm took hold of him. He collapsed onto my back, kissing my neck. He nuzzled his nose into my nape. “Shower?”

“Yeah.”

Now if Jack and Lawson hadn’t heard us in the bedroom, surely they had to hear laughing in the bathroom.