Keith’s body stilled and Justin delivered the first strike, choosing to use his hand for these and not the paddle. It felt more personal that way, and all of this was personal.

“One,” Keith cried, his head dropping low between his shoulder blades.

Justin soothed his other hand over the small of Keith’s back to steady him and delivered another blow.

“Two,” Keith’s voice was wetter now.

Justin looked toward the head of the bed and found Micah’s face wet with tears. His eyes were dry, though, so Justin knew them to be Keith’s.

Keith lost count somewhere around twenty, and Micah’s tears mixed with his now as their faces hovered inches apart. Micah pulled at his restraints, eager to reach for Keith to console him but unable. Keith held the sheets in his fists, his knuckles white while he mumbled and inhaled watery and gaspy breaths.

Micah had cried over Keith more times than Justin could count, so when he reached twenty-five, he stopped, rubbing his warm palms across the blazing heat of Keith’s red backside. Keith’s body heaved as he struggled to catch his breath, he and Micah both hiccupping through their tears.

This was what Micah and Keith needed, whether they knew it or not, and Justin wasn’t surprised he also found the whole experience cathartic as if with this, they’d finally be able to put the past behind them. Justin knew Keith carried the guilt, and Micah carried the hurt, and they all needed to cast their pains aside to have any chance of growing together.

Justin ran his hand up Keith’s spine, gripping the back of his head and yanking him into a sitting position. His face was all shades of pink and red, his mouth swollen and his eyes puffy with tears. He looked like his heart was breaking, and that was what Justin intended. He needed to be the one to tear Keith down so he could build them all back up.

He pulled Keith backward and sealed their mouths together, the warm salt of Keith’s tears slicking against Justin’s mouth. Keith warbled a cry against Justin’s lips and Justin swallowed it with a groan, licking into Keith’s mouth while holding his head in place. He cupped Keith’s face and wiped his tears, kissing him so deeply he could taste his cum in the back of Keith’s mouth.

Keith’s erection bumped Justin’s and they both shuddered, Keith pressing closer and trying to return the kiss. He allowed it, letting Keith eagerly dip his tongue around his mouth with a painful yet pleased sigh.

The kiss turned soft and Justin’s heart ached as he pulled away, pressing a parting kiss against Keith’s mouth. He stroked his thumbs again across Keith’s cheeks, collecting the new tears and casting them aside.

“All is forgiven now, yes?” he questioned. “We move forward.”

New tears poured from Keith’s eyes and he nodded. “Yes, sir.”

Justin dropped another quick kiss against his mouth and Keith reached for him, fingers gripping Justin’s biceps.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

Justin reached toward the nightstand, pulling out some condoms that had been there since before Keith’s disappearance and a bottle of lube. He dropped them onto the bed. Justin looked down at Micah, red-faced and pulling at his restraints. I love you, Justin mouthed to him, before turning his attention back to Keith.

“Now.” Justin moved Keith back between Micah’s legs and reached around him, stroking his cock with one hand and bracing his hip with the other. “You’re going to put on a condom, and you’re going to put the tip of this cock inside of Micah.”

“Yes, sir,” Keith agreed, quickly reaching for a condom and the lube. He unrolled the condom down his length and applied lube before he swiped his wet fingers between the split of Micah’s ass. He lowered himself and pushed forward, the head of his cock breaching Micah’s hole.

Micah grunted and flicked his stare to Justin, his eyes wide and pupils shot. Justin knew how much Micah hated that tease, so he took his time putting on his own condom and slicking himself.

“Sir,” Micah bit out.

“Hmmn?” Justin raised an eyebrow.

“More, please.” Micah writhed underneath Keith, who also looked pained by the shallow entry.

“Do you want prep, Keith?” Justin asked, pushing a wet finger between his cheeks. He pressed against Keith’s hole and the tip of his finger was welcomed quickly.

“Fuck no,” he answered, body trembling.

Justin spread Keith’s ass apart and lined his cock up to Keith’s hole, surging forward with one smooth thrust. Keith bore down and took him in, a sharp cry flying from his mouth as Justin’s weight behind him pushed him deeper into Micah.

Keith collapsed on top of Micah and Justin fucked him deeper. This was more than he’d imagined it would be, fucking Keith and using Keith to fuck Micah generated a heady and rich sensation of a new kind of power inside him. Also, though, a greater responsibility as there were now two men who needed him, who relied on him.

Justin still felt, even as he buried himself balls deep inside of Keith, that he’d failed them all by not being the man Keith had needed before. He fucked Keith until his doubt abated, his body thrilled at the sensation of splitting Keith open, his mind jumbled as the cries of the men beneath him morphed into one harmonious melody.

He lost himself in the rhythm, in the movement, the noise of skin and sweat and Micah’s rattling chains. Keith’s body jerked underneath him, a garbled shout leaving his mouth, and the muscles of his channel tightened and gripped Justin’s dick when he came.

Micah arched off the bed and Keith collapsed on him, his body loose, even as Justin continued to pound into him. Keith’s head lolled in the dip of Micah’s shoulder and Micah kissed him across the temple, his sweaty hair sticking to Micah’s face.

“Keith, use your mouth and make him come.”

Justin pulled out of Keith just long enough for him to rearrange himself between Micah’s legs, then he thrust back in, his momentum pushing Keith’s mouth around Micah’s cock. Micah came quickly, jerking against the restraints and shouting through his release. Justin followed soon after, hands digging bruises into the curvature of Keith’s hips.

He eased himself out and removed the condom, tying it off and tossing it on the floor. He removed Keith’s condom while he lay limp, half sprawled across Micah with cum on his lips. Keith said something that sounded like thank you, sir. Justin unhooked Micah’s restraints, bending his arms and legs slightly before backing off the bed and padding into the bathroom for some wipes.

He returned to the bed and wiped Keith and Micah down, gathering the condoms and used wipes, which he dropped into a trash can beside the bed. He maneuvered his way onto the mattress, his back against the headboard.

“My boys,” he whispered, pride swelling inside of him at the sight of his utterly debauched partners. “Come here, now.”

Micah scooted toward Justin’s side, taking Keith with him. Justin stroked Micah’s hair from his forehead and smiled, kissing him softly. “I love you.”

He reached for Keith, pulling him up and kissing him with the same feeling. “And I adore you.”

Keith made a small choking sound before he managed a smile.

“Come on then,” Justin said, scooching Micah down the bed and patting the space on his other side.

Keith clamored over him and tucked in under his arm with a happy sounding sigh.

“How are you feeling?” he asked Keith while he stroked soothing fingers down a sleepy Micah’s flank.

“Really good,” Keith answered, nuzzling his head into Justin’s armpit.

“That wasn’t too much?” Justin had worried how Keith would react to the punishment, but he’d given him the out and Justin knew he had to trust Keith to use it if he needed it.

“No,” Keith rasped, kissing Justin’s chest. “I feel like…I needed that?”

Keith laughed quietly before adding, “But you probably knew that.”

“We all needed it,” Justin told him, thinking back to his earlier feelings.

On his other side, Micah snored. Justin shook his head and eased Micah onto the pillow, pulling the blankets to his chest.

“I’m still learning about you,” Justin whispered, helping Keith to arrange himself under the covers for sleep. “So you need to communicate with me, always, okay?”

“Yes, sir,” Keith answered, his eyes blinking heavily as soon as he hit the pillow.

“I promise you this though, little mouse, you’re safe here, you are desired, you are wanted…” Micah snored again, interrupting him. “And you are so very loved.”

Justin was surprised to wake the following morning alone. He reached out on either side of him, finding the sheets empty and cold. Then he heard a clatter from somewhere else in the house and hushed laughter.

He opened his eyes and stretched, his muscles sore from the previous night’s exertion. He tossed the covers back and got out of bed, making a quick stop in the bathroom before stepping into a pair of loose, blue lounge pants and following the ongoing noise through the house.

Keith and Micah were in the kitchen, shoulder to shoulder at the stove, whispering away like they were co-conspirators.

“Good morning,” he said, interrupting and startling them. They both spun to face him, eyes wide and lips wet and swollen. Justin scratched the side of his cheek and tilted his head in question. “Have you been kissing?”

Micah’s cheeks heated and Keith pulled his puffy lips between his teeth to hide the evidence.

“Did you want some coffee?” Micah asked him deviously, reaching for a mug from the under-cabinet rack and setting it on the Keurig.

“What I want,” Justin said sternly, “is your mouth.”

Micah flushed darker and closed the space between them, raising on his tiptoes and offering his lips to Justin, who stole them in a heated kiss. He could taste coffee and grease against Micah’s tongue and he licked the flavors away, more than one of his appetites growing.

Justin broke the kiss and crooked a finger toward Keith. “Now you.”

Micah stepped away and watched as Keith took his place. Justin closed his eyes and devoured Keith’s mouth. Keith groaned and pressed closer, his cock bumping Justin’s thigh eagerly. He chuckled into Keith’s mouth and pulled back, smiling when he was met with Keith’s closed eyes and parted lips.

“I’ll take that coffee now,” he whispered.

Keith blinked his eyes open like he was waking up from a dream before he palmed his cock with a grimace and backed toward the stove. Micah moved the full mug of coffee toward him then pulled three plates from the cabinet.

“We were going to bring you breakfast in bed,” he pouted, turning back to Keith who had pulled a pan off the burner.

“Did you want me to go back to bed?” Justin teased, sipping at his coffee.

“We can all eat here,” Keith replied, turning with a full plate in his hand. He passed it to Micah who set it on the table before returning for the other two.

Justin took his seat at the head of the table and bit into a perfectly cooked piece of bacon. He quickly ate the entire thing.

“Good job with the bacon, Keith,” he commended.

Keith blushed. “How did you know it was me?”

“Micah always burns it.”

Micah scoffed. “I do no such thing!”

Justin raised his eyebrows and began chewing at another slice. “Your bacon is like cardboard.”

“Oh, that’s terrible,” Keith agreed.

“Don’t you dare gang up on me!” Micah accused, waving a finger between Justin and Keith. They dissolved into a bout of raucous laughter, eating breakfast and talking about nothing important.

“How is your ass?” Justin asked Keith after they finished eating. Micah and Keith both blushed.

“Sore, but I like it,” Keith answered, meeting Justin’s stare head-on.

“Oh?”

Keith nodded. “I’d like to do it again. Well, not that exactly, but more. You know.”

“Onward and upward,” Micah chimed in.

Justin darted his attention to his husband, whose eyes shined like stars as he looked from Justin to Keith.

“Onward and upward,” Keith agreed.

“Well, if that’s the case, then there’s something we need to talk about,” Justin said solemnly, folding his napkin and setting it beside his plate.

Keith’s face paled. “What’s that?”

“About getting you tested so I can fuck you raw.”