“Are you officially brace free?” Samantha asked, closing the front door behind her and greeting Bear with a piece of rawhide.

Callum waved his arms in the air with a grin.

“Yay!” she exclaimed, clapping her hands together. Bear barked and dropped onto his belly, with his tail wagging in the air. “Have you set a date then?”

Callum rolled his eyes. “He wanted to wait to make sure I was in the clear.”

“Well, you are, so what date are you going to pick?”

That had been the million dollar question. Ever since the sit down he and Jack had with Verity and Aaron, Jack had been doting on Callum in ways he never had before. Jack had been treating him like he was a fucking prince, in the bedroom and out of it.

Callum caught him sometimes, with a worried and hesitant look in his eye, but every day that passed, it happened less. Callum had been seeing a therapist to talk through the fears that had developed after the attack at Rapture and had been feeling more like himself after every appointment. Paired with the support and the attention Jack had been showering on him, Callum felt like Callum again.

“Two weeks,” he told her with a sly grin. He pulled the sliding glass door open to let Bear out, gesturing for Samantha to follow them into the yard.

“So soon?” she questioned, dropping into one of the mismatched rocking chairs Callum and Jack had picked up at an estate sale a few weeks after they’d moved in.

“It’s not soon,” he admonished, throwing a stick for Bear. “We’re already married.”

“Where are you getting fake married?” Samantha squinted her eyes at him. “Is this like a vow renewal? We’ve been married for two months; let’s do it again,” she mocked.

“You don’t need to come.” He raised his eyebrows at her.

Bear trotted up to the chair Samantha was rocking in and dropped the stick at her feet. He turned in a circle twice then plopped down with a huff. She rubbed her foot along his belly and eyed Callum speculatively.

“I’m just giving you a hard time,” she said. “Can you get me a drink or something? You have two arms and are a terrible host.”

Callum snorted and retreated to the kitchen, grabbing a can of Coke from the fridge and taking it back to Samantha. He sat down in a chair across from her and closed his eyes, enjoying the silence.

That was something new since the attack. Callum had been alone for a long time before he’d met Jack, but his mind had always been on. Always going, always thinking. Now, he found peace in the moments between—the small silences that made life worth living.

“I saw on the news,” Samantha said quietly.

“Then you know as much as me,” Callum blurted, using his feet to stop the rocking of the chair.

Samantha was referencing the report that the two men who attacked him and Keith had accepted a plea. There hadn’t been any point in a trial. The cameras outside the building caught the entire attack. Callum and Keith didn’t even need to formally testify. The man with the goatee knew Keith; a scorned ex-boyfriend that he’d broken free from years ago who tracked him down and wanted him back. The other man, the one who had gone for Callum, was a friend of the ex.

“We don’t need to talk about it,” she soothed. “I just want you to know you can if you want.”

“I have a therapist, I’m good.”

Callum’s earlier thoughts about his return to normalcy started a backslide and Bear whimpered, scooting away from Samantha and bumping Callum’s knee with his snout. Callum reached down and stroked Bear’s fur.

“I like your dog,” she observed as Callum’s heartrate returned to normal.

“Me too.”

“When are your other friends getting here?”

Callum pulled his phone out and checked the time. He had a text from Jack that needed attention.

“They’ll be here in ten or fifteen minutes.” He stood up. “Can you hang out with Bear for a sec? I need to use the little boys’ room.”

Samantha huffed. “I’d gladly spend time with my adorable four-legged nephew.” She shooed Callum away and held her hand out for Bear, who dutifully returned to her feet.

Callum slinked inside and locked himself in the bathroom, opening his messages and re-reading the one he’d received from Jack.

Callum’s cock throbbed at the instruction. He didn’t even know what Jack wanted him to do, but the exchange reminded him very much of the way their relationship had begun.

Callum looked around the bathroom, trying to find the best angle, deciding to prop his phone on the top of the toilet so it could record the reflection of his face and his cock in the same shot. He pressed the record button and pulled himself out of his pants, wrapping a tight fist around his already hard length.

He focused on his reflection in the mirror, making slow pulls up his shaft. He felt more comfortable looking at himself now. He saw himself the way Jack saw him. He pulled his shirt up and held it under his chin, dragging his hand back down his chest and abdomen to his balls.

His strokes quickened, the throb of his heartbeat steady under his shaft. His hand was slick now, coated with precum. Callum’s eyes fell closed and he imagined the feeling of Jack’s hot breath in his ear.

He curled a hand around the edge of the bathroom sink, leaning forward as his orgasm approached. The need with which he needed to come was painful. His desire ran hot and tight through every part of his body.

He panted, pumping his cock into his first feverishly, pushing himself further than he had the first time Jack had him play this game. Callum jerked his cock until his skin was flushed crimson and the initial tingling of orgasm vibrated inside his bones had already began to crest.

With an agonized groan he let go of his cock, wrapping his other hand around the edge of the sink. His dick pulsed and jumped, its swollen tip shiny and slick in the bright fluorescent light of the bedroom. Precum leaked from his slit and pooled on the counter.

Callum ended the recording and sent it to Jack.

Four minutes later, Callum’s cock was still hard, still sore. He shoved it back into his pants with a grimace while he waited for Jack to respond.

The doorbell chimed and Callum gritted out a muffled scream into the back of his arm.

Callum shoved his phone into his pocket and splashed water on his face, drying it quickly as the doorbell rang again. There were muffled voices from the living room, Callum assumed Samantha must have opened the door.

“I don’t think we’ve met,” she said lightly to someone.

“This is Keith,” Justin’s voice echoed down the hallway, causing Callum to skid to a stop as he turned into the living room.

“Nice to meet you,” Samantha said, completely playing off the fact she knew who Keith was. It was one of the things Callum had always loved about his friend—her ability to know when to push and when to not, almost like she had a sixth sense, or maybe just an abundance of empathy.

“Hey,” Callum greeted, the welcome caught in his mouth. He cleared his throat and resumed his entrance, tentatively opening his arms in Keith’s direction.

Keith shook Justin’s hand loose and smiled at Samantha before passing her by completely and coming to Callum. He walked right into Callum’s arms and rested his head on his shoulder.

“Not that one,” Callum winced, maneuvering away from Keith’s face. He was out of the sling, but his clavicle was still sore sometimes and the weight of Keith’s guilt was far too heavy for him to carry.

“Sorry.”

“You’re fine,” Callum said, hugging Keith and waving to Justin and Micah who were still in the doorway with Samantha. “It’s all fine.”

“This is a cute place you and Jack have,” Micah said, coming behind Keith and resting a soft hand against the side of Keith’s arm. Keith smiled at Micah and nodded.

“It is. Thanks for having us over.”

“Oh, well, what fun is a housewarming without friends?” Callum asked rhetorically.

“It’s about as much fun as lube free sex, I’d imagine.”

Callum barked out a laugh and looked up, finding Verity and Aaron crowded into the doorway as well.

“I don’t know much about that, Verity.”

“None of us do, thankfully, and you’re welcome.” They smiled, dragging Aaron into the living room.

“I love your shoes!” Samantha squealed, pointing at the floral print ankle boots Verity was wearing.

“So do I,” Aaron confirmed, wrapping his muscled arms around Verity’s slender waist and carrying them through the house into the backyard in the most blatant display of affection Callum had ever seen Verity allow.

“No Jack yet?” Justin asked, joining him, Micah, and Keith in the center of the living room.

Callum’s cock leaked at the sound of Jack’s name and he shifted himself in a manner he hoped was inconspicuous. “No, he’s not back yet.”

He took a deep breath, his hard-on not willing to abate, pulsing even stronger when the door opened to reveal Jack in the doorway with a case of beer in either hand.

“Speak of the devil,” Justin said, jogging to the door and taking the beer from Jack’s hand. A quick look toward Keith had him at the door as well, taking the beer himself.

“There’s a cooler outside,” Jack shared, wiping his hands down the front of his jeans before clapping Justin on the back in a quick hug.

Keith carried the beer to the yard with Micah and Justin trailing behind. Jack flicked a quick look in Callum’s direction, his nostrils flaring when he caught sight of the bulge in Callum’s pants. Callum licked his lips and returned his assessing stare with an imploring look of his own.

In reply, Jack ran a palm up and down his own crotch, wrapping his hand around his cock after Samantha had looked away to dig inside her purse. Callum reached for his own erection, but stopped when Jack shook his head.

“Come give me a kiss,” he said.

Callum approached him, an awkward gait in his step thanks to the hard cock shoved down the leg of his pants. He raised up on his tiptoes and pressed his lips against Jack’s. He kissed him with all the urgency his arousal required, and Jack returned the kiss mindfully in what Callum assumed was an attempt to temper the heat radiating from every exposed inch of Callum’s skin. He forced his tongue deeper, pushing for a more attentive return.

“Mark is running late,” Samantha interrupted.

Callum separated himself from Jack, who smirked knowingly at him.

“That’s fine. You can hang out with us. Everyone is nice, and you’ve met them at least once.”

“Where’s Landon and Gregory?” Callum asked, wrapping an arm around Samantha’s shoulder and pulling her close.

“They had an errand. Landon said they’d be here in half an hour or so.”

“We should start drinking while we wait,” Callum suggested to Samantha with a laugh.

Jack chuckled. “Pace yourself, kitten. You’re going to have a long night.”