Six months later, Jack was still flying even though he hadn’t touched the controls of a plane since he’d lost the Ann. Tonight he was flying particularly high because he was spread out on the bed with Calder between his thighs, together doing their best to wake the nearest neighbors half an hour away in Anchorage. That was one good thing about living in the middle of nowhere—you never had to worry about how much noise you made. Jack certainly wasn’t. He was shouting his praises of Calder loud enough to shake the exposed beams of the cabin he’d built for the two of them. He’d needed to be closer to Anchorage to work anyway and Calder was tired of the constant plane noises from living on the Ptarmigan base.

Jack was sure the other men on the base had been tired of the noises he and Calder had been making as well. Jack had been working hard to overcome his anxiety about being out.

He couldn’t be much happier about his decisions than right now, with Calder’s mouth molten hot around him. Soft fingers gripped his thigh, while others stayed busy below, pressing deep and opening him wide. Jack’s back arched, his entire body moving into the simultaneous curl of Calder’s fingers and tongue, the wet heat bringing him right to the edge, until the sudden grip around the base of his shaft stopped him cold.

“Hang in there a little longer,” Calder teased, lips moving over the silky skin of his underside like the best kind of torture. “We haven’t reached the main event just yet.”

“I think if you string me along like this much longer I might actually die,” Jack groaned. It was at least the fourth time tonight Calder had stopped him short, manipulating him with expert skill to keep him on the knife’s edge of desperate arousal. He felt taut as a piano wire, humming with tension at every touch, over sensitive and over stimulated. He was at once more exhausted than he’d ever been in his life and also buzzing with frantic energy.

“I don’t know,” Calder said in faux disbelief, his fingers pressing deeper. “I’m not sure you’re ready yet. I think it could take another hour at least.”

“Calder!” Jack begged. “For the love of all that is good and holy if you make me wait another hour I will—”

“All right, all right!” Calder laughed as he shifted to his knees, hands sliding under Jack’s thighs. “Since you’re so impatient. I remember when you wouldn’t even consider this.”

“Yeah, well, I was an inexperienced idiot, what can I say?” Jack spread his legs wider to accommodate Calder, gripping the sheets in eager anticipation. Calder added a little more lube to himself and lined up, just pressing against Jack’s entrance.

Jack bit his lip, remembering how against this he’d been the first time Calder had asked. He hadn’t bottomed since his first time and that experience, on top of all his insecurities, had made him very wary of going through with it. But Calder, with patience and persistence, had finally won him over, for which Jack was grateful. He still preferred the other side of things most days, but he’d definitely been missing out.

Calder sank in slowly and Jack groaned, relishing the slow sting of being filled. It was slightly uncomfortable but also immensely satisfying in a way that was difficult to accurately describe. All he knew was that he loved it. Or, at the very least, he loved Calder, and loved anything the other man decided to do to him.

Calder had been working Jack so long and so thoroughly that he slid all the way in to the hilt with barely any resistance and the first shallow thrust that brushed against his core made Jack curse and hold his breath to keep from cumming. Calder chuckled watching him struggle.

“Really? I haven’t even touched you yet.” Calder grinned, teasing him.

Jack wanted to retaliate, but was concerned that if he did Calder might pull out and continue to torment him for another hour, so he settled on a murderous glare, which just made Calder laugh again. Then he moved his hips and Jack didn’t care anymore.

He leaned back into the sheets, letting the sensation of fullness wash over him every time Calder moved his hips. Calder was, as he had been all night, taking his sweet time with it, his motions slow and steady and unbearably, inhumanly patient. Jack had no such patience. When he initiated things, they tended to be fast, spontaneous, passionate and wild. But when Calder took the reins he preferred to draw things out, to linger over every act, to take Jack apart slowly and put him back together with endless gentle touches. Jack couldn’t decide if he loved it or hated it.

He rolled his hips impatiently into Calder’s thrusts, trying to take better control of the pace, but Calder only slowed down further to thwart him. He ran his hand down Jack’s stomach as the muscles flexed with his breathing, stretched taut by the strain of his motions, his endless efforts to convince Calder to give him what he wanted.

Calder slipped a hand behind Jack’s knee and pushed it up toward his chest, the better to shower kisses along his thigh. The graze of teeth made Jack inhale sharply, excitement spiking at the thought of Calder unleashed, tearing into him without restraint, teeth and nails and an embrace so tight it bruised. He’d managed to work Calder up to such a state more than once and it was one of his favorite sights in the world. Today Calder seemed determined not to let him have it, preferring to tease him into madness. With such slow, shallow thrusts, he might keep going all night.

“Is that your plan?” Jack growled, beginning to put it together past the haze of desire on his mind. “Are you trying to keep me up all night so I can’t go out tomorrow?”

Calder grinned a little sheepishly and bent to kiss his lips, pressing deeper at the same time in a way that made Jack’s breath catch and his skin flush.

“It is our anniversary,” Calder whispered into Jack’s ear. “Can you blame me for wanting to keep you in bed all day?”

“Yes,” Jack replied with difficulty, struggling to keep his thoughts straight as Calder’s hips moved, grinding within him. “I haven’t seen Otis in months. You can spare me long enough for one drink with my friend.”

“I don’t know,” Calder said, shaking his head and pulling back for a quick, sharp thrust that left Jack seeing stars. “I have a whole schedule planned out for us tomorrow. I really don’t think I can afford to let you leave this bed for even a minute.”

Pleasure burned low in Jack’s core and he groaned, clamping his thighs around the other man tighter.

“If you really don’t want me going anywhere tomorrow,” he suggested, his eyes intense with desire, “you had better make sure I can’t walk.”

He saw Calder’s control falter, and then suddenly the other man had moved onto his knees, dragging Jack’s hips up into the air, leaving him supporting himself on his forearms. His legs were over Calder’s shoulders, leaving him with no leverage, not that he thought he’d need it. Calder had a punishing grip on Jack’s hips and barely waited for Jack to find his balance before he began to move. Short, fast strokes that gave Jack no time to recover between the waves of electric pleasure rushing up his spine. He shook, his need bouncing against his stomach and his eyes closing, every thought he had abruptly forced out of his mind. There was room to think about nothing but Calder moving inside him, the soaring rush and crash. He was free falling through an endless blue sky, the wind against his skin, freer than he’d ever been thanks to the single chain he had chosen to hold on to forever. The one that linked him to the man above him, now and forever.

Calder leaned further over him, pressing Jack’s knees to his chest, changing his angle and making Jack shout his name. He kissed Jack hard, both of them breathless and shaking. Jack felt his pace slipping, becoming more frantic, and then he pulled back. Jack cursed as Calder forced himself to slow down. He’d been so close, he knew Calder had been too, but Calder was changing back to longer, slower strokes, though still just as forceful. His eyes were closed, catching his breath and fighting to hold himself back.

“Calder,” Jack moaned, verging on whining.

“Beg for it,” Calder demanded, grinding deep.

“Calder,” Jack said a bit more dangerously.

“Come on,” Calder insisted, and stopped moving entirely. Jack let loose a string of expletives that would have made a sailor blush.

“Calder, please!” he said, giving in, and Calder obligingly began moving again, hammering into Jack hard enough to make him see stars.

Both of them were already close after a long evening of buildup and as Calder finally threw away restraint and drove into Jack with everything he had, they both barreled toward completion at top speed.

Jack hit his limit first, gasping Calder’s name as he spilled across his own stomach, tense and shaking as pleasure flashed through him. His vision went white as the orgasm he’d been denied all night finally overwhelmed him, making his head spin and his heart stop. Calder came a few rapid thrusts later, pulling out to add to the mess on Jack’s stomach.

Calder sank down onto the bed beside him, chests heaving as they tried to catch their breath. Jack closed his eyes, relishing the aftershocks of pleasure still running over his skin like electricity. Calder rolled over and began leaving small kisses over his shoulder.

“Don’t fall asleep,” he said.

“I’m not,” Jack said, lying.

Calder’s hand slid over his hip.

“If I’m going to keep you from walking tomorrow, we’ve got a lot more work to do.”

Jack was suddenly certain he wouldn’t be sleeping tonight at all, but he couldn’t find it in him to be upset about it.

***

He could still walk the next morning, but it took some effort. His back twinged with every step and he grumbled as he climbed out of his truck, already planning his revenge. He slammed the truck door as he stepped down onto the tarmac of Ptarmigan base, breathing in the cold clear air of the air field. It hadn’t changed, except for what the season demanded. Otis was already hurrying toward him.

“It’s been too long,” his old friend said, pulling him into a hug. “How’s life on the ground treating you?”

“Could be worse,” Jack said with a shrug. “I see you haven’t managed to kill yourself yet. Fly into any mountains lately?”

“No, I leave that up to you,” Otis replied, laughing. “Come on inside, the guys have missed you. Where are you working now?”

“Ground delivery out of Anchorage.” Jack’s voice was noticeably unenthusiastic. “It pays the bills, anyway. I should have enough for a new plane in a year or so.”

They ambled toward the mess hall, taking their time. It was a cool day, the sun bright and the sky clear, and they felt no rush to get indoors.

“You didn’t think of going south?” Otis asked as they walked. “With the hours you have logged, you could easily get work with a commercial outfit.”

“It’s not the same if the plane isn’t mine.” Jack shrugged, watching a small plane pass by in the distance, imagining being inside it. “And besides, I love it up here. I could never go south again. Calder is settled now too.”

“What’s he doing now?”

“Turns out there are a shortage of yoga instructors in Anchorage. One of the ski lodges hired him to help entice more yuppies to stay off the slopes and inside the resort spending money.”

“A better situation for all involved.”

“He’s been talking about wanting to get a store though. He’s taken up baking and he loves it. If he doesn’t get tired of it and we can find the money, he’s thinking about a café or a bakery.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t bring him along,” Otis said, eyeing him thoughtfully. “You two have been pretty inseparable since they pulled you off that mountain.”

“Yeah, he made a big stink about staying home all day today.” Jack rolled his eyes. “Then at the last minute he decided he had some errand he had to run. He’s a pain the ass.”

Despite what he said, his smile made it clear he’d rather be annoyed by Calder than just about anything else in the world.

“Well, maybe he’ll make it by later,” Otis suggested, holding open the door of the hall for him. “The guys were talking about doing a little something. Nothing major, just a cake maybe.”

“They don’t have to do that,” Jack said, a little embarrassed. “It’s not like a six month anniversary is anything that special anyway.”

They stepped into the warm hall, shedding their coats. There were a handful of other pilots hanging around and most of them waved at the sight of Jack. Jack waved back, oddly touched. He hadn’t realized he’d been missed.

“It’s not about the anniversary,” Otis said, leading him to a table. “It’s been a while and we’ve all missed seeing you around. You’re a part of the family. “

Otis got him a beer and they settled down at the table to talk, chatting aimlessly for a while about what they’d both been up to and general base gossip. It was good to spend an hour back here. Jack had missed flying like he was missing a part of himself, but he realized he’d missed more than just that. He’d missed Otis and the other pilots, even Johansson. He’d missed the easy sense of camaraderie. He’d even missed the terrible beer. He’d spent almost all his time here or in the air for years. Was it any wonder that returning felt like coming home?

“So Calder,” Otis said after a time. “You think it’s the real deal?”

“I think I’d never have gone this far with it if it wasn’t,” Jack replied without hesitation. “I was scared to death of getting involved with anyone. But if I’d let this one go, I never would have seen anything like him again. I couldn’t risk it, no matter how much of a coward I was. I want to spend the rest of my life with that man.”

“Those are some pretty serious words,” Otis said, raising a wild eyebrow. “Have you told him that?”

“He knows,” Jack said with a small smile.

“Still, feelings like that.” Otis shrugged. “It’s worth saying.”

Jack nodded in agreement, looking away.

“I have a reservation to a place in Anchorage,” Jack said. “I’m going to take him out to a nice dinner tonight. Get a couple of glasses of wine in me and maybe I’ll have the guts to say that to his face.”

“I’ll be cheering you on,” Otis said, raising his glass.

Quiet descended for a moment, then Otis checked his watch, frowning.

“I’ve got another delivery in a bit,” he said, “but I want to show you something first. Just got a new modification for the Cessna and I’m not sure it’s working right.”

“What kinda mod is it?” Jack asked, standing up as Otis did and following the other man toward the door. It was about lunch time and the hall had emptied out, but Jack was certain it would be stuffed to the gills shortly as all the pilots pulled in for lunch.

“Fire suppression thing,” Otis waved his hand dismissively. “You’ll know what I mean when you see it.”

Jack frowned, growing suspicious, but Otis lead him to the hangar and held open the door for him to step into the dark building.

The door swung closed behind him and, before his eyes could adjust, Otis flipped on one of the overhead floodlights and blinded him.

“Damnit, Otis, what did you do that for?” he griped, rubbing at his eyes as he waited to be able to see again. When he could, his eyes widened abruptly.

Otis was in front of him, standing next to Calder, who was grinning broadly. Next to him were Dan and Avery, and behind them every other pilot and crew member he’d come to know while he worked at Ptarmigan. Behind them, perfect as the day he’d bought her, was the Ann.

“Happy anniversary, Jack.” Calder’s grin grew wider as he gestured back at the plane.

His mouth opened so wide that he was in danger of catching flies, Jack stumbled past the party guests to put his hands on the plane’s nose like he couldn’t quite believe it was real.

“How?” he asked, mystified.

“With a lot of help,” Calder answered, laughing.

“We had to replace a lot,” Otis put in. “And some of her we just couldn’t find. But a good twenty or thirty percent of her is the original Ann.”

“I know how much you’ve missed flying,” Calder said, beaming at the wide-eyed awe on Jack’s face. “I brought it up to Otis and he said he’d been planning to try and dredge up what he could of the plane anyway. I helped pay for that part, and by the time Otis got what was left of Ann to the base a bunch of the other pilots had heard about it and volunteered time and materials to put her back together.”

“We’ve missed you, buddy,” Otis said, his eyes glistening with sincerity. “We want you to come back and fly with us again.”

Jack, dazed, grabbed Otis and pulled him into a grateful hug. He reached out to grab Calder as well without letting go of the first man, pressing grateful kisses to his lover’s face.

“I can’t believe you did this,” he said, starry eyed with amazement. It felt like a miracle. “All of you!”

“Hell, you’ve done enough for us,” Otis said with a laugh. “You’ve never been afraid to take an extra shift or go the extra mile. You’ve been a friend to everyone here. Back in your rescue days you saved the lives of more than a few friends and relatives here. Getting you your wings back is the least we could do. You’re family, Jack.”

Jack felt tears sting his eyes and, embarrassed, hugged Calder closer to hide his face in the other man’s shoulder.

They had a table set up with cake and refreshments there in the hangar, having correctly assumed that there would be no dragging Jack away from his plane until he’d gone over every inch of it. The guests obligingly filed past the cockpit to allow him to socialize without breaking contact with his plane. Calder endured this with a smile, leaning against the fuselage and watching the other man gush over his gift.

“I’m surprised you two could make it,” Jack said to Avery and Dan when the other couple made their way around the nose of the plane to talk to him. “Finally get tired of Oklahoma and decided to move up here?”

“Not on your damn life,” Avery said plainly, then laughed. “I’ve had enough of Alaska to last me a life time honestly. But Calder mentioned he was going to surprise you with this and we had some free time, so we scheduled a ski trip and came up.”

“Not Elias, right?” Jack asked, frowning.

“God no,” Dan turned white. “The bunny slopes on Denali. If we don’t just decide to spend the whole trip in the lodge drinking a wine bottle, which I wouldn’t be opposed to.”

“We’re learning our limits,” Avery said, grinning.

“A bit late,” Calder said with a snort. “Still, I’m glad you guys could make it. How’s the application process going?”

“It’s a nightmare,” Dan muttered. “Everyone else in the world can have kids without even trying, but I’ve got to have a bunch of strangers track through my house and my finances judging every ugly souvenir I’ve bought and vacation I’ve taken in the past twenty years.”

“You’re going to be great parents,” Jack said. “There’s no way you won’t get approved.”

“It’s going to be one lucky kid that ends up with you two,” Calder agreed.

“Damn lucky,” Avery agreed. “Especially with you two for godparents.”

Calder’s eyes widened and Jack leaned further out of the cockpit.

“Really?” Calder asked.

“Who else would we choose?” Dan laughed. “You’ve been practically family to Avery since you were kids, and Jack literally saved his life. And as you established while we were missing our actual families aren’t exactly the most stellar examples of paternal instinct. We’re making our own family and we want you two to be part of it.”

Jack had to hide his face again, while Calder teared up openly.

“So you’re willing?” Avery asked.

“Of course!” Calder answered. “Aren’t we?”

He tugged on Jack’s pants to make the other man answer.

“Yeah,” Jack croaked, nodding quickly. “Of course.”

Calder couldn’t help laughing at the red-faced mess Jack had become. Jack waved him off, overwhelmed and embarrassed, but also happier than he’d ever been. When he’d left everything behind to come north, he’d thought he was giving up family forever. His parents would never accept the life he lived now. And for years he’d assumed he would die alone, too afraid of the truth to commit to a relationship with a man but unable to live a lie with a woman. But he’d been building a family all along. He looked around now and saw them everywhere, people he knew as well as brothers, whose wives and children he’d eaten dinner with, whose dreams and fears he knew. And Avery and Dan, with whom he’d shared a near death experience and the months of recovery that had followed. And Calder, who had saved him, who he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. He was surrounded by more family than he knew what to do with.

“You okay?” Calder asked, climbing up into the cockpit to check on him. In response, Jack pulled him closer and kissed him hard, pulling him down into the seat.

“I love you,” he said when they broke for air.

“I love you too,” Calder said, laughing as he settled in Jack’s lap in the plane.

“No, seriously,” Jack said, looking into Calder’s eyes with an intensity that stopped Calder’s laughter. “I love you. More than I’ve ever loved anyone else in my life. I was going to wait to take you out to dinner tonight but…I want to be with you forever, Calder.”

Calder’s eyes widened.

“Are you…asking me to marry you?”

Jack turned red, looking away.

“I know we haven’t talked about it,” Jack said, shifting in the seat. “Whether you’re even interested in something like that. Even if it’s just a license from the courthouse, or a mood ring out of a damn cereal box—I just want you to know I mean this. I want you to know I really want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

Calder let his forehead rest against Jack’s eyes closed and face flushed, smiling broadly.

“You’re incredible,” he said softly, laughing under his breath. “Of course I’ll marry you, or buy you a mood ring, or whatever else you want to do. I want to be with you forever too, Jack.”

Jack held Calder close, his heart soaring even though the plane hadn’t left the ground. He kissed the other man’s eyes, his fingers and palms, too happy to think straight.

“You saved my life, Jack,” Calder said, running his fingers through Jack’s hair.

“You saved mine too,” Jack replied, and kissed Calder on the mouth, ignoring the cheers of Avery and Dan and Otis and the other pilots, watching from outside the cockpit. From now on, he could fly even with his feet on the ground.

 

 

*fin*

 

 

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