Steve's Tale 6

Steve’s Tale

Chapter 6

“Steve, come meet Miles and Simon.” Josh’s voice came from the hallway.

Steve had hidden in the kitchen, taking far longer to do the dishes than was truly necessary. He wanted to stay home today. He didn’t care that Josh and Jer were going to organize gloves and search for keys. He could stay upstairs and read that stupid book of Milton’s if they wanted him out of the way.

Steve scuffed his way out of kitchen, dragging his socked feet across the floor and wishing he had boots to make a satisfactory sound of his displeasure. He kept his eyes on the floor, not wanting to see Josh’s displeasure for his poor manners or to see these two top candidates. Why couldn’t they get that he wanted to stay here?

“Don’t look too thrilled to see us. I might faint from your enthusiasm?” 

Steve didn’t recognize the voice, but it sounded young. He should look up. He was going to hear from Josh about his rudeness; Josh was death on bad manners.

“Come on, kid. You might as well try to make nice. I know tops like Josh and Simon. They’ll whack you, and you’ll still have to go out with us, so you might as well do it without the whacking.”

“Miles.”

Steve reflexively glanced up at the sharpness of the tone. He didn’t really remember Simon, only as the guy who had grabbed him at the bar that night. Simon was big, easily as tall as Josh. His broad shoulders tapered into a narrow waist, and short but unruly sandy hair spilled onto his forehead. Despite what Steve had thought was a warning, Simon was smiling with friendly crinkles around his blue eyes. 

Miles gave his partner a sheepish grin. “Well, I did get his head up.”

“You’re impossible,” Simon said with an easy laugh. “And you call yourself a top.”

Miles smiled and swished his long braid to his other shoulder. “I don’t think we met that night or at least not formally.” Miles stuck his hand out. “I’m Miles Canton.”

Steve grabbed his hand and couldn’t stop himself from staring. Miles was young; he couldn’t be much older than Steve and was dressed in faded jeans and scuffed Doc Martens. He didn’t look like any top Steve had ever seen with a bright bobble in his eyebrow, several strings of beads around his neck and more string and beads around both wrists.

“Gawd, kid, you’re a looker.” Miles pulled Steve closer and ruffled his free hand through Steve’s hair. “Where does this boy get his clothes? The young conservative mail order company, and did you cut his hair with a bowl?”

“Miles,” Simon warned and batted Miles across the head. “You know Josh’s taste.”

“The same decade as Gordon’s.”

“Maybe Steve likes retro.”

Steve shrugged. He didn’t really have preferences. He’d always worn whatever was in his closet. His father had sent him some money at Christmas, but it had been Josh who picked out the clothes, boring and conservative.

“No piercings, no tattoos, and no hair colors that look like they belong in a rock band,” Josh said, his slight smile softening the words.

“Josh, we do have some sense,” Simon said, “or at least I do. I sometimes worry about my other half.” He lightly punched Miles. “Any rules we need to know about?”

“I was serious about the tattoos and such,” Josh said. “Keep him in sight.”

“Short leash,” Simon said with a raised eyebrow.

Steve could feel his face redden. He was short leashed, but did Josh need to talk about him and his behavioral foibles with perfect strangers? It was bad enough that Milton and Tilden knew.

“Shh. It’s not worth it,” Miles whispered in his ear. “You should get a badge for courage, surviving a short leash from the older generation. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

How did Miles know? He was looking at Steve with a wide cockeyed grin. 

“Yeah, I know. I am a top. I know I don’t much look like one, but I’ve been told I have a good feel for it, and you look like a sub who’s going to say something he’ll regret ten minutes later. So let’s skip that part and go have fun. I usually go down to the arcades on Saturday morning. Are you up to getting your tail whipped? I’m pretty good at the fast twitch and blinky light thing.”

Steve shrugged again. He hadn’t been to the arcades since he was in high school. He couldn’t imagine going with Josh and Jer. Josh looked at the computer games as if they might bite him.

“We can eat junk food and go to the movies afterward.”

Steve nodded and shrugged again.

“Talkative, aren’t you?” Miles asked. 

“Be gentle,” Simon said. “He’s not used to a top who talks a mile a minute. Steve, do you hate the arcades or the movies?”

“No,” Steve mumbled, wishing they’d just leave him alone. Josh didn’t ask all these questions. He knew what Steve liked.

“Good. You and Miles can play with the blinking lights while I drink coffee, and then we’ll go to the movies. Miles has been drooling over that new pirate movie with all those guys with their shirts off. Get your coat and shoes.”

That was something Steve could do. He could hear Simon in the background softly talking to Josh. They were probably planning his day. Why couldn’t he just stay home? Steve jerked his lace and it broke in his hand. “Fuck!”

“Steve,” three tops said simultaneously.

Three tops. Were they growing on trees? “Sorry,” Steve said sheepishly. “I broke my shoestring.”

“That language is not acceptable in this house,” Josh said, not hiding the open warning in his voice.

“Yes, sir.” Steve said and ducked his head further into his sweater.

“I hate breaking my laces.” Miles knelt down and with his long thin fingers easily tied the two ends together. “But it sure isn’t worth a spanking, is it?”

Steve felt his cheeks redden. “All I did was swear.”

“When surrounded by tops,” Miles said with a grin. “Tops don’t like swearing. I should know; Simon was quite dedicated in his effort with me, and I expect Josh is even stricter. He’s the Gordon generation. Gentlemen sound like gentlemen and not gutter trash or something.”

“Yeah,” Steve muttered. “Everyone swears. It’s not a big deal.”

“It is here,” Miles said, standing up and putting a restraining hand on Steve’s shoulder. “Josh’s expression could give you frostbite and Simon’s is not much better. I’d recommend a nice genuine apology if you don’t want your tail area feeling like high summer.”

“Well, sh--” Steve didn’t get any farther because Miles popped him hard across the seat of his pants. “Yow!” Steve reached back and rubbed his rump. “That wasn’t fair!”

“Do you need to stand in the corner a few minutes and regroup, or can you behave yourself now?”

 Steve dropped his eyes and scuffed the floor with his shoes. When had Miles morphed into a top? He’d seemed like just another college guy until he swatted, and now his eyes were locked onto Steve with a frightening intensity. “I’ll be good,” Steve mumbled.

“Good,” Miles said an easy smile back on his face. “I really didn’t want to spend the morning supervising you in the corner or worse spanking you. It’s not my idea of a good time, and mean old Simon would have given me the responsibility because he still treats me like a top in training. He says I need practice in all the hands on stuff.”

Steve wasn’t sure if he should smile or run. Miles had seemed more than amply top like. Was he teasing now?

“It’s OK, kid,” Simon said, moving close and dropping an arm around Steve’s waist. “Miles is more than half kidding, but his sense of humor is warped. It will take time for you to figure it out. You’re used to Josh, and we get that. Neither of us will be shy about telling you what we want. I know Josh, and I expect our rules are very similar. Be civil and polite and don’t disappear. Does that sound about right?”

Steve didn’t want to talk about it. Josh just did it. He didn’t make Steve dissect it, especially with strangers.

 “Embarrassing to talk about it with us two interlopers.” Simon ruffled Steve’s hair. “We get that. Promise you’ll tell us if we totally mess up. I failed mind reading class, almost didn’t get my top certification.” Simon kissed the top of Steve’s head.

Steve should pull away. He didn’t know this man, this man that was handling him like a child, but Simon’s eyes were warm, filled with gentle humor, and his arm fit comfortably around Steve’s waist.

“That’s it,” Simon said softy. “We’re not Josh. We’ll never be Josh, but I think we’re safe enough to go out with for a movie and lunch. I promise we won’t turn into the bogeyman.”

Miles growled, leaped, and howled. “No bogeyman--only a werewolf.”

“Miles.” Simon dropped his voice conspiratorially. “You weren’t supposed to tell him that until at least the second date. We don’t want to scare away the fresh succulent game.”

“Get out of here before I change my mind,” Josh growled and pushed everybody toward the door and handed Steve his coat. “Have a good time.” He dropped a kiss on Steve’s forehead. “Do you have your phone?”

“Yes, and my gloves and hat and the phone numbers for all the other tops. Should I take a first aid kit also?”

“Brat.” Josh ruffled Steve’s hair affectionately. “He doesn’t stay all nice and shy once he gets comfortable.”

“Cheeky, is he?” Simon smiled, a broad and easy smile that looked like the natural expression on his face. “Just the way I like my boys. We’ll take good care of him, Josh. It’s only for the day. We’re not going to Outer Mongolia. You’re boy will come home safe and sound.”

*******

“Josh, do you want to put the pegboard back in the kitchen?” Jer stood at the top of the basement steps, holding the toolbox and a strip of pegboard.

“I take it you heard them?”

“Yes, I didn’t think Steve needed a bigger audience. They’ll be good with him.”Jer dropped the supplies and looped his arm around his partner’s shoulders. “Josh, You don’t have to be the perfect, strong top. I know you love that boy. I love that boy too. It hurts. I know it does.”

Josh leaned against Jer, his submissive, his partner, his lover, his other half. “This is so hard.”

“I know,” Jer whispered, rubbing Josh’s back. “Miles and Simon get Steve. I heard the exchange; he’s going to like them, and they will be really good for him.”

“I know.”

“And it doesn’t make it any easier,” Jer finished. “We have to be the proud parents who are brave enough to let their offspring fly away.”

“I would never have survived daughters,” Josh said grimly. “I would have kept them locked in a tower.”

“No, you wouldn’t have. You would have proudly led them down the aisle in your best tux, and that’s what you’ll do here. We’ll be Uncle Jer and Uncle Josh.”

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. It’s the first date.”

“We both know. I can tell from your expression, and neither of us are naive about young couples. We both feel it. Miles and Simon are going to be right. We’ll be dragging our tuxes out of mothballs and buying flowers this summer. I’ll have to routinely lock myself out of the car in front of their house so I can visit.”

“Don’t you dare. You’re supposed to be tame and well behaved.”

“Never tame, only gentled and only for you.” Jer cupped Josh’s head and kissed him deeply. “You made my world stop spinning all those years ago. You will always be my hero, my lover, my top. Thank you.” They kissed again, their bodies fitting comfortably together.

“I love you, but we do need to get these keys in order.” Josh gently pushed Jer away with another lingering kiss.

“You will always be a top.”

“That’s the way you like me, boy. Now go find your keys, and I’ll hang the board. Off you go.” Josh landed more of a pat than a swat on Jer’s hip. “My boy,” he murmured as Jer scrambled away with mock indignation. He loved Steve; Jer loved Steve. They couldn’t deny it, and it hurt, but it was Jer that was his partner, the brilliant man who could still wow the brightest scientists in the land and couldn’t find his keys or stop the faucet from dripping. Josh snorted. It wasn’t that he couldn’t stop the faucet from dripping; it was that he wouldn’t notice until there was an ankle high lake in the bathroom. Josh turned, opened the tool box, and searched for a nail. This he could do. He could love his partner, and he would somehow find the strength to let Steve slip through his fingers. He didn’t want to think about it today, but someday he would not longer be able to avoid it. 

*********

“You go all the way into Boston to play the arcades?” Steve asked as they purchased tickets from the vending machine.

“It’s the only place with Pac-Man and Space Invaders. Anything more modern than that scares Simon. 3-D and he flat runs away.”

“Miles, you’re not supposed to tell him I’m from the last century until at least the second date.”

“It’s going to be obvious when you read an old-fashioned newspaper instead of using your phone.”

Simon laughed, a soft and full throated sound. “I’m in good company. I can tell you first hand that Josh, Milton, and Gordon all prefer the smell of newsprint and the rustle of crisp pages.”

“That’s great company: scary, scarier, and scariest. Poor Steve will be having nightmares about you.”

Steve watched them, wishing he had a newspaper to hide behind. Tops didn’t talk to each other like that. How was he supposed to react to them? It was simple with Josh: clear, calm, and always polite. Steve liked calm. He’d never had calm before.

“Don’t go all scared and silent on us.” Simon squeezed the back of Steve’s neck, a safe and discreet gesture for a public train. Simon lowered his voice so only the three of them could hear. “You’ve not heard Josh joke around with other tops?”

Steve shook his head.

“What about with Jer?” Miles asked.

Steve shrugged. Josh was quiet with Jer. They didn’t boisterously kid with each other. He couldn’t really imagine Josh being loud or openly teasing, especially on a public train. He expected perfect decorum in public locations.

“Josh is private,” Simon said. “He’s the older generation.”

“Stiff,” Miles said half under his breath.

Simon shot Miles a look that curled Steve’s toes, even though it wasn’t directed at him. It was unshielded, pure top.

Miles seemed undaunted by the glare and stuck out his tongue in reply. “Old guys--they have way too many rules.”

“Who are you calling old, my boy? Let me tell you I won all three basketball games yesterday.”

“That’s because you cheat. You kept grabbing my shirt. It was basketball, not football.”

“Sore loser,” Simon turned toward Steve, an easy grin on his face. “Do you play basketball?”

“I’m short,” Steve said softly and turned away. He’d always been too short and too small. He’d played until high school, and people had teased him that he should still be in the peewee leagues.

“Can you shoot?” Simon asked, not dropping the subject.

Steve shrugged. He’d been OK from three-point land but never great, not good enough for his tiny size.

“Miles can’t hit the side of the barn. You can shoot, and he can rebound. With the two of you, you might actually have a small chance. It might take me more than five minutes to wipe the floor with you.”

“I think that’s a challenge,” Miles said, raising the eyebrow with the piercing. “Are you game to make the old man sweat?”

Steve shrugged again.

“Did you learn shrug interpretation in top school?” Miles asked. “I must have dropped out before the class was offered.”

“I have a minor skill,” Simon bantered back, “but this is advanced shrug. It will require an interpreter. Perhaps the young man is bilingual and also fluent in English.”

Steve could feel his ears go red. “I’m trying,” he spat.

“Lighten up. We were teasing.” Seemingly unperturbed by the possible spectators, Simon pulled Steve close and kissed his forehead. “I know we’re a little overwhelming. We’ll try to be good.”

 Steve felt himself flush more at the close contact. Josh and Jer weren’t openly affectionate in public.

“Don’t worry Miles’s and my body are blocking you. No one can see anything.” Simon kissed Steve’s forehead again. 

Steve wanted to lean back against Simon; the hand felt good on his neck, warm and safe, but they were in public, and he didn’t know these men. “I’m fine.” Steve jerked away.

“You’re not fine,” Simon said, “but we’ll work on it.”

Great he was going to be analyzed. Couldn’t they leave him alone?

“So what are you taking in school?” Simon asked.

“Now you sound like my uncle who I see twice a year,” Miles said. “Steve doesn’t want to talk about school.”

“We could talk about you not finishing school?” Simon arched his eyebrows at Miles.

“Let’s not.”

Steve looked over at Miles. He wanted to ask. It was clearly a sore point between the two of them. Tops were organized; they finished school.

“OK, kid,” Miles said with a sigh. “I guess it’s only fair that I burst your bubble of a perfect top at our first meeting.”

“I think the hair and the jewelry already did that,” Simon said dryly.

“Josh was ever so polite, but I know he wanted to give me an earful.”

Steve couldn’t hide the slight smile. Josh had strong opinions about attire. He’d heard that Gordon was worse, but Steve didn’t know. Some of the rumors about Gordon were pretty extreme. They couldn’t possibly be true.

“College is a sore point between the two of us,” Miles said. “I’d finished two years with a cellar dwelling GPA before I ran away to become a top. Simon is on a never ending campaign to make me finish. I’ll probably cave, especially if this goes anywhere. I’ll have to set a good example and all that. You know, this being a top stuff is way overrated. You subs get to have all the fun.” Miles grinned, a very boyish grin, and waggled his eyebrows. “I have to be good, no swearing, no carousing all night, no torturing my crazy aunt. Bland and dull round the clock.”

“How did you ever convince Gordon you were a top?” Simon asked, his blue eyes laughing. This was obviously a joke they played often between themselves.

“It was Landon. He was the one who condemned me to the top side. It’s all his fault.” Miles grinned again. “See, I’ll be easy. I’m a wannabe sub.”

“Don’t believe him,” Simon said conspiratorially. “I offered him the most perfect chance to be a sub, and he about ate me alive.”

This was confusing. It was clear with Josh. He was a top, every action precise, every word measured. Simon felt like a top, but Miles he was a creature Steve didn’t recognize. He’d sounded like a top back at the house, but now he was being confusing again.

*******

“Josh, we’ll be back in about an hour.”

“Is everything all right?” Josh said, gripping the phone tightly in his fist. Both he and Jer had tried to distract themselves all day. It hadn’t taken long to find Jer’s keys and gloves, not nearly long enough for a good distraction. It wasn’t like the old days when Josh would find the car keys in the freezer and the house keys in the oven. For the last several hours, Josh had puttered around the house, fixing the small projects he never quite got done, and Jer was at his desk, diddling with some equation. Josh’s experienced eye told him that his partner wasn’t truly working and was keenly listening in on the phone conversation.

“We went to the double feature. We couldn’t miss twice the number of half-dressed pirates.” Simon laughed softly. “The eye candy was fine; the movies were terrible.”

“Did he eat anything?”

“Popcorn.”

Josh translated that as Steve had been too nervous at lunch when he had to make conversation, but in the darkened movie theater he’d been hungry. “Real food for dinner then?”

“I’d say. We’ll be there shortly.”

“Did everything go OK?” Jer asked when Josh put down the phone.

Josh ran his hand over his silver hair. “I think so. Simon was being a little circumspect. I expect Steve could hear him.”

Jer raised his eyebrows, the question unsaid. 

“They went to a double feature. Steve ate popcorn. That’s all I know.”

“No real food?”

“You’re worse than I am,” Josh said with a soft chuckle. “They offered him lunch. You know how Steve gets when he’s nervous.”

“He liked them. He shouldn’t have been nervous.”

“Jer, honey, this is a huge step for Steve. He went out with two strange tops without me having to handcuff him to Simon and push him out the door.”

“You did push him out the door.”

“I know,” Josh said his voice tinged with sadness. “We agreed this was for the best.”

“If he can’t eat--”

“Don’t wind yourself up,” Josh said sharply. 

“Josh.”

“Jer,” Josh replied in the same tone. “Come here.”

Jer hesitated, his eyes darting to Josh’s face and back to the floor.

“Come here.” Josh pointed to the floor in front of him.

Jer walked toward Josh at a snail’s pace, stopping well out of reach. Josh pointed and snapped his fingers. Jer stepped closer, his shoulders hunched defensively.

Josh placed one large hand on Jer’s shoulder and turned his partner so they both fully faced each other. “Should I be angry or disappointed in you?”

“I whined at you about Steve. You hate that.”

“Look at me,” Josh said softly but insistently. “Do I look like a dominant who is going to punish you?”

“No,” Jer said after a moment’s hesitation. “You look sad.” Jer reached forward and ran his finger down Josh’s face, caressing the sharp planes.

“We’re both sad and unsettled. Steve is going to leave us. It won’t be today; it won’t even be next week or next month, and it might not even be Miles and Simon, but I suspect it will be. They’re going to understand him, and Steve is Simon’s style of submissive no matter how much it hurts me to say it.”

“What about Miles?”

“You heard him.”

“But I couldn’t see him, and I don’t really know him.”

“He’s a sight,” Josh said with a forced laugh. “Hair down to his waist, beads and bobbles everywhere.”

“He’s a top?”

“Very much so once you get through his disguise.”

“How did Steve respond? Steve doesn’t read tops very well.”

Josh smiled wryly. “Steve likes Miles and his fashion statements. I just hope Simon had the good sense to keep the two of them out of trouble.”

“I heard you tell them.”

“Yes, but Miles never learned to respect the authority of a senior dominant. He and Simon flaunted the rules.”

“You three are going to have to work that out. I won’t have you making Steve choose. It’s not fair.”

“Careful with your tone of voice.”

“Don’t,” Jer snapped. “You know what I mean.”

Josh wrapped his arms around Jer and pulled him close, comforting but also controlling. “I know what you mean, but we have also agreed not to talk to each other in that tone. I don’t want to spank you twice in less than 24 hours.”

“You wouldn’t?”

“Do you want to try me?” Josh was giving Jer more warning than usual. Maybe having Steve had changed his style of topping. Steve missed the subtle shifts that he was getting in too deep. Josh had to wave blinking red lights in his eyes before the boy noticed he’d gone out of bounds. Jer usually responded to the subtlest signs; he didn’t need a bulldozer when a garden trowel would do.

“Fine,” Jer snapped. “I’ll keep my opinions to myself.”

Josh’s hand landed hard on Jer’s rump. “Stop. This is hard for both of us; fighting with me will not make this any easier. Spanking you again will make you feel terrible, and it will do nothing to improve my mood. I’ve been getting plenty of spanking practice.”

“I miss him.”

“He isn’t gone yet,” Josh said, but he knew what Jer meant. Steve was always home on Saturday, sprawled on the living room floor doing his homework or reading his way through Jer’s collection of science fiction. They’d already missed his constant banging into the kitchen for more food and his aggravated huffs at a math problem that would send Jer to his rescue.

“It was so quiet today.”

“We used to like quiet.”

“I felt old today,” Jer said, leaning against Josh. “The house was quiet like when I used to go to my grandparents. Everything in their house looked frozen in time. Until the day they died, they used the china they were given on their wedding day.”

“Do you want to buy new china?”

“Josh!”

“I know,” Josh said with a slight smile. “We’re not turning into your grandparents. I won’t let us. I refuse to let you spend your retirement sitting in the kitchen and staring out the window.”

“Now you’re really being the brat.” Jer dropped his hand to Josh’s hip, a gesture in a top that would be a warning but from Jer was a blatant tease.

“So you want to spend your retirement in bed?” Josh’s wide smile softened his features almost beyond recognition.

“If you smiled more like that with Steve he’d never leave,” Jer said his tone serious again.

“Sweetheart.” Josh wrapped his arms around his partner and pulled him close. “Steve needs to leave; it wouldn’t be fair. We’ve done our job.” Maybe if he told himself this enough times he’d start to believe it. Jer knew him too well. He had to hear the pain and doubt in Josh’s voice despite his attempt to mask it. 

“Are we doing the right thing? I see him when he looks at you.”

“So do I,” Josh said, feeling a heaviness drop over him.  “He’s twenty. He’ll fall in love with anyone in pants.”

“He sent all of Gordon’s prospects packing.”

“They weren’t right. Simon and Miles are different. They’re going to be right.”

“How do you know? How do you know Steve won’t go with them because we’re pushing it?”

“Steve is one of the most disobedient, strong willed submissives who I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet, present company excluded. He won’t be bullied into something he doesn’t want.”

“He wants to please you.”

“Jer, I can read him. I’ll know if it’s working.”

“How are you going to handle Simon’s problems with Gordon and Milton? He’s not exactly in good standing, and Steve’s going to need the support of the Green Mountain Boys. He’s an out submissive in college. It’s not like he has many sub friends at school. They’re not under every rock.”

“Simon and Miles are both tops. They’ll suck it up as Steve would say. It will do Simon good to swallow some pride for a boy.”

 “Will Gordon let him back in?”

“Gordon and Milton will read him the riot act, but their first concern will be Steve. They’ll be some kind of punishment and public acknowledgment of Simon’s misbehavior, and then they’ll be let back in the flock.”

“Gordon will want his pound of flesh.”

“It won’t hurt Simon to remember what it feels like.”

Josh untangled his long legs to answer the doorbell. He’d been pretending to read, but in reality he’d been watching the hands of his watch slowly move around the dial. He knew the train timetable. Steve should be home.

“Steve,” He said opening the door and stopping short. Steve’s hair was cut short and standing up in strange spikes.

“He hates it. I told you he would,” Steve said to Miles and tried to flatten his hair with his hand.

“Josh, you said no tattoos, piercings, or hair styles suitable for a rock band,” Simon said calmly. “That style is very popular with the younger set, and it looks good on him.”

Josh caught Steve’s wrists to keep him from flattening his hair. “You’re not the one who has to physically drag him from his bed to get to class on time. Now I have to get him up earlier to fix his hair. But it does look rather good on him.” Josh smiled and kissed Steve’s forehead. “And it is, as you said Simon, within the rules. Do you like it?”

Steve nodded.

“Well then it’s fine with me. Go show Jer.” Josh gave Steve a gentle shove toward the kitchen and watched until he disappeared and he heard the sound of the refrigerator door opening. “Jer’s feeding him. He’ll be gone for a few minutes. Did everything go OK, and whose idea was the hair?”

“I’m the guilty party,” Miles said, a slight smirk on his face. “He’s a gay kid. He doesn’t need to look like he’s running for political office in the Republic of Texas.”

“Don’t be nasty,” Simon said, sending a sharp glare Miles’s way.

“It’s OK.” Josh held up his hand. “His point is valid. I’m old-fashioned about the tastes I impose. A little more modern style is fine, but you should have run it by me first. We need to have a uniform front.”

“It was a date, not a battle plan. We don’t have to have everything signed in triplicate to have a little fun.”

“That is a fragile and precious boy who is in my care. I won’t have him hurt because some young whippersnapper top thinks he knows best. How much real experience do you have with a submissive?”

“That’s enough,” Simon said in a tone that would freeze a submissive. “He’ll hear us.”

“You’re right, Simon. My apologies,” Josh said.

Miles nodded curtly, and Simon shot him a frigid glare. “Sorry. I need to respect my elders,” Miles muttered

“Miles, you’re a top. Behave like one,” Simon said with both fondness and exasperation. “Josh follows the old ways, but he does damn well care, and he’s been good for that boy. Steve’s a lot more settled than when I met him in our bar. More of our young people could stand to camp with Josh, and if you don’t straighten up maybe I’ll let him have a go at you. A little yes sir wouldn’t hurt you.”

Miles glared at Simon, and at first Josh thought he was going to be refereeing a fight between two tops, but Miles flushed and dropped his eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he mumbled, still not happy but more genuine.

“You’ve not topped on a regular basis,” Josh said softly. “We may seem rigid at times.” Josh paused. “I know I’m rigid at times, but it’s not because I want to crush my submissive under my heel. I’ll admit I’m old school with rules and hard expectations, but it doesn’t mean I don’t love that kid and that I don’t want the best for him. I don’t get my jollies always saying no to him.”

“Josh, I know.” Simon reached out and squeezed Josh’s shoulder. “I spent the day with the kid. I know what he’s like, and I will teach Miles to handle him. We could be good together.”

“I know,” Josh said. “I saw him when he came in. Except for his concern over his hair, he was relaxed, smiling, and his eyes were sparkling. He was a happy.”

“Can we take him out next weekend?” Simon asked.

“If he’ll have you. Why don’t you go ask?”

“Go on, Miles. I want to speak to Josh a moment. I’m sorry about that,” Simon said when Miles had disappeared into the kitchen.

“Young tops are allowed to have tempers and express their feelings as long as Gordon doesn’t overhear,” Josh said with a genuine smile. “Miles is smitten, and I saw him with Steve. We’ll work out our differences.”

“Oh yeah, we’re both smitten. I want to thank you for giving us a second chance. I know I didn’t handle the business with Miles very well.”

Josh smiled again. “I wasn’t exactly easy to get along with. I was Gordon’s heavy. I’m sure Miles rightfully described me as a hard ass.”

“He did,” Simon said with a wry smile, “and it was at least partly justified.”

“I know,” Josh said softly. “I understand this a lot better than I did then. Nothing is ever black and white.”

“Thank you. You’re a good man. Can I go say good-bye to Steve?”

“Go.”

“Thanks. I promise I won’t do anything you don’t approve of.”

“Jer’s in the kitchen. He’ll bop you with a frying pan if you start getting fresh.”

“I thought you had better control of your partner,” Simon said over his shoulder, a grin on his face.

“Jer, right. Have you forgotten him?”

Simon laughed. “Time softens the edges. I remember Jer. We’ll be good. I’m sure he swings a mean frying pan.”

“He does.”

Josh turned back to the couch. He couldn’t watch. It hurt too much right now. Later he’d be able to bear it, but right now all he could manage was a blathering sportscaster.