(1) Caomhnóir

 

 

Through the dark night he strolled, eyes flicking left and right, every sense alert to what might be close by, alive or dead or in-between. Occasionally the faint glow of a tavern light illuminated the pavement as a patron entered or exited.

 

Midnight, the witching hour, and All Hallows’ Eve, the time when the veil between the living and the dead is at it’s thinnest. The time when, if he so wished, he could return to the vale of the dead sinners.

 

He did not wish it however. He only needed this day, this hour, to transition through the vale to a more modern time. His work here was finished.

 

                                                                 * * * * *

 

Thom sighed in relief as the last of the trick-or-treaters walked down the path to the sidewalk. He wondered why their parents allowed them out so late in the evening. On the other hand though, they had been teens so presumably their parents either didn’t care, or didn’t know, or both.

 

“Modern parents are too distracted with their own lives to care about those of their children,” a low voice commented scathingly from behind Thom.

 

He whirled around, momentarily startled, and then smiled broadly. “Stay out of my mind, Keegan.”

 

“Why? It is such an interesting place, full of wild and untamed thoughts. Especially—” Keegan paused, grinning wickedly as he picked up on one of them. “Exactly what I had in mind, mo fear daor.”

 

“I don’t know,” Thom replied, putting a teasing tone into his voice. “It has been a year. Perhaps I’ve moved on. I might have someone up there,” he pointed to the stairs leading to the second floor, “keeping my bed warm for me.”

 

Keegan gave a soft snort of disbelief as he paced towards Thom. “If there is, I shall have to send him off, with his tail between his legs as he will be lacking anything else there when I’ve finished with him.”

 

“Ahh, you’re in your ‘tough guy’ mode this evening I see,” Thom replied with a laugh.

 

“When it comes to you, Thom Mulloy, I will do everything within my power to make certain I am the only man who graces your bed. As for the women,” Keegan shrugged, “if you need them for release I understand, as always.”

 

Thom turned serious, moving to close the space between them. “You know that you are the only one who means anything to me. You are my life, then, now, and forever.”

 

“Mar a bhfuil tú, a dom.” Keegan stood very still as he looked at the man he loved. “I know it hasn’t been easy for you. If there were a way to change things, I would.”

 

“Hush.” Thom placed a finger against Keegan’s lips, chuckling when Keegan nipped it lightly. “I knew what I was getting into almost from the day you rescued me. I wouldn’t change one moment of the time we’ve had together.”

 

“Nor would I. You are the one who keeps me grounded. Knowing that you are here, waiting, gives my life a purpose beyond the one granted to me when I died.”

 

“At the moment, I don’t want you grounded; I want you soaring in rapture.”

 

“With you, always.” Keegan pulled his lover to him, kissing him with a passion born of too long a time apart. As he ravaged Thom’s mouth he carried him up to their waiting bed.

 

Everyone's Man – 63

 

As Colin came down, he felt the man's arms wrap around him and a voice he had longed to hear and was afraid he never would again spoke softly against his ear. "I missed you, pup. Please come home with me."

 

Colin, stiffening in shock, turned to stare at Dane Keyes.

 

"Are you angry with me for doing it this way?" Dane asked, cupping Colin's face in his hands. Then he growled, releasing him long enough to reach over and turn on a lamp. "Are you?" he asked again, trying to read the emotions in Colin's eyes.

 

Colin nodded, and then shook his head. "I should be," he said almost petulantly. "I wanted… I was going to try…" He frowned, unsure how to explain to Dane.

 

"You wanted to do this by yourself," Dane filled in, and then laughed, kissing the tip of Colin's nose. "That sounded sort of like self-love."

 

Colin's frown vanished and he grinned. "Yeah, put that way it did. But you knew what I meant. Are you angry? With me I mean. For running away and…and…"

 

"No. I was hurt, and scared, and I didn't understand at first what was going on with you." Dane smiled, stroking Colin's cheek. "Then I figured it out."

 

"How did you find me?" Colin asked, frowning slightly.

 

"I'm a cop. A detective, and a pretty good one, if I do say so myself. I remembered you mentioning a man named Ray and once I figured out you'd probably left town I checked with the airlines and then at the bus station. You, pup, are hard to miss once you've been seen, in case you didn't know. All it took was describing you and the man at the bus station remembered you and where you were headed. So I put out feelers and found out this Ray was fairly well known here in certain circles."

 

"And you came here to find me. But why this way?"

 

"Because I had a good idea what you were trying to do, and why." Dane looked at him, chewing his lip, and asked. "Did you?"

 

"No," Colin replied softly. "Not until tonight. Not until you."

 

"Thank God," Dane said in relief, and then apparently wondered if that was the right response when Colin stared hard at him, his face devoid of all emotion for a moment.

 

Then Colin smiled. "I really did want to be able to come home to you ready for us to make love the way we should. That's why…" He paused. "I guess this wasn't really the right way to do it, but it was all I could think of."

 

"They say the ends justify the means. Usually I would debate that, being a cop, but this time maybe they do. However…" Dane looked sternly at Colin.

 

"You want this to be the last time. Umm, I mean that I whore, not the last time we make love. I mean, I hope that's what you mean. It was, wasn't it?"

 

Dane laughed. "Yes it was, pup. Damn, I don't ever want us to stop making love. But I really would like it if I don't have to think about that beautiful mouth of yours doing things to strange men that it should only be doing to me."

 

"I think that can be arranged, for a price."

 

"Oh?" Dane cocked an eyebrow.

 

"Make love to me again. Here. Now. Please."

 

"With pleasure," Dane replied before cupping Colin's face and kissing him with all the love he had in him.

 

The End

 

Everyone's Man – 62

 

 

"It's open," a rough voice called out when Colin knocked on the hotel room door.

 

He stepped into the room, surprised to see that it was dark except for the slice of light coming in from the hall behind him.

 

"Close the door, please, and come over here." Colin hesitated, trying to adjust his eyes so he could reach the bed without stumbling over something. "Please. Close the door." There was a pleading note in the voice and Colin smiled to himself, betting that the client was probably middle-aged, out of shape, and ashamed to be seen without his clothes. That thought, plus what Ray had said, reassured him.

 

After locating the end of the bed so he knew where to go, Colin did as he was asked and then crossed to it, moving from there to the side. He felt a hand touch his leg and then the man barely whispered, "Please, undress."

 

Colin pulled off his shirt and undid his jeans, pushing them down over his hips before sitting on the edge of the bed to kick off his shoes and finish undressing. He felt a hand stroke his thigh and shifted to face the man. A small amount of light came through a slit in the curtains and now that his eyes were used to the darkness he could make out the vague shape on the bed. Running his hand over the man's stomach he decided whatever the man's thing was about no light, it wasn't because he was flabby. He slid his hand down, following the trail of hair to the base of the man's already-stiff cock. Tracing a finger up from there to the tip he leaned in to follow it with the flat of his tongue, before taking the bulbous head into his mouth and sucking hard. The man gasped, arching up. From there Colin began doing what he did best, working the man into a frenzy of need, keeping his fingers tight around the base of his cock to stop him from coming for the moment.

 

The man gripped the sides of Colin's head, his fingers twisted into his hair as he began to pump into Colin's mouth. Then he used the leverage to pull Colin away. "Let me fuck you," he begged. His voice was low, and rough with need.

 

Colin froze, every muscle in his body tightening in protest. Slowly he tried to relax, taking a deep gulp of air into his lungs.

 

"Please." The man's voice was almost inaudible, as though he was afraid. "I'll be gentle, I swear."

 

"How…how do you want me?"

 

He heard a deep sigh, almost of relief, he thought, and then the man said, "On your side?"

 

Colin was surprised. This, maybe, he could do. He shifted so that he was lying beside the man, his back to him. He felt hands on his ass, running over it very gently as if the man was trying to learn every inch of it before he continued. Then the man began to press light kisses along his back, working his way down until he reached his hips. He eased Colin open, tracing his tongue up to his tight hole. Colin tensed as the man began rimming him, slowly, expertly. A whispered "May I?" as he pressed the tip of a lube-slicked finger against the entrance to Colin's body had Colin torn between need and fear.

 

He knew he was trembling, and he hoped the man took that for desire. He bit down hard on his lip to steady himself, moaning out a hesitant, "Yes."

 

The man gently eased the finger in, taking it very slowly as if afraid he might hurt Colin. And Colin did feel pain, sharp and deadly. He bit back a cry, telling himself it was all in his head. The man brought one hand up to stroke Colin's back and Colin relaxed. Then the tip of the man's finger touched Colin's gland and a wave of pleasure flooded him. He moaned, needing more, begging for more. He got more for a long moment and then as second finger joined the first one, gently stretching him while making certain to stroke him at the same time.

 

The man shifted, his hand leaving Colin's back, and Colin heard the sound of a condom wrapper being opened. The man's fingers left Colin's body and he groaned in protest. Then he felt the head of the man's cock, slick with lube, pressing against his hole. Colin willed himself to relax, gasping as the man entered him and then stopped. The hand was on his back again, rubbing softly, as the man slowly moved further into him.

 

They both moaned at the same time when the man was fully embedded, his balls pressed against Colin's ass. "Feels so good," the man whispered hoarsely, pulling almost out and then thrusting in again. Slowly his pace increased and with each thrust Colin's desire for more grew until he was moving with the man. A hand suddenly enveloped his throbbing cock, pumping in rhythm to their movements.

 

"I'm going to…" Colin groaned as his balls tightened.

 

"Then do," the man whispered.

 

Colin shouted out as his release sent him over the edge and the man joined him with a deep sigh as he came as well.

 

 

Everyone's Man – 61

 

Colin watched out the back window as the bus pulled away from the station.

 

I'm not running away, he told himself. I'm not!

 

And he wasn't. But there was something he had to do and he couldn't do it there, not in the city where everything had happened. Not when he knew Dane could find him if he wanted to.

 

When he'd left the condo and Dane behind he had made two stops before arriving at the bus station. One was at the bank where he drew out his paltry savings. The money wouldn't get him far, but it would take him away from Winterfield. The second stop was to buy some clothes. He and Dane never had gone shopping, though the detective had picked up a pair of jeans and a couple of t-shirts for him.

 

The bus was half-empty which gave him a seat to himself. He curled up on it and reached up to turn on the light. Then he read the headline again. Prominent Men Busted In Sex Raid. There was a picture of two of them as they were brought into the station, their heads covered by coats to hide their identities from the prying photographers. Colin shuddered, forcing himself to read the article. It told him nothing he hadn't known already based on the phone call from Dane after the bust. The men were to be arraigned and he was certain they'd bond out and be on the streets again by evening. Not that that would affect him. He wouldn't be around even if they did know who he was. But he wasn't leaving because of them.

 

Slowly he drifted off to sleep, lulled by the motion of the bus. He awoke with a start when the driver announced they'd arrived at their destination. Groggily, he gathered up his backpack and stumbled out into the morning sunlight.

 

The first order of business was breakfast, then finding a motel, and finally getting in contact with Ray. Only then would he be able to put his plan to work.

 

* * * *

 

The john exploded, filling the condom with his seed. When he finally came down, he patted Colin's head. "You're as good as advertised," he commented as he removed the condom, tied it off and tucked himself away, before taking out his wallet. "That earns you a little bonus." He cocked an eyebrow at Colin. "And more next time if you let me fuck that cute ass."

 

Colin smiled, fighting a momentary feeling of panic. "Perhaps. We'll see."

 

After the man left, Colin fell back onto the bed. He stared up at the ceiling. He'd been here for two weeks and so far he'd been unable to take the next step and let himself be fucked. In his head he was ready, but each time one of the johns had suggested it he just couldn't face the idea. His body would go cold as his hands and ass tightened in fear. And each time they left he told himself, Next time. But so far there had been no next time.

 

Sighing, he got up and went to shower. Twenty minutes later he was out and dressed. Scooping up the money the man had left he split it in half, minus the tip. He put his share into his wallet and the rest in his pocket to give to Ray when they met later tonight.

 

As he left the motel room he glanced back at the bed. It shouldn't be so hard. I'm a whore. It's what I do. Next time I will. I have to. Closing the door firmly behind him he nodded to himself. "I'll do it, damn it. The past is the past. This is now. There's no future for me if I don't."

 

Three hours later, he was sitting in a booth, looking across the table at Ray.

 

"We have a new client," Ray told him after pocketing the money Colin gave him. "He prefers that you meet him at his hotel rather than him coming to you, and for the amount of money he's willing to pay, I told him you would."

 

Colin shrugged a shoulder but his stomach clenched in fear as he remembered another hotel room and another client. It's not the same, it's not! That's over now. He forced himself to remain calm.

 

"Makes me no never mind, as long as he understands the ground rules."

 

"He does. He's waiting for you." Ray handed him a slip of paper with the name of the hotel and the room number. "What he wants is maybe…a little weird," he said. "But not too weird. Look, I've met him. He's not the type…" He patted Colin's hand. "You can handle it."

 

 

Everyone's Man – 60

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