Page 64 of Baiting Kong
Creature chuckled, fingers tracing a path along the top of Axel’s shoulder. “Sometimes fate has a fucked-up sense of humor.”
“You mean like the way the three of us wound up living here together?” Axel blurted, turning so he could look up at Creature.
He wasn’t usually so bold, especially not when faced with a man the size of the one who stood before him. Maybe it was the knowledge that he had Scout beside him, and he was practically fearless. Or maybe it was just that he’d come to see that despite the colors he wore and his affiliation, Creature was a mellow man in their home, even if the day had been shitty. He never came in ranting or rattling the contents of the fridge when he opened it to take out a beer and he didn’t slam things around either.
“You could say that,” Creature said. “I prefer to look at it as fate giving me the chance to have something I’ve longed for.”
Chuckling, Axel raised an eyebrow at him. “Roommates? Why not just put an ad in the paper if you were lonely?”
“Because it wasn’t necessarily roommates I was looking for,” Creature admitted. “I was looking for a boy to love, lavish affection on, and protect. Someone who wasn’t looking for a summer fling or to be a hanger-on until he got bored. I wanted that deep, long-term bond where we each got our needs fulfilled.”
“Only one?” Axel asked, glancing over his shoulder to look at Scout standing there, only he didn’t look the least bit concerned.
“Doesn’t have to be,” Creature said. “Pretty sure Scout is looking for the same thing, so let’s just see how this works between the three of us. No pressure, no expectations; whatever happens, happens.”
“I’m good with that,” Scout said. “As long as Axel is okay with sharing.”
“S-sharing? Axel stammered.
“Yeah,” Scout said. “I see the way you look at Creature. I’m not gonna get in the way of that.”
“There’s nothing to get in the way of,” Axel insisted. “We barely know each other. He kinda swooped in and rescued me the same way he rescued you.”
“Fair enough,” Scout said. “Though if we’re really gonna do this, can I make one request?”
“Yeah, anything,” Axel replied, shocked when Scout licked his lips, then eyed him up and down.
“You should never tell me that,” Scout replied.
“Why?” Axel asked while Creature chuckled behind him. “What? What’s so funny?”
“You’re giving him an open door to make lewd suggestions,” Creature offered.
“And? I wouldn’t mind that at all.”
“O-kay then, I’m gonna hold you to that,” Scout said. “But that wasn’t the question I wanted to ask.”
“Then what was?” Axel asked.
“Wanted to know what Creature’s name was, besides Creature, ‘cause moaning that too many times is gonna get weird.”
If he’d had anything in his mouth, he would have spit it across the room, not just at Scout’s words, but because of the images dancing through his head, making his shorts feel tight. Behind him, Creature laughed, full, deep, rumbling sounds that reminded him a little of a motorcycle engine.
“It’s Carl,” Creature said. “And I don’t mind you using it at all. In fact, I think I’d prefer that, here at home, to Creature.”
“Thanks, Carl,” Scout said, beaming at the man, who smiled right back.
“How’d you get the name Creature anyway?” Axel asked.
“Kong was taken,” Carl replied.
Now they were all laughing, filling the room with the sound of joy. Standing between them, Axel was flooded by a sense of home and rightness.
“It really is just because of my size and the way I used to lurk around when I was first getting used to being around the club. Someone said I acted like the creatures in a horror movie, waiting in the shadows, and it stuck. I always loved the way those old movies were filmed, with lightning strikes illuminating the danger lurking just out of view, so I decided to roll with it.”
“Pops loves old movies like that,” Scout admitted. “Sawyer and I grew up watching them with him. Movie marathon nights were always the best, especially around Halloween when the old black and white movies were on TV.”
“Well then, come this fall, we’ll have to indulge,” Carl offered.
