Chapter Seven

"A little higher," Rahul told him, and Leif changed his hand placement. "Little more. Ooh, there."

Kneeling over Rahul"s prone form, Leif worked at massaging his lower back, kneading in a circular pattern with his two palms. "You didn"t have to drive the whole way back."

"Nah, I like driving when it"s not through a crowded city center." Leif saw Rahul rock back and forth cheerfully. "And anything that rewards me with your hands on me can only be a good thing, right? How"re your legs, by the way?"

"They"re fine. I still feel like I want to, like, stretch them and stuff? Maybe I should ask Tucker to run me through some yoga moves when he gets home, see if it helps."

"Yoga asana is a great way to stay healthy and flexible, guaranteed. I"ve done a few sessions with the pup before, both at home and at an official class, but found it a bit too still for my tastes. If it"s something that interests you, though, I"m sure Tucker would love to have you exercise with him."

Leif shifted his position, moving up to reach more of Rahul"s broad back. "Maybe I"ll look into it after the college wrestling season ends and I have more time. Do yoga twice a week, instead of playing assistant instructor twice a week?"

"Mmm. Speaking up wrestling, didn"t Tommy put you in touch with, um, what was the name again? For the Turkish oil wrestling."

"I forget. I think it began with an "A"? But the guy ended up breaking an arm last month, so he sent me a message apologizing and saying that he wouldn"t be able to oblige as a trainer. It"s hard to tell for sure, but I think Coach Larson is getting a little frustrated, because he joked that he might end up sponsoring me himself."

Rahul lifted his head, giving him a knowing grin over his shoulder. "Make sure you record everything! And I do mean absolutely every detail, from the time that you two strip down and change into those leather pants, to whenever one of you flips the other over by reaching down the front of them. Oh, and especially make sure you get the whole oiling each other up ceremony, okay?"

"Hey!" Leif felt his face heat. "It"s not like that, it"s a serious sport."

Rahul laid his head back down on the bed, while Leif carefully climbed over him to get to his other side. "Mmhmm. Can you tell me you haven"t fantasized about rolling on the ground with your coach, oiled up and hard, and then his hand slips and grabs your cock instead of your leg?"

"Um, well…"

Rahul murmured an approving tone. "I don"t blame you, he"s plenty hot. Who"s the top in this scenario? I know he"s bisexual, but he kept things proper at our Winter Holiday party, so I couldn"t get a full read."

"I"m not entertaining this conversation," Leif said, kneading gently at a hardened knot. At just that moment, though, Rahul shifted on the bed, leaning towards him, his side nudging up against Leif"s growing semi. Using his near hand, Rahul reached up and gave it a squeeze through his jockstrap.

"Sure feels like you are. So?"

Leif sighed, then resumed his massage. Since Rahul had figured it out, he didn"t work to keep his bulge from touching Rahul"s side anymore. "...Fine. I heard him talking with your mom at the party, and when it comes to cisgender men, he admitted to being generally versatile, though he also added that he prefers topping bigger guys and bottoming for smaller ones."

Rahul reached his hand back up to fondle him. "So with a dick this big, it"s a case of Tommy does Leif, huh? Or would it be Coach Larson does Becken, get that sports kink going?"

"Other way around. By bigger and smaller, he meant overall body size. I"m considered smaller—yes, I was the example that came up—and you"re larger. Also an example that came up."

"Well spank my ass and color me plaid! We should try inviting him over again."

"It was a hypothetical scenario, because your mom brought it up!"

"Does he have a favorite food?" Rahul continued relentlessly. "Favorite alcohol?"

Leif laughed. "Rahul, no! Please don"t fuck my coach."

"Ah, but I wouldn"t be the one fucking him, as you just pointed out!" Rahul got up onto his elbows and knees, and Leif noticed that he was half-hard. "Uhng, oh, yeah, fuck me Coach Larson! Yes, harder!"

Leif shook his head fondly as Rahul rode an imaginary dick, then leaned forward to give him a quick kiss. "If you want me to keep going, lay back down."

Chuckling in apparent satisfaction, Rahul laid himself back on bed, reaching a hand back between his legs to adjust himself before settling down fully.

After a few minutes of silence, Leif heard both of their nearby phones chime. "Is that Tucker?"

Rahul swiped his phone open, lifting his head enough to check. "Yes. He"s taking off work a little early and is headed home. Twenty minutes, maybe."

"Yay!" Leif wiggled on the bed. "It"s been literally days."

"Mmm." Rahul typed a quick reply, then laid his head back down.

After a few more minutes of silence while Leif proceeded to work on Rahul"s neck, he felt a sharp pain and grunted. "Ow, damn it."

"What?" Rahul looked over. "Oh. Here, let me have it."

Rahul sat up in the bed, then took Leif"s left hand in his own and began pressing firmly into the palm.

"I"m sorry, cub."

Leif winced at the cramping pain, but it was already beginning to slowly subside, thanks in part to Rahul"s efforts. "It"s fine. It"s been weeks since I last had a spasm like this, so I count it as an overall win."

"You"re such a damn optimist." Rahul leaned forward, and Leif met him partway for the kiss. "Big part of why I love you, though."

"Aww. I love you too." Leif took his hand back, stretching his fingers out slowly. There was a fine white line in the center of his palm from where he"d been impaled by a glass shard after a liquor bottle had exploded in his hand while fighting a dangerous spirit, along with a half dozen smaller ones, but four months of healing and dedicated physical therapy had prevented any real loss of function. Every now and then, though, it would seize up painfully.

Leif wiggled his hand, testing the soreness, then held his other hand up. "I can still massage you with this hand, though. Lay back down?"

Rahul shook his head, pulling Leif into a hug. "Nope. Tucker will be here soon anyways."

Leif nodded into Rahul"s hairy chest, then drew him in for another kiss before bouncing off of the bed. Grabbing his phone along the way, he hurried downstairs to wait for Tucker"s return.

After five minutes of being too distracted to properly browse his phone, he heard the sound of a truck parking in the driveway, and a minute later the door opened.

"Tucker!"

"Hang on!" Tucker held a hand up to arrest Leif"s cannonball hug, setting down a duffle and putting a stack of folders on the corner table. "I"m happy you"re both back, but give me a second to change, first."

Leif felt Rahul lay a hand on the back of his head, massaging it as they watched Tucker take off his suit. No strip-tease this time, just quickly and efficiently undoing buttons, kicking off shoes, and laying the clothes down in a pile.

The second that Tucker was fully naked, he shifted into his weredog form, sweeping his broad arms around to grab Leif and Rahul both, tail wagging fiercely.

Leif found his face smushed up against Tucker"s firm stomach, and he turned his head even as he hugged him back tightly. "Oh, so that"s what you meant when you said you needed to get changed."

"Ahaha, yes!" Tucker said loudly, in between barks. "I needed to be bigger so I could hug and squeeze you both at the same time. Aruf!"

Rahul kissed the side of Tucker"s muzzle, and Leif heard the sound of a lot of face licking. "Good to see you too, pup. Been doing well?"

"Less talking, more hugging. You two have been gone forever!" Tucker pulled back a bit so he could lean down and push his head up gently next to Leif"s, where he began to ardently sniff at his neck and chest. "But you are here now, and so I am happy again. Are you two happy, too?"

Leif grabbed the sides of Tucker"s head and gently rocked it side to side. "Silly puppy, you know we are."

"Yes, I can smell it. I"m so happy!" Tucker grabbed Leif around the waist and hoisted him up onto his hip as he straightened to his full height, then pulled Rahul in close and proceeded to take turns kissing them both.

Leif wrapped his legs around Tucker to stabilize himself better as his furry boyfriend moved his paw around to his rear to help hold him up, then opened his mouth when it was his turn for the licks and kisses.

It took three rotations of kisses—fierce, deep, and then tender ones, in that order—before Tucker was finally satisfied. He rumbled deep in his chest as he carried Leif over and set him down on the couch, Rahul following behind.

Rahul was the biggest spoon today, sitting at one end with Tucker"s head in his lap, while Leif laid on top of Tucker, wrapped in his arms.

"How did your presentation today go, pup?"

"It went good?Uhh…"

Lifting his head off of Tucker"s chest, Leif saw him squinting his eyes shut in concentration. Logical thinking came harder to him when he was shifted, Leif knew. He laid himself back down, Tucker"s breathing causing him to rise and fall slowly, and he heard the steady thumping of his heart.

"Confusing," Tucker finally decided. "But good. Thank you for all the information you sent through Angie, it was super helpful."

"Just a nameless private eye, doing what he"s been hired to do." Rahul chuckled, running his fingers gently over Tucker"s brow and across his short floppy ears.

"Oh, you"re not nameless anymore, Roo. Clairmont knows it was you." Tucker made an exasperated growl. "I gave it away at work, I think, because I missed you both so much, or something. I am not very sneaky. Well, sometimes I am, like when I sneak up on Leif and surprise him—"

"I wish you wouldn"t," Leif said in a singsong tone.

Tucker laid a heavy paw on his back, running calloused fingers up and down from his shoulders to his exposed butt. "But Leif, every time I accidentally or on-purpose startle you, I get a hug afterwards!"

Leif gasped, then groaned, burying his face against Tucker as he realized the implications.

"Leif," Rahul said in a serious tone, but with a hitch like he was trying not to laugh. "Have you been giving Tucker positive reinforcement every time he scares you?"

Leif groaned again, then lifted his head to look up at the far-too innocent expressions on his two boyfriends. "Hugging Tucker is soothing, and he always looks so contrite after he does it, at least when we"re not playing outdoors."

"Yes, outdoors I am a fierce predator and you are my sexy prey." Tucker gave his bare ass a squeeze, fondling it gently. "But if scaring you makes you sad, I can stop, even if it means less hugs for poor little me."

Tucker twisted his neck, looking up at Rahul. "Psst! Roo! I am lying. I like the hugs too much, and Leif isn"t really mad or upset at me, even though he is pretending to be."

Leif just patted his canine boyfriend on the chest.

"Getting back on topic," Rahul said, "If Clairmont knows about me, did he seem upset? Or give you different orders?"

"No, and no. He didn"t even tell me to keep you away from the case. I think he secretly wants you to help out, Roo? He"s really easy to smell, because he never wears cologne, it was only ever hard because I spent so long trying not to notice him when he was around, because he made me feel angry and hurt and depressed. But no more! I will pay attention and smell him lots, but only because it"s my job, and not because I want to bury my face in his gray chest hair like Leif does."

"Tucker!"

"It"s okay, Leif! I know you have the hots for him. Roo and I both did, too, years back. Also, I"ve seen him in the gym shower, and he"s packing, though he"s not as big as me. Anyways, his words were tiptoeing sneakily a lot yesterday, but I think he really wants us to catch Germaine, no ifs, ands, or muscle daddy butts about it."

"Your overall plan seems pretty sound, pup, so I think we have a good chance. If you"ll excuse me, though?"

Rahul stretched, which gave Leif and Tucker time to adjust themselves on the couch before their boyfriend stood up and began pulling off jewelry.

"Dance class?" Leif asked as Tucker pulled him into his lap and wrapped his arms around him snugly. He squirmed as Tucker licked at his neck.

Rahul nodded. "I have time for a quick shower before I head out, then I"ll be back in about two hours with some take-out. Kisses?"

Rahul leaned down, giving first Tucker a kiss on his muzzle, and then Leif. Tucker grabbed his arm before he was about to leave.

"I brought home a copy of the case files, Roo. Two pairs of eyes, please?"

"I"ll read through them tomorrow," he promised.

"Also, please don"t forget to ask the Whitetails about Saturday, yes?"

"Not a chance, pup! I"ve been looking forward to our spa day since you first mentioned it."

As Rahul went to get changed for his class, Leif adjusted himself in Tucker"s lap so that he could run a hand up and down his boyfriend"s furry chest. The weredog sank down on the couch, stretching out his legs and began nuzzling at his head.

"I missed you, Tucker."

Tucker took his hand, holding it briefly before allowing him to resume his petting. "Mmm. Missed you too. The house was so empty and quiet. But that was yesterday, which it no longer is, so it"s not worth remembering. Now, kisses. Your big, ferocious pup demands them!"

Chuckling, Leif lifted a hand up to scratch behind Tucker"s ear, causing the growl to shift rapidly into a needy whine. He heard the thumping of his tail against a cushion as he slid his hand down and stroked the side of Tucker"s broad jaw, guiding his head down to acquiesce to the order.

By the time Rahul came back downstairs, dressed in loose, flowing pants and a revealing vest for his belly-dancing class, Tucker had Leif pinned beneath him on the couch, kissing him up and down his torso. Leif waved a distracted goodbye, earning himself a displeased wuff, before he put both of his hands back on Tucker"s head as he massaged the ears.

Looking down the couch, Leif watched Tucker lower his muzzle to sniff at Leif"s jockstrap, growling in a pleased timbre as he licked at already-damp spots. After nudging his tight bulge, Tucker sat up and then hooked his fingers in the waistband. As Leif shifted his hips up, Tucker swiftly slid the garments off, allowing Leif"s leaky cock to spring free.

In the next heartbeat, Tucker was back to hovering over Leif, two hands on either side of his head. The weredog lowered his hips down until his thick cock was touching Leif"s own, a wide grin plastered to his muzzle.

Then Tucker frowned.

"Hmm."

"Is something wrong?" Reaching between them, Leif ran a hand over both of their cocks, spreading precum.

Tucker carefully grabbed Leif"s hand, then brought it up to kiss it. "You are not interested."

Leif snorted. "I have a raging boner and we haven"t had sex together in a week."

He lifted his hips up, thrusting against Tucker"s pelvis, but his big boyfriend shook his head and sat up and away, wagging a finger at him.

"Your boner means nothing. You get them super easy, it is almost like breathing. But I smell you. You are a little lusty, but also kind of not."

"Do you not want to?"

Tucker regarded him silently for a moment, his head tilted to one side as his bright green beagle eyes looked him over, then shifted into his human form.

"Course I want to, darlin"," he said. "But I can tell something"s a little off. I reckon you"re still tired after your drive, and I can tell you have a little bit of pain. Headache? Stomach?"

"Hand," Leif admitted. He sighed. "Okay, sure, maybe I don"t want it a hundred percent, but it"ll still feel pretty darn amazing, and I want to make my loving, hard-working boyfriend happy."

Tucker fell silent again, then reached out to run a finger up and down Leif"s still stiff member. "Happy, huh? Okay, come on, then."

Tucker stood up from the couch, but before Leif could grab his prominent cock, he was picked up and lifted into Tucker"s arms.

"Ooh, sure, this works," Leif said as he was carried upstairs. "To the bedroom!"

Leif started to gently kiss Tucker"s nipple as he was borne to their massive bed. Once they reached it, he paused in expectation of being tossed onto it, but instead Tucker set him down on his feet. He didn"t have time to evaluate the situation before Tucker had tossed the blankets back, scooped him back up, laid them both down on the bed, and then covered them both up.

"Um."

"You said you wanted to make me happy, right darlin"?" He felt Tucker snuggle him tighter, his cock pressed up against Leif"s ass and lower back, though he made no move to use it. "Well, this makes me happy."

"But…"

Tucker didn"t respond, which gave Leif time to think things through. Yes, he was a bit disappointed, but also relieved enough that maybe Tucker"s assessment was correct.

"Okay," he said at last. "And yeah, this is nice."

"I know you love the cuddlin"," Tucker said, squeezing him briefly. "I can always bury my bone some other time. And don"t sigh, you know you love my puns."

"I admit nothing. Are you still doing Germaine stuff tomorrow?"

"Nothing more than a brief review. Naw, I"ll actually be going up to the border and helping escort some ghost bison northwest, so I won"t be home until after midnight."

"By ghost, do you mean, like, see through and dead? Or albino?"

"Both, in a sense. It"s a small herd of transient bison spirits that accidentally manifested in the middle of a city where their trail used to be. They"re a bit stubborn and are hesitant to move, but they respond well to shifters and other animal spirits."

"So you"re going to be like a sheepdog or something?"

"More like traffic control while we exit the city. An Indigenous People"s tribe has already weighed in, planned the route, and organized every last detail, including having two of their own shifters leading the way. They have things well in hand, all I"m doing is just walking with them with a comm set in case they need someone to argue with any government officials. All in all, it should be nothing more than a peaceful six-hour hike in beagle form."

"Do you need a Spirit Sight potion? I can make you one before you go."

"Shouldn"t need it, but as a back-up plan, it would be nice, yes. After cuddles."

Leif chuckled, then wiggled against Tucker. "Sure. I"ll wait... and ask me again about the sex in a few hours."

"Absolutely, darlin". Now quit your damn gyrating and submit to the cuddles."

"Love you!"

"Love you, too."