Welcome to Firefly Valley

WELCOME TO FIREFLY VALLEY

"This is depressing."

I stared at the e-invite for the convention. We only had ninety-eight reservations, and most of them were locals. I didn't have any idea what to expect. I had hoped it'd be one of those ‘build it and they will come' events. It was better than nothing, but the knot in the pit of my stomach didn't agree.

Running my fingers along the nails embedded into the counter, I turned my attention to how far the town had come. Once known for their paper mills, they had turned the empty buildings into storefronts.

Anywhere else, it'd be a modern industrial aesthetic, but in Firefly Valley, it spoke to our history. Seeing our town falling into disrepair, they started a revitalization project. Their determination and refusal to fade into oblivion bordered on inspirational .

My shop had the original walls, with exposed beams and concrete floors. The counter at the front had been made with a reclaimed door and had more dents and dings than my truck. I tried to keep the character of the mill that once employed my father and his father before him. I think that's part of why Mom supported the endeavor. In my own way, I carried on the family legacy.

I turned back to my laptop and scanned through my social media. Amanda hadn't released the video, but she swore it'd make waves. I couldn't let that be our only marketing. For the last two hours, I sent emails to the newspaper, TV channel, and even our local radio station. I'd hound them until they responded.

When the front door opened, I didn't look up from my laptop. I refreshed my email again, hoping somebody would respond to my pleas for media coverage. After the third click, I gave up. There was plenty of work that needed to get done, fliers to hang, comics to pull for customers, and…

None of it mattered when I spotted him . Where I expected an awkward teenager stood the broad shoulders of a man. When he leaned over a long box, flipping through comics, I couldn't help but gawk at the curves and how they flowed into the ass of tight-fitting jeans. From this angle, I couldn't see his face, but as I flipped through my Rolodex of local asses, none were close to this perfect creature.

Would it be awkward if I interrupted his browsing to make suggestions? I owned the store. That'd be natural as long as I didn't reach down and see if those buns were as firm as I hoped. I didn't trust myself, not when this bear thumbed through old issues of Defenders of Earth .

He reached up to pull a new comic from the wall, and I caught sight of the hairy arms covered in tattoos. I fought back a gasp. Had the universe taken pity on me and manifested a fantasy? He turned his head, and I realized I had a bona fide daddy bear, complete with beard browsing comics. It was Christmas, and I had been a good boy… a very good boy.

He headed toward me with a stack of comics in hand. I tried looking busy and knocked a coffee cup full of pens off the counter. I reached for the fliers to keep my hands busy, sending them flying. The man caught the papers and set them down.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey." The desire to touch those thick forearms was implied.

"Can I get these?"

There were nearly twenty comics. Normally, I could read a person based on their purchases. He had a mixture of science fiction, superheroes, and a few comics with more scantily clad women than plot. I surveyed his haul.

"You have a pretty eclectic selection going on."

"Oh, they're not for me."

I wanted him to say they were for his boyfriend, no, ex-boyfriend. They had broken up but stayed close friends. The narrative wrote itself. I imagined they spent their Thursday nights watching new episodes of Galaxy Cadets and then switching channels to a drag show.

"They're for my son."

It didn't compute at first. My daddy bear couldn't really… "Oh, you have a son?" My brain realigned, realizing I had a straight man in front of me. This burly, fluffy man with a growing patch of white in his beard wasn't a daddy, just a dad. Everywhere bears wept.

"He's eight. He's a reluctant reader and?—"

"You're hoping comics will do the trick. Got it."

He nodded. I reached for the stack and started splitting it into two piles. "Let me give you a hand here. Murder! Murder! Murder! is not for an eight-year-old. We should skip Vixens unless you want him to find out where space babies come from. And there is no way you're giving him Castles and Dragons ."

"How can that be bad?"

"Ever hear the phrase, anthropomorphic penis?"

He grew cuter as he blushed. I continued separating out the comics. On the wall behind me, I snatched a couple of issues. "These are good. The art is a little flashier, but the dialogue is on grade level. The superheroes are solid role models in these."

He rubbed his beard, eyes wide. "This is out of my comfort zone. I haven't read comics since Nana bought me the funnies back in the day."

"Funnies? You don't look sixty." I gave him a wink. Straight or not, I'd flirt until he ran screaming from the store .

Red cheeks again. Did daddy bear enjoy the attention?

"We started reading some fantasy books together. He wasn't a fan. Too many words, he said."

The image of him with his son reading the books only made him sexier. I had never been serious enough with a guy to consider children. If the man was this handsome, I'd consider. I'm sure my mom's grandmother instincts went off just thinking about it.

"We're new… to Firefly, that is."

That explained why I didn't know his name, lineage, and every dirty secret. Small towns had boundary issues. It'd only be a matter of days before the ladies at the market gossiped about his arrival.

"I'm Jason." I held my hand out.

His paw of a hand gripped mine, and my knees almost buckled. A big guy with muscle under his fluff sent my heart aflutter. "I'm Simon. Thanks for helping me step up my dad game."

I held on long enough, it should have gotten awkward. We were in a game of chicken to see who would let go first. Surprise, Simon. I could do this all day long. How weird would it be if I touched his beard?

Simon glanced down at our hands and then at my face. The corner of his lip turned up in a smirk. Wait. Not only did he call my bluff, but I think he meant to raise the stakes. When his thumb ran along the top of my knuckles, I had enough evidence.

I said nothing as I glanced at the door to my office. 100% innocent. I didn't have any ulterior— Simon's head tipped in that direction as well. This is not how I imagined my day going. I wouldn't say no to the sexiest man to ever walk in my store.

"Amanda!" I shouted. "I'm going to need you to watch the store."

As soon as I locked the door to my office, Simon eliminated the space between us. I didn't have time to fantasize about where this would go. His hand held the side of my neck as he swooped in for a kiss. I nearly melted as his lips pressed against mine. He smelled of sandalwood and tasted like dark roast coffee.

With a step closer, his belly pushed me against a stack of boxes. As they tumbled, I broke our kiss, catching them just in time. My office was nothing more than a glorified broom closet filled with comics and collectibles. While I had an exhibitionist streak, the staring eyes of action figures gave me performance anxiety.

I took Simon's hand and carefully stepped over white boxes, and shuffled through the room to another door. I flicked back the deadbolt and swung the door open. We left the shop and entered the old mill. Large enough to house a football field, it was all but abandoned. Of all the shops on our street, I was the only one with direct access to the mill. We wouldn't be disturbed or have to worry about being buried under an avalanche of comics.

"Wow." Simon froze at the enormity of the space. Where the giant equipment had once sat stood empty concrete slabs. Crisscrossing iron beams lent themselves to the industrial aesthetic. The far wall had windows reaching up to the third story, all with a beautiful view of the river.

Simon didn't speak as he hooked a finger in the loops on my jeans. With a tug, we resumed our kiss. When his hand slid under my shirt, brushing the hair along my belly, I questioned if he'd stop with foreplay. It wasn't my first time with a heteroflexible man. I'd let him set the pace and follow his lead. If he kept kissing like I was the last lips on Earth, he could ride me however he wanted.

It had been months since I made out with another man, longer since naked, sexy times. Never had one come into my store and hit on me. Options were limited in a small town. Having grown up here, the locals were more like cousins than potential mates.

When Simon's fingers fumbled with the button on my jeans, I almost cheered. The zipper wasn't halfway down when he shoved a hand in my underwear. Pinning me against the wall, he kissed my neck while he cupped my package. I'd gladly let this handsome man experiment with his sexuality, especially if it involved my cock.

He stepped back long enough to pull the front of his t-shirt behind his head. The ink-covered forearms hadn't prepared me. He'd be the belle of the ball at the gay bar's Bear Night. I ran my fingers down his chest, following a white streak resembling a lightning bolt. When I reached his belly, he let out a chuckle and grabbed my wrists.

"Ticklish," he whispered .

When I didn't pose a threat, he let go. His treasure trail was more like a freeway, and I wanted to go on a road trip. I took care as I followed it into the waistband of his jeans. I needed to know if the white streak continued. Simon didn't wait for me as he unbuttoned his pants. He wasn't in a rush per se, but he made it clear I had access to his goods.

He ran his hands down my sides until they hooked in the elastic of my underwear. With a slight tug, they and my jeans fell to my ankles. My fingers traced the outline of his cock. As I studied it, I had to steal a peek. Like the rest of the man, impressive would be an understatement.

I reached inside and wrapped my fingers around the shaft. First skin-to-skin contact, and his eyes closed with a quiet moan. I could have stood there and jerked him off until he came. If he was like other straight men, the taboo of the situation would make it a speedy encounter. If he was okay with a handjob, I wonder what else he'd be up for?

I kissed along his neck until I reached his collarbone. I moved to his chest, following the path of the lightning bolt. If I didn't have to get back to the store, and he wasn't having a midlife crisis, I'd have kissed every body part north of his ankles.

He rested his hands on my shoulders. I gave him props for not being a pushy top. There was no shoving me to my knees, just a vague suggestion of what he wanted. I dropped into a squat, wanting to face the beast eye-to-eye. Pulling my hand out, I kissed along the bulge in his underwear. His gasps weren't as quiet now. He didn't care about drawing it out. He pulled his cock out without getting naked.

"Wow."

It was thicker than I imagined, and his foreskin hid the head. I pulled it back until I could see the precum beading along the tip. There was no point sitting by and admiring his manhood. I held onto his hips for balance before leaning in and licking. Simon shivered. If this was going to be his only foray into gay sex, I wanted to make my team proud. If he converted, I'd earn that toaster from the gay council.

I swallowed his cock.

Simon moaned, loud enough it echoed throughout the empty mill.

My fingers dug into his hips, pulling him forward. His cock was long enough it hit the bend of my throat. With time, I'd be able to get to the base. Of course, I wouldn't be a good bottom if I wasn't already imagining it buried in my ass.

I took my time bobbing up and down. I didn't want him to come, not yet. Simon's hand moved to the side of my head, and his hips started with slow thrusts in and out of my mouth. With each stroke, I ran my tongue along the underside of his shaft. Simon wasn't forceful, but he had taken charge, and that only made him sexier. While he gently used my mouth for his pleasure, I reached down and gave my cock a squeeze.

His pace picked up, and I prepared for the finale. He pulled out, his breath ragged while his cock twitched. I was in shock when he reached down and lifted me upright. He spun me around, pushing between my shoulder blades until I braced against the wall. What were the chances he'd?—

I moaned as his hands spread my ass and his tongue touched my hole. This wasn't the usual routine of a straight man. Oral? Yup. Topping? Maybe. Rimming? Never. My confusion didn't stop me from pushing back, savoring every swipe of his tongue. I would close the store if he wanted to spend the rest of the day doing this.

He reached through my legs, giving my cock a squeeze. Slow strokes. Simon used it like a handle that pulled me against his tongue. He might be straight, but this wasn't his first rodeo. A man didn't gain this level of skill from watching porn. I was too busy moaning from his haphazard grip on my cock to ask.

When he stopped, there was a moment of fear. Had he come to his senses? Would he pull up his pants and make some excuse as he bolted for the door? I wouldn't hold it against him, but I'd be rushing home to play with myself. The thought flew out of my mind as I felt his cock slide along the crack of my ass.

Oh. My. God. I owed the universe a debt that I'd never be able to repay. It had been a tease that a curious daddy bear entered my store. Now? It was like Christmas, my birthday, and the Fourth of July all rolled into one.

I didn't beg for his cock with words. Leaning down, I presented my ass before pushing back. I grit my teeth, preparing for an unskilled shove until I yelped. With palms planted against the wall, I imagined Simon's belly resting on my ass while he rutted. When the head slid in, I relaxed, giving myself over to him.

As he worked another inch inside, his hands wrapped around my hips. Short, slow jabs, pulling out until I pushed back. Simon gave away his experience as he opened me up little by little. This wasn't his first time using a man's ass. As the thickest part of his cock slid in, I didn't care. Whatever his past, I only cared about the here and now.

When his pelvis pushed against my ass, I let out a growl. Today's to-do list didn't include taking cock, and yet here we were. When his hand drifted up my back, gripping my shoulder, I readied myself for a pounding. He pulled me back, hard. I reached down, stroking my cock while he throbbed inside me.

I wiggled my ass, encouraging him to plow away. Simon grunted. Then he roared. His cock twitched, and I recognized the signs of a man in the throes of an orgasm. The thought of his head thrown back, filling my ass, was all I needed. With a couple of strokes, I joined Simon.

The electricity started in my ass and shot through my body. Muscles tightened, and Simon moaned loud enough anybody in the mill would hear. He didn't relent his grip, coming in my ass as I shot across the floor. It might be premature, but it didn't make it any less hot. My hand returned to the wall to keep myself upright. The last few ropes shot from my cock as the orgasm subsided.

Simon huffed and puffed.

When he pulled out, we'd begin the awkward dance. He'd comment that he's never done that before. I'd try to keep a straight face. We'd go back into the shop and act like it never happened. I knew the routine. It was fun while it lasted, but when the orgasm subsided, we'd revert to being strangers.

The post-orgasm ache set in. Bones groaned and my legs didn't want to cooperate. I'm pretty sure my walk would be a wobble for the rest of the day. When I turned around, Simon had already tucked his cock away and pulled his shirt back down. When he didn't avoid eye contact, I thought there might be a repeat performance.

Simon shuffled forward with his jeans halfway around his thighs. He pinned me against the wall with his body. Oh, no. Had I misread the situation? I prepared for my heteroflexible hookup to spew a threat about?—

Sandalwood and coffee. The kiss was as passionate as the first. It hadn't lost its eagerness. I returned the kiss until he pulled away, biting my lower lip. The fucking had been fun, but the way this man kissed, I'd gladly have thrown myself at him.

"That was fun," I muttered.

Simon's cheeks turned red. His modesty made him even cuter. He might be bashful, but he hadn't hesitated to take what he wanted. It was hot, but it was the after-sex kiss that sealed the deal. Maybe my new friend wasn't as straight as I originally thought?

"Thanks," he said. "I don't know what came over me."

Me. I'm what came over him.

He finished getting dressed as I pulled up my pants. I couldn't help but steal glances. Every time he caught me, he looked away, his face turning red.

When we were presentable, I cut through the awkwardness with an outstretched hand. We returned to where it started, a handshake.

"Pleasure to meet you." When he smiled, I did the same. Without knowing it, he had made my day… my week. "."