Chapter 2

2

N oah hurried as promised and made it downstairs in time to give Tobias one more kiss before Tobias headed off to the stable and the only female on the farm, Tobias' favorite mare, Dusky Dianna. Noah enjoyed every bite of Phan's hot breakfast and was grateful for it, being hungry after his workout. After insisting that he do the cleaning up, he sent Phan off to find a shirt and to do something about that hair. He was in his day-off best, a soft, faded T-shirt and a pair of jeans, and was ready to explore the city a little.

He loved being a full-time submissive, but he appreciated his days off, too. Noah didn't get as much time out of the sub role as he used to since he left his job on the police force. He had his volunteer job to distract him from the constant work at the club, but there were days that he missed his badge, missed the intrinsic respect he received while in uniform. Still, the trade off had been worth it; he was more relaxed, happier, and more himself than he had ever been.

While waiting for Phan on the porch with a small duffel over one shoulder, Noah chatted with Jorge, Tobias' limo driver. In his bag were gym clothes and a basketball, and Noah had instructed Phan to pack the same, only a little concerned about what Phan would come up with.

"Do I pass, kitten?" Phan came out the door with his own bag, dressed in ragged, cut-off jeans that stopped just over his knees and a T-shirt that had seen better service a decade or more ago.

Noah glared for a moment, but didn't say anything. "Kitten" was a pet name he could live with in the privacy of their own home, but he and Phan had had the not-in-public discussion at least three times. Granted, Jorge wasn't really "public," but he was close enough.

"You look perfect. Possibly even a little butch. Although, no, not with that hair." Noah winked, took Phan's bag from him, and headed for the car. Jorge tossed Noah the keys to the trunk and hurried to open a door for Phan. Noah smiled. Nearly everyone fell over themselves to offer Phan the little favors that most people reserved for their dates; he was just too petite and too pretty to be treated like one of the guys. Even Jorge wasn't immune to Phan's charms. "I love what those shorts do for your ass," Noah commented as Phan ducked to climb into the back seat.

"You just love my ass."

"Mmm. Too true."

Phan beamed at him and scooted way over before patting the seat next to him. "Come cuddle me and tell me breakfast wasn't an utter disaster."

Noah snorted and slid into the car. "It was delicious."

Jorge closed the car door and got behind the wheel. "The townhouse?"

Noah looked at Phan. "Sure. We'll start there, ditch our bags." Noah took Phan's hand and gave it a tug, and Phan snuggled into his side as the limo started down the driveway. "Breakfast was only a disaster in the making. The final product was great. I'm still stuffed."

"Good. I like you stuffed. That means I can keep up with you on the basketball court." Phan laughed softly and wiggled even closer. "Did you have a good workout?"

"It was cut a little short; Tobias was lingering in the doorway, and I kind of found it hard to concentrate." Tobias often stopped by while Noah was working out to offer encouragement or just ask how it was going, but there was something different about this morning. Noah sensed what Tobias wanted, saw it in his eyes, and it wasn't that Noah didn't like the idea of being bent over the incline bench or pressed up against the mirrored wall, but something about the timing felt off. He wouldn't be at all surprised if Tobias showed up late that night with flowers: their long-established code for when Tobias needed his lover -- or someone even stronger -- instead of his sub.

Noah blinked, realizing he'd disappeared on Phan for a moment there. "Sorry. I guess we're all a little off today. The workout was good. Penance for the sausage you fed me at breakfast." Noah shifted, changing the subject deliberately. "So what's up with you? You're obviously distracted; usually kitchen explosions like that are my doing, not yours. Got something on your mind?"

"No. Yes." Phan shook his head and waved a hand. He didn't look annoyed, but he wasn't his usual self at all, either. "Let me think about that." He blew out a breath and smiled at Noah, clearly trying to put a better face on. "How do you think things went last weekend? I'm not sure having that many new faces at the farm all at once is a good idea."

Noah nodded thoughtfully, unsure whether Phan's statement was a way of getting at what was bothering him or just a complete change of subject. It felt odd to have a host of near strangers in their space -- in their Master's space -- all weekend, that was true. It was always a little strange to have new people at the farm. But at the same time, it was fun to show it off a little, give Tobias' trainees and their subs a taste of what made them all so proud.

"I know what you mean, Phan," Noah said slowly. "I think things went very well. Tobias seemed pleased with them as a group even if he had a few minor issues individually. But I almost felt like I should be running around telling people not to touch things or something." Noah grinned. "I think I'm glad it's not every weekend."

"That would be far, far too much," Phan agreed with a nod. "I like the training weekends, don't get me wrong. But I think I like it better when it's only two or three Doms and their subs. This was a bit overwhelming. Do you think I should tell Sir that?" He seemed honestly curious about Noah's opinion on the matter, looking at him with serious eyes and a furrowed brow.

"Yeah," Noah said quickly. "Absolutely, you should tell him. Your feelings on all of this are as important as anyone's. If I've learned anything from negotiating with Tobias, it's that when things aren't working, it's better to speak up right away than let it sit. He has more respect for that than if you let things get worse over time. It's probably even more important when things are new, while we're still experimenting, to talk about what works and what doesn't, and why."

Noah snorted and relaxed back into his seat, mentally rolling his eyes at himself for what he knew sounded like a lecture. He had strong feelings about truth and communication and tended to get a little frustrated with Phan sometimes when Phan didn't just speak up. Phan was still trying to overcome his past and his habit of putting himself last in everything. It was a habit that was partly self-defense and partly a damaged and skewed outlook on life. Noah was compassionate, he tried hard to be patient, but it was a completely different headspace. Noah always insisted on holding onto his own sense of pride and his individuality. Phan seemed happy to give those things up.

"So, yeah." Noah cleared his throat and tried to sound more casual and less preachy. "You should probably say something."

Phan rolled his eyes. "You're very cute when you're trying not to be bossy." He poked Noah in the side. "I know. I do. But what I mean is, don't you think Sir should bring it up first? It's his job, after all. We're the support crew. If he wants to run the training weekends that way, he should. Even if we do feel a bit like our home is... uh, overrun."

In fact, they hadn't really talked about the weekend at all. It was a new thing, having so many people out instead of just a few, and Tobias hadn't asked his subs yet how they felt about it. Noah assumed it was coming, since Tobias had a tendency to time things in ways that suited his plans, but the lack of debriefing obviously was bothering Phan, and the more Noah thought about it, the more he could understand why.

"You're right, Phan, it is his show, and now that you mention it, I am also a little surprised that he hasn't gotten our views on it yet. But he should, and I think he will. It's his job to balance things, after all. He can judge for himself how successful the weekend was from a training standpoint, and it looked to me like he was pretty pleased, but he knows he can't read our minds."

Noah shifted slightly and kissed Phan's temple. "In any event, you know he'll listen to whatever you want to say, Phan. If I were you, I'd try to relax today, and we can bring it up tomorrow if he doesn't bring it up first, okay? There isn't much we can do about it right now except... go shopping!"

As he expected, the promise of a good shopping spree brought Phan around. Quickly. If they hadn't been in the back of the car, Noah would have expected to have Phan in his lap.

"What are we shopping for?" Phan asked, wiggling a little. "Can we get fun things? Do we need fun things? Or are you going to make me try on clothes again? Which, you know, can be fun if it's the right store."

Noah chuckled. "Bradford requested," he winked at Phan because nothing from Bradford was ever really a request, "that I buy a couple of suits for the nights I'm working security at the club. I guess the whole sub look doesn't really fly when I'm trying to cut off someone at the bar or check on Doms in the private rooms."

Phan's eyes went flatteringly wide. "I get to help you try on suits? Oh, yes. This is a good day." His grin turned into a smirk. "If you're very lucky, I'll even help you dress."

Noah mentally chastised himself for allowing himself to fantasize about that idea.

There had been a time, not so very long ago in fact, when Noah had believed there was only one way to sub, but there were many kinds of subs, as he had learned in his time with Tobias at the club. Phan, for example, lived in submissive mode day in and day out, every day, and never completely left that mental space even on his days off. Noah, on the other hand, earnestly needed all the things that being a submissive gave him, but he'd discovered that he had a whole range of roles he enjoyed, and sometimes needed to play, as long as it pleased Tobias.

So the idea of Phan on his knees, well, yeah, he could see what Tobias got out of that.

Noah gave Phan a little pinch. "Be good, Phan. Tobias might join us at the townhouse tonight."

"So? I help him dress all the time. I'm good at it." Phan winked and wiggled a bit. "He won't mind, I'm sure."

Phan had an endearing way of deliberately missing the point.

"Okay." Noah cleared his throat. "So, after you dress me in a couple of nice suits and we arrange to have them delivered to the townhouse, we'll go shopping for you. I don't know if you've noticed, but the workouts you've been doing, no matter how much you hate them, are paying off. You've actually got some muscle on those shoulders. I think you should show them off."

Phan looked down at himself, one eyebrow arching up. "Kitten, this isn't muscle. It's the result of your cooking. You don't want to show off what I've got. I'm all... not pointy anymore."

Noah laughed and poked Phan in a few of his not-pointy spots. "Phan, I hate to say this, but the pointy thing was because you were bony. You spent so long being underweight that you have no idea how good you look now. I know Tobias will appreciate something that shows you off a little better."

"If you say so." Phan looked doubtful. "Before or after you make me play basketball? Can we go home to shower? More fun with two than one, and we'll get kicked out of the gym again if we get caught."

Noah shook his head. "Oh, no. We definitely can't get caught doing that again. Tobias was unhappy enough the first time." Bradford had teased Tobias about it, and that probably made it worse. "Townhouse first, like we told Jorge. Then suits, because if I don't find at least two, Bradford will kill me. Then basketball, then back for a nice shower and some lunch. Then we'll just go out and play, okay? Try on some clothes, stop into the video store, get something evil to snack on, whatever. No pressure to buy anything. Sound good?"

The limo made a wide turn, and Noah knew they'd reached the city limits. "We're almost there."

"Home first is good -- I'm totally not dressed for suit shopping." Phan plucked at his T-shirt and made a face. "Unless we're going to Fallon's. They know me there and will forgive anything but blow jobs in the display racks."

Noah laughed. "What's wrong with what you're wearing? We can't suit shop like this? Money's money, isn't it?"

Phan winked at him. "Image, darling. Image. I have one to maintain, you know. I have to dress to shop."

"Oh, yes, I'd forgotten how vain you are." Only he hadn't, actually. Noah winked and tugged Phan closer. "I happen to really like those shorts." He kissed Phan, more for effect than meaning, making a point of leaving Phan a little breathless.

"And I really like you." Phan looked a little dazed, and a lot happy. "I'll put them on again later if we don't find anything for my new body. Which I still think is a little more than I like. You'll tell me if I get fat, right?"

"Yes, Phan, I'll tell you if your skinny little self gets fat. I promise. But believe me, no one is complaining right now." He leaned over and whispered in Phan's ear. "You're hotter than ever. If you need me to prove that to you, I won't let you get any farther than the foyer." He slid one hand across Phan's thigh.

"Why, Noah. Are you making a pass at me?" Phan grinned and pulled Noah's hand higher. Under the smile and the comeback, though, Noah couldn't miss the way Phan leaned in closer, like he needed to be near and needed to be touched.

Noah took the invitation, pushing his hand against Phan's groin and sliding his fingers low between Phan's thighs. "This isn't a pass, darling, this is a blatant hit. Or, if it helps, you can call it therapy." He wasn't unaffected by the way that Phan's body responded to his touch, and felt the heat rise into his chest. Privately, he tried to will the limo to go faster.

"Better therapy than my usual." Phan's voice was getting a little throaty and his cock was swelling visibly. "Right inside the door, you say?"

Noah nodded slowly. "In the foyer. With our bags around your feet, me kneeling on the tiled floor, and your voice echoing up to the second floor when you come." Damn, that sounded good to Noah, too.

Phan looked out the window. "God, we better get there soon." He rubbed into Noah's hand and didn't seem to mind that poor Jorge was once again getting a show. It was a good thing Tobias paid well, really.

They did get there, though the five minutes they had to wait felt like an eternity, both of them squirming by the time they arrived. They didn't even let Jorge get their bags for them. Noah just tossed Phan the house key and snatched them out of the trunk.

"Open, open, open..." Noah panted impatiently over Phan's shoulder as Phan fumbled with the lock. Phan made a strained sound when the lock finally clicked, and Noah crowded Phan into the door as it swung open. In a rush of movement, Noah tossed their bags toward the foot of the staircase, kicked the door closed, and pushed Phan against a narrow wall next to the coat closet. One hand dove under the waistband of Phan's shorts and the other punched the alarm code into the keypad over Phan's shoulder. It shut off with a loud beep.

"Noah. Please." Phan's fingers plucked at the waistband, around Noah's wrist and forearm. "Hurry." The button popped and Phan's cock pushed forward. "And you. Show me, okay? Suck me and show me."

"Yeah," Noah said, grunting as he hit his knees. He took a second to free his own erection and wrapped his fingers firmly around it. "See that? Aches. God." Noah leaned forward and slowly took Phan into his mouth, his free hand pushing back against Phan's hip so he couldn't thrust.

Phan made a sound that could have been a whimper. "Pretty. So pretty. God, I love watching you touch yourself." He managed to thrust despite Noah's hand and immediately stilled. "Sorry! Shit, suck me. God, yes." In Noah's mouth, Phantom's cock swelled a tiny bit harder.

If he could have, Noah would have laughed at Phan's enthusiasm. As it was, he was concentrating hard on making sure Phan felt appreciated without getting too distracted by how good the friction of his own hand felt, urgently working his shaft. He was going to come any minute, probably before Phan did, and that was almost embarrassing.

He gave Phan's hip a deliberate shove to get his point across. He wasn't about to let Phan fuck his mouth; that was for shower quickies and middle of the night one-offs. This was an ego boost, and Noah wanted Phan to know just how good he tasted, just how much he was wanted.

Phan behaved and held himself still -- mostly -- but the words kept up. The only time Phantom Shaw was actually quiet during sex was either when he'd been ordered to be or when his mouth was full of cock.

That was a pretty image, actually.

"Noah," Phan whispered. "Love your mouth. Love you. Love the way you touch me." He gasped as Noah's tongue rubbed at the spot just under the head, and his legs shook for a moment. "God, yes. More. Please." There was a thump as Phan's head rolled back and hit the wall.

It might be fun, Noah considered, to keep this up until Phan actually grew lightheaded and wilty and he couldn't stand up anymore. But Noah didn't get a chance to seriously think about that. His orgasm, which wasn't far off even before he'd touched himself, moved heavily through his body, first seizing his abdomen and then shooting downward. It was absolutely unstoppable.

Suddenly needing air, Noah pulled off Phan's cock and gasped as he came, painting the tiled floor of the foyer in streaks of milky liquid.

"Wow."

"Jesus Christ, Phan," he managed to mutter. He took two deep breaths, both of which were ragged and choppy, before he leaned forward again and took Phan back, opening his throat wide and letting Phan's cock slide deep inside.

"Whoa!" Phan's hand landed heavily on Noah's shoulder, his fingers digging in. "I can smell you," he said roughly. "Come on, kitten. That's it. You're the sexiest thing ever, and I love the way you touch me."

Noah pinned Phan with both hands and worked Phan's cock with a practiced tongue in the ways he knew from experience drove Phan wild. Little tricks like pulling away and letting the cool air in for a moment before swallowing him deep again, or digging his thumbs into the hollows under Phan's hip bones.

Phan was more than a lover; he was Noah's closest friend, and Noah wanted it to be good, wanted Phan to feel how much Noah cared about him with every muscle in his body.

Phan's legs started to shake right about the time that the words dried up and Phan's hands dug in harder, clinging. With a gasp and a long groan, Phan started to come, his whole body giving a long shudder as he released pulse after pulse into Noah's throat, moaning and whispering Noah's name.

Noah waited for Phan to finish, swallowing everything his lover had to offer and then gently licking and kissing his way up Phan's body until they stood toe to toe. "Hell, yes," he said softly and then kissed Phan gently, curling his arms around Phan's waist.

Phan leaned, holding on. "You didn't have to do that," he whispered. "But I'm awfully glad you did."

Noah gave him a sly look. "Oh, yes, I did. Or, you know, maybe I didn't, but I wanted to. You figure it out." He reached down and fastened his jeans, then took a step back to give Phan room to do the same.

"Wanting to is good enough for me." Phan got himself put away and reached for Noah again, kissing him deeply. "I love you, you know. Enough that I'll even wipe up your junk from the floor."

"What a gentleman. I'll take our bags upstairs." Noah picked up their duffels. "I suppose I need to let you dress me for suit shopping?"

Phan rolled his eyes and smirked. "I want to dress you in the store, kitten. Much more fun that way."

Noah snorted, taking that to mean that it was okay if he wore jeans. It was, apparently, only Phan who had a reputation to uphold. "Come on up when you're done, hon." Noah winked and headed up the stairs.

"So, I can promise you when Sir sees the dark gray one, he'll be all over you. Again. And often." Phan waved a Popsicle at him and grinned a purple grin. "Wanna have me help you change again?"

"No." Noah held up one hand to stop him. "No, I can change by myself, thank you." He disappeared as quickly as possible into the dressing room and closed the door. Gray, black, navy, solids, pinstripes -- he'd tried on so many suits his head was spinning. How Phan kept it all straight, he'd never know.

He hadn't realized all the working out he'd done was actually detrimental when it came to suits. His shoulders were too broad for a standard length. His hips were too narrow for the inseam that worked. Everything was going to have to be altered. And, to make matters worse, he'd never really felt comfortable in a suit to begin with. He looked good in them, he decided, but he'd choose jeans any day.

"Which was the gray one? Was that the one with the nice shoulders?" Noah called out, hoping Phan was at least nearby.

"The one that makes your ass look even more stellar." Phan sounded like he was yelling from right outside the changing room.

"Whatever. And which other one did you like? What about the navy pinstripe? Too much?"

"Depends. Are you joining the mob?" There was a click, and Phan stuck his head in the tiny room. "Did I ever tell you about how I used to break into rooms all the time at college?"

Noah put his hand on Phan's forehead and playfully pushed him out of the changing room. "Which one, then? The black one? Or was that too stern? Maybe with a funky tie?"

"You're security. No funky ties. I liked the black one, yes, but it might be too much for weekdays. Get the light gray one for summer. Also, I'll have you know that I'm very good at helping people get dressed. It's my special skill. Well, aside from blow jobs."

"So dark gray and light gray?" Noah knew all about how good Phan was at dressing people, but just then he really didn't want hands all over him again. He might humiliate himself, or worse, get them arrested. He ignored Phan and instead pulled on the jacket for the light gray suit and stepped out of the dressing room. "Let's just get this altered and get out of here?"

Phan nodded. "Dark gray, light gray, and we'll get a second opinion about the black. Nothing in blue, not with your coloring -- plus, all the regular security guys wear blue. You're special." Phan leaned close and kissed his cheek.

"Phan?"

"Yes?" Phan grinned at Noah, his teeth all stained purple.

"Go find me a tailor? Now?"

"Kiss me first." The grin didn't even dim, and he was pretty sure Phan didn't mean it, since he was moving away. "Or maybe when I get back with the tailor. You wanted the girl, right? The pretty one?"

"I wouldn't kiss you right now if you were the last purple smile on the planet!" Noah sneered. "Whoever you can find fastest. Because if I don't get out of here soon, I'm going to start drinking."

Phan snorted. "Right. You live with me, and if I didn't drive you to drink, one little shopping trip won't do it." Phan laughed and skipped off to find the tailor. Literally skipping, like he was a young girl.

"Clearly, I need an attitude adjustment," Noah said out loud to no one. "I'll kick his ass at basketball."

Phan came back in a moment or two, not with the pretty girl but with an older man who clearly knew his stuff, as well as whom he was fitting. He didn't come right out and say it, but he did make allusions to being able to move freely while at work, and having clean lines of the suit regardless of what was in the pockets.

Noah glared at Phan and mouthed, "What happened to finding the pretty girl?" But he endured the jokes and the innuendo; anything to get out of the suit and get out of the store.

"All done?" Noah asked as the man took a step back and looked him over.

"Yes," Phan said right away. "We're all done. Time to go. More shopping. Chop chop, come along, darling."

Noah was only vaguely surprised to find himself being pulled from the store, Phan calling back to put it on Tobias' account and to phone when the suits were ready for pick up.

"Jesus, Phan. I wanted to leave, but I hadn't intended on risking my life trying." Noah tugged his arm from Phan's grip.

"I was bored." Phan smiled at him and shrugged. "Sorry. Where now?"

Noah turned to Phan and grinned evilly. "Basketball."

The court was theirs for an hour, and Noah intended to use that time wisely. He dribbled the ball in slow circles around Phan and finally passed it to him. "Catch."

"I hate you." Phan caught the ball and held onto it, glaring.

"A little sweat is good for the soul, Phan." Noah took a few steps away. "We play half court, and the idea is to get the ball through that hoop. If you move, you have to dribble. Got it?"

Phan rolled his eyes. "I know how to bounce a ball and run. You're miles taller than me, though. Can't we play volleyball or something? Badminton?"

"Next time. Today, I feel like kicking your ass. I'll make it up to you in the shower, okay? Go."

"Oh, a promise!" Phan took off, running hard and dribbling like mad.

Noah let him run, watched him throw the ball up in the general vicinity of the basket, and snatched it right out of the air. "Nice try, slick," he said, dribbling it just out of Phan's reach. "I think you're going to sleep well tonight."

"I sleep well every night," Phan said indignantly. "Even the nights we sleep on the floor. Mostly because I'm a good boy, and I go to sleep with the full and complete knowledge that I did my best. Now, if you would be so kind as to just put me out of my misery..." He made a grab for the ball and missed.

"Yes, sir." Noah grinned and started to move.

Apart from the few times that Noah let Phan have the ball out of pity, Phan spent most of the time chasing Noah around the court. Noah relented after about forty minutes when it looked like Phan was having trouble catching his breath, and called the game. "You okay?"

Phan glared at him.

"Well, at least I can say that I kept my promise to Tobias," Noah said, patting Phan on the back. Still catching his breath, he picked up a bottle of water and handed it to Phan.

"What promise?"

"I promised him I'd make sure you got some exercise."

"You couldn't just fuck me a lot?" Phan sighed and drank from the bottle, then gave Noah a long look. "Why did he tell you that? And I suppose I've got to eat, too? God, he always defaults to food and exercise. Never to movies and popcorn and a nap."

"I'm not allowed to fuck you, remember?" Noah gave Phan a stern look, as if either of them would forget one of the few rules Tobias had imposed on them from the very beginning. "And yes, you are supposed to eat. But movies and popcorn sounds like a plan for tonight, don't you think?" Noah gave Phan a quick kiss. "Come on, let's get out of here."

"Can I pick the movie?" Phan perked up immediately, though Noah wasn't sure if it was the thought of the movie or the popcorn that did it. "And we still have shopping, right? I need to make a stop, too. At, uh. That place. You know. Downtown. By the Coffee Bean."

"Yes, you can pick the movie. Showers as promised, and then we have all afternoon to shop, okay?" Noah stopped and looked at Phan. "Wait, the fetish place or that wacko new age place?"

"Uh, neither. But the wacko new age place is fun. I vote we go to all three." Phan grinned at him and pushed the door open. "Maybe we can find some incense that doesn't make Sir sneeze."

"All three it is. And there's ice cream up the block." Noah found them a cab and they crawled in. He wasn't sure how much good the exercise had really done Phan, but he was feeling fine. A nice shower, some food, a morning quickie with Phan... so far, his day off was perfect.

Noah wondered briefly what Tobias was doing with his day off, besides riding. Chances were good he'd be working, even though he shouldn't be. Or making plans with Bradford.

"No horror flicks and nothing mushy," Noah said, knowing he was ruling out two of Phan's favorite genres.

"You're not the boss of me."

"No, but I'm bigger and I'll hog the remote." Noah grinned widely.

Phan grinned back. "I'll eat sugar."

Noah raised an eyebrow. "Oh, yeah? Well, I'll jerk off in front of you and not let you touch."

"Promise?" Phan wiggled. "We can put that on the plans for the day, right after shopping and before the movie. Which is going to be something really, really scary."

Noah sighed and let his head fall back against the seat. "I don't know how I always lose these arguments."

"There, there." Phan petted his knee gently. "It's not so bad. After all, I'll be right there to save you from the monsters and help you clean up after you make a mess. Now. Do you want to have a shower, or do you think we can risk the big tub?"

"Shower. Save the big tub for later, when Tobias gets home. We have a little talking to do, right?" The cab pulled up to the curb, and Noah leaned forward to pay the driver.

"Bah." Phan sighed and climbed out of the cab, but not before Noah heard him say, "Always talking. Not enough dancing, I say. I like dancing. I'm good at dancing."

Noah paid the cab driver and followed Phan into the townhouse, thinking that Phan was actually good at talking, too. It was just that Phan took his time about settling down enough to get to the talking part; sometimes it took their Master to calm him enough. That was generally the case when Phan had a big issue brewing.

"Hon, why don't you -- Phantom!"

"Yes?" Phan looked down at him from halfway up the staircase.

"We generally don't strip in the entryway."

Phan laughed. "We always strip, all over the house. I'm going to shower real fast." He wiggled his ass and took off, leaving his clothes in a heap at the bottom of the stairs.

Noah climbed the stairs, following Phan and picking up Phan's clothing along the way. He dumped all of it into the hamper in the hall and then added his own. The shower was running and Noah chuckled to himself, not at all surprised that Phan was so excited about shopping he'd forgotten he'd been promised some fun. Plenty of time for that later.

Phan liked his showers hot, and the bathroom was already thick with steam. "Room for me?" Noah asked, poking his head into the shower. "Or did you really mean a quick shower?" Noah didn't have strong feelings either way. He and Phan had never been shy about when and what they wanted, and if they didn't get off in the shower, it just meant it would be later in the kitchen, the living room, or wherever the desire took them.

Certainly there would be plenty of energy left for Tobias later. Noah was already looking forward to it.

Phan gave him a sunny grin and wiggled his eyebrows. "Get in here. We can race!"

He meant it, too, Noah knew. Life with Phan was a never-ending series of games. Luckily, most of them were harmless. Noah climbed into the shower. "I'm gonna win." And have fun doing it, which was one of the many bonuses of Phan's games. Sometimes Noah thought himself incredibly lucky, and this was one of those times.