Road to Re-Awakening

Home Again

I pulled into the driveway almost completely exhausted.   I'd forgotten how driving on seemingly endless roads could drain you.  The energy came back as I pulled all of the gear out of my SUV.   A few containers just got put away, but most had stuff that needed to get cleaned.   I sent off texts to Ron and Lea telling them I was safely home .  Both asked when I could come back, telling me that they loved having me around.  The more surprising messages were from Dan and Kevin.  Both told me that they were happy that I visited and were glad they got to meet me.  Their messages seemed to hint that they worried about meeting me. 

There wasn't a need to stress, I'm an easy going guy and just hope their relationships are as strong and fulfilling as the one Jan and I had.  Cleaning up the gear took almost a full day and when I finally had a chance, I looked around the house.  It was spotless and all of the plants were still alive.  My friend Amy had kept an eye on things while I was gone and went overboard to make sure the house was ready for me to come home.  Unfortunately, the house was just as empty as it was for the past year.   

The trip had shown me that I could still find companionship with a little effort and I was determined to not fall back into the rut I had been in.  I wasn't sure I was ready for anything long term, but a few hookups were definitely in the cards.  The long drive also gave me time to plot out some things I wanted to do to become more active.  First on the list was to have a talk with Sean and figure out what my role in the company should be.  He had done such a good job I didn't want to do anything that would make him look elsewhere, but I also knew he might want some new challenges.  One of the last things I wanted to do was to spend all of my time at work again.

It was a two hour meeting that ended up at a restaurant for two more hours having lunch and a few drinks.  The office meeting was all business and Sean had shown me how he had grown the business with the last big increase coming from my chance meeting with Larry at the cabin.  "You should do more camping, Ben.  Just sit around the campfire and grow the company twenty five percent" Sean told me with a huge grin as we sat down for lunch.  It made me laugh and I wished it was that easy or enjoyable.  Sales had never been my forte and I usually dreaded doing things like that.

Lunch was where I turned the tables on Sean and started to ask about what his plans were.  He looked really nervous and I think he expected me to tell him it was time for me to take over again.  He was relieved when I told him my thoughts and that he was integral to them, but I wanted to know what things he'd like to do, instead of me dictating his future.  

"I just had an amazing vacation that let me get closer to my kids.  When was the last time you took one?" I asked.

"Well, we don't have kids..." he started to say and I realized I didn't know much about Sean's personal life.  He wasn't wearing a wedding band, but that didn't mean much and he did say 'we' when he started to reply.

"That was just the thing that got me to take my adventure.  You've been working like a dog since you started and I have no idea if you've even taken any time off.  Think of some place that you've wanted to go visit and the company will cover the plane tickets and hotels" I told him.

"It's really hard for us to plan a time to take off together" he replied.  The nervousness had come back and I wondered why.

"You don't have to go right away.  Talk it over when you get home or over the next couple weeks and think of where you'd like to go.  Hawaii?  Amazon rain forest?  Duluth in January?  Cruise around the Mediterranean?  Do stuff like that while you can, trust me" I replied.  His eyes darted around I could tell he was unsure of letting me know what his real concern was.

"Can I be honest with you?" he asked and I nodded.  Sean looked around again and with no one near said "I have no idea where my partners might want to go together."  When he said the plural 'partners' I knew why it might be harder.  I just didn't know how many other people were going to be involved in the decision.  I hoped it wasn't like some of the cable channel shows with some eight person poly relationships that might bust the budget.

"Just have the discussion.  You might find out something new about them.  Let me know and we'll figure something out" I said.  I hoped that with my reply acknowledging "them" he knew I didn't care what shape his partnership was.  We finished up our lunch and from our discussions earlier I would be going in to the office two or three times a week with no set schedule.  I'd be filling in where he needed me and hopefully give him more free time.  It would be nice to have him take care of most of the decisions and not have that stress in my life.

The next day found me working on another task.  Doug's comment in the cabin had gotten me thinking that I should have a four legged friend back in my world.  The last pup had passed a few years before Jan got the cancer diagnosis.  She'd grown up with the kids and was a good companion to all of us, never wanting more than a belly rub, a long walk and an occasional treat.  With the travel carrier in the back of the freshly washed SUV, I headed to the local shelter.

While the woman at the front desk was friendly, she also gave me a thorough interrogation to make sure of my intent and commitment to caring for one of their needy creatures.  Explaining my experiences and showing a few pics of my last canine allowed me access to their current offerings.  I had no delusions that I'd find the perfect companion here on my first visit, but I was excited to check them out.

A couple looked a little too aggressive or energetic for me to deal with but some others just tugged at your heart. One of the helpers came in with a dog that had a small cat attached to it's back, making me chuckle.  The guy led them to a cage and I watched them eagerly get inside.  "What's with this pair?" I asked.

"They're bonded.  They were a pup and kitten that grew up together.  We rescued them when their owner passed away suddenly.  Both are only about a year and a half old.  We can't separate them for more than a minute before both get anxious" the guy told me as his eyes scanned over me.  I wasn't sure if he was checking me out or if he was trying to decide if I was worthy of taking over their care.  A couple other dogs had caught my eye, but I kept going back to the odd couple.  I really wasn't planning on two pets, but they spoke to me.  After getting more information I found myself loading the pair into my travel cage for the ride home.

"Call me if you have any questions.  I've been caring for them since they arrived a month ago.  The dog is Walker and the cat is Sylvester, cuz... he looks like him" the guy said handing me a slip of paper with his name, Corey, and number on it.  In some ways I felt like I was stealing them from him and maybe it was a three-way bond that they had.  It took hours before they would come out of the crate at home.  As expected, they were glued together and I gave them space while trying to show them that I wasn't a threat.

"Cat won't eat.  What food is he used to?" I texted the next day to the number Corey gave me.  

"Mix a little dog food in it.  They ok?" came a response five minutes later.

"Yes.  Slowly getting used to new place.  Stop over if you want.  They might like to see a familiar face" I texted back.  That evening, Corey knocked on the door after his shift.  He looked tired but that all changed the moment he saw his four legged friends.  All three had an energy that was missing moments earlier.  We sat on the floor in the living room and Walker's tail wagged almost as fast as his tongue gave Corey kisses.  Sylvester just curled up in his lap.  

When Walker settled down and stood there staring up at him, Corey said "It's ok.  He's going to take care of you now but we're always going to be friends."  It was strange since I know dogs have a limited vocabulary, but I think he completely understood.  Walker came over to me and held out his paw, which I took and gently petted.  I got a lick on my hand and saw that Sylvester was watching every move.  We hung out for a while and Corey was an interesting guy to talk to.  He'd been there for over an hour when he said "I should get going.  I need to get some sleep since I need to be back at work at seven."

We got up and walked toward the door with two furry companions closely following us.  "Thanks.  You don't know how much this means to me.  I don't usually get to see them after they leave and you just hope for the best.  The most I get is a pic or two.  I try not to get too attached but it's hard sometimes" he said, pausing a moment before giving me a big hug.  Corey came back over Saturday night.  We sat on the couch with the TV on, talking.  Sylvester would wander back and forth to whomever would give him better scratches while Walker was sprawled out on the couch next to Corey with his head in Corey's lap.

That left Corey right next to me and eventually I had a sleeping head on my shoulder.  It made me chuckle and really didn't bother me at all.  With the movie over and my drink empty I wasn't sure what to do.  Corey had told me that he wasn't working on Sunday so if he crashed on the couch for the night it probably wouldn't mess up his plans and he shouldn't be driving home in his exhausted state.   He didn't move at all when I laid him down on the couch, then lifted his legs up and finally draped a blanket over him.  I left him there with both pets curled up on the floor next to him, the first time they didn't go back to the crate to sleep.

The next morning I got up and wasn't sure what I'd find.  Did Corey sneak out to go home or was he still there?  I found him still asleep on the couch and my arrival woke Walker up.  I tried to keep him quiet but he was hungry and probably needed to go outside.  It was a little cool, but I didn't feel like going back upstairs to grab a shirt, so I went out into the back yard wearing just my sleeping shorts and slippers.  Sylvester watched every move we made from the door and seemed a little anxious when we went back inside.  With Walker's morning duties taken care of, I made some coffee.  The noise and smell woke Corey up.  He may have been a little groggy still but he was more embarrassed than anything. 

"I'm really sorry.  I don't know what happened" he said.

"I wouldn't have let you drive home last night anyway, you were way too tired to be behind the wheel.  I hope you slept well" I said.

He nodded but the more awake he got the more he looked me over.  We had talked quite a bit but his sexuality or partner status had never come up.  I caught him staring at my chest and arm, so I assumed it was at the piercings and tattoo.  It took a few seconds before he realized I was handing him a cup of coffee.  "Never seen nip piercings before?" I asked.  He turned red almost immediately.  

"Uh... no" was all he said before sipping on his coffee.

"My son, his boyfriend and I got them done together in some weird bonding ritual after six days of hiking in the mountains" I explained before chuckling.

"Your son is gay?" he asked softly.

"Bi, actually.  Not surprising since his parents are... uh... were too.  We tried to teach our kids to love who you love and not to be afraid to try things" I said.  I hoped this wasn't too much info for him and was going to scare him away.  The smile that slowly spread over his face told me it wouldn't.

"Wow.  Uh... you like both guys and girls... too?" he asked.  I wasn't sure who the 'too' was directed at.

"Yeah.  Luckily I found a partner that felt the same way.  We let each other satisfy each other's needs, sometimes together, sometimes apart.  It really made us closer and kept the sexual energy up our whole time together.  How about you?  I assume from your 'too' comment that you're attracted to both" I asked.

He nodded, obviously embarrassed admitting it to a relative stranger. "I really don't have time for a relationship.  The shelter keeps me really busy.  I've had a few people hit on me when they're in looking at the animals but I just want to do my job" he said.

"Don't dismiss them if you like them.  You never know where you might meet someone you click with.  A hotel lobby, a campground or on a hiking trail.  And some of those one time meetings can turn into something more serious.  To be honest, I wasn't sure if you were hitting on me when you gave me your number or were seriously concerned about these furry guys" I said pointing down to the pets at our feet.  He blushed again.

"Both" he said quietly.  There had been a good vibe between us, but I didn't know if it was just a budding friendship or more.  He was about twenty five years younger than me with a bushy beard and mop of curly light brown hair.  I'd find out later his torso was smooth, his legs hairy and there was a small, faded sunburst tattoo on the upper center of his back.  He was shy and cute, but the most apparent thing was his honesty.  He was who he was and didn't try to be anyone else.

"Well, you really should spend some time on yourself.  Whether it be friends, friends with benefits or a partner.  It's too easy to bury yourself in work and miss some truly amazing times in your life.  I just took a trip to visit my two kids and it was nothing like I expected.  I met their friends and some other people along the way that made it much more interesting.  Seeing them with good partners made it even better.  I met a few people for sex and found that I still need that to be part of my life even though my partner is now gone" I told him.

Corey chuckled and replied "I think the only time I think about sex anymore is in my dreams."

"That's a shame.  Men are naturally horny and I think you have a lot to offer someone.  Spread some of the love you give the animals in the shelter to the other animals you find walking around in the world" I told him.  I didn't ask if he wanted to stay for breakfast, I just started to make it.  It only took a few minutes before he was helping out, watching what I did and realized what I was making.

In the past, I've always tried to have a big breakfast on Sunday, whether it was just my wife and I or with a group of people.  I doubt he'd eaten a breakfast like this in quite a long time and I watched him wolf down everything from a bowl of fruit to the quiche.  When we finished the meal I wasn't sure what, if anything, would happen.  He was a nice guy that I now knew shared my sexual preferences, but other than a sleeping head on my shoulder and a hug he hadn't made any moves.

Once we finished cleaning up we continued to talk.  I told him a little about my trip, skipping most of the sex since I felt it made me sound a bit like a slut.  He stood there with a big grin on his face and I kind of knew what he was thinking. 

"I don't want things to get weird between us...  But I think there's an attraction..." he said.  I nodded and stepped a little closer.  

"There is, but I don't want anything serious.  If we're on the same page, then we'll be fine" I said.  Neither of us had showered yet but it didn't matter, we both had a natural scent that wasn't too strong.  He nodded, took a couple more steps and was right in front of me.  His hands gripped my waist and pulled me closer.  After a few seconds, my hands slipped inside the waist of my sleeping shorts that he was wearing and pushed them down.  It took an extra tug since his cock was partially stiff and caught on the waistband.

The grin behind the bushy beard told me he wanted to go further.  It was his turn to push my shorts down and they were around my ankles quickly.  Continuing the back and forth, I pulled his face in and we kissed. I don't think he was ready for it, but he quickly embraced me and began to kiss back.  Our tongues were actively exploring each other and it felt good to have his naked body against mine.

When our kiss ended, I looked down and Walker was staring back at me.  I've never been shy about showing affection in public but I was a little worried about the new pets misinterpreting our actions if we went much further.  Grabbing Corey's hand, I led him over to the stairs.  Like every other time since they arrived, Walker and Sylvester stopped at the foot of the staircase and watched us go up to the second floor.  I'm sure Sylvester would have easily followed us up, but he wasn't going without his buddy.  Walker seemed to be scared of steps and usually jumped over the two outside in order to get into the house.

The bedroom door swung closed but it didn't latch and we stopped next to the bed.  We laid down on our sides and continued to grope and kiss.  A few minutes later, he kissed down my neck and then kept going lower.   He was the first guy that spent more than a second flicking his tongue over my nips.  Thankfully, they had healed enough to no longer cause pain with casual contact.  His tongue was gentle and the longer he went the harder my cock got.  My nipples had always been wired to my dick, but this was an intensity I'd never experienced before.  

He moved lower and soon had my hard shaft in his mouth.  We hadn't discussed what each other liked to do sexually, but it turned out we liked a lot of the same things.  Corey licked over the shaft before he swallowed my dick.  Slowly he bobbed, taking me deeper and deeper until I heard him fill his lungs and push his face into my pubes.  His throat felt good around my cock and it felt even better when he squeezed it several times.  The longer he worked on my cock I started to wonder if he was really bisexual.  Most guys I'd met that were this good and enthusiastic at giving head were gay.

The oral continued for at least twenty minutes and left my cock throbbing and coated with spit.  Corey looked up at me after he'd taken a long, slow lap of his tongue from my balls up to the tip and gave me another grin.  He crawled up my body, drooling a large gob of spit into his hand before using it to lubricate his hole.  Seconds later, he was straddling my body and lining my cock up to his hole.  His cock was stiff and hovering over my stomach as he tried to push down.  More spit along with a deep breath helped and after a half dozen attempts, the tip breached his tight entrance.

It was obvious that he hadn't been fucked in a while, but all of his actions told me that he was no stranger to taking dick either.  Corey pushed down about half way, paused and then began to ride my shaft.  The grin was now joined by moans and grunts until he was sliding almost all of my cock in and out.  His cock was bouncing along with each stroke, slapping against my abs and leaking out a string of precum.  This continued for several minutes, sometimes with him riding faster and sometimes slower.  He would give a few playful squeezes from his hole making me thrust up into him.  

When he slowed and began to drop down to the base of my cock I knew his legs were getting tired.  The next time he raised up, I took over and started to drill up into his ass.  I watched his eyes get big and a loud moan came out that lasted several seconds.  Corey leaned forward, placing his hands on either side of my head as I kept plowing.  The new position had my cock digging into new territory and the extra pressure soon got me close.

I thrust in hard and felt the first rope of cum shoot out.  The sound he made next told me he wasn't prepared for it and didn't want our session to end quite so soon.  I didn't want it to either but I needed to relieve a little pressure.  After four shots, I pulled out and then extracted myself from underneath him.  He looked confused but stood there frozen.  The moment I grabbed his hips and tugged him to the edge of the bed I heard him moan out "Ahhh.... Yeah..."

His ass hung off the side of the bed, his legs were spread to give me access and I took my position.  I slid in a lot easier this time, helped by his hole being stretched from twenty minutes of drilling and a mixture of cum, pre and spit.  One hard shove had me planted fully inside of him.  Corey's grunt was followed by a "Oh fuck yeah!"  I ground my hips on his ass before plowing in and out.  It didn't take long before Corey was pushing back as I drove in.  An active sex partner is always more fun and he was turning out to be a great sex partner.

Each stroke ended in a firm thud as our bodies slammed together.  Normally I don't get into hard sex, but I also listen to how my partner reacts and adjust my intensity accordingly.  His responses told me he liked it on the hard side.  On one stroke, I pulled back too far and left him empty for a moment.  As soon as I plowed back in he yelled out "Oh god yeah!  That feels so good!"

The next five or six thrusts had me pulling out and then driving back in.  His hole was gaping open and had a ring of froth from the cum I'd given him before.  The extra stimulation was getting to me so I returned to shorter, slower strokes.  A few minutes later, I pulled out once again but instead of stuffing my cock back in, I pushed him over on to his back.  With a few tugs, I had him in the center of the bed with his legs pushed back.   

I slowly re-entered him while staring down at his face.  The grin was still there and his drooling cock was still stiff.  My hips rolled as I resumed driving into his slick hole.  When I'd gotten into a good rhythm, he pulled his legs back, allowing me to drill easier.  Corey looked so sexy like this.  He was fully into getting fucked and now I wondered if he was one of those guys that bottomed for men and saved his topping skills for women.  It didn't matter, he was enjoying himself and I was enjoying it too.  

My strokes changed every minute or so, speeding up or slowing down, getting soft and then harder.  When Corey started to encourage me, both verbally and how he worked his hole around my cock, I knew he was getting close.  I was too, so I slowed down giving him firm thrusts with a pause in between.  Less than ten strokes later I gave my last thrust and felt my cock explode.  After the second pulse, Corey joined in, shooting ropes of cum over our chests and his face.  It was an intense orgasm from both of us.

We stood still after our last shots, enjoying the connection between us.  The silence was broken when he said "Oh my god that was so amazing" after a few heavy breaths.  I nodded and slowly pulled back before I crawled next to him while he let go of his legs.  I pulled the covers over us as we laid there, spooning.  Both of us were asleep in a minute or two and while I usually liked to grab a shower after sex, a nap first seemed like a better idea.  

My arm was wrapped around his chest at first, but when I woke an hour or so later, it was over the covers.  I might have been still sleepy, but I felt like we weren't alone and when I moved my arm my fingers felt some fur.  A quick glance found Walker curled up on the bed in front of Corey, who's hand was on Walker's side.  Sylvester was in his usual spot spooning with Walker, but not for long.  He gave a soft meow and stood up.  Corey and I got a quick lap on our hands from his tongue before he laid back down.

Seconds later, I was back asleep not caring how they made their way upstairs.  Another hour later and I felt Corey rustle.  He got up, slid off the end of the bed and found the bathroom.  He had three pairs of eyes watching his naked body stroll across the room when he came back to bed.   "They didn't want to come up the stairs earlier, I wonder what made them try it?" Corey asked softly.

"They probably wanted to make sure their favorite human was OK.  You were making a lot of noise earlier" I replied with a chuckle.  We made our way to the shower and washed each other up.  It wasn't intimate, but it was playful.  After we dried off he gave me a kiss and told me "Thanks.  I think I really needed that to remind me how good it can feel to be with someone.  It's been over a year... almost two with a guy.  I hope I was ok."

I chuckled before replying "It's like riding a bike.  You never forget.  I just hope you enjoyed it as much as I did."  We got dressed and I found out that while Walker may have made it upstairs OK, he needed help getting down.  That would be another project for another time, I carried him down instead.  Sylvester seemed impatient waiting at the foot of the stairs giving us an earful of "meows" telling us to hurry. 

Corey helped me move the freshly cleaned camping gear up into the storage shelves in the garage.  Part of me didn't want to wash the sleeping bag and keep it's scents intact but I realized the memories would be a better reminder.  It ended up completely clean and almost looked like brand new.   Corey even made a comment about how fresh it smelled.

"What's that door lead to?" he asked, pointing to the stairs and second floor door that led to the small apartment that the previous owner had built when he erected the stand alone garage and turned the original one car garage that was part of the house into an office.

"It's an apartment we never used.  I think the previous owner used it for his in-laws.  There's a workshop and a storage room below it." I replied.   It had been advertised as an in-law suite when we bought the place but we never had a need for it other than as a heated and cooled storage room.

"You should rent it out.  There's not a lot of good apartments around...  Can I see it?" he asked me.  I had to go back to the house to get the key but a few minutes later I was opening the door and going inside.   To be honest, I hadn't been in here in three or four years.  Dust was everywhere and the living room was mostly full of boxes.  A few pieces of furniture were there, mostly stuff that we used to have in the house.   The kitchen was pristine as long as you liked forty year old appliances.  I wasn't even sure any of it worked.  There was a large bathroom with one small bedroom and another larger one.  The small bedroom was too small to use for anything other than a nursery or little kid's bedroom. 

"Wow.  You just let this sit here, unused?" he asked.  I felt embarrassed to say 'yes' but that was the truth.  Jan and I thought that we could use it for one of our kids when they got into high school to give them their own space, but neither wanted to be away from the family like that.  I locked up the apartment and Corey left for home.  The longer I thought about it the more I thought it was a mistake to leave it empty for decades but I wasn't sure I wanted to be a landlord.