Ancil Action
Ancil seemed nervous. His face wore just enough tension to create fine lines around his bright, blue eyes. I squeezed Church’s hand to get his attention. “He’s worried, Love. Give us enough magic to open us to each other so he can calm down.”
Church’s magic swelled around us. He didn’t push it down my arm. Instead, he increased his production and let it radiate from his skin. He also took a precaution I’d forgotten about. “I put us in a box, so we don’t share with the whole house.”
I was glad he remembered because I hadn’t. I was too focused on the feeling of the magic as it filled my capacity and overflowed. Ancil was farther away, so his capacity took longer to fill. I was able to see and feel when he joined us. The tension smoothed from his face as our minds opened to each other. Church kept his production low. He didn’t provide enough magic to synchronize our bodies or to make it possible for us to communicate mind to mind. He gave us just enough to sense each other’s emotions.
I thought that was enough for the session and said as much. Ancil agreed. He tugged on his lapels and smoothed his burgundy jacket down. “Shall I take my clothes off, or do you want to do it, Boss?”
Church made a suggestion. “You know what I find hot as hell? I like feeling like a voyeur. I like to watch Shawn take his clothes off. I like to watch when he does it like I’m not there. He’s very neat, like you are. He takes each layer off and folds it up and sets it aside. I like to feel like I’m looking through an open window to see someone who doesn’t know I’m watching. Can you do that?”
He took a few steps back from the table, until the light no longer fell upon him, and turned so his profile was toward us. He unbuttoned his jacket and let it slip from his shoulders. He pulled his arms free and held the jacket up to smooth the fabric. He folded the shoulders into each other and draped the garment over the back of a nearby sofa. He turned his collar up and loosened his tie. He pulled the knot from the tie and smoothed the kinks from the silky cloth.
He unbuttoned his white shirt. He started at his collar and slipped each button from its sewn loop in the opposite fabric. When he reached his waist, he pulled the shirt free of his slacks and lifted the bottom to undo the last two buttons. He opened the shirt and slipped his arms free. His toned upper body appeared, barely discernable from the white of the shirt. He paused to unbutton the cuffs and carefully lay the garment aside next to the jacket. He took his weapon belt off and used his telekinesis to move just the energy weapon to the nightstand. He laid the belt and holster aside with the rest of his things.
I started getting hot as I watched him undress. I felt Church’s arousal separate from my own. I hadn’t expected to find the very simple ‘show’ arousing, but something about the voyeuristic nature of watching an attractive man undress pressed my buttons.
Ancil reached behind his head and unclasped the metal loop he wore to keep his hair up. His long, platinum ponytail fell from its restraint and cascaded to his shoulders. The hair shrouded the sides of his face and softened his features. It hid his neat ears and made him look like an elfin character from a fantasy novel.
He did a neat about-face and leaned a hip against the back of the sofa. He brought each shoe up to untie and slip from his feet. He paired the shoes carefully together and set them on the floor. He removed his socks, then his pants. When he was down to his jock, he returned to the edge of the table and stepped into the light. As he did, he reflexively tucked his hair behind his ears. “Did I do it right?” He asked even though he could feel that both of us were extremely aroused.
Church pointed to Ancil’s jock. “I want that.”
He hesitated and I felt his mental calisthenics as he reminded himself what the session was about. He removed the sheer black jock and released it to his telekinesis. It flew across the table toward Church. I let go of my husband’s hand and seized the jock from the air. The heat of Ancil’s sex remained on the cloth. I held it to my nose to sample the scent. The odor was mild, but very masculine. It wasn’t the sweaty stink of a garment worn to work out. Instead, it was the natural scent of a man at the end of a busy day. I found it alluring.
Church waited patiently for his turn. I handed over the garment and let my husband enjoy it. I complimented Ancil while I waited for Church to satisfy his scent lust. “You smell very good. I can’t wait to breathe it directly from the source.”
“You really like it?”
“You know I do. You can feel it just like we can both feel how aroused Church is over it.” I held my hand out to my friend. “Are you ready to have your potency back?”
He nodded, but I could tell that he still wasn’t sure. I offered some support. “Don’t worry, you’re not the same man who surrendered it forty years ago. You’ve grown so much. You’ll be alright. Plus, Church and I aren’t going anywhere. We’ve welcomed you into our lives. That’s not going to change. You’re so much more than our employee. You’re our friend and our protector. We trust you completely. It’s time for you to trust us.”
He came around the table. I pushed my chair back and offered him my lap to straddle. “If I was the one who made you impotent, I could fix it with a touch. I wasn’t, so I’ll need a full connection because I don’t know what the other physician did. There is more than one way to remove a man’s potency. I’ll need to locate the change before I can correct it. Alright?”
“Yes.”
“Are you ready?”
Ancil stole a glance at Church. His eyes didn’t come back to me right away and I wondered what had him distracted. I turned my body to look. Church had Ancil’s jock pressed to his face with his left hand while the fingers of his right hand pinched and squeezed his nipple. His eyes were half closed, and he seemed completely lost in musk lust.
I poked a stiff finger into his ribs. He jumped and swatted me away. I gave him a hard time. “Stop being weird! We’re supposed to be supporting Ancil, you creep!”
He laughed and I realized I was being teased. “Just trying to lighten the mood, Love. Did it work?”
I laughed with him, as did Ancil. The man in my lap spoke for both of us. “Thanks, Boss. It did help. I’m ready now.”
I held Ancil’s head and pressed my forehead to his. I let my consciousness pass into his body to search for whatever was blocking his potency. I found more than one blockage. The other doctor had done a thorough job. He deadened the nerves that connected Ancil’s prostate to his penis and made his penis much less sensitive. He restricted the blood flow to the bare minimum necessary to maintain the organ and stopped the production of sperm and seminal fluid. The physician didn’t just take Ancil’s erection away; he effectively made him sexless.
I was tempted to think the doctor went overboard, but I saw how a thorough job was better than a basic one. Had the man only removed the ability to get hard, Ancil would have had to deal with being constantly pent up. He also would have had frequent nocturnal emissions. By removing as much function as possible, Ancil didn’t have to miss what he no longer had.
I corrected the changes and also added some energy to engorge Ancil’s prostate with fluid and his testicles with sperm. I didn’t think he’d want to impregnate anyone that night, but productive orgasms always feel better than dry ones. I returned my consciousness to my own body and broke the connection. I leaned back to rub my temples.
As I came back to myself, I noticed a fresh sensation. Ancil’s erection throbbed against my stomach. It felt hot and heavy. It was even longer and thicker than its impressive flaccid size. Fully erect, the foreskin still hooded his mushroom head and extended past the tip. I licked my finger and traced its length from the root to the tip and back again.
He shivered and his breath hitched. “OH FUCK!”
“You like that?”
“Uh huh. I forgot how good it felt.”
Church leaned over my shoulder. “I like it to. Holy hell, Ancil! I can’t believe you’re not lightheaded with all the blood it must take to fill that thing up.”
Church stood up and shucked his shorts. He dropped to his knees and sat back on his heels. “Bring that monster over here. Introduce me to your friend and let me give him a kiss.”
Ancil asked for my permission. “Should I?”
“If you want to, you should. If you do, he’s going to suck you until you cum. Are you alright with your first orgasm in forty years being in Church’s mouth?”
As a way to answer, he climbed off my lap and followed his bobbing erection to stand before Church. Church gripped the huge hard cock in his giant fist. Inches of meat stuck past both ends of his hand. “Fuck me this thing is big. I can’t even close my hand. It’s got fat veins all over it. Fucking thing has its own heartbeat.”
I removed my shorts, folded them, and left them on my chair. I draped myself over Ancil’s back to watch while Church gave him pleasure. He peeled the generous foreskin back and lapped his tongue over the glans. Ancil gasped and shook. Church smiled. “Sensitive, huh? You’re not gonna last long are you?”
He shook his head.
“I’m glad. I missed out on my dessert. Instead of fruit sorbet, I’m going to get a creamy milkshake.” He wrapped his lips around the head and started to suck.
Ancil gritted his teeth. His body tightened like he was trying to hold his pleasure inside. I whispered in his ear. “Go ahead and moan, or scream, or whatever. We’re inside Church’s magic. You have nothing to be embarrassed about. Trust me, I know how good he is at that.”
Ancil cried out. He screamed and moaned. His cries encouraged Church. He gripped the base of Ancil’s cock in his fist and worked his mouth over the upper half. He sucked and slobbered. He stroked and spat. Ancil lost himself in the sensations. His knees buckled. I held him up. He was so much lighter than me, it was easy to support him. Church opened his throat and tried to swallow the whole length. He gagged and coughed.
He pulled off to catch his breath. I admonished his misguided idea. “You can’t swallow that!”
“The hell I can’t. I’m going to.”
He relaxed his throat to try again but only managed to give himself a second coughing fit. I shook my head because I couldn’t believe he would try to swallow something that was obviously too large. His face was a mess. He was flushed from choking, tears streamed from his eyes, and the whole lower half of his face dripped with slobber and throat slime. He caught his breath and tried once more. This time, he pulled the foreskin back and took several deep breaths before he aimed the meat at the back of his throat.
To my complete amazement and Ancil’s intense pleasure, every inch of the monstrous cock disappeared into Church’s throat. He even managed to keep it there without gagging. He held Ancil’s hips to keep the full length buried. Garbled sounds came as he swallowed over and over and over.
Ancil’s body tightened and he roared in my ear. “CUMMMMMMING!”
Church backed off so he wouldn’t lose the whole load down his throat. He sealed his mouth around the head and caught shot after shot. He let the head slip out when his mouth filled and he needed more room for cum. He opened wide and kept the cock carefully aimed. Two or three more ropes fired across his tongue before the flow tapered to a dribble.
Church squeezed the last bits of essence from the hard meat, then stood up to share his treat with me. I made sure Ancil watched as I turned my face up with my mouth open like a baby bird. Church let about half the cum run into my mouth before he sealed his lips over mine so our tongues could play. We kissed and licked each other’s mouths to taste the thick and bitter spend of our friend. When we’d passed it back and forth two or three times, Church lowered his head and opened his mouth for me to spit my share back into him. He gulped it down and kissed me some more.
We broke apart. Church licked his lips and patted his belly. “Delicious!”
I checked on Ancil. His eyes were glassy and shallow like he was drunk. He pumped his left hand slowly up and down his slobbery cock. “That was the fucking hottest fucking thing I’ve ever fucking seen.” He pointed his free hand at Church. “You swallowed MY WHOLE COCK! No one has EVER done that. You kissed each other with my load. FUCK! I can’t believe what I just saw. I’m so fucking hot right now, I…I…I don’t even know what!”
The stream of obscenity from the man who so seldom used it was jarring. I gathered from his language and from the feedback through our temporary emotional link that Church had blown Ancil’s mind when he blew his cock. Instead of trying to calm him, Church crowded close and physically stopped Ancil’s left hand from stroking.
“We have two rules, my friend. Rule number one is I always swallow the first load. You already complied with that one. Rule number two is no one touches their own dick. Your pleasure is our responsibility, and mine is yours and Shawn’s, and his is ours. Got it?”
He nodded even as his right hand started to pump his cock. I guessed the new plaything was too much fun to leave alone. Church stopped Ancil’s right hand. He leaned down and licked the side of his face. The lick broke Ancil out of his stupor and got his brain working. Church released his hands and pointed. “Jump up on the bed and sit against the headboard. I’m going to worship that cock again while Shawn fucks my ass.”
Ancil did as he was told. I put my arm around Church to tease him about how proscriptive he was being. “I didn’t know I was going to top you next.”
“Please, top me.” He wheedled.
I slapped his ass in response. “I know what you want. You want me to pave the way for Ancil.”
“Guilty.”
“Alright, Lover. I’ll do it. Anything for you.”
I started for the bed, but he held me back for a whispered conversation. “After he fucks me, let me open you until you can bottom for him.”
I refused. “No, I don’t think so.”
He pleaded with me. “Would you just consider it, please? I know you’re nervous, but I’ll do what we used to do when Bem wanted to be double penetrated. I’ll rim you and finger you and stretch you out until he fits. He just said no one ever swallowed him all the way before. Did you feel how happy he was? He’s so excited about getting to fuck me. He’s afraid too. He’s scared he won’t be able to. Think of how thrilled he’ll be if the same night he gets his dick back, he gets deep throated, and he gets to have both our asses. You can open yourself with magic if you have to, but I don’t want you to have to. I want to prove to him that anyone who wants it badly enough can take it as long as he does enough prep.”
I leaned my head against my husband’s chest. “I don’t know, Love. He’s so damn big.”
“He’s not bigger than we are together. It looks like a lot because it’s one big cock on a very lean man, but the two of us together are bigger than him. We double stuffed Bem more than once. Both of you did the same to me and he and I did the same to you. You enjoyed it. Please. It would make him so happy.”
I glanced toward the bed. Ancil was against the headboard with his gaze fixed on his huge, pulsating cock. His right hand drifted towards it again, but he stopped short of touching it. I could feel how excited he was to have it back. I could also feel his apprehension. He was worried about being able to handle the responsibility of having it back. He was worried about hurting Church with it. He was even more worried that Church wouldn’t be able to take it. He wanted so badly to engage with a man he deeply admired. Beneath his other emotions was the subtle disappointment that I refused him out of hand.
I relented. “Alright, anything for a friend. You better make sure I’m open before he lines that thing up, AND, if he pushed my belly button inside out…”
“I’ll suck it back in. Don’t worry, Love.”
He said not to worry, but I was plenty worried.
* * * *
Over an hour later, I was on my stomach with Ancil on top of me. He eased his cock into me a millimeter at a time while I took deep, slow breaths and did my best to stay relaxed through the violation. Church had taken Ancil’s cock without too much trouble. I fucked him first and Ancil did some rimming and fingering, so he was pretty open by the time the attempt was made. He winced a few times and cried out when Ancil’s mushroom head mashed against his prostate, but other than that, he bore the violation better than I thought he would.
Church received while he was on his back. He thought it would be better if our friend could see his face. He wanted to reassure Ancil that he wasn’t being hurt. The idea worked. Ancil also loved topping Church because Church makes everything fun. He flexed and teased and said filthy things while Ancil ‘battered his back door.’ He also let Ancil play with his feet while he fucked. Ancil took every advantage to suck and lick and worship Church’s big feet.
When it was my turn, Church and Ancil took turns rimming and fingering me open. I felt downright hollow by the time Ancil poured lube inside of me and started to work his way in. Even with all the prep, I still felt like our friend was trying to push a ball bat through the eye of a needle. Church lay next to me to encourage us both. After what felt like forever, Ancil’s hips met my ass and pressed against me.
Church celebrated. “You’ve got it all, Love. How does it feel?”
“BIG!”
“How about you, Ancil? Aren’t asses great?”
He lowered his body on top of mine and kissed the back of my neck. His hot breath tickled as he checked on me. “Are you ok? You’re not hurt, are you?”
“I’m just full, very fucking full. Don’t move for a while.”
“You feel so hot and tight. Church is right, asses are incredible. So many women have refused me. They took one look and said no. You and Church just took it. Church even swallowed it. I love men. I love you guys. You’ve made me so happy.”
Church patted Ancil’s back. “We love you too, my friend. You make us happy.” He pushed himself up off the bed and knelt between my and Ancil’s entwined legs. He pushed on Ancil’s ass, which shoved his cock deeper inside me.
I groaned and shouted. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”
“If Ancil is going to stay still for a while, I thought I’d enjoy this delicious ass. I’m going to eat him. Maybe by the time I’m done, you’ll be ready to get fucked.”
Church pulled a deep breath through his nose. He must have had his face in Ancil’s ass. “You smell amazing. I love the smell of sex sweat.” The bed shifted as he arranged himself into a more comfortable position. I heard sloppy wet sounds as he started to rim Ancil. He also pushed his hand between my legs so he could rub his thumb against my taint. Ancil and I groaned almost in unison from the combined stimulation.
“You’re so fucking lucky.” Ancil said when he was able to speak again. “Church is perfect.”
I thought our friend was referring to my husband’s oral skills, so I agreed. “His tongue is magical.”
He gripped my shoulders for a second and groaned again. “I don’t mean just that. He’s so kind and thoughtful. I can feel how concerned he’s been about making this session good for me. The way he took it on his back, that’s not the easiest way. I told him he should lay on his stomach like you did. He absolutely refused. He said he wanted to watch it go in, but I could tell he was lying. He did that for me, because he wanted me to watch him enjoy me. And you, I know you didn’t want to bottom. I know you were worried. Did he talk you into it for my sake?”
I started to answer but he cried out again. “FUCKING FINGERS are so fucking THICK!”
I laughed and shook my hips a little to add to Ancil’s sensations. He’d been inside me long enough that I was comfortable even though I still felt very full. “He talked me into it. How did you know?”
“When I was waiting on the bed and you were talking to him, I could feel him persuading and you giving in. As soon as you walked over, he announced that I was going to get to have you both. It was the only thing that made sense.”
“He’s a dear, wonderful man. I love him completely. He had it rough when he was younger. His life on Earth was awful. The only good thing that came from what he endured is how much it made him care. He’s an incredible husband and an incredible father and I am a very lucky man.”
I felt Church’s emotions shift from lusty to naughty. A loud crack sounded in my ears followed immediately by Ancil as he cried “OH FUCK!” Church finished rimming him and walloped his ass.
“You two done with your chitty chat now? I’ll eat this ass until the cows come home, but at some point, Shawn, you’re going to have to let him fuck you.”
Ancil kissed the back of my neck. “Are you ready?”
I shook my hips again to titillate and to see if I was loose enough for him to move. There was no discomfort, just the insistent fullness. “I’m ready, but I want to flip over. I want it on my back.”
Ancil whispered in my ear. “Are you sure?”
“Oh yeah. I want to watch you fuck me. I also think it would be fun to watch my big, bear husband fuck you at the same time. Now that you’re all wet and slick, it would be a shame not to fill you. What do you think of that? Oh, and if my legs are up, you can play with my feet, too.”
He wanted what I offered. He scrambled up and pulled his cock out of my guts too fast. I moaned as his mushroom head dragged over my prostate and popped out of my rim. He apologized as soon as he realized what he’d done.
I buried my face in the bed and laughed over the absurdity of the situation. “No harm done.” I said as I flipped over and pulled my legs up. “Get back inside before I tighten up.”
Even though he was out of practice, he was an excellent top. He used his big cock for maximum pleasure. He fucked with long, slow strokes. He changed angles and flipped his hips to smack my prostate. Between his technique and the sheer size of his tool, I was in heaven. He also gave my feet a ton of attention. I didn’t think I’d like it, but it was kind-of fun to watch him lick my soles and suck my toes while he fucked my ass.
The session got even better when Church knelt behind him and pressed in. The sight of my big, hairy bear husband behind Ancil’s sinewy, compact body was sexy as hell. Church was bigger in every direction. He towered over Ancil but let the smaller man control the motion.
Ancil would pull out of me and back into Church. He rolled his hips to stir his guts with Church’s cock, then push into me and roll his hips again to stir my guts. He fucked like he didn’t care if he ever finished. I enjoyed myself much more than I thought I would. I fully expected to be in pain or at least uncomfortable the entire time. To my surprise, Church was right; asses are great. Once I got used to having him inside, there was no discomfort, only pleasure.
Ancil picked up the pace as he got close to his climax. He fucked me harder and faster but still didn’t pound into me. I appreciated how careful he was. Church held tight to the small man as his orgasm slammed into him. He screamed and shook as he flooded my guts. He came so much I could feel the spurts as they fired inside. Church kissed and licked his shoulders and throat as he recovered. When he was breathing somewhat normally, Church leaned Ancil’s body back and kissed his mouth.
I liked watching them kiss. I enjoyed getting to see their tongues duel and to feel Church’s pleasure and Ancil’s joy. Church pushed his hips forward to pin Ancil between us. He was hilted inside our friend while our friend was hilted inside me. Church separated from their kiss but held Ancil’s head so he could speak directly to his face. “How do you feel?”
“Amazing.”
“Are you happy to have your cock back?”
“Yes.”
“Are you having fun?”
“So much fun.”
“I’m glad.”
Ancil reached up to hug Church’s neck. “Thank you. Thank you both so much.”
Church turned the thanks around. “Thank you for trusting us enough to give us the very special gift of yourself.”
Church rolled his hips again to drive himself into Ancil and Ancil into me. We both grunted from the feeling. Ancil stroked Church’s face. “Do you want to finish inside me?”
“I do, but not yet.”
He was confused. “Not yet? When?”
“After you fuck Shawn again.”
“Again?” He looked down at me. “Do you want me again?”
I hadn’t considered whether I wanted to get fucked again or not, but Church thought it was a good idea, so I agreed. “Do me again. Do me harder. Fuck me as hard as you want.”
His face lit up like I’d given him a golden ticket to everything he’d ever dreamed of. “Can I?”
“Any way you want to.”
“On your knees?”
“Sure. You want to slap my ass too? Crack my muscle-butt until it’s bright, shiny red?”
“OH, FUCK, CAN I?”
I pointed over Ancil’s shoulder to Church. “Sorry, Love, but you’re going to have to sit this one out.”
He pouted like I’d taken his ice cream away. “Why?”
“Because Ancil needs to focus on battering my back door.” I put my finger in my navel and poked at it. “I’ve still got an innie. That means I haven’t been drilled hard enough yet.”
Church pulled out of Ancil and sat back on the bed to watch. Ancil started to pull out, but I stopped him. “Slowly, I don’t want to lose your load.”
“Why?”
“Because after you fuck me again, Church is going to eat my ass until he gets every drop.”
His eyes went wide in shock. He swiveled his head around to stare at Church. “Really?”
Church nodded. “The only flavor I like better than ass is fucked ass. I’m going to rim your load out of Shawn, then I’m going to fuck you and eat you, and if he can still move when you’re done with him, Shawn is going to fuck you and I’ll eat you again. When all that’s done, I’ll eat Shawn again for good measure. If you’re still hard, I might even suck another load out of you. Let you blast it right into my belly. What do you think of that?”
Ancil turned back to me and cocked his head toward Church. “Is he serious?”
“Very.”
“I’m so glad.”
* * * *
We did everything Church said we would and a little more besides. We both let Ancil fuck our feet and paint them with his loads. I helped him lick his cum from Church’s feet and Church helped him lick his cum from mine. I still thought it was a little weird, but I liked helping my friend live his fantasy. It was also hot to watch him fuck my feet. I didn’t get anything out of it physically, but it was very erotic the way his huge cock slid back and forth while he sweated and his muscles flexed to move his body.
At the end, we laid in a sweaty row to marinate in each other’s musk. Ancil’s cock finally deflated after Church and I milked many loads out of it. He arranged it to drape over his flat hard stomach. The deeply hooded head nestled in his navel.
I stuck my finger in my belly button and poked at it. In spite of Ancil’s best efforts, it was still an innie. Not that it would have mattered if he managed to push it inside out. Church ate my hole so thoroughly, he could have easily sucked it back in.
Church still had his magic ramped up, so I could feel the emotions of my partners. My husband was completely sated and content, just like I was. Ancil was sated, but his mind was active. Church and I tucked him between us to make sure he felt safe and loved. He didn’t seem unhappy, but his wheels were turning. I angled my head towards his. “Penny for your thoughts.”
“What’s a penny?”
I sighed with a mix of humor and frustration over my automatic use of the common Earth phrase. “A penny is a small piece of money that’s used on Earth. It’s roughly equivalent to one hundredth of a credit.”
He shook his head because he didn’t understand. “Does that mean you think my thoughts aren’t worth very much?”
“It’s just a saying, my friend. You seem pensive. I want to make sure you’re alright.”
He blew out a breath. “I’m alright. I was just thinking about how nice it is to be here with you…with both of you. I was thinking that I like sharing Church’s magic. I can feel that you both love me. You don’t love me like you love each other, but I don’t expect you to. You also trust me completely. You’ve trusted me for a long time.”
“You earned our trust. We didn’t give it to you.”
“I earned it, but you gave me the chance to earn it. That’s no small thing. You could have put me in prison for what I did. You could have thrown me out of your home and your employment. You could have made it difficult for me to find other work. You could have ruined my life. You didn’t do any of those things. You gave me a chance to redeem myself.”
Church tossed around on the bed until he could face Ancil. “You should know something. You should know that’s exactly what I wanted to do. What you did back then was a betrayal. When Shawn and I met with Shawn’s uncle to wrap up the loose ends after the kidnapping escapade was over, I demanded you go to prison for a long damn time. I am not a reasonable man, Ancil. I think you know that about me. If you give me your friendship, I can be your staunchest ally. If you betray me, I will be your most hated enemy. That’s the only way I know. It’s the only way I can protect the people I love.
“In your case, I was overruled. My soft-hearted husband didn’t think you did anything very bad. He didn’t want you punished. His Uncle Ars pushed me to reinstate you to your position. I was very much against the idea, but I relented. Even as I relented, I promised myself that I would get rid of you as soon as you gave me a reason. Here’s the thing; the man who sold information about my household to a stranger, is not the same man who is in bed with me now. Somewhere along the way, that man died and a new man was born.
“The new man did his job well. When the opportunity came for him to train as a protector, he took it. Eventually, the new man earned the trust of Cellarius. Then, one night when Shawn and I were away from the house to do something for his Uncle Ars, the new man saved my nephew Tobit and my young children from a kidnapping plot. I tell you all that so you understand that I did not forgive the man who betrayed my family for money. I believe that man is dead and with him died my hatred for what he did. I have faith in the new man who was born to replace him. He is the man who dedicated himself to the service and protection of my family. He is the man I trust.”
Church finished his speech and rolled to lay flat. He clasped his hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling. I could feel that Ancil didn’t know how to react to what he’d been told. He closed his eyes while he tried to process it. I turned my head to look at the ceiling. Had we been at home, it would have been a mirror. Since we were at my father’s house, it was just a white ceiling.
All light panel ceilings had reflectors built in. Because of that, any part of them could be instantly programmed to become a mirror. That didn’t matter because my father didn’t like light panel ceilings. He preferred the elegance of hanging and standing lamps. Only the functional spaces of the house, the kitchen and the bathrooms had light panel ceilings. Everywhere else had lamps.
I thought the lamps were silly, just like I thought it was silly to elevate form over function. I liked the even glow of a light panel. I never liked the harsh localized brightness of a lamp and the deep shadows that formed behind every obstacle. As my mind wandered, I realized that the lighting was a good representation for everything my father did. His entire life was form over function.
My father’s name was Verpa Summas, but that was his married name. I couldn’t remember his name before he was married. I wasn’t certain I ever knew it. He married my mother for her name, not for love. The status house he lived in had no yard for children. As a showpiece, it was excellent. As a family home, it was lacking. His wealth management business only succeeded as long as he took my mother’s brilliant advice. Once she left, his business crumbled. My father was a failure who liked to portray himself as a roaring success. If he hadn’t been such a prick for my whole life, I would pity him.
I pitied him still. All his pompous bluster was a waste. In the end, very few listened to him because his act was as transparent as a clean window. He was a failure in business, a failure as a father, a failure as a husband. He built nothing. He had no legacy. I felt sympathy for him, not as my father, but as a fellow human being. Here he was, nearly two hundred years old and he had nothing to show for his life. In spite of his epic failure, or perhaps because of it, he continued to bluster, continued to make his every shortcoming someone else’s fault. He even blamed Church for his use of a false identity, the ridiculous Professor Pecunia.
I could hear the bluster in my head. ‘Church wouldn’t have let me near my great-grand-children if I hadn’t lied.’ That wasn’t precisely what he said, but that had been the message. Everyone else was to blame. He only did what he had to so he could have what he wanted. My kidnapping was Domus’ fault. Church’s reaction to it was Church’s fault. The imposition of having us in his house was also Church’s fault. Each poisoned fruit could be traced directly to the twisted tree of his actions, but all of it was someone else’s fault.
I shook my head across the pillow at the absurdity of it. I was glad that Church worked so hard to teach our children personal responsibility. I remember his lessons vividly because I learned something from them as well. I already knew and lived by the precepts, but Church had a way of distilling things that I found useful.
He would say, “You are not a bystander to your life. If you want something, you have to go and get it. If you want material goods, you must work and earn them. If you want a relationship, you must make yourself worthy of being in a relationship. If you wish to be fit, you must work at it. NOTHING in life is free. Everything must be earned. If you are diligent and work hard, you will reap the reward. If you refuse to work, your fields will lay fallow and you will reap the wind. That’s how life is.”
I remembered the very first time I heard the speech. Church was giving it to our first child, Josephine. I leaned on his shoulder and kissed the top of his head to demonstrate my love before I offered some gentle criticism. “Love, she’s two.”
He bounced our giggling toddler on his knee. “She’s got to learn sometime.”
I hugged his broad shoulders and smiled at our daughter. “Maybe wait until she can speak in complete sentences before you start giving sermons.”
He laughed and agreed, but he gave the speech to each of our children many times. He also lived what he taught. We had enough money to spoil our children rotten, but Church never permitted excess. We went overboard on occasion, but not often. When Josephine wanted a dollhouse, Church bought a kit and worked with her to put it together. They had great fun building and painting the house, plus the activity reinforced the lesson of earning what one wants. He did a lot of those kinds of things. I was glad he was the stay-at-home dad because he was better with the children than I would have been.
Church patted my head. “You ok?”
“Yes, I was just thinking.”
“You shouldn’t be thinking if it makes you feel like that. This is afterglow time. Only good thoughts allowed.” He patted Ancil’s head as well. “How about you. You ok?”
“I’m fine. I was thinking too. Why did you tell me about how you wanted to put me in jail?”
He rolled on his side to explain. “More than once, you mentioned the chance we gave you. Each time you did, it sounded like you minimized the work you did and maximized the gift of an opportunity. I wanted you to know that I gave you nothing. The truth is, I couldn’t wait for you to fail so I could point to you and shout that I told them so. You carved your position and the trust that goes with it out of nothing. You made me change my mind about someone. In all the years we’ve been together, how often have I done that?”
“Never.”
“Exactly. Don’t ever thank me for the position in my life and my household that you built out of thin air. I should thank you for proving me wrong. You don’t owe me a thing because I never gave you anything. You earned every scrap of what you have. The job, the trust, a place in my household, the love of my children, and your spot in this bed all came from your dedication and hard work. That’s why I told you.”
Pride swelled within Ancil. His psyche puffed up like a bird doing a mating dance. He was thrilled to find out what he accomplished. I was happy he was happy.
He shifted on the bed and sat up. “Thank you both for a great time. I’m going to go to bed now.”
I grabbed him and pulled him down on top of me. “Don’t go! Stay here. Sleep with us.”
Church rolled over to throw a heavy arm on top of both of us. “Come on, Ancil; stay here!”
“You really want me to stay?”
I didn’t understand where the uncertainty came from until Church explained. “He never stays. When we were in Vitrum, he’d spend the whole evening with me. After dinner, he’d ride my dick, then he always left for his own room. I asked him to stay, but he never would.”
Ancil wriggled in my grasp. “It’s not proper. You are the masters and I am the servant.”
I held tight and refused to let him go. “I think you blurred those lines, my friend. It might have happened when you fed your cock to my husband.”
Church laughed in agreement. “Yeah, or maybe when you watched us swap your ball juice back and forth.”
I took issue with the choice of words. “Ball juice? That’s gross.”
“What would you prefer, Love? Throat yogurt? Gentleman’s relish? Baby batter? Ooohhh, how about man milk or boy cream?”
“Eewwwww…none of those are good. It’s essence, Ancil’s essence.”
“Uh huh, sure. That sounds like cologne for yuppies.” Church held his hands up to mime spraying a sample on his wrist. “Psst, psst, have you tried the new Ancil Essence? It’s divine.”
His silliness struck my sense of humor. I laughed so hard I lost my grip on Ancil. He scooted off me and right into Church’s grasp. Church manhandled him around until he could press his face to Ancil’s smooth chest. He huffed a deep breath through his nose. “Ahhhh, Ancil essence! It’s divine!”
I howled with renewed hysterics. Church laughed. Even Ancil joined in the fun. He lifted his arm and offered his pit to Church. Church breathed it in. “It’s divine!”
Every time I started to catch my breath, Church would smell Ancil and repeat, “it’s divine.” I laughed until tears ran down my face and I could barely breathe. I eventually settled when I couldn’t laugh anymore. Church released Ancil and let him lay between us. “You’re staying, right?”
He nodded. “I guess we crossed a lot of lines tonight. I’m still the butler and you’re still The Boss, but it’s different now.”
We both agreed that was so.
“How will I know what’s proper and what’s not?”
I shrugged. “We’ll figure it out, but not tonight.” I paused to yawn. “It’s time for sleep.”
We all settled down. Church used his magic to cover us with the sheet. Sleep found me quickly.
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