Max trudged home through the snow and the gathering
darkness. Christmas lights festooned the trees along the
Bloomfield downtown district's sidewalks. Speakers attached to
the old-fashioned streetlights warbled a tinny rendition of I'm
Dreaming of a White Christmas. He pulled his coat tighter about
himself and walked faster. Five years now, and it still didn't hurt any less. Max could still picture
every moment as if it were happening all over again.
December 24, 2005: Stev had been out of town for work, but he was flying home in time to spend
Christmas with Max. Max had been to the kink shop and bought a nylon rope. After three years of
committed, vanilla sex with the gorgeous man he loved more than anyone he'd ever known, he was
going to come out to Stev about his kink. He was nervous and hungry, a bad combination, and he
stopped into the Bloomfield Diner for a bowl of their famous chicken noodle soup before picking
Stev up at the airport.
The Bloomfield Diner was a no-frills place that had somehow escaped the gentrification the rest
of downtown Bloomfield had undergone in the early naughts. Maybe because everyone liked it just
the way it was. It was a place where long-time local residents and newcomers mingled freely. And it
had a television behind the counter.
Now, Max paused outside the door to the diner. Should he go in? The memory of that night was
burned in his mind. He didn't have to relive it again to remember the way he'd sat there, spoon halfraised
as he watched the news bulletin about the plane crash. And he recalled exactly the way his
stomach had twisted as the bottom fell out of his life.
Through the window he saw Ralph working the griddle, just as he'd been that night, and each
consecutive Christmas Eve that Max returned to enact this useless little ritual of remembrance. Max
went in and took a seat at the counter. The second stool down from the cash register.
"Max," said Ralph, pouring him a cup of coffee. "It's good to see you."
A beautiful naked man with
black feathered wings
stands with his eyes closed
and his face pointing
towards the heavens. His
hands are cross in front of
his groan and are bound at
the wrists with thick rope.
Stuff My Stocking: M/M Romance Stories that are Nice and… Naughty
191
"Good to see you too, Ralph." And it was. Max liked Ralph. He liked his strawberry blond hair and
his muscular build. He liked the tight white tank tops he wore and the way they displayed his
tattoos -- the USMC anchor and shield on one bicep, a merman on the other. Most of all, Max like
that Ralph never wished him a merry Christmas.
Ralph had seen Max's face when the news of the plane crash came on. Engine failure. How could
an engine just fail? But it had, and the plane caught fire. No survivors.
It was Ralph who'd made sure Max got home all right, and it was Ralph who'd brought over
chicken soup every day that first week, while Max had sat on his couch staring at Stev's empty chair.
"The usual?" asked Ralph.
"Yeah."
There was only one other person in the diner at the moment, an elderly lady in the far corner
reading the paper. Max glanced up at the television. It was turned to a local station, as always. At the
moment a syndicated episode of How I Met Your Father aired. The laugh track sounded hollow.
Ralph brought him his chicken soup. "Five years now," he said.
This was new. Max never really said anything before. "Yeah."
Ralph started refilling the paper napkin dispensers. "Five years now you've been coming in, at
the same time, on the same day. You sit in the same spot and you order the same thing. And the rest
of the year I don't see you. Why do you do this?"
Max leaned back and looked up at Ralph. He always forgot how physically intimidating Ralph
could be, and how deep down, in the place he pretended wasn't there, that made him want to turn
the tables on Ralph and dominate him -- just like he'd wanted to do with Stev and had never worked
up the nerve. "Why?"
Ralph met his gaze. "Yeah. I mean, it's not like you need to remind yourself. Do you?"
Max opened his mouth. That was exactly what he'd been about to say -- that he did it to
remember. But Ralph was right. He hadn't forgotten. Not for one second. So why?
"You know what I think?" said Ralph.
Max stirred his soup and tried to decide how he felt about this new, talkative Ralph. Curious. He
felt curious. "What do you think?"
"I think you're replaying the day hoping somehow it'll turn out different."
Max dropped his spoon and it splashed soup all over the counter. "That's ridiculous."
Ralph smiled, but his green eyes remained serious. "It's not going to change, Max."
Max shoved his bowl away and stood. "I know that! As it turns out, I'm not very hungry right
now. I'll take this to go, please."
Stuff My Stocking: M/M Romance Stories that are Nice and… Naughty
192
Ralph sighed. "Half of it's on the counter. I'll get you a fresh bowl."
He wrote out Max's order, then ladled a helping of soup into a to-go container. Before handing it
to max, he wrote something on the lid.
"What's this?" Max knew what it was. It was a phone number.
"I think you're a nice guy, Max, and I like your taste in Christmas presents."
Max stared at him. "Christmas presents? I never gave you a--"
Ralph's green eyes were clear and full of light. "Of course not. My guess it was for that guy who
died in the plane crash. But I've never been able to forget how you looked before you got the news,
when you first walked in here with that bag from Noir -- happy and cocky, like you owned the place.
If you ever get around to being that guy again, call me. I like a man who knows what to do with ten
feet of nylon rope."
Max's cock leapt and his face went red. He stared down at the number scrawled on the lid of the
soup container. "I... I don't... I can't..." What? Talk? Breathe?
"No worries. Toss it if you want. Just don't waste the soup."
Max forced himself to meet Ralph's gaze. On the little television, an ad for a debt consolidation
company came on.
"Like I said, you're a nice guy. But you're still stuck in the past."
Max wanted to object, but Ralph was right. He searched for something to say. "Merry Christmas,"
he blurted and blushed even harder.
Ralph gave a soft, startled laugh. "Merry Christmas to you too."
#
Late that night, Max awoke to a sound. A thump from downstairs. He sat up, his heart racing. It
was either Santa Claus or a burglar, and he didn't believe in Santa Clause. Shit! He needed to call the
cops, but he didn't keep a landline anymore and his cell phone was downstairs. Fuck!
Moving as quietly as he could, Max put on a pair of jeans and grabbed the baseball bat from
under the bed. He crept down the stairs on bare feet.
The downstairs was dark. No Christmas tree or holiday lights brightened the gloom. Max didn't
decorate for the holidays. He and Stev were going to do that, Christmas Eve when they got home,
and Max had harbored secret fantasies about tying Stev up with the evergreen garland and hanging
balls from his--
Another noise from the living room derailed his train of thought. Somebody's really down there.
He trembled, but tightened his grip on the bat. When he reached the bend in the staircase, where
the light switch was, he flicked it on.
Stuff My Stocking: M/M Romance Stories that are Nice and… Naughty
193
From here he had a bird's eye view of the living room -- and of the winged man kneeling in front
of the fireplace. He was naked and powerfully built, with a shock of dark brown hair and a cleft chin.
His hands were bound in front of him with a rope. Max lost his grip on the bat and it rolled down
the steps with a series of thunks. "Stev."
Stev looked up. His hazel eyes luminous, his handsome face anguished. "Max."
As if he himself had wings, Max flew down the remaining steps and across the room. He grabbed
Stev and hugged him, his effort complicated somewhat by the wings, but he managed to thread his
arms beneath them and hold his lover tight. Stev was warm and solid in his arms. "Stev! Its really
you!" The feathers brushing against his face muffled his words.
Stev sighed and sank against him. "Oh Max."
Max was lost in the warm silk of Stev's naked skin, his smell, like evergreen and oiled leather.
How many times had he taken Stev's undershirt out of its baggy to smell it, to close his eyes and
imagine Stev was really there.
This was so much better. Even if it was just a dream. He sat back and ran one hand over the arch
of a wing. The feathers were black and soft as a warm summer breeze. "This is a dream."
"It's no dream, Max. Look at me."
Max did. It was Stev. There could be no doubt about that. Stev's straight, high bridged nose, his
lush mouth. Max's heart pounded. How was this possible? "You died."
"I did."
"But you're here."
"I am."
"How?"
Stev raised an eyebrow and tilted his head at one of his wings.
"Oh. Then..." He cupped Stev's face. But you feel so solid, so real."
"I am real. I'm here, in the flesh, for now, for a reason."
Max had forgotten how Stev could be. Impatient with people who didn't catch on right away.
"For a reason?"
Stev rolled his eyes. "Look at me, Max. Come on. Look."
Max did. He took in Stev's bare skin, gleaming in the dim light, his sculpted chest, his lean ass, his
wings... and his bound hands. Stev lifted them. "Need me to spell it out for you? You have me bound.
I can't move on because you won't let go!"
Max rocked back. "Oh."
Stuff My Stocking: M/M Romance Stories that are Nice and… Naughty
194
"Yeah. Oh."
Silence settled between them. Max shifted. He reached out to Stev, then paused, his hand
hovering in midair. Stev sighed. Outside, a car went by, the radio playing Angels We Have Heard on
High too loud.
How could his heart be breaking now? Wasn't it already shattered beyond repair? He dropped
his hand. He bowed his head. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."
Another long sigh. "Of course you didn't. It's okay. Look. Max, look."
He raised his head. It hurt to look at Stev now. Wasn't this what he'd wanted, secretly, in the
bottom of his heart? Stev back, and in the flesh? Only this wasn't for good. this was... what was it?
"I know." Stev's eyes, half-lidded, glittered in the faint light. His breath came in rapid gusts. "Max,
I never wanted to leave you. I hated dying!
Max crept closer. He touched Stev on the shoulder. His skin was warm. "It wasn't your fault. It
was a plane crash. Did you... Were you... Was it bad?"
"No. I was lucky. I died instantly when the engine blew."
Relief flooded Max. He hadn't realized until now how heavy the thought of Stev suffering had
been. "Oh God. Oh Good."
"Oh Max. I'm so sorry. I didn't want to leave you."
"You've really been trapped all this time, waiting for me to let you go?"
Stev scooted closer and rested his head against Max's shoulder. His right wing sheltered Max.
"Yeah, but..." He tilted his head up to peer at Max. Their faces were very close. "It's worth it to be
able to kiss you again."
Max closed his eyes and leaned in and Stev's velvet lips touched his like a benediction. He
thought he'd never feel that soft press again, or taste the ambrosia of Stev's mouth. He was starving
for that taste, that touch. He gripped Stev's face in both hands, cradling his jaw as he devoured his
mouth.
He couldn't get enough. He straddled Stev's lap, and wrapped his arms around him. Feathers
brushed against his arms and made him shiver. The shiver became trembling. It had been so long. "I
missed you." Three words that encompassed five years.
But Max didn't want to think about that, or about what would happen after tonight. His cock
tented the front of his pajamas and poked Stev in the belly.
Stev's hands were trapped between them. "Here, let me untie you.
Stev smirked at him. "Go ahead. Try."
Stuff My Stocking: M/M Romance Stories that are Nice and… Naughty
195
Max tugged at one of the loops of the knot. It loosened but as he pulled the rope through, the
rest of the loops twisted, slithering like a snake, knotting itself again, just as tight as before.
"See?" Stev's smile changed. "Besides, you always wanted me tied up."
Max gasped. "I never told you. I was going to but--"
"I know. I know everything now."
Max's face was hot. He was bright red, he could tell.
It's okay. It would have been too. I'm okay with that. All you had to do was ask, Max."
More regret. "I thought you'd be offended."
Stev snorted. "I kind of knew even in life. I mean, you were always pinning my wrists. I didn't
mind." His eyes darkened. "I liked it."
Something powerful rose up inside Max like a creature awakened. The desire to dominate. Max
braced his knees on either side of Stev's hips and rose up. He took Stev's hands and pushed them
over his head and back.
The position made Stev arch his back. His wings opened and a soft grunt escaped him. But it was
true, he didn't mind. He was hard. Keeping the tension in Stev's arms Max leaned in and bit his
angel's neck. He ran tongue and teeth down the silken flesh to his shoulder. Stev was very much a
living, corporeal being. The heat of his pulse radiated from his neck, heating the side of Max's face.
Max wanted to work his way down Stev's body but he'd lose his grip on Stev's arms if he did. He
looked around and spotted the two empty hooks on the mantelpiece. They'd been intended for their
stockings long ago. He'd never taken them down.
In the back of the hall closet sat the shopping bag from Noir, untouched since that night five
years ago. Max fetched it.
He threaded the rope between Stev's bound hands, looped it over the hooks and drew it tight,
pulling Stev up onto his knees, his arms stretched up and back, his wings extended, his whole body
straining with the effort of maintaining the position. His cock jutted out, a bead of precum glistening
at the tip.
There. How any times had Max imagined Stev just like that? The sight made Max's cock pulse. A
spot of precum moistened the fabric of his pajamas.
Stev breathed rapidly. His nipples were tight, pink peaks. He watched Max, mouth open.
Max walked around him, wondering what to do next. Stev's mouth was just about level with
Max's cock. He took off his pajama bottoms and straddled Stev's chest. Soft feathers brushed Max's
Stuff My Stocking: M/M Romance Stories that are Nice and… Naughty
196
thighs as he stood, knees to Stev' shoulders. He twitched his hips and his cock brushed against
Stev's lips.
He reached down and grabbed the back of Stev's head, supporting him. Stev darted his tongue
out and licked his cock head. The hot, wet, softness of his tongue made Max's skin tingle all over.
Stev opened that lush mouth of his and Max thrust forward, pushing the head of his cock in. Stev
closed his eyes and sucked Max in.
The heat that enveloped him made his balls draw up. Stev licked the cleft at the base of Max's
cock head. His tongue felt like wet velvet. Sweat stood out on Max's skin.
Max tightened his grip on Stev's head and started thrusting, shallowly because of the angle. Stev
sucked and licked. Drool ran down his chin. The sight of Stev, stretched out and taking his cock,
made Max's belly tighten. He had to pull out or risk coming right then.
Stev looked up at him, mouth wet, chest heaving. Max knelt between his legs and stroked his
hard, curved cock. Stev arched up even more. "Max!" He tried to thrust, tried to press his cock into
Max's palm with some kind of rhythm. "I'm so.. I need..."
If he'd been five years celibate, only taking perfunctory release with himself in the shower on
Sunday mornings, what had it been like for Stev, caught in limbo?
"Not yet," he said, and withdrew his hand.
Stev couldn't suppress a whimper. The sound made Max harder than ever. He stepped back and
surveyed his bound angel again, relishing his arousal and Stev's. Delighting in withholding release
for both of them.
Whatever this was, it was for one night. Max wasn't fool enough to think otherwise. Anything
they wanted to do, they'd better do now, and there was a problem with the way he'd tied Stev.
He couldn't fuck him like this.
Making a snap decision, Max unhooked the rope from the mantelpiece and pushed Stev over
onto his back. Max took the rope, pushed Stev's knees up to his chest and tied his ankles to his
wrists. He stood back and surveyed his work. Stev's cock was framed between his bound hands and
feet. Precum dripped onto his trembling belly. His wings spread out around him like a bed of down.
Perfect.
Max knelt at Stev's upraised buttocks. His tight, pink hole was just visible. Max dipped his
fingers into the gathered precum on Stev's belly and started to paint his hole with it.
Stev gave a whimper that made Max's already throbbing erection pulse even harder. He wanted
to be inside Stev, making him cry out louder, harder. He wanted to make Stev beg.
He smeared more precum on his middle finger before fucking Stev with it.
Stuff My Stocking: M/M Romance Stories that are Nice and… Naughty
197
Stev made a mewling noise and tried to push up onto Max's finger, but the way he was bound, all
he could manage was a little jump. "You like it?" he asked.
Stev nodded.
"You want more?"
He nodded again.
"Tell me."
Shock registered in Stev's face.
Their lovemaking had never been like this. Stev was gorgeous. Max was average. He' d always
felt lucky to be with Stev. He' hadn't wanted to push that luck, so he'd never told Stev about his
secret desire to dominate him.
He'd been an idiot. "Tell me."
Stev's pupils expanded. He blushed, licked his lips and then, the words poured out. "I want it all.
Everything you want to do to me. I want to take it. I want you. I want your control. I want your
intensity, your heat, your cock. I want you to fuck me so hard I feel it for eternity. I want you Max.
All of you. Please."
Max could barely breathe. He trembled. This thing inside him that he'd carried side by side with
his grief seemed to be tearing him up in order to get out. "You left me."
"I know. I'm sorry. I didn't want to."
But really, it had predated his grief, hadn't it?
"But you held out on me, Max."
Max stared into his lover's eyes, where need, truth and eternity coiled in a never-ending braid.
"Please Max. I need you. All of you."
Humbled by Stev's surrender, Max fell to his knees. He slicked himself with his own precum and
pressed the head of his cock to Steve's ass. Slowly, he pressed in, staring at Stev's face, watching as
his mouth opened, as his eyelids fluttered closed. Stev's tight heat closed around him. Oh. God. He'd
thought he'd never feel this again. He gripped Stev's knees and shoved the rest of the way in, hard,
like he could just meld with Stev and they'd never have to part again.
He pulled back out slow, watching his cock emerge from Stev's body. Listening to Stev's breath
come rushing out in a low moan. Then he shoved back in again, fast and hard like before. "Max,"
said Stev. "Max." Another slow withdrawal and this time, Stev let out a shout and control
abandoned him. He fucked Stev hard and fast, with all the love, grief and passion he possessed.
Stuff My Stocking: M/M Romance Stories that are Nice and… Naughty
198
A fist clenched in the pit of his stomach. He was going to come soon. Stev's cries had gotten
louder and louder. He reached own to find his lover's balls drawn up tight to his body. He was close
too.
Half way in and out of Stev, Max stopped his chest heaving. He was caught between tears and
orgasm. Stev opened his eyes and stared up at him. "Please." he said, and that one work
encompassed so much more than a request for physical release. "Please. I love you."
"Love? Not loved?"
"No. Not loved. I will always love you, Max, and where I'm going, that love will become part of
the whole world."
Max's face was wet, his balls tight, his cock raging. "I love you too. I always will. I can't stop Stev.
I can't just turn that off. If that's what you need..." He was babbling. Some dom.
"No. Never stop loving me. Just fucking move on with your life already! Please!"
Stev lay back, imploring Max with his eyes, and Max couldn't hold back any longer. He pumped
into Stev, faster, harder. As his thrusts reached a crescendo, he grasped Stev's cock and worked him
with an iron grip.
They came in unison, both crying out.
Stev came all over Max's hand and Max buried himself in Stev's ass, pumping his release deep
inside. The rope around Stev's wrists dissolved and Stev wrapped his arms around Max, crushing
him to him. For a moment, Max was enveloped by Stev's wings. His heart stretched to bursting as
Stev moved through him, sharing all the love, affection and desire he'd felt for Max in life. Max
opened his eyes in time to see the reflection of eternity in Stev's eyes, and then he was gone.
#
In the morning when Max came back downstairs, he found two lengths of rope laying the living
room floor. He picked them up and coiled them together. He was starving. He went into the kitchen
and opened the fridge. There was his chicken noodle soup in the carryout container with Ralph's
phone number on it. He looked at the ropes in his hand.
darkness. Christmas lights festooned the trees along the
Bloomfield downtown district's sidewalks. Speakers attached to
the old-fashioned streetlights warbled a tinny rendition of I'm
Dreaming of a White Christmas. He pulled his coat tighter about
himself and walked faster. Five years now, and it still didn't hurt any less. Max could still picture
every moment as if it were happening all over again.
December 24, 2005: Stev had been out of town for work, but he was flying home in time to spend
Christmas with Max. Max had been to the kink shop and bought a nylon rope. After three years of
committed, vanilla sex with the gorgeous man he loved more than anyone he'd ever known, he was
going to come out to Stev about his kink. He was nervous and hungry, a bad combination, and he
stopped into the Bloomfield Diner for a bowl of their famous chicken noodle soup before picking
Stev up at the airport.
The Bloomfield Diner was a no-frills place that had somehow escaped the gentrification the rest
of downtown Bloomfield had undergone in the early naughts. Maybe because everyone liked it just
the way it was. It was a place where long-time local residents and newcomers mingled freely. And it
had a television behind the counter.
Now, Max paused outside the door to the diner. Should he go in? The memory of that night was
burned in his mind. He didn't have to relive it again to remember the way he'd sat there, spoon halfraised
as he watched the news bulletin about the plane crash. And he recalled exactly the way his
stomach had twisted as the bottom fell out of his life.
Through the window he saw Ralph working the griddle, just as he'd been that night, and each
consecutive Christmas Eve that Max returned to enact this useless little ritual of remembrance. Max
went in and took a seat at the counter. The second stool down from the cash register.
"Max," said Ralph, pouring him a cup of coffee. "It's good to see you."
A beautiful naked man with
black feathered wings
stands with his eyes closed
and his face pointing
towards the heavens. His
hands are cross in front of
his groan and are bound at
the wrists with thick rope.
Stuff My Stocking: M/M Romance Stories that are Nice and… Naughty
191
"Good to see you too, Ralph." And it was. Max liked Ralph. He liked his strawberry blond hair and
his muscular build. He liked the tight white tank tops he wore and the way they displayed his
tattoos -- the USMC anchor and shield on one bicep, a merman on the other. Most of all, Max like
that Ralph never wished him a merry Christmas.
Ralph had seen Max's face when the news of the plane crash came on. Engine failure. How could
an engine just fail? But it had, and the plane caught fire. No survivors.
It was Ralph who'd made sure Max got home all right, and it was Ralph who'd brought over
chicken soup every day that first week, while Max had sat on his couch staring at Stev's empty chair.
"The usual?" asked Ralph.
"Yeah."
There was only one other person in the diner at the moment, an elderly lady in the far corner
reading the paper. Max glanced up at the television. It was turned to a local station, as always. At the
moment a syndicated episode of How I Met Your Father aired. The laugh track sounded hollow.
Ralph brought him his chicken soup. "Five years now," he said.
This was new. Max never really said anything before. "Yeah."
Ralph started refilling the paper napkin dispensers. "Five years now you've been coming in, at
the same time, on the same day. You sit in the same spot and you order the same thing. And the rest
of the year I don't see you. Why do you do this?"
Max leaned back and looked up at Ralph. He always forgot how physically intimidating Ralph
could be, and how deep down, in the place he pretended wasn't there, that made him want to turn
the tables on Ralph and dominate him -- just like he'd wanted to do with Stev and had never worked
up the nerve. "Why?"
Ralph met his gaze. "Yeah. I mean, it's not like you need to remind yourself. Do you?"
Max opened his mouth. That was exactly what he'd been about to say -- that he did it to
remember. But Ralph was right. He hadn't forgotten. Not for one second. So why?
"You know what I think?" said Ralph.
Max stirred his soup and tried to decide how he felt about this new, talkative Ralph. Curious. He
felt curious. "What do you think?"
"I think you're replaying the day hoping somehow it'll turn out different."
Max dropped his spoon and it splashed soup all over the counter. "That's ridiculous."
Ralph smiled, but his green eyes remained serious. "It's not going to change, Max."
Max shoved his bowl away and stood. "I know that! As it turns out, I'm not very hungry right
now. I'll take this to go, please."
Stuff My Stocking: M/M Romance Stories that are Nice and… Naughty
192
Ralph sighed. "Half of it's on the counter. I'll get you a fresh bowl."
He wrote out Max's order, then ladled a helping of soup into a to-go container. Before handing it
to max, he wrote something on the lid.
"What's this?" Max knew what it was. It was a phone number.
"I think you're a nice guy, Max, and I like your taste in Christmas presents."
Max stared at him. "Christmas presents? I never gave you a--"
Ralph's green eyes were clear and full of light. "Of course not. My guess it was for that guy who
died in the plane crash. But I've never been able to forget how you looked before you got the news,
when you first walked in here with that bag from Noir -- happy and cocky, like you owned the place.
If you ever get around to being that guy again, call me. I like a man who knows what to do with ten
feet of nylon rope."
Max's cock leapt and his face went red. He stared down at the number scrawled on the lid of the
soup container. "I... I don't... I can't..." What? Talk? Breathe?
"No worries. Toss it if you want. Just don't waste the soup."
Max forced himself to meet Ralph's gaze. On the little television, an ad for a debt consolidation
company came on.
"Like I said, you're a nice guy. But you're still stuck in the past."
Max wanted to object, but Ralph was right. He searched for something to say. "Merry Christmas,"
he blurted and blushed even harder.
Ralph gave a soft, startled laugh. "Merry Christmas to you too."
#
Late that night, Max awoke to a sound. A thump from downstairs. He sat up, his heart racing. It
was either Santa Claus or a burglar, and he didn't believe in Santa Clause. Shit! He needed to call the
cops, but he didn't keep a landline anymore and his cell phone was downstairs. Fuck!
Moving as quietly as he could, Max put on a pair of jeans and grabbed the baseball bat from
under the bed. He crept down the stairs on bare feet.
The downstairs was dark. No Christmas tree or holiday lights brightened the gloom. Max didn't
decorate for the holidays. He and Stev were going to do that, Christmas Eve when they got home,
and Max had harbored secret fantasies about tying Stev up with the evergreen garland and hanging
balls from his--
Another noise from the living room derailed his train of thought. Somebody's really down there.
He trembled, but tightened his grip on the bat. When he reached the bend in the staircase, where
the light switch was, he flicked it on.
Stuff My Stocking: M/M Romance Stories that are Nice and… Naughty
193
From here he had a bird's eye view of the living room -- and of the winged man kneeling in front
of the fireplace. He was naked and powerfully built, with a shock of dark brown hair and a cleft chin.
His hands were bound in front of him with a rope. Max lost his grip on the bat and it rolled down
the steps with a series of thunks. "Stev."
Stev looked up. His hazel eyes luminous, his handsome face anguished. "Max."
As if he himself had wings, Max flew down the remaining steps and across the room. He grabbed
Stev and hugged him, his effort complicated somewhat by the wings, but he managed to thread his
arms beneath them and hold his lover tight. Stev was warm and solid in his arms. "Stev! Its really
you!" The feathers brushing against his face muffled his words.
Stev sighed and sank against him. "Oh Max."
Max was lost in the warm silk of Stev's naked skin, his smell, like evergreen and oiled leather.
How many times had he taken Stev's undershirt out of its baggy to smell it, to close his eyes and
imagine Stev was really there.
This was so much better. Even if it was just a dream. He sat back and ran one hand over the arch
of a wing. The feathers were black and soft as a warm summer breeze. "This is a dream."
"It's no dream, Max. Look at me."
Max did. It was Stev. There could be no doubt about that. Stev's straight, high bridged nose, his
lush mouth. Max's heart pounded. How was this possible? "You died."
"I did."
"But you're here."
"I am."
"How?"
Stev raised an eyebrow and tilted his head at one of his wings.
"Oh. Then..." He cupped Stev's face. But you feel so solid, so real."
"I am real. I'm here, in the flesh, for now, for a reason."
Max had forgotten how Stev could be. Impatient with people who didn't catch on right away.
"For a reason?"
Stev rolled his eyes. "Look at me, Max. Come on. Look."
Max did. He took in Stev's bare skin, gleaming in the dim light, his sculpted chest, his lean ass, his
wings... and his bound hands. Stev lifted them. "Need me to spell it out for you? You have me bound.
I can't move on because you won't let go!"
Max rocked back. "Oh."
Stuff My Stocking: M/M Romance Stories that are Nice and… Naughty
194
"Yeah. Oh."
Silence settled between them. Max shifted. He reached out to Stev, then paused, his hand
hovering in midair. Stev sighed. Outside, a car went by, the radio playing Angels We Have Heard on
High too loud.
How could his heart be breaking now? Wasn't it already shattered beyond repair? He dropped
his hand. He bowed his head. "I'm sorry. I didn't know."
Another long sigh. "Of course you didn't. It's okay. Look. Max, look."
He raised his head. It hurt to look at Stev now. Wasn't this what he'd wanted, secretly, in the
bottom of his heart? Stev back, and in the flesh? Only this wasn't for good. this was... what was it?
"I know." Stev's eyes, half-lidded, glittered in the faint light. His breath came in rapid gusts. "Max,
I never wanted to leave you. I hated dying!
Max crept closer. He touched Stev on the shoulder. His skin was warm. "It wasn't your fault. It
was a plane crash. Did you... Were you... Was it bad?"
"No. I was lucky. I died instantly when the engine blew."
Relief flooded Max. He hadn't realized until now how heavy the thought of Stev suffering had
been. "Oh God. Oh Good."
"Oh Max. I'm so sorry. I didn't want to leave you."
"You've really been trapped all this time, waiting for me to let you go?"
Stev scooted closer and rested his head against Max's shoulder. His right wing sheltered Max.
"Yeah, but..." He tilted his head up to peer at Max. Their faces were very close. "It's worth it to be
able to kiss you again."
Max closed his eyes and leaned in and Stev's velvet lips touched his like a benediction. He
thought he'd never feel that soft press again, or taste the ambrosia of Stev's mouth. He was starving
for that taste, that touch. He gripped Stev's face in both hands, cradling his jaw as he devoured his
mouth.
He couldn't get enough. He straddled Stev's lap, and wrapped his arms around him. Feathers
brushed against his arms and made him shiver. The shiver became trembling. It had been so long. "I
missed you." Three words that encompassed five years.
But Max didn't want to think about that, or about what would happen after tonight. His cock
tented the front of his pajamas and poked Stev in the belly.
Stev's hands were trapped between them. "Here, let me untie you.
Stev smirked at him. "Go ahead. Try."
Stuff My Stocking: M/M Romance Stories that are Nice and… Naughty
195
Max tugged at one of the loops of the knot. It loosened but as he pulled the rope through, the
rest of the loops twisted, slithering like a snake, knotting itself again, just as tight as before.
"See?" Stev's smile changed. "Besides, you always wanted me tied up."
Max gasped. "I never told you. I was going to but--"
"I know. I know everything now."
Max's face was hot. He was bright red, he could tell.
It's okay. It would have been too. I'm okay with that. All you had to do was ask, Max."
More regret. "I thought you'd be offended."
Stev snorted. "I kind of knew even in life. I mean, you were always pinning my wrists. I didn't
mind." His eyes darkened. "I liked it."
Something powerful rose up inside Max like a creature awakened. The desire to dominate. Max
braced his knees on either side of Stev's hips and rose up. He took Stev's hands and pushed them
over his head and back.
The position made Stev arch his back. His wings opened and a soft grunt escaped him. But it was
true, he didn't mind. He was hard. Keeping the tension in Stev's arms Max leaned in and bit his
angel's neck. He ran tongue and teeth down the silken flesh to his shoulder. Stev was very much a
living, corporeal being. The heat of his pulse radiated from his neck, heating the side of Max's face.
Max wanted to work his way down Stev's body but he'd lose his grip on Stev's arms if he did. He
looked around and spotted the two empty hooks on the mantelpiece. They'd been intended for their
stockings long ago. He'd never taken them down.
In the back of the hall closet sat the shopping bag from Noir, untouched since that night five
years ago. Max fetched it.
He threaded the rope between Stev's bound hands, looped it over the hooks and drew it tight,
pulling Stev up onto his knees, his arms stretched up and back, his wings extended, his whole body
straining with the effort of maintaining the position. His cock jutted out, a bead of precum glistening
at the tip.
There. How any times had Max imagined Stev just like that? The sight made Max's cock pulse. A
spot of precum moistened the fabric of his pajamas.
Stev breathed rapidly. His nipples were tight, pink peaks. He watched Max, mouth open.
Max walked around him, wondering what to do next. Stev's mouth was just about level with
Max's cock. He took off his pajama bottoms and straddled Stev's chest. Soft feathers brushed Max's
Stuff My Stocking: M/M Romance Stories that are Nice and… Naughty
196
thighs as he stood, knees to Stev' shoulders. He twitched his hips and his cock brushed against
Stev's lips.
He reached down and grabbed the back of Stev's head, supporting him. Stev darted his tongue
out and licked his cock head. The hot, wet, softness of his tongue made Max's skin tingle all over.
Stev opened that lush mouth of his and Max thrust forward, pushing the head of his cock in. Stev
closed his eyes and sucked Max in.
The heat that enveloped him made his balls draw up. Stev licked the cleft at the base of Max's
cock head. His tongue felt like wet velvet. Sweat stood out on Max's skin.
Max tightened his grip on Stev's head and started thrusting, shallowly because of the angle. Stev
sucked and licked. Drool ran down his chin. The sight of Stev, stretched out and taking his cock,
made Max's belly tighten. He had to pull out or risk coming right then.
Stev looked up at him, mouth wet, chest heaving. Max knelt between his legs and stroked his
hard, curved cock. Stev arched up even more. "Max!" He tried to thrust, tried to press his cock into
Max's palm with some kind of rhythm. "I'm so.. I need..."
If he'd been five years celibate, only taking perfunctory release with himself in the shower on
Sunday mornings, what had it been like for Stev, caught in limbo?
"Not yet," he said, and withdrew his hand.
Stev couldn't suppress a whimper. The sound made Max harder than ever. He stepped back and
surveyed his bound angel again, relishing his arousal and Stev's. Delighting in withholding release
for both of them.
Whatever this was, it was for one night. Max wasn't fool enough to think otherwise. Anything
they wanted to do, they'd better do now, and there was a problem with the way he'd tied Stev.
He couldn't fuck him like this.
Making a snap decision, Max unhooked the rope from the mantelpiece and pushed Stev over
onto his back. Max took the rope, pushed Stev's knees up to his chest and tied his ankles to his
wrists. He stood back and surveyed his work. Stev's cock was framed between his bound hands and
feet. Precum dripped onto his trembling belly. His wings spread out around him like a bed of down.
Perfect.
Max knelt at Stev's upraised buttocks. His tight, pink hole was just visible. Max dipped his
fingers into the gathered precum on Stev's belly and started to paint his hole with it.
Stev gave a whimper that made Max's already throbbing erection pulse even harder. He wanted
to be inside Stev, making him cry out louder, harder. He wanted to make Stev beg.
He smeared more precum on his middle finger before fucking Stev with it.
Stuff My Stocking: M/M Romance Stories that are Nice and… Naughty
197
Stev made a mewling noise and tried to push up onto Max's finger, but the way he was bound, all
he could manage was a little jump. "You like it?" he asked.
Stev nodded.
"You want more?"
He nodded again.
"Tell me."
Shock registered in Stev's face.
Their lovemaking had never been like this. Stev was gorgeous. Max was average. He' d always
felt lucky to be with Stev. He' hadn't wanted to push that luck, so he'd never told Stev about his
secret desire to dominate him.
He'd been an idiot. "Tell me."
Stev's pupils expanded. He blushed, licked his lips and then, the words poured out. "I want it all.
Everything you want to do to me. I want to take it. I want you. I want your control. I want your
intensity, your heat, your cock. I want you to fuck me so hard I feel it for eternity. I want you Max.
All of you. Please."
Max could barely breathe. He trembled. This thing inside him that he'd carried side by side with
his grief seemed to be tearing him up in order to get out. "You left me."
"I know. I'm sorry. I didn't want to."
But really, it had predated his grief, hadn't it?
"But you held out on me, Max."
Max stared into his lover's eyes, where need, truth and eternity coiled in a never-ending braid.
"Please Max. I need you. All of you."
Humbled by Stev's surrender, Max fell to his knees. He slicked himself with his own precum and
pressed the head of his cock to Steve's ass. Slowly, he pressed in, staring at Stev's face, watching as
his mouth opened, as his eyelids fluttered closed. Stev's tight heat closed around him. Oh. God. He'd
thought he'd never feel this again. He gripped Stev's knees and shoved the rest of the way in, hard,
like he could just meld with Stev and they'd never have to part again.
He pulled back out slow, watching his cock emerge from Stev's body. Listening to Stev's breath
come rushing out in a low moan. Then he shoved back in again, fast and hard like before. "Max,"
said Stev. "Max." Another slow withdrawal and this time, Stev let out a shout and control
abandoned him. He fucked Stev hard and fast, with all the love, grief and passion he possessed.
Stuff My Stocking: M/M Romance Stories that are Nice and… Naughty
198
A fist clenched in the pit of his stomach. He was going to come soon. Stev's cries had gotten
louder and louder. He reached own to find his lover's balls drawn up tight to his body. He was close
too.
Half way in and out of Stev, Max stopped his chest heaving. He was caught between tears and
orgasm. Stev opened his eyes and stared up at him. "Please." he said, and that one work
encompassed so much more than a request for physical release. "Please. I love you."
"Love? Not loved?"
"No. Not loved. I will always love you, Max, and where I'm going, that love will become part of
the whole world."
Max's face was wet, his balls tight, his cock raging. "I love you too. I always will. I can't stop Stev.
I can't just turn that off. If that's what you need..." He was babbling. Some dom.
"No. Never stop loving me. Just fucking move on with your life already! Please!"
Stev lay back, imploring Max with his eyes, and Max couldn't hold back any longer. He pumped
into Stev, faster, harder. As his thrusts reached a crescendo, he grasped Stev's cock and worked him
with an iron grip.
They came in unison, both crying out.
Stev came all over Max's hand and Max buried himself in Stev's ass, pumping his release deep
inside. The rope around Stev's wrists dissolved and Stev wrapped his arms around Max, crushing
him to him. For a moment, Max was enveloped by Stev's wings. His heart stretched to bursting as
Stev moved through him, sharing all the love, affection and desire he'd felt for Max in life. Max
opened his eyes in time to see the reflection of eternity in Stev's eyes, and then he was gone.
#
In the morning when Max came back downstairs, he found two lengths of rope laying the living
room floor. He picked them up and coiled them together. He was starving. He went into the kitchen
and opened the fridge. There was his chicken noodle soup in the carryout container with Ralph's
phone number on it. He looked at the ropes in his hand.
No comments:
Post a Comment