(Joshua's POV - Sun. 24 August 2014)

"Do you think we could stay here for a while longer?" Liam asks, stifling a yawn.

"In the bath...? We surely can..." I reply playfully and earn an impressive - not!! - scowl from him when he suddenly turns around and splashes some water out of the tub.

"I was talking about the chalet!" he adds irritatingly, moving to straddle my legs and resting his hands on my shoulders.

"That won't be possible, Baby; we're working tomorrow, but we will come back another time," I promise, pulling him into my chest. This small wooden chalet in the Ottawa National Forest that I rented for the week-end is actually quite comfortable, with all the basic necessary spaces - a living-room with an attached kitchen and only one bedroom - but it has this super luxurious bathroom with a large shower stall and one of those round Jacuzzi bathtubs, where Liam and I have been relaxing for the past hour.

"Hopefully soon enough then... I love this place..." Liam sighs in the crook of my neck.

"You haven't seen any of the area!" I chuckle, remembering that I had initially planned for us to go hiking in the mountains; but instead, we just stayed locked in the chalet, spending our time either in the shower, or on the bed, or on the couch, or on the floor in front of the fireplace.

"The area is not what I was interested in..." he replies with giggles and kissing my neck, and I just tighten my hold around him.

Liam has finally moved in with me and considering that he was already spending most of his time at my place, it doesn't make a huge difference in our daily routine and habits, but it still feels good to know that I can have him by my side all the time and to know that he can now call the house his home too. We announced the news to his parents when we visited them earlier this month and they took it quite well. They were really happy for their son and yet a bit fearful that it was too soon, but I reassured them saying that I would take great care of Liam. He also told them about his projects to continue his education and that had his parents more than pleased of course. It was really a short visit since we arrived only the early Sunday afternoon and left right after dinner to stay in our hotel downtown LA, but Liam still had time to explain how the last months working with the team of architects and engineers only reinforced his interest in this subject. I also largely praised his talent in that matter and confided that I had rather high expectations for Liam's future.

However, ever since that week-end in Los Angeles, Liam's mood has been gradually losing of its enthusiasm and this is why I thought that this little week-end away from Chicago, but mostly away from the club, would help him get better. His attraction for the Black Diamond is still the same, but he clearly misses his best friend and just can't wait for him to become a member. Things are going pretty fast between Mark and Shannon, but not fast enough for Liam obviously and no matter how much I tell him to be patient, he just doesn't understand why Mark won't let Shannon go to the club.

The thing is that Mark has been keeping Shannon to himself all the time and when I say that things are going pretty fast, they really are. Barely a week after he started training Shannon, Mark proposed him a contract, and another week later, which was when Liam moved out of their apartment, Shannon accepted and went to spend the week-end at Mark's place. I have myself barely spoken to Mark since then, but from what I heard and what Liam told me, his friend hasn't returned to their apartment since then and I know from Aaron that Mark used his offer as a pretext to intensify the training and to keep the young man to himself.

Of course, Liam sometimes speaks with Shannon over the phone and he is a hundred percent sure that his friend is more than enjoying himself with Mark. However, he is also convinced that Shan is ready to go to the club as an official Submissive. Shannon told Liam that he has been begging Mark to finally go to the Diamond, but as it is the rule, he can't take him there until Shannon has taken the usual tests and been certified, but my friend seems to be taking his time to train the young man. All in all, I am not surprised. Mark took a huge decision when he offered to train Shannon and then proposed him a contract; Liam's friend has a rather wild nature and surely needs a bit more time before he can really take the tests, and I assume that Mark wants to prove how good he did with him. Which is only natural.

On his side, Liam has been bugging me to do something about it for the past week, saying that I could maybe try and convince Mark to accelerate the process. I can only imagine how Mark must be busy between his business and his new relationship with Shannon, so I promised Liam that I would call him next week and in the end I only spoke with Aaron about it last Thursday. Aaron understood Liam's eagerness to have his best friend at the club and he eventually persuaded Mark to bring Shannon for his certification on Friday evening. I would have loved to attend the test myself but I had already made our plans for the week-end, so Camden and Aaron took care of it. Besides, I didn't want to make a repeat of Liam's own test when all my friends attended the session, and neither did I want Shannon to feel more stress from my presence.

We haven't heard back from any of them since we arrived at the chalet - though Aaron texted me on Friday evening to say that it went well - but I know that he was intending to let them brood a little for a few days before he would announce the results, so I am not that surprised that neither Liam's phone nor mine have rang with good news yet. In the end, that week-end out of town proved to be the best idea because it prevented Liam from seething with impatience and it allowed us to enjoy a very relaxing time. There has been no BDSM between us at all over these last two days and I (not so) surprisingly loved it. It was just cuddles, making-out and sex, but without accessories of any sort, nor extreme dominance from my part. I just took care of my sweet boy and cherished him like a normal couple would and obviously he liked it. I did notice that he regularly checked his phone for news but a simple caress would bring back his attention to the present moment and it would end up in one form of sex or another...

Now it must be getting late in the afternoon and we should be soon heading back to Chicago.

"Are you sleeping?" I softly ask Liam after a long moment of silence where only our soft breathing could be heard.

"Nope..." he replies as his hands slowly but surely move from my shoulders down to my chest and my abs until they reach my limp cock. "I was just enjoying one last moment of quietness..."

"Well you should, because we'll be leaving soon..." I comment, hissing at how he is stroking my manhood and making it swell again. "Argh Baby... again...?"

"Yes..." he whispers before his little pink tongue darts out of his mouth to lick my lips.

"You horny boy..." I growl, my right hand going for his own erection and the left one squeezing his butt.

"Not my fault if you're so hot..." he adds, gently biting my lower lip.

"One last time then... and then we're off... because the jet is due to take off at 5:30..."

"Yes, Sir..." he replies mischievously, and I can't help grinning because as much as I loved our romantic week-end, I still missed a bit my Dominant side.

"Hands on my shoulders," I order and he immediately wraps his arms around my neck. Our kiss deepens as my hands reach for his hips to pull him forward a little, giving me better access to his backside. My fingers fold around our joint cocks while my other hand sneaks to the crack of his ass, its middle finger slowly and gently probing his entrance. There is no point making him too sore and we have already had enough penetration abuse over the week-end, but I can't resist giving him a little finger stimulation. From the moans escaping his mouth and the way he is writhing on me, I assume that he likes it so I accelerate my moves, the strokes on our hard members matching the thrusts of my finger inside his hole, making us quickly reach an umpteenth orgasm.

I sure will arrange another week-end like that as soon as possible!

* * *

"Argh fuck!" Liam suddenly curses as we just landed back in Chicago.

"Liam! Language!" I scold him. I don't like these words in his mouth. Yes, I do swear a lot myself, but I don't like when he does. Call it unfair if you wish, I don't give it a shit because that's how it is, period.

"But I forgot to charge my phone and the battery's gone dead now!" he exclaims.

"You can charge it at home. Don't be so dramatic!" I reply, rolling my eyes as I unfasten my seatbelt and stand up.

"But I wanted to call Shannon..." he whines.

"Then you can call him once we are home!" I argue, grabbing his hand and leading him out of the jet. I thank Michael for the flight, grab our suitcase on our way out and we go to meet Tony who is waiting for us by the car, the trunk and the back-seat door already open.

"Good evening Joshua and Liam! How was the week-end?" Tony asks as he takes the case to put it in the trunk.

"Excellent! How about yours?" I ask after Liam has mumbled a quick hello.

"Quiet!" Tony replies with a satisfied smile.

Once we are all settled in the car and Tony starts driving away from the jet, I notice that Liam is sulking on his side of the seat. Jesus... I can't believe he is overreacting for a dead battery, when it is his own fault for not plugging his phone.

"Can you please stop sulking, Liam?" I ask him firmly.

"I'm not sulking..." he mutters.

"And stop lying too, while you're at it! We're only twenty minutes from home. I guess that call can wait, right?"

"But Shan sent me a text this morning saying he was still waiting to hear back from Aaron, and..."

"I thought you said you didn't get any news over the week-end?"

"That wasn't really some news... I wanted to call him and ask... but..." he explains, his expression suddenly changing to something different and I see where he is headed.

"I'm not calling Mark! If he had heard back from Aaron, he would have called me!" I exclaim, anticipating his question.

"Please..." Liam begs, with a sad expression on his face.

"Stop it, Liam!" I order, yet chuckling at his expression, an idea forming into my mind. "Tony, wait a second, please..." I ask as he is just about to the leave the airport area, and pull out my phone to call Mark, making Liam squeal with joy.

"Hey Josh! Back from your week-end?" Mark asks as he picks up the phone.

"Yes, we landed a few minutes ago. We're on our way home now."

"How was it?"

"Good! It was good and... intense..." I reply him while Liam gets impatient beside me.

"Someone's limping?" he teases.

"A little, but it's not that bad," I answer, mostly laughing at Liam's shocked face. "I heard Shannon's test went well?"

"Did you? Aaron hasn't called me back yet..." he grumbles, making me chuckle at him.

"He's just teasing you with a little bit of suspense!"

"Suspense my ass! I'm not gonna leave him much of a choice anyway!"

"Hey, Liam's bugging me to see Shannon, can we stop by for dinner?" I then ask, earning a scowl from the young man next to me and a chuckle from Tony at the front.

"He's bugging you? Good! It will give you a good reason to warm your hands against his little butt!. No problem for dinner, just come over, there's a big chicken and some potatoes roasting in the oven; that should be ready in a few minutes," Mark agrees.

"Are they coming over here?" I hear Shannon squeal in the background, while Liam beams and strives to suppress his own whimpers of happiness.

"Cool, we'll be here in about fifteen minutes," I reply and we quickly hang up. "Tony, can you please drop us at Mark's place? Then we'll get a taxi back home so you don't have to wait."

"Sure, not a problem!" he replies and drives toward downtown Chicago.

"Happy?" I then add for Liam's attention and get rewarded by a very soft kiss.

There is a bit of traffic but about half an hour later, Tony parks in front of Mark's building and we let him leave after he insisted that he could wait for us. I don't intend to make it a late night since I have an early breakfast meeting tomorrow morning and need to catch up on emails and stuff later tonight, but I still don't want Tony to waste his time here. And we can definitely use a taxi to go back home. As soon as we step into Mark's apartment, the two boys throw themselves at each other, jumping like two kids while Mark and I roll our eyes and friendly hug. As usual, Mark's place is all tidy and as clean as if it was brand new, but don't see any critic here because we are both similar; quite the cleaning freaks, actually, contrary to a friend we have in common and who is messy as hell.

Anyway, we quickly settle down in the dining-room and enjoy a nice roasted chicken with melting potatoes. Mark is really a star! That's kind of a very simple meal but I wonder what Mark adds to give this subtle taste of spices in the sauce or how he proceeds to get such a tender rendering to the chicken whites. The boys babble on and on about the last couple of weeks while Mark and I discuss Shan's training and bring up other serious subjects and mainly his business development. I am pretty sure that Mark will go far with his ideas and his cooking skills, and if I can help him in any way, I will. This is actually what I do this evening, mentioning a project we just started in Boston where he could expand his activity and hopefully, he will seriously consider it.

As the evening passes, I notice how Mark keeps looking at Shannon and there is this tender glint in his eyes each time the boy peeks at him that tells me that this story is promising. Let's face it. My friend has got his balls seriously tied already! Mark and I have known each other for like twenty-five years almost and I can tell that this little minx of Shannon already has him wrapped around his little finger, exactly like Liam got me. Mark is so fucking falling for him and maybe he has no idea about it yet, but I am really glad for them. That sparkle is exactly the same I have each time my eyes lay on Liam and I am pretty sure that his heart is already beating with strong emotions; those emotions that it took me so long to accept, but Mark certainly won't need as much time as I did. And yet... I have a feeling that these two have plenty of things coming their way. The future will tell, but in the meantime, I am just happy for them.

Published on 9 Jan 2017