Here's where you find out who ? is.

Sequel to Care and Comfort

The icy chill gradually drew Ezra up from his sleep. He fought it every step of the way, and, when it only got colder, he tried to wriggle out from beneath it.

"Unh, unh, you stay put. You do want to be able to sit down Monday, don't you?"

"Monday?" came the mumbled response.

"Hmm, work. You know that thing we do to make money."

"Work?! No work! G'way." He tried to burrow even further into his pillow.

A warm chuckle and an even warmer hand patting his back.

"That's right. You go on back to sleep. Today's only Saturday."

A tentative wiggle, an even more tentative stretch and Ezra blinked open his eyes.

"Morning. You're awake at last."

"I am?"

"Well, let's see. Eyes are open. You're talking. Yep, you're awake."

Ezra peered up dubiously. Perhaps he was. He could hear water running and he smiled. A bath would feel good.

"Come on. The tub's almost filled." The voice faded away to the bathroom.

"You're not going to carry me?" he called.

"No, you can walk, remember?"

Oh, yes. He had said something to that effect, hadn't he? He reached back and hesitantly touched his bottom and the backs of his thighs. Not too bad. He could just possibly do this. He rolled onto his back and, sitting up, swiveled quickly to swing his legs over the side of the bed.

"Oh, ow, ow, ow!"

He stood up fast and closed his eyes, giving himself a moment or two to settle. Lord, he was stiff. Limping forward a step or two he looked up into the eyes regarding him with fond amusement from the bathroom door. He grinned brightly and straightened up. Then, with as much dignity and smoothness as he could muster, he walked to the tub.

A hand on his elbow to help him in, a soft kiss on the back of his neck and a "stubborn little cuss" in his ear. "I'll be back in a little while. Don't you go falling asleep in there, you hear?"

Ezra sank onto the soft towels and sighed as he let the heat relax both his mind and his body. This was nice, he thought. The warmth and the smells were comforting and just right for a weekend morning.

"Open those eyes now. I've got something for you."

Ezra opened one eye. There was a large glass of orange juice and three pills. Well, three pills were better than four, but still... He reached out, picked up the two large white pills and the orange juice.

"The other one, too."

He scowled, not really wanting to take it. But it was, perhaps, too soon to balk. He swallowed the third pill and finished the juice.

"Not too much longer, O.K.? Lunch will be ready soon."

The water cooled and Ezra pulled himself up and out of the tub. He gingerly dried himself off and then walked back to the tub. He gazed into the mirror that covered the wall behind it. At least he didn't look like death warmed over - from the front anyway. Slowly he turned around and, craning his head back, looked to see what his backside looked like. He was surprised. Oh, it was red all right, very red, and there were the faint lines of welts but it didn't look like the raw flesh it had felt like last night. The cold packs and baths were helping.

He wandered back into the bedroom giving serious consideration as to what he could wear. Definitely something loose and very, very soft. Those old navy sweats would do very nicely. He had just pulled them from the drawer when they were pulled from his hands.

"Not yet. I want you to go lay down on the bed, on your stomach."

He had a brief moment of panic before he saw the tube of gel. The gel was good. He could handle the gel. Long slow strokes applied and then rubbed the soothing, cooling balm into his reddened bottom and thighs. He knew he was practically purring and he blushed.

"I like you in that color, all flushed and pink." The voice was also purring. It did funny things to his stomach and his cock twitched in interest. He must have wriggled because the hand slapped him gently.

"No time for that now. Wait a few minutes and then get dressed. We have company."

Company? He hadn't heard any voices. He lay there quietly, listening. There was another voice, the deep rumbling voice from last night. There was a funny feeling in his stomach again but this one wasn' t pleasant. He slid from the bed and pulled on the sweats and a t-shirt. Taking a deep breath, he walked out into the living room.

"Josiah."

The big man turned to him. He kept his head down for a moment, afraid of what he would see in those eyes. An encouraging hand came from behind and squeezed his shoulder and he looked up. The look he saw was one of love and caring but there was something else there, too. There was worry. And was that fear? Not in those eyes, not in Josiah's eyes. Not because of him. He couldn't bear that. Without thinking, he crossed the floor and threw his arms around Josiah's waist, hugging him hard.

Josiah's arms slowly came up around him. He laid his head on the wide chest and let the love and affection he felt for this man flow through him.

"Oh, Ezra," The words were said softly and suddenly the arms tightened around him, pulling him close. He felt drops of moisture land on his face and looked up, Josiah was crying.

"No, oh no. Don't, Josiah, don't cry." He reached up to wipe at the tears.

"It's all right. I'm all right. I'd like to talk to you."

He nodded his head and was suddenly picked up and carried to the big rocker recliner. He found himself sitting on Josiah's lap, the long arms still holding him close. He began to tense - this was too much too soon, but the encouraging hand squeezed his shoulder once again.

"I think I'll just turn the heat down under that soup. You two take as long as you need. Josiah, you'll stay to lunch?"

"Thank you, I'd like that."

The hand moved to his hair, ruffling it, and pushing his head to rest once again against Josiah's chest.

"Just relax and be honest, with yourself and with him," the voice whispered in his ear and was gone.

They talked for a long time; telling of their disappointments and losses, their hopes and fears, things wanted and needed, things hidden and now revealed. The talk died away and a peaceful silence fell upon the room.

"Is he asleep?"

"I think so."

"Want me to take him and lay him down?"

"No. Don't imagine I'll get many chances to do this again, if at all, and I'd like to enjoy it while I can. Will lunch keep?'

"Yeah, it's just soup and sandwiches."

The two men sat in companionable quiet, the only sound the slight murmur of the rocker.

Ezra stirred and shifted. His stomach growled and his eyes popped open. He tried to sit up and the arms holding him loosened. He gasped as memory returned. Oh Lord, he was sitting on Josiah's lap. He knew he was blushing and he looked shyly at Josiah. The big man just smiled at him.

"Sounds like you're ready to eat."

"Hmmm. I am hungry, now that you mention it."

"Good, let's go eat then. That soup smells delicious. Did you make it?"

"As a matter of fact, I did. It's one of my first efforts. I hope it's palatable."

"Don't let him fool you. This little boy is a pretty good cook. Neither of us has gotten food poisoning, yet."

He glared at the two laughing men and led the way into the kitchen. He stared in consternation and embarrassment at the large soft pillow on his chair. Shaking his head at his own foolishness, he sat down on it and sighed. It was much more comfortable than the hard wooden surface would have been. Josiah tactfully made no comment and Ezra looked at the man across the table. There was no mockery in the eyes, just understanding.

It was a sociable meal; all three men enjoying each other's company and conversation. When they had finished their coffee, Josiah got up and stretched.

"As much as I hate to leave, I do have errands to run. If I don' t get to that grocery store today, I won't have supper tonight."

The two men walked their guest to the door. As Josiah went to leave, Ezra reached out to lay a hand on his arm.

"Josiah."

"Yes, Ezra."

"I...I just wanted to...to say, goodbye, Da."Ezra smiled up at him as Josiah stared in shock. Suddenly Josiah's great booming laugh reverberated off the walls and Ezra was enveloped in a huge bear hug. A kiss was dropped on his head.

"Goodbye, son, and I'll see you both on Monday."

Ezra shut and locked the door, grinning at the sound of Josiah still laughing as he walked to his car.

"Time for a nap, little boy."

"Nap? I just had a nap. I'm not sleepy."

"Oh, yes, you are."

"I am?"

"Oh, very, very sleepy indeed."

There was an underlying tone in that voice that made Ezra's cock twitch just as it had in the bedroom earlier.

"Oh. Oh!"

A hand on his back hustled him into the bedroom. Two hands made short work of removing his clothes. More clothes dropped to the floor and the hands were back, one behind his head and the other at his waist. Lips came down and claimed his. He opened his mouth to the claim and the kiss deepened and went on until his knees buckled. The mouth drew away and his head was tucked under a chin. The hand at his waist moved up and down his back, calming him.

"Why don't you go on into the bathroom and take care of things."

He nodded and made his way there. At the door, he stopped and turned back. His hands clasped in front of him and he looked down, watching his fingers twist together. He was scared. Asking for what he wanted now would mean crossing that last little barrier, giving up that last little bit of pride. Just one more step along the road. He'd come so far today. He could do it. He closed his eyes and asked.

"Do you...I mean could you h...help me?"

"Oh, little boy, you only ever had to ask."

There was so much pride and joy in that voice, and it filled him with an answering joy. As he stepped into the bathroom, he wondered at how much more strength it took to ask for help than to continue floundering around on his own.

And then, he was on the bed being blanketed by a hard, warm body. The hands caressed his sides and his chest; they pulled at his nipples and smoothed over his belly, tickling his navel. The mouth kissed him hard and then the lips left his and ghosted across his jaw to his ear and the spot just behind it. He let his head fall to one side and moaned as the spot was licked and nipped. The mouth then followed where the hands had gone. It licked, suckled and bit at his nipples, first one, then the other and back again until he was writhing shamelessly. It continued down to his navel, licking around and in it, and then went on to his belly. A trail was licked across his belly and down the crease of hip and thigh across the patch of curly hair and up the crease on the other side.

The hands were still busy, stroking and rubbing the inside of his thighs and pushing them farther apart. His head rolled back and forth on the pillow, inarticulate cries and babbled words coming from his mouth. Tremors rippled up and down his limbs and he could feel the tension building in them and at the base of his spine. Warmth grew heavily in his groin.

"Please. Oh, please."

The body that had been between his legs was suddenly gone. He opened his eyes, whimpering his distress.

The eyes gazed at him hungrily, burning with desire and possession.

"Beautiful, so beautiful when you're like this, all flushed with passion, panting, pleading, nipples hard, cock even harder and leaking." The mouth swooped down, tongue flicking out to lick at his cock.

He gasped and arched...

"Oh, God, please."

"Please what, baby. What do you want? You only have to tell me."

A hand fondled his balls, a finger stroked firmly at the skin just behind them. He sprawled his legs out wantonly, then drew them up to his chest.

"I want you, inside me." He could barely get the words out.

Hands turned him facedown and a tongue gently licked across his reddened bottom. Thumbs pulled the cheeks apart and he cried out as the tongue flitted delicately up and down his cleft. It returned to his anus and licked around and across it until he thought he would die of the pleasure. When it finally pushed through and swirled around the inside of the muscle, he bucked hard.

"Not yet, baby, not yet."

He wriggled against the sheets, trying to provide friction to his aching hardness but the hands came up to hold him still. The body moved up to lie against his, the arms holding him, calming him, until the urgency passed.

He was turned again to his back and a lubed finger took the place of the tongue. It played with his anus for long minutes while the lips and tongue worked at his nipples. His muscles were growing tighter and tighter with the burning tension. The finger pushed through, stretching and preparing him. The heat at the base of his spine began radiating outward.

"Now, oh God, now. Please."

"Now!"

He lifted his legs and wrapped them around his lover's waist. His hands grasped at the man's shoulders. He trembled and sobbed as the cockhead gently breached his opening and then slid ever so slowly in and in and in. A moment of rest and then it was thrusting, fast and hard, angled to rub over his prostate at almost every pass. He could feel his muscles tightening and his body shaking. He was breathing in short shallow pants, now, beyond words, beyond sound. A hand was on his cock pulling and squeezing. The tightness and heat grew and grew until his back arched and his body went rigid. He came with a ragged, long drawn-out cry. But the thrusts only speeded up and his orgasm spiraled higher and higher until his world exploded in shards of color and light.

He slowly became aware that he was now laying partly on his side, cuddled up against his lover's warm body, his lover's arms wrapped around him.

"Hmmmm."

"That was good, I take it?"

"Hmmmm. Much better than good. I don't think there are words to describe just how good," he mumbled sleepily. He could barely keep his eyes open.

The arms pulled him in closer and he nuzzled into the chest beneath his cheek.

"I love you, Buck."

"I love you, too, Ezra. I love you, too."

fini