15. Butch gets his break.
I soon got into the swing of my new job. The surprise just how dreadful quite a lot of the submissions were. With many the story had potential, but the author simply didn’t have the skill to arrange the telling of it, or the affinity with the characters that allowed them to create a character that wasn’t a cliche, or a cardboard cutout. Those were the easy ones to filter out. Harder were the ones where it had all the elements, but the story made no sense … and then there were the very occasional ones where you had to physically stop yourself reading — and then spend the rest of the day wishing you could afford the time to put everything else aside and indulge in reading it …
And I made a start on roughing out a novel based on the workmen who’d built the cathedral. Alongside of that I carried on writing short stories and my columns for the Vulcan. It filled in the time when Butch was out job hunting, or keeping up his ‘pool cleaning’ work.
At home Butch was getting anxious about the lack of any positive responses.
“Nobody wants to hire a new grad engineer … Not even the bastards I’ve interned for who promised …” he complained as I held him in bed. “They all want someone with experience … well how the hell am I going to get any?”
“Have you talked to Eli?”
“Yes, and I know he’s talked to a few people, but …” Pausing, he considered. “The one opportunity is the Cathedral Clerk of Works — he’s invited me to work with the masons and the cathedral architect … Bloody interesting, but unpaid.”
“There’s got to be something, love.” I felt his anxiety. We’d both worked hard to find an opening to slot into once we’d qualified, and to be honest, I’d expected our positions to be reversed. “I wish I could help …”
“You do, love. You help by being here, by putting up with me, by joining me with this sham of cleaning the shop — and it is a sham. I know it, you know it, and Eli knows we know it.” Hugging me closer, he said, “But without it … I’d have fuck all …”
“You’ll get the job you want, love, I know it. I heard Dave saying the big construction work is a bit down at present. All the big companies and design firms are not hiring.” Pausing, I thought for a moment. “Have you thought of asking Dave if he could use you on that renovation he’s doing in the Hall?”
Dave ran a small company that specialised in renovating and modernising properties, some of them bought by another of the ‘Bogtown Rats’ members. He was also one of the ‘Vulcans’ and had been at our ‘induction’ into the club. Helmsley Hall was a pseudo Tudor building, a sort of ‘fantasy’ built by a wealthy man in the 1920s and much abused by subsequent owners. Now someone had bought it and wanted it ‘restored’ — which would be a challenge as some ‘modifications’ had weakened the structure.
“Good idea. They may need someone to look at the structural stuff …” Brightening up he hugged and kissed me. “I knew you were much brighter than me …”
“You’re looking at the new assistant site engineer for Phoenix Renovators.” Flinging his arms wide, Butch dropped the safety boots, hi-vis jacket and helmet on the floor next to his backpack as the door shut behind him. “Dave’s hired me! He needed someone to look at the calculations for some new supports they need to put into the hall …” Grabbing me in a bear hug, he danced me round the living room. “They’re simple stuff, but he hired me and now I’m to help with finding the best way to insert them … It’s only for this project, for now, but …”
In my rubber cleaner’s uniform, and now with my arms pinned to my sides as he held me tightly to him, I kissed him.
“I told you it’d all work out, love.” Applying my mouth to his, I cheekily inserted my tongue into his mouth and teased him. “Tonight we’ll celebrate, and I expect a really creative celebration from my Master Engineer husband …” Pushing my crotch against his, I whispered, “Now I’ll go and get started downstairs, and you can tell Eli why you need to borrow certain equipment …”
“Certain equipment …?” He laughed and kissed me. “Damn, Penn, I really don’t deserve you.” Kissing me very firmly, he released me. “See you downstairs …”
Laughing, I made for the door, my gas mask in hand. “Yes, Master Engineer …”
One of Butch’s most endearing — for me — traits is his inventiveness and sheer enjoyment of sex. Given that we both switch and enjoy a bit of bondage as well as our rubber fetish … well, there’s plenty to play with there. As I descended the stairs to the shop I knew I was going to get an ‘interesting’ evening. Eli smiled as I entered the shop.
“You look pleased with yourself, Penn. Good news?”
“Yes, but I’ll let Butch tell you.” Grinning, I teased, “I think I’m in for some intense sex tonight.”
“That good? Maybe I should take you two in hand.” Eli laughed. “How’s your job going?”
“Take us …?” I laughed. “Eli, we owe you so much … anytime you want, just say …” Stepping forward I hugged him. “And my job at Pegasus is great.” Pausing, with him still in my arms, I added softly, “You could have taken either of us any time you liked in these last two years, but you’ve never done so. Never demanded that we give you … Thank you.”
“It’s not that I haven’t wanted to, Penn,” he replied quietly, returning the hug with a light kiss. “But I know what it’s like to be … different, and to have some bastard just use me as his fuck toy. My father … Yeah, well never mind. Thanks for the offer. Maybe one day.” He pulled me tight against his crotch, which felt curiously empty, his hands on my butt. “Mark told you about our growing up … Well I owe him more than I can ever repay in one lifetime. Now fuck off and get on with cleaning this place before I lose control.”
“Eli, for what you guys have done for us … Anytime you want … I’m here …” Kissing his smooth cheek, I said, “I mean it. Any time, and any way you want me.”
I was gathering my cleaning things as Butch entered and walked to where Eli was sat staring into space and fiddling with a new hood the guys upstairs had been developing.
“Eli, has Penn told you?” Glancing at me, he carried on, “Dave’s taken me on as the engineer for the renovations at the Hall. Place is a nightmare now they’ve found the cause of some of the subsidence and the structural problems in a couple of places.”
“He has? Well done.” Eli stood and hugged him. “Going to be one hell of a job sorting it out. He knew that when he bid for it.” Planting a kiss on Butch’s cheek he laughed at my lover’s surprise. “I know you’ll do a really good job for him, Butch.” Holding him in one arm, he called to me. “Put that stuff away, Penn. You’ve both got the night off.”
“Eli …” Butch began as he stood in Eli’s arm. “I don’t know …”
“Don’t say anything then.” Picking up the hood he’d been examining, he handed it to Butch. “Put this on lover boy over there, and take him home.” He laughed. “And celebrate.”
“This things awesome,” Butch exclaimed as he took it. “Whoa, Penn …” He grinned as I straightened and turned to face him. “This thing’s amazing.”
“Then better make use of it, love.” Walking to where he stood, I put a hand on his waist and then took Eli’s hand. “Thanks, Eli.” Glancing at the thing in Butch’s hands, I grinned. “Maybe I should strip first, before you use that thing on me … then I’ll be ready for whatever else you plan to use …”
Butch looked round and laughed. “Seems like a good idea. Do you mind, Eli? And can I borrow that heavy duty slave belt? I think it goes with this thing.”
“Of course.” Eli laughed. “But put that hood on him first, then strip him.” Winking at me, he added, “He needs a bit of discipline if you ask me …”
“You’re ganging up on me now,” I protested with a laugh as I began to strip.
“You’ve come a long way from the timid kid who first stepped through this door,” Eli remarked as I started to peel my rubber surf suit. “Remember the first time?”
“I do.” Grinning, I eased the tight black suit with it’s red and gold bands down past my hips. “I came in my briefs when I saw what Butch was wearing …” My erection standing proud, I laughed. “And I don’t regret not turning round and running for it — best decision I’ve ever made.” Watching Eli’s expression, I dared to ask, “Mark said you ran a special club … What made it special?”
For a moment Eli didn’t reply, then he stood, picked up the heavy slave belt and walked to me. “Turn around.”
It was an order, his voice flat and hard. I obeyed, wondering if I’d gone too far and damaged our friendship. The slave belt went round my waist, and the ease with which he fastened it and made sure it was tight, spoke of long practice and expertise. My wrists were cuffed to the sides almost before I’d realised the belt was fastened.
“We ran a ‘club’ for submissives, Penn.” His voice was a growl in my ear. “A hundred got you a couple of hours strict bondage and humiliation. There are a lot of big, important, people in this city willing to pay for it. On a good day I had up to a half dozen of them in my bondage dungeons.” His hand gripped my erection. “They liked letting me abuse them …” He laughed, and took a deep breath. “And, yes, I enjoyed dishing it out. It was less than a fucking tenth of what my father …” He released me suddenly, and turned me round, a lopsided smile on his face. “Now you know. They didn’t dare move against us because … well, it’s the way the world works. Can’t risk making enemies among the rich and powerful — so they tried framing us for something else. That didn’t work either.”
Butch and I stared at him. This was an Eli we’d never seen. Angry, vulnerable in some way, aggressive and hard as nails.
“Your Dad was the Custody Sergeant when I was brought in.” He hesitated. “It’s routine. Before you go in the cells, you get strip searched. Your Dad learned … well, he made sure no one else discovered … put me in a separate cell.”
“Are you saying …” I searched for the right term. “You’re Trans?”
“Ha! I should be so fucking lucky!” Eli studied me, his expression amused. “That would have been a whole bunch easier. No, I’m not ‘Trans’. Heard of Intersex?”
“Intersex? Er, yes … I think …”
“Yeah. About one person in a hundred thousand.” Eli laughed at our shock. “A man without a proper penis but nice big balls in a crotch that looks like a pussy. Want to see?”
“Eli, I’m sorry … I didn’t …”
His arms went round our waists and he hugged us.
“Nothing to be sorry about.” He growled. “Natures a bitch, and I got the short straw is all. My father reckoned it gave him a licence to fuck the shit of of ‘his’ girly boy … Bastard. And I got Bogtown … but I got brains, see, and I got Mark as a brother.” Releasing us, he stepped back. “And between us and the other Bogtown Rats, we’ve got all this. We done alright in the end.”
“Eli …” Butch stepped forward and hugged him. “We can never …”
“Yes, you can.” Eli’s hand gripped Butch’s butt and his other grasped my now softened cock as I moved closer. “You boys can enjoy your sex and your lives. You’ve got a better start than we had is all.”
We both kissed him, and Butch said, “Eli, we’d really like it if you took us upstairs and made a threesome with us …” Pausing, he read Eli’s expression. “Show us what you did with your … clients — assuming that’s what you enjoyed … We owe it to you to give you whatever you want from us.”
For a moment we both thought he was going to refuse. Then he smiled.
“An offer I can’t refuse … but not upstairs.” Putting an arm round our shoulders, he said. “Okay. Take Penn down to the cellar. I’ll lock up and join you there.” Stopping our response, he continued, “Butch, you’ll need to strip down as well. I’ll deal with fitting your restraints when I get there. Tonight you’re both Bottoms.”
