"I need a butt plug."
Scott nearly fell off his stool behind the counter. No one had come into Up Close and Personal since he'd arrived, nearly three hours ago. He'd been lost in his book, roaming La Mancha with Don Quixote and Sancho Panza. The warm tenor voice burrowed into his consciousness, pulling him abruptly back to the present.
He looked up from the page, stifling his annoyance. Guess Harry had been right, keeping the store open on Christmas Eve. Anyway, it wasn't as if he had anything better to do.
His gaze met deep, chocolate-hued eyes framed by trendy square glasses. Mouth watering, definitely, especially when complemented by fashionably ragged black hair, alabaster skin, model's cheekbones, and ripe lips nestled beneath a pencil mustache. The guy looked like an art student, though the broad shoulders and trim waist revealed by his navy turtleneck sweater suggested he didn't spend all his time in the studio.
"Um - ah - sorry. Can I help you?"
"A butt plug. You carry them, right?" Scott's handsome customer gave him a weak smile. He shifted from one foot to the other, clasping and unclasping his elegant hands. Scott noticed smears of purple and orange on the back of one wrist and felt ridiculously pleased at his correct guess.
"Ah - yeah, of course. Over there." He indicated a display to his right. The painter strode over to the glass case, giving Scott the chance to admire his lithe movements and the muscular butt that moved under his tight jeans. La Mancha was totally forgotten.
"Gee - there's a lot of them." The poor guy sounded lost. "I really don't know which one..." He trailed off, clearly overwhelmed by the variety that confronted him.
Scott slipped out from behind the register, glad he'd worn the jeans without any rips. "Well - probably the first consideration is size. How full do you like to feel?"
A flush of pink climbed into the artist's cheeks. "I - um - I don't know really - I've never tried...." He flashed an apologetic grin. "Sorry. I'm a bit new at this."
"Never mind. That's what I'm here for." Scott resisted the urge to pat the other man's shoulder in sympathy. He knew that touching the guy would not help his concentration. It was bad enough that he could smell him - a combination of pot, sweat, and linseed oil. "If it's your first time, you probably want something on the smaller side. How about this one?"
Sliding the glass door, he reached inside to pull out modest plug of smooth, black silicone, about four inches long and an inch in diameter at its widest point. He held it out. His customer's eyes widened behind his glasses, but he seemed reluctant to touch the toy. Scott laid it on top of the case and picked up another plug, neon green glass, about the same size but with ridges and a curved tip.
"This one's really great for stimulating the prostate. And this model," he added, reaching for a rocket-shaped red plastic model with loop at the base, "has a compartment where you can insert a vibrating egg. Adds a lot to the experience."
"Oh God, I don't know." It was snowing outside on St. Mark's Place, but sweat beaded the young man's forehead. He wiped his face with his sleeve. His blush had deepened. "Can I sit down for a minute?"
"Sure." Scott led him to the hassocks near the erotic books section. "Want something to drink? I've got a couple of Heineken's in the fridge out back."
"That would be fantastic. Thanks!"
"My pleasure." As Scott went to retrieve the beers, he wondered whether that might be prophetic. He certainly hoped so.
He returned to find his visitor turning the black plug over and over in his hands. The guy looked so confused and vulnerable - but incredibly attractive. Scott wondered whether his customer might like a live demonstration.
"Here you go." He handed the painter a green bottle then took a swig from his own. "Be back in a sec." Without waiting for an acknowledgment, Scott traversed the short distance to the shop door, locking in and flipping the sign to "Closed". He definitely did not want this sale to be interrupted.
"Thanks again for the beer."
"Don't mention it. I'm Scott, by the way."
"Flynn."
"Pleasure to meet you, Flynn."
"Likewise."
Merry Christmas!"
"You too." They clinked bottles and drank deep.
An awkward silence stretched between them. Flynn was still staring at the plug as if it was some kind of alien weapon. Scott was staring at Flynn, wondering if he had black hair on his chest to match the mop on his head. And what around his cock? Was he hairy or shaved? He peeked at the fly of Flynn's jeans. The guy was definitely somewhat hard. Of course, that might be expected when you were fondling a sex toy.
"I - uh - just can't imagine sticking this is my ass." There was real distress on the artist's face. "But I guess I have to do it."
"What? You act like someone's forcing you."
"Not really. It's just - well - I..."
Scott scooted his seat closer to Flynn's. Now he did rest his hand on that broad, wool-clad shoulder. Flynn sighed and leaned into the touch. Scott could feel the hard muscle shifting under his palm. "It's okay, man. You can tell me." Genuine sympathy mingled with lust.
Flynn held his gaze for a long time, clearly weighing the wisdom of sharing his secrets with a stranger. Finally he shrugged. "I'm gay."
"Yeah, I kind of figured. Me too."
"I figured." Flynn flashed a brief smile that was swiftly eclipsed by pained embarrassment. "The trouble is I've never - never been fucked. I've tried it with a couple of guys, but I'm just too tight. Too much pain - I can't take it."
A virgin! Scott sent a little prayer winging toward the gods of gayness, thanking them for this holiday gift.
"My last lover broke up with me because of it. He said he needed a boy whose ass he could ream."
"What a bastard! If he's that selfish, you're better off without him."
"Maybe." Flynn's lips trembled. It was obvious he'd been hurt. "Anyway, I've been doing some research on the Internet, and everyone says you should use a plug to stretch yourself out." He glanced down at the silicone object in his palm. "But it just seems so - I don't know, so gross. So impersonal, to shove some inanimate object up your butt."
Scott had a sudden image of himself bending a naked Flynn over a hassock and twisting the toy into that tight, virgin pucker. He'd already been half hard; now his cock swelled to to the point that his trousers felt like a straight jacket. "I think you need some help, Flynn."
"I don't know. Maybe I just need to find a man who's satisfied even if he can't fuck me."
"Would that satisfy you, though?" Scott rose to his feet and took the empty bottle from Flynn's hand. "Let me tell you, nothing feels so good..." Reaching down, he pulled the other man up, into his arms, and took possession of Flynn's tempting mouth.
The guy might be inexperienced when it came to anal sex, but he was an expert kisser. Scott felt warm all over as Flynn sealed their lips together and plunged an agile tongue into his mouth. The soft hairs of Flynn's mustache tickled his upper lip. Scott tasted peppermint breath mints underneath the yeasty flavor of the beer, and up close like this, he caught a spicy hint of patchouli in Flynn's scent that made him light-headed.
Given Flynn's previous demeanor, his kiss was surprisingly aggressive. He wrapped his wiry arms around Scott's chest, pulling him close, then slid his hands down to Scott's ass and dug his fingers into the denim-clad flesh. As he continued to ravage Scott's mouth, he ground his swollen groin against the aching lump inside Scott's trousers. His tongue darted in and out, thrusting like a small cock as he rubbed their bodies together. A few more minutes of this stimulation, Scott realized, and he'd shoot in his pants. That definitely was not how he wanted this scene to end.
"Uh - wait, slow down, Flynn!" With some difficulty, he eased himself out of the painter's embrace. "Don't you think we'd be more comfortable if we were wearing fewer clothes?"
"Ah - oh, God, I'm sorry!" All at once, the artist was his shy, apologetic self once more. "I didn't mean - it's just that it's been so long, and you felt so good..."
"I wasn't objecting, was I? But let's do this right. Come back to Harry's office. It's not exactly luxury, but he's got a couch - and nobody's going to see us through the store windows and call the cops."
"I don't know..."
"C'mon, Flynn. I said I'd help you, and I will." The other man's eyes grew wider as Scott picked up the black plug, then grabbed a tube of lube from the glass case. His pale cheeks turned rosy once more when he saw Scott pocket a pack of condoms. "Go ahead. Right through that door."
"But..."
"No buts, Flynn!" Scott chuckled at the unintentional pun. "Get your ass in there, man!"
With one hand on Flynn's shoulder and the other on his taut backside, Scott steered the other man through the door and into the back corridor. To the left was the door to the storeroom. He opened the door on the right, and flipped the switch. The fluorescent ceiling fixture crackled to life.
"In!" Scott gave Flynn a playful push, landing him on the worn sofa.
The room smelled of the sandalwood incense Harry liked to burn. The shop owner was a relic of the sixties - posters of the Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, and Big Brother lined the walls, interspersed with erotic photos from Hindu temples. Stepping into the office was a bit like stepping back in time.
Flynn looked like a nervous horse about to bolt. Scott resisted the urge to jump his bones, perching on the desk instead, on top of scattered invoices and sex toy catalogs.
"Lighten up! I'm not going to do anything you don't want. Honestly, though, I think you'll like what I have in mind. Why not take your clothes off?"
The guy didn't move.
"Trust me, Flynn. Look, I'll start." Scott unbuttoned his flannel shirt and tossed it behind him.
Flynn's breath hitched when he saw the multicolored snake that curled from Scott's left shoulder down to his navel. "Cool tat. But is that what you are? The serpent in Eden?"
"Nah. I was born in the year of the snake. One of my boyfriends was Chinese." Scott pried off his sneakers, unzipped, and hauled his jeans down over his hips. When he bent over to pull them off his ankles, he thought he could feel Flynn's eager eyes on his ass.
His erection tenting his briefs, he stood and faced his guest. "Now you."
Without further comment or objection, Flynn set his glasses on the arm of the couch and pulled his sweater over his head. Underneath he wore a white tee, which he stripped off after a moment's hesitation. His subtly muscled chest was smooth, save for a dusting of black hair between his plump nipples.
Scott nodded his encouragement as his cock pulsed and thickened further. The guy was every bit as appealing as Scott had imagined.
"So what about your current boyfriend?" Flynn inquired as he began removing his trousers. Underneath he wore plaid boxers, hugely distorted by his own hard-on.
"No such person. I've been taking a break from relationships - got to work on my thesis."
"So - I don't fit into the 'relationship' category, then?" Flynn asked, his voice edged with bitterness. Hiking his ass off his seat, he slipped out of his underwear. A deliciously long dick with a distinct curve to it, rather like the prostate-stimulating dildo they'd examined together, reared up from a tangle of dark curls. The taut skin covering Flynn's rod was as white as snow. In contrast, the bulb was a shocking scarlet. The harsh light clearly illuminated the bead of pre-cum trembling at the slit as the erection bobbed with Flynn's pulse.
Scott licked his lips in anticipation as he pushed his briefs down to the floor. Stepping forward, he straddled Flynn's hips, so their cocks batted together, and leaned in to kiss that juicy mouth once again. This time he took the lead. Flynn lay back against the cushions, surrendering to Scott's relentless probing and sucking. Meanwhile, his fist closed around Scott's cock, alternately stroking and squeezing.
"Oh, God - yeah!" Scott gasped as he came up for air. "That's so good!" A half-smile decorated Flynn's bruised lips. "Ah, Flynn - let's just call this very special customer service."
They kissed some more, groping wildly, acquainting themselve with one another's bodies. After a while, Scott clambered to his knees between Flynn's thighs and swallowed as much of the other man's pale cock as he could manage. The guy tasted every bit as good as he looked. Flynn moaned encouragement, burying his fingers in Scott's tawny hair and humping his face. The curved length slid deep into Scott's throat. Scott cradled the other man's balls, which grew tight and hard as Flynn's thrusts became urgent and ragged. Ripples of tension pulsed along the rod. The guy was close to climax. Scott sucked harder, dying to taste the painter's cum.
Flynn, though, had other ideas. He pulled out at what must have been the very last minute. Scott thought the artist wanted to shoot all over his face - and he didn't object - but Flynn held back. He raised Scott's saliva-smeared face until their eyes met.
"I don't want to come like this." He brushed a wayward lock of hair off Scott's forehead with precise, gentle fingers. 'I want to come with your cock in my ass."
A bolt of electric excitement shot through Scott's frame. His cock jumped like it had been shocked.
"You're sure? You want me to be the one?" He could hardly believe his luck. This sweet, hot guy was asking him to take his cherry. Sure, that had been his fantasy, but he would have been happy just to teach the sexy painter a thing or two about the joys of butt plugs.
"Who better than a man who sells sex toys?" Flynn laughed. Flipping onto his stomach on the couch, he pulled his knees under him and raised his ass into the air. "Scott, I've got to do this sooner or later. Hell, I want to do it. Better a warm cock than a cold, hard chunk of silicone..."
Scott had the impulse to defend his merchandise, but he kept his mouth shut. Instead, he extracted the lube and condoms from his jeans pocket and knelt behind Flynn's crouching form.
He molded Flynn's hairless butt with his palms, marveling at the softness of his skin and the firm muscles moving underneath. "The key to enjoying this," he murmured, planting a kiss on one pale orb, "is to relax completely." After stroking and massaging that delightful ass for a while longer, he parted the cheeks to reveal the pucker of muscle that nestled between them. Here in the crevice, Flynn's skin was darker, tan rather than white, while his gateway was a dusky mauve. A earthy, male scent rose from his flesh
Scott bent closer and swept his tongue along the crack, then circled the clenched portal, soaking it in saliva.
"Aah - oh, yeah..."
"Feels good, doesn't it?" Prodding his rigid tongue into the center of the whorl, he tested the tension. The tip penetrated a fraction of an inch. "Relax, Flynn. Don't think about what I'm doing. Put everything out of your mind but the sensations." His next try got him a little further in. He sucked at the tight sphincter, poking gently with his tongue all the while. Flynn sighed with pleasure, sinking deeper into the cushions.
Scott flipped open the top of the lubricant and carefully squeezed a fat dollop into his left palm, managing to avoid any rude squirting sound that might have spooked his nervous partner. He gathered some of the gel and smoothed it over Flynn's rosette, circling, circling, soothing his partner into relaxation, then gently pushing inward with one finger. He felt the resistance ease, the tight channel open a bit, and penetrated further. Flynn clamped down on the invading digit, but when Scott wiggled his finger, the tension slackened.
"That's good, baby. Let me in." His forefinger was in to the second knuckle now. After smearing more lube around the opening, he tried a second finger. It slid right in, as deep as the first.
Flynn moaned and bucked his hips.
"Too much?"
"No - oh no..." His companion's voice had a dreamy tone. "Feels great...want more...."
Scott grinned to himself as he started to work his slippery digits in and out. The rubbery ring was loosening, moment by moment. A third finger joined the first two, with no objections from Flynn. Scott pulled his fingers apart, stretching the entrance, sliding his fingertips along the hot, slick flesh inside. He could see a bit into the shadowy channel now. The dark scent grew stronger and more pervasive.
Scott plunged his fingers deep into Flynn's hole, as far as they'd go. His cock throbbed, hungry for Flynn's ripe, sweet ass - but he wanted to be careful, to make sure that this first incursion would be a pleasure for them both. Flynn arched back, drawing him deeper. Was the artist ready for more?
"Fuck me," came the answer, as if he'd asked the question aloud. "Please - don't make me wait any longer."
The raw need in Flynn's voice almost pushed Scott over the edge. He fumbled with the condom, and then, when he finally had the latex stretched over his cock, dropped the lube. Geez, you'd think it was my first time, he thought. At last he was ready, his lube-slathered bulb poised at Flynn's loosened entrance. He paused to fill his lungs and calm his raging heart.
"Open up, man. Here I come."
The head of his cock slid an inch or so into the tight hole before meeting some resistance.
"Oh - oh my God..." Flynn wailed. Scott froze.
"Should I stop?"
"No, no, that's just incredible. Don't stop. Give me your cock - give me it all!"
With a jerk of his hips, Scott drove his dick in another few inches.
"Ah! Oh - Scott - that's it! More! More! Fuck me!"
Flynn thrashed underneath him, reaching back to grab his legs and pull him close. The artist's nails scored his skin. Scott peered down at the pale globes of Flynn's butt, at his veined length half-buried between them, and let lust take over. He slammed into Flynn's hole, all the way. Steaming velvet clutched at his cock. He drew himself halfway out, then drove back in, his balls slapping against Flynn's thighs.
"Argh! Ah!" They were cries of pleasure, Scott was sure. They pushed him higher. He thrust harder and faster, giving Flynn everything he had.
His partner writhed and squirmed, laughing and moaning. "Fuck, fuck, fuck - oh, fuck me! Yeah - yeah - yeah..."
It was hot, tight, absolutely perfect. Flynn moved underneath, arching up, opening wide, offering himself to Scott's insatiable cock. Scott hadn't had such a great fuck in years - if ever.
He and Flynn fit so incredibly well. He could scarcely believe the guy had been a virgin. Flynn was crazy for cock now, a real ass slut, screaming for more, more... so hot. So generous. This was something new, something different... something special.
The thought was what finally brought him to the boiling point. Roaring with lust, he ground his cock into Flynn's bowels and let loose. Jet after jet of spunk flooded out of him. Flynn's channel rippled around his spurting cock, milking him.
He collapsed onto Flynn's back, dimly aware that the other man was shaking with his own climax. Harry's going to be pissed at me for messing up his sofa, he thought. But it serves him right for making me work on Christmas Eve.
With his last bit of strength, Scott rolled off the couch onto the carpet, so that Flynn could stretch out. He lay on his back, panting, feeling what he knew was a silly grin spread across his face. "Damn, that was great. Thanks!"
Flynn's hand snaked down to give his a squeeze. "I'm the one who should thank you." The artist propped himself up on one elbow and smiled down at Scott, his eyes glowing. "Now I know what I've been missing!"
"Yeah, well, you shouldn't have any trouble pleasing a lover after this." Scott swung up to a sitting position and planted a kiss on the other man's laughing mouth. "Though you still might want to buy one of the plugs - just for practice."
"I'd rather practice with a partner."
"Well, I know lots of couples who are into anal toys...!"
They both giggled, then fell silent, awkward after their recent communion.
"I should close up the shop. It must be really late."
"Yeah. Christmas already. Merry Christmas, Scott."
"Same to you." Scott peered around the office, trying to figure out what he'd done with his briefs. By the time he found them, he discovered, to his intense regret, that Flynn had already donned his trousers. Their eyes met.
"So, are you spending the holidays with your family?"
Scott snorted. "Fat chance. They pretty much disowned me when I told them I was gay. Anyway, they're out in California." He looked down at the fingers buttoning his shirt, not wanting Flynn to see the moisture in his eyes. "I figured I'd do some studying."
"Hmm. Do you want to come me with me to my mom's place out in Armonk?" Flynn forced Scott to look at him, then rewarded him with a deep kiss. "Nobody should be alone on Christmas."
Flynn's lips reawakened Scott's excitement. He groped Flynn's crotch and discovered that his companion was hardening too. "I'd love to - but are your parents okay with you bringing a guy - a lover - to Christmas dinner?" Lover. The word kindled a new kind of warmth in his belly, something he hadn't felt in a very long time.
"I'm sure Mom and her girlfriend Lydia would be delighted to meet you."
They laughed, together. Scott flicked the switches, plunging the shop into darkness, and led Flynn to the door. "Meanwhile, you're welcome to come to my place."
Flynn just nodded, as Scott had known he would.
Outside, a street lamp created a cone of brightness where lazy snowflakes reeled. As they made their way along the hushed street, neither man felt the cold.