Painted Love: A Pride Pet Play Novel, page 3
The mood was hitting right now. He was curious to see if they knew when the next pet play event would be and if they might be interested in attending it with him. Would that be too forward though?
He pondered that while inking in the colors of the newest Chibi sketch and decided to send a picture of it to them, as a way of saying thanks, but also, of sharing his talent and telling them a little more about himself. He just hoped they would enjoy his efforts.
Speaking of that, he’d have to get started on his drawings for the Pride stickers he had planned if he was to have any hope of passing them out during the parade. He’d decided on five different designs with enough variety to give out some cool samples of his work. Since his logo would just be a small thing in the corner, he was going to need some real ideas and soon.
Maybe…
Closing his eyes, he began a deep breathing exercise that usually helped. In it, he tried to push all thoughts and images from his mind to tap into the things he wasn’t thinking about. Unfortunately, in this case, the only thing he was thinking about was Mouse and Garrett and how the adorable cartoons Chibis of them looked in their outfits. Garrett’s leather harness with its metal buckles had been shiny as hell, and that old school motorcycle cap had really gotten Cas engine revving. Had he known the man better he’d have wiggled up into his lap, plucked it off his head and put it on his own just so he could sit there and pose in it. Garrett’s boots were so shiny Cas could see his face in them, and those chaps….
Holy wow those chaps.
Had he caught a hint of a thong beneath it?
The very idea made him shiver. There weren’t many guys he’d known back home that were comfortable enough in their masculinity that they'd wear lace, let alone purple, but it had complemented the black of those chaps beautifully.
With the thinnest pen tip possible, he sketched a lacy design running across the small of the chibi's back, dipping down into his crack and disappearing between muscular cheeks. Because it appealed to him, he added a hint of ruffles to the thong, nothing too fancy, just enough to give texture and contrast. When he was done, he added chaps to frame them, and a leather harness to match the purple of the lace. Nothing about the image took away from how brutally masculine Garrett was, from the spikey ends of his shimmering black hair to the broadness of his firm, muscular chest.
Cas had felt the power in his arms when Garrett held him and Mouse after their nap. The man was seriously strong, easily able to support each of them with one arm. Cas worried about being too heavy at first and tried to sit up a little. This only prompted Garrett to tighten his hold until Cas was left little choice but to relax or tell him to let go.
Which he hadn’t wanted to do in the slightest.
All that strength and masculinity, and yet, he’d woken them with more gentleness than Cas had ever experienced in his life. He hadn’t shaken them or tapped them on the shoulder until they moved. He hadn’t even nudged them, though it might have been the easiest thing to do. Instead, Cas had woken to Garrett whispering in his ear, describing how peaceful he looked when he was sleeping and how adorable he and Mouse looked curled up together there.
The moment had been so warm, like being wrapped in a soft, dreamy cocoon, that at first Cas hadn’t wanted to comply with the request to open his eyes. When he finally did, he was rewarded with an up-close look at Garrett’s marvelous brown eyes. One word wasn’t enough to describe the three tones that made up that mix of colors. Honey, chocolate, and chestnut hues bloomed in a starburst pattern that ringed the iris, the lightest shade sending soft streaks through the other shades.
Cas sought to capture that in his Chibi, carefully inking in the shades of brown until he’d created a layered effect. It didn’t do proper justice to the beauty of Garrett’s gaze, at least not to Cas’s way of thinking. That was okay though, it was just motivation to try again.
It dawned on him what he should draw for his stickers. Burley men like Garrett in their harnesses and leathers, motorcycle caps and shiny boots, in addition to caricatures of critters: part animal and part human, that made up the ponies, kitties, pups, koalas, ferrets, snakes, mice, and other adorable pets that had attended the munch.
If he was going to do this, and really do it right, then he shouldn’t be afraid to represent his part of the community and show that kinks were nothing to be ashamed of. Of course, the stickers would need to be cute, adorable really, nothing too realistic or porn like, but he could manage that easily and once he had mockups, well then maybe he’d show a few people, get some suggestions, maybe even take them over to Lover’s Cove and see if they’d be interested in carrying a few in their shop.
Yes, that was exactly what he would do. Once there was enough interest and the designs were flawless, he’d have them printed. He'd find the perfect little basket to carry them in when he marched in the parade, too, something bright and colorful. It was too late to be the Easter anything, but he could be the sticker fairy, err ferret, and hell, maybe, if he was truly in the mood, he’d put on some wings with his ferret suit because why not embrace the whole image that had popped into his head? After all, it was Pride, the one time all year when there was a reason to go all out on everything.
He was just finishing the duel layers of green in Chibi Mouse’s eyes when his cell phone chimed. His heart raced as he reached for it, skin tingling with anticipation at the thought of Mouse’s voice on the other end. His fingertips grazed the case and in his haste he sent it skittering across the floor.
Shit, fuck, damn it all. At least it didn’t break. All that and it wasn’t Mouse, just Brandon finally getting back to him.
You will never believe what happened, Brandon said by way of answering his hello.
“Am I going to need a shovel and a wheelbarrow for this excuse?”
Dude, my car got stolen, with my cell phone charging in the fuckin’ thing. Turned into a police chase, since the fuckers who stole it decided to not only take it on one hell of a speedy joy ride but they robbed a god damned check cashing place in the process. They shot the security guard for good measure and went tear-assing off, weaving in and out of traffic and leaving a bunch of wrecked vehicles in their wake. The entire mess ended up on the news. I only just got home from the police station.
“Are you serious?” Cas couldn’t resist asking, though this was far-fetched as far as Brandon’s excuses usually went. Most times it was some twink he lost track of time with, or some hot fuck boy he’d picked up from somewhere, had a few drinks with, fucked and sent on his way. That was Brandon, never taking things further than a smexy hookup and the walk of shame. Hell, he had the art of small talk down to a science, only not the kind that ended with exchanging phone numbers and going on dates. He made it a point never to spend time with the clingy sort as he called them. No, what he was out prowling for was grade A prime brainless American meat.
As a heart attack. Check out KTCL online or on the late-night news and you’ll see.
“Damn. So, you have it back then?”
No, I have my phone and a few personal items that were in the glove box back since the thieves didn’t fuck with them, but the car itself is in the impound lot with a crime scene team crawling all over it looking for god knows what. I have no clue what condition it’s in, either. The only thing the cops said was not to expect pristine, which was the god damned condition I parked it in. So, I also spent a good chunk of my day online with the insurance company. Ohh, and get this, the guy who took it, he’s still at large. He ditched it in a cul-de-sac and fled on foot. Apparently, he fired several shots at police too. The whole mess was a rolling dumpster fire of a shit show that I got to watch play out live on the cop shop tv. Bottom line is I’m going to be Ubering for a while.
“Damn. Okay, well I guess you’re off the hook then.”
Thanks. Does that mean you didn’t have a good time?
“Actually, I did.”
Really? Dish.
“Why do you sound surprised? Weren’t you the one who was certain I'd have fun?”
And weren’t you the one whining and complaining about not knowing know why you let me talk you into these things, even when finding a pet play event was your idea?
“I could have sworn my idea involved a seminar, or something similar where my ass would be in a chair, not furry and prancing about in a maze playing with other people who liked to get furry too.”
And yet, it seems to have worked for you.
“True.”
Then spill, damnit. I want to hear all about this marvelous afternoon of yours.
“I didn’t call it marvelous.”
You didn’t say it wasn't either.
“Touché.”
You’re stalling.
“Nope, just giving you shit,” Cas remarked, laying his sketchbook aside and capping his pen. Settling into the slightly lumpy couch, he grinned to himself when Brandon groaned.
You’d think I had enough of that today.
“Yeah, okay, I’ll give you that. It’s just that I met a couple of guys and they let me spend the whole afternoon with them.”
Seriously? Who?
“Daddy G and Mouse.”
OMG seriously.
“Yup.”
That’s awesome. Daddy G is hot, and Mouse is the sweetest little thing. I asked him out back when I thought he was still single, but apparently my reputation proceeds me. He was looking for something permanent and stable, which, as you know, I have little interest in. Looks like he found it with Daddy G.
“How long have they been together?”
Little over a year, but I heard they've been looking for a third for a few months now. Who knows, today might have been your audition?
“Boy, do I hope so.”
Really?
“Yeah,” Cas remarked, staring down at his Chibis and picturing what he might look like coiled between them in his costume.
He took up the sketchpad again and absently doodled a Chibi of himself on the page, wearing his ferret suit. He made the suit look far less shabby than the one he’d been wearing and far more luxurious, too. Two hundred and fifty dollars, that's what a full-sized ferret costume would run him at least on the lowest end of the price spectrum. Top of the line was well out of his price range at the moment and likely to stay that way for at least a year to come.
It wasn’t a lot of money in the grand scheme of things, but it might as well be a truckful when he factored in all the bills he was responsible for, like rent, utilities, and his meager grocery bill. Oatmeal and toast, the meal of champions. Okay, so he splurged on dinner from time to time, adding bacon, lettuce, and tomato to his sandwiches occasionally, along with a mini cup of pineapple and cottage cheese.
Sometimes he even had real fruit, though it was rare for it to be fresh these days. Canned was something at least, and he did enjoy a bit of peaches and pears with his oatmeal.
Shit, gas was sky high too. With the commissions he'd received, there was the need to use his vehicle to get back and forth to job sites, in addition to long hours when there was daylight that he could paint by. The strict timetables he'd been given meant returning day after day to spend shoulder-wracking hours painstakingly painting in order to make his deadlines. He had streaming services, a phone bill, and incidentals that, try as he might, he couldn't scale back. He’d have to get hired for something truly special before he could buy a suit like that, since he couldn’t see using up any of the money he had squirreled away. That was for emergencies.
Hey, have you heard anything I said in the last three minutes?
“Probably not. I was thinking I would need another commission soon. I need to buy a new costume."
I told you not to try and make that thing. You’re adept with a needle when it comes to curtains and keeping things in one piece, but that was a whole other undertaking. Seriously, you get an A for effort but…
“Look,” Cas snapped, interrupting him before he could call it a hot mess or worse. “I know it isn’t great. Believe me when I say others let me know it too.
Oh, that's bullshit! There is no reason for that.
“Why not? You're doing it!”
True but I am your friend and I love you. I’m not saying it to hurt your feelings, I just wanted you to know people go all out for events like that.
“Yeah, I get that. I priced a costume, thank you very much. I just need to pick up a small job or two to pay for it.”
Did you ever talk to Jimmy at the turkey emporium? He wanted cartoon ingredients and sandwiches for his wall, you know? And that would be no small job either. I’ve been in there. It isn’t a tiny room.
“No, I don’t know. This is the first I'm hearing of a turkey emporium.”
I could have sworn I told you about it the other night.
“Nope,” Cas replied, popping the P. “I would not have forgotten something like that. You told me about the red head in the crop top with the dragon belly button ring, the brunette with the tongue piercing who thought Stonewall was a video game, and the new cat café over on Ninth and Sheppard. You did not mention a turkey emporium. So, what type of place is it?”
Old fashioned deli that specializes in every kind of turkey sandwich you can think of and then some. They even have a strawberry, spinach, hot pepper jelly turkey panini that is to die for. Seriously. He wants every menu item to be a cartoon like at an old school McDon’s. I told him you were just the guy who could pull it off. I’ll text you the directions and you can go down and talk to him.
“Oh man, thank you, that might be just what I need to get the costume and stay ahead of things around here.”
Hey, you’re doing well for a ‘starving artist.’
“That’s because it’s impossible to paint when you’re too weak to hold a brush.”
I’ll have to take your word on it.
“Yeah, I guess you will.”
Alright, so look, I’ve got to get off of here and call my old man, break the news to him about the car, and get my ass chewed for leaving it running in the first damned place.
“Dude…”
I know, okay! Believe me I have heard it from the cops and the insurance company. You know how pops is. I’m about to hear it again so cut me some slack.
“Yeah, okay, considering the tip you just gave me.”
Thanks, talk soon.
“Yup.”
The line dropped, leaving Cas several things to ponder, like cartoon deli sandwiches and the fact that Brandon had claimed Mouse and Daddy G were looking for a third. For once in his life, he wasn’t going to slink around, stand on the sidelines, or hide in the shadows. Instead, he was going to do everything in his power to ensure that those two chose him.
Chapter 4
The space between pet and person
“Well now, there you are,” Daddy G cooed as he gently ran the washcloth over Mouse’s face. He cleaned off the shadow whiskers and the coloring on his nose. Sitting on the toilet in the warm bathroom, waiting for his bathwater to finish running, Mouse was warm, content and still thinking about the wonderful afternoon they’d shared with Cas at Lover’s Cove.
Cocking his head to the side, Mouse let out a low sigh, not ready to completely let go of his kitty cat headspace. That was okay though, Daddy G always encouraged him to do it gradually, so it wasn’t jarring for him. He never rushed and never scolded if Noah stayed Mouse even after playtime was over.
Noah.
Blowing out a breath, he tried to think about what Noah was supposed to do tomorrow, but that felt like a distant dream.
“What’s my Mousy thinking about?”
“Cas.”
Heh. Daddy G chuckled. “You and me both. But we’ll see him again.”
“You promise?”
“I do. That’s why I insisted we put our numbers in his phone, though I’m betting you’re counting down the minutes until you can reach out to him. You don’t have to wait until tomorrow if you don’t want to.”
“Don’t wanna be over eager.”
“I get that, I do, but I don’t think he’ll feel that way, do you?”
“I’m not sure," Mouse admitted.
“Okay, then we’ll wait until tomorrow then.”
Mouse nodded in agreement and let his hood be peeled off his head, revealing long, chestnut hair that Daddy G soon had free of its bun. His head ached just a little, from having it held back so long, not that it went unnoticed. Daddy G’s cool fingers soon slid over his scalp, separating strands, lifting, massaging. He took up the scalp massager too, and gently worked it over Mouse’s head until the tightness eased, and he was left as melty as chocolate laying in the summer sun.
It was hard to think. Good thing he didn’t have to. Daddy G tugged him to his feet, keeping one arm around him as he used his free hand to peel the suit the rest of the way off him. Only when it had slid low enough that he could step out of it did Daddy G turn him loose, just long enough to turn off the water and test the temperature with his hand.
“Perfect,” he declared, then Mouse was swept off his feet and set in its steaming depths, the heat leaving him even more melty than before. He slid as low as he could, Daddy G placing a water pillow beneath his head, letting him soak in the clawfoot tub while he knelt on the mat beside it and leaned over Mouse to clean his hair.
Head to toe.
He always started at the top and worked his way down Mouse’s body with a sea sponge and foamy body wash from Bath and Body Works, one of Mouse’s favorite places to shop. Daddy G even put some in the water while it ran, so it created a bubble bath for him. So what if he liked scents from the women’s section? Daddy G didn’t mind. He let Mouse wander and sniff and get whatever scents he wanted for bath gels and body butter and even the sprays, too. He loved that Daddy G didn’t have any hang-ups about what masculinity should be.
