AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey, guys. I'm alive! (Yay? Maybe not? Lol) Happy New year!

Here's a new chapter, hopefully it goes over well. I'd love to hear from you guys, but if not, thank you for reading 😊

Xxxxx

Morning rolled over Reggie's home in a wave of mixed reactions. Reggie, himself, woke up refreshed and a new man. Ash, wasn't far off. Paul and Barry...

"My aching head." The blonde grumbled in to Paul's bare chest. "Next time I want to drink away my problems, don't let me."

"Like you would have listened to me, anyways."

The two had no motivation or imminent reason to get up so they laid there in silence. Paul combed down Barry's mess of bed head with his fingers, listening to his emerging pained sounds. Luckily for the blonde, Paul remembered to shut the shades and curtains the night prior, blocking out most of the encroaching daylight that morning.

"My head..." Barry sniveled after a period of silence.

"Go back to sleep."

He would've given anything to fall back asleep but the pounding in his head wouldn't let him. The building pressure felt as if his cranium would splinter. To make matters worse, he suddenly became aware of a familiar sound.

"...is that...?" he mumbled, listening.

Paul turned his head an inch towards the direction of his bedroom door. He tuned in to what Barry was hearing. It got louder. It was down the hall, towards Reggie's room.

"Yeah, that's Ash getting fucked in the ass." Paul confirmed, without enthusiasm. "I recognize that sound, anywhere."

"WHAT!?"

Sitting up in a panic, Barry totally ignored his blaring hangover. In doing so, he nearly brought himself to tears. He tuned his ears in, mouth falling open at the sound of Ash having the time of his life bright and early.

It wasn't blatantly loud, they couldn't hear every last sound. But, Ash's clipped gasps traveled through the thin walls with little noise to drown it out so early in the morning.

"Your brother and Ash, they're...they're-"

"They're fucking." Paul deadpanned, the reality setting in with equal disbelief. "Ignore it. Lie down, you need to take it easy."

Returning to Paul's chest, Barry wiped at stray tears. Paul felt the moisture trickle down to his bare skin.

"Your head hurt that bad?"

"...Mhm." Barry weakly nodded in to him. "Yeah. It's j-just my head."

"..."

xxxxx

Needless to say, late morning when it came time for Reggie to shower and prepare for his presentation later that afternoon, he was light on his feet and limber as could be. He worked outside, getting everything in order. Pokémon were arranged in specific areas of the backyard, shiny and jolly from their full tummies and last-minute touch ups.

Pikachu sat in one lawn chair, observing Reggie sitting across from him and going through his paperwork one last time. Seemingly just as excited for the big event, the mouse Pokémon looked around the yard eagerly at his fellow Pokémon.

"Today's the day." Reggie encouraged him, wistful and optimistic. "You look great."

"He's not the only one~"

Bemused as he felt someone come up from behind him and caress his neck, Reggie craned his head back. Only, Ash stepped around the chair and swung a leg over his lap before Reggie could get a look at him.

"Pikachu took the other chair. Guess I'll just sit here."

"Don't you look well rested?" Reggie praised the beautiful specimen straddling his lap. "Finally out of bed, I see."

"I slept in. Someone tired me out last night, then had a go at me this morning."

"You shouldn't have fallen asleep naked. It was a tempting sight."

Reggie took Ash by the chin to look straight at him.

"Besides." The older man emphasized. "I didn't hear you complaining."

"I'm sore..." Ash complained in a small voice, batting sweet eyes at him for good measure.

Reggie kissed his lips, blood stirring at the bit of information.

"Good."

Patting the swell of Ash's backside affectionately, Reggie asked him what it was he'd be up that day. The answer he would have provided evaporated at the tip of his tongue as someone loudly cleared their throat.

"That's an odd way to say 'Good morning', hm?" Reggie teased breezily, and almost patronizing.

"Barry's upstairs in agony. I need the van to go to the pharmacy and get him something for pain."

Rather than withhold the keys and address his brother's rude approach, Reggie nudged Ash so he'd lift his ass just high enough that he could reach down in to his pant pocket.

"You were almost sitting on them." He chuckled, pulling the keys out.

Ash wrapped his arms around Reggie's neck, carefully plopping his ass back down. Over Reggie's shoulder, Ash looked Paul straight in the eye.

"You look like you could use some pain medicine, too." Ash retorted.

"Keep pushing my buttons, and so will you."

"I already do. My ass hurts."

Betraying his age, Reggie snorted at Ash's petty, but honest, comeback. Paul calmly took the van keys and stalked off before he could allow himself to react.

"Behave, you cheeky little troublemaker." Reggie's chest rattled with withheld laughter.

"That's no fun...But, if you want me to stay out of trouble, I could go see my friend. He's coming back from his trip to our hometown, today...I don't feel like peddling my bike across town, though."

"How about you go tuck yourself in my room? Be good, and I might come reward you in a few hours after this is all said and done."

Paul's body disappeared behind the house, heading towards the driveway. Ash kissed Reggie's cheek, retreating to the sliding door. Going to the kitchen for an apple, Ash found Barry struggling to put an icepack together.

The last tray of ice cubes was impacted and stuck, refusing to pop out no matter how hard he hit it or twisted it one way or the other. Barry leaned on the counter to take a breather, clearly miserable and desperate for relief.

"...do you need help?" Ash offered, his empathetic nature taking over.

Without turning to look at him, Barry nodded. He put the ice tray down and Ash came up next to him. Seeing for himself just how difficult the tray was being, Ash ran tap water over the plastic to loosen up the cubes.

"Go sit down. I've got this."

At the table, Barry watched Ash pop out half the tray of ice cubes and fill a plastic sandwich bag with them. Ash closed it up, wrapped it a paper towel, and brought it over.

"The paper towel is so it isn't too cold on your skin...here." he explained, pressing it to Barry's forehead.

"Not that I don't appreciate this, but why are you being nice now?"

Barry tried to keep his voice neutral, but those honey brown eyes of his shimmered with relief...and apprehension.

"You helped me when I was hungover, didn't you?"

Seeing a glimmer of Ash's true personality surface, Barry felt his heart skip a beat. Holding back tears, he brought a hand up to Ash's where it was holding the icepack to his head.

"I miss you." he whispered.

"...don't do this."

Ash pulled his hand away. Barry held the icepack in place, grabbing at him with his other hand.

"Somehow, I'm going to prove to you that we didn't use you." he insisted, barely getting the words out without choking up. "Just you wait."

"Uh-huh...um, take it easy, Barry." Ash dismissed him, uncomfortable. "You should probably go lie down and wait for Paul, or something."

The words weren't spiteful. They weren't affectionate, either. Before his eyes Barry saw Ash put his wall back up.

Particularly sensitive as a result of his discomfort, Barry couldn't hold back the tears that slipped. Alarm flashed over Ash's features, bringing back the person Barry was seeming to mourn.

"Barry, look-" Ash attempted to soothe.

"We aren't these awful people that Dawn told you we are." his voice cracked. "Why do you even believe her? She's not your friend. She's mean to you, you said so yourself."

Dawn did have a chronic habit of being a bad friend...at least to Ash. The criticism, and blatant disregard for his feelings...she hung out with Gary too much. The two were oddly close.

"It's hard to give you the benefit of the doubt here...you two weren't exactly my 'friends' either. I find it convenient you both started being nice to me as soon as I let you in my pants."

"You didn't start spending time with us until then! I can tell you right now, we never invited any of our hook ups to the aquarium or apple picking with us."

Taking what Barry said in to consideration, Ash looked away.

"This isn't a good time to have this conversation. Let me get you upstairs."

Having Barry walk ahead of him, Ash accompanied him up the steps. His intent was to leave at Paul's bedroom door, but Barry tugged him in, pleading for him to stay.

"Just until Paul gets back."

"I definitely don't want to be in here when Paul gets back..."

Barry was none the wiser to all the instigating Ash had pulled in his absence, because he really didn't see the danger in what he was asking of him. Ash resisted, but ultimately caved as Barry begged and begged, promising to keep Paul in check.

"If I invite you in here, you aren't trespassing."

"Barry, really-"Ash tried to resist still.

"My head hurts so bad..." The blonde pleaded.

Lying on his side, Barry kept the ice to his forehead. Ash wearily sat at the edge of the bed behind him, looking around as if he were doing something wrong when Barry requested to have his back rubbed.

Remembering how miserable he was when he was hung over, Ash complied. After all, Barry had been there for him. The blonde relaxed at the soft strokes going over the back of his shirt.

"I hope Paul gets back soon." He mumbled as time passed, grimacing from the unrelenting headache.

"Wish granted."

Ash nearly shot up out of the bed upon Paul's unceremonious return. Pharmacy bag in one hand, Paul walked by to Barry's side of the bed. He put a bottle of juice on the bedside table, then opened up the boxed bottle of aspirin.

"Hey, Babe." Barry greeted, sitting up to twist the cap off his drink.

"Mind explaining what's going on here?"

"Ash was just-"

Carefully getting up, Ash cleared his throat.

"Leaving." He promised, slinking away. "I was just leaving."

Paul gave Barry his aspirin, keeping Ash in sight right until he left the room.

"What just happened?"

xxxxx

"Dude, congrats on the promotion! I'm totally stoked for you!"

"I wasn't expecting it, at all. I'm so grateful for the raise."

Going forth with his original plans to go see Richie, Ash biked over to his apartment. Sparky sniffed at Ash, saddened to see his Pikachu pal wasn't with him.

"Are your hours going to change much, do you know?" The brunette asked, concerned.

"Longer hours, but my days are about the same."

"Cool, would suck if I couldn't still work with you."

Picking up Sparky to appease him, Richie asked Ash what he wanted to do for the day. The two decided to go out, Ash unperturbed at the influx of messages and missed calls from Gary flooding his inbox.

He silenced his phone and went out to visit a friend at work, did some shopping, and called it a day sometime late afternoon at the Mall. Richie biked home and Ash stayed, intent on waiting for a ride from Reggie.

A couple of bags in the bend of one elbow, and a smoothie in hand, Ash idly waited on a bench. Shoppers passed him by as Ash idly used his dex, tuning out most everything all around him.

At a table in the food court, the last two people he wanted to see had spotted him. Dawn and Gary had done some shopping of their own after the brunette's master plan for the weekend slipped right through his fingers.

"Gary!" Dawn hissed, hitting his side urgently. "Look!"

Having given up on his phone hours ago, Gary didn't anticipate to see hide or hair of Ash that weekend how he'd planned. And, with alarm, he couldn't help but recognize a particular botique brand hanging from Ash's arm.

"Who are you buying that for?" the brunette interrogated, taking his seat next to Ash.

"...where the fuck did you come from? Go away."

Ash slid away to the other end of the bench, giving Gary the cold shoulder.

"You save your money for comic books." Gary persisted. "What are you doing buying lingerie?"

"Jealous it's not for you?" Ash shot back, smoothly and with a cold side leer.

This wasn't a side of Ash Gary was used to. The brunette stared at him a moment, wondering who it was he was looking at. He shook it off, and dove back in to the bigger issue at hand.

"...you don't have anyone to wear that for."

"Don't you sound sure?" Uncaring, Ash didn't spare Gary a second glance. "You really think you know everything."

"..."

As if everything he thought to be true was a lie, Gary looked across the food court to where Dawn was watching from a distance. They shared of a look, both equally confused. Gary scrunched his nose imploringly, looking for any indication Dawn knew what was going on. She shrugged her shoulders helplessly.

"Ash?" Gary tried a different approach.

"That's my name."

"Do you have a minute to talk?"

Ash scoffed. A deeply annoyed sound.

"Nope." he declined.

"We can go somewhere more private." Gary bargained.

Ash didn't even acknowledge that he said anything, acting as if he were gone already. Gary put a hand on his arm, refusing to let Ash ignore him.

"Come on." Gary instructed, with an authority he didn't have, trying to pull him away. "We'll go to my house-"

"Go to Hell."

Ash yanked his arm away, got up, and began walking away. Dawn came running over, having witnessed the whole thing.

"He's supposed to be single! What the hell happened?" she asked Gary.

"You tell me!" Gary glared. "I thought you took care of it!"

That made Ash stop on a dime. He turned around, and approached the bickering pair. The two didn't see him coming back.

"Took care of what?" he accused. "What the hell are you two going on about?"

Gary and Dawn went white, realizing Ash had turned around walked up on them.

"Dawn told you Paul and Barry's little reputation." Gary bounced back. "For your own good."

Obviously, Ash recalled that conversation.

"Y-Yeah." Dawn agreed. "Those two are garbage."

"Like either of you are any better." Ash strode away, again. "Hypocrites."

Their jaws could've just about hit the ground.

xxxxxx

Contrary to what Reggie expected, he did not have the rest of the day to stay home. After his presentation Ash had tucked his special purchase inside the other shopping bag to hide the surprise, only to discover he wouldn't be putting it to use as quickly as he planned.

"I was invited out to discuss the results of my presentation." Reggie explained, getting dressed more formally. "This is strictly business, otherwise I would take you along."

"I understand. Everything is okay, though. Right?"

"Whatever's happening, its good. I just don't know to what extent."

Happy for Reggie, Ash smiled when the older man kissed his head affectionately. He fixed his cufflinks at the bedroom door.

"I'll be back later tonight." he apologized. "Be good, Bed Bug."

Reggie left for the night, picked up in a designated car sent to go get him. And although Ash understood, he crossed his arms and pouted once left on his own.

"Damn it..." he complained to himself.

Paul had the van, which he used to bring Barry back to his Pokémon center. Paul stayed there with him, Ash currently having the house to himself. Taking advantage of having the house to himself, Ash washed his new purchase and put it on.

The black silk shorts were paired with a tight, mesh tank top that showed his midriff. The finishing pieces were the gray thigh-high socks, and thin choker-style necklace wrapped around his neck. Both of which the sale's associate had talked him in to.

At first, Ash was reluctant to the gray coloring of the socks, wanting black. But, the associate insisted he break up the black a bit would make his darker complexion pop. All black would drown out his beautiful legs. A bit of color would draw the eye to them.

Though significantly more confident, Ash looked back at his reflection bashfully. This was...different. Without argument, a more interesting investment than a comic book.

"Let's see how this goes."

Reggie wouldn't be back for hours, but Ash was determined to wait. During his wait, he'd dozed off to some T.V. Shaking off the sleep, he went downstairs, disappointed it wasn't time for Reggie's return.

"I want ice cream." Ash complained to himself.

Going to the freezer, he found Reggie hadn't boughten a new carton of ice cream. But, there were ice cream sandwiches. Content with that, he helped himself to one, tossing the wrapper away with a grin when he heard a key in the front door.

"You're home~" he called out when he heard the door open and shut.

Footsteps approached, and Ash waited for them to get closer.

"I've been waiting." he purred as Reggie rounded the corner.

When Ash stepped out to reveal himself, he grabbed the front of Reggie's shirt and pressed himself flush against him, one leg curled around him ready to climb his way up.

Only, it wasn't Reggie.

Ash froze mortified he'd thrown himself at the arrival without even checking who it was first. He'd only assumed.

"...Wrong person." Ash swallowed dryly, yet to have looked up from Paul's shirt and look him in the eye.

"Not so brave when my brother isn't around." Paul observed. "Interesting."

Shaking off the shock of exposing his new attire to the wrong person, Ash let go with a huff.

"I don't have to be brave. I'm not scared of you."

"No?"

Paul took a step forward, backing Ash towards the adjacent wall. He stumbled, startled by the sudden movement. He actually was a little scared when Paul wouldn't let him go.

"Move."

"Or what?" Paul challenged.

"..."

Ash's bark was greater than his bite. He glowered at Paul, took a good look at him, scanning him from head to toe.

"It's not for you." Ash taunted. "When your brother gets home-AH!"

Swiftly, Paul had pinned him to the wall with one large hand to his neck. He didn't squeeze, he only held him with enough strength to keep him put.

Enough force to remind him what the pecking order actually was.

"Listen, you little prick. You're pushing my buttons." Paul warned. "Cut the shit."

"Or what?" Ash mocked him.

"You get off on aggravating me? What the hell are you getting out of this?"

"That maybe you'll think twice before preying on someone's virginity."

Paul's nostrils flared.

"For the last time, we DIDN'T use you!" He all but roared. "Say it again, and I swear to God I'm knocking your teeth out. Go ahead, try me."

Ash wilted at the rage. He said nothing.

"You really think we're the manipulators?" Paul glared. "Get a clue. Or, you're just as stupid as Dawn says you are."

"...Let go of me."

He stared up at Paul, eyes watering and bottom lip threatening to quiver. He pushed at the hand on his neck, but it wouldn't budge.

"Let go!"

"You don't find it at all weird that suddenly Dawn gives a shit what you do? Or that Gary just HAPPENED to be at the party she dragged you to?"

"I said let go!"

"They both played you, and you let it happen. They're in on it TOGETHER. Why can't you see that?"

In on it...together?

Ash's stomach dropped. The pieces were falling in to place. Each one hitting harder.

"Gary was going to fix things with you. Had you just waited-" Dawn's voice echoed inside his head.

"I thought you took care of it!" Gary's voice followed it.

Embarrassed of what'd he done, and ashamed of himself, Ash came to realize he'd allowed himself to be manipulated. And, neither Barry or Paul were the culprits.

One tear rolled down Ash's face. Barry's heartbroken face flashed before his eyes. Paul's frustrated face hovered right before him.

"I'm such an idiot." Ash whimpered, tears beginning to spill. "Dawn's right."

Paul took a good look at Ash, processing that the tears were a result of him finally realizing his mistake. Not because he yelled at him.

"Ash-"

"I'm so sorry."

Ash begged to be let go, crumbling right there in front of Paul who had no intention of letting go. He didn't have a choice when the doorbell rang. Ash darted out of sight upstairs, Paul allowing him his dignity.

Ash threw on his clothes over what he was wearing, scrambling to gather his belongings while Paul dealt with the late rouge customer who showed up despite it being closed.

"My brother isn't home right now." Paul tried getting through to someone attempting to inquire about emergency grooming for a last minute event happening the next day. "If you come back tomorrow morning , he'll be more than happy to help."

Paul managed to convince the person to come back early the next morning, making to Reggie's bedroom door just as Ash was going to leave. Ash slammed the door and locked it, barricading himself inside.

"Ash-"

"I don't need you to rub it in my face any more."

"That's not what I'm here to do."

"Sure you're not."

Bargaining didn't work. The two went back and forth until Paul sighed and sat with his back to the door. Ash dropped to his knees on the other side.

"You're such a pain in the ass."

"Then just leave me alone."

Paul peered back at the door with a grimace.

"Wish I could." He confessed.

"…what's that supposed to mean?"

"Do you have any idea how much Barry misses you?"

Remembering his encounter with Barry earlier that day, Ash rubbed his arm guiltily.

"He told me this morning."

"That doesn't mean anything to you?"

"…it didn't at the time."

"How about now?"

Ash thought about it.

"I feel so guilty…I can't tell you guys how sorry l am."

"You're going to have to figure something out. Barry's heartbroken." Paul explained, grimly. "I can get over you messing around with my brother. But, I don't take Barry's feelings lightly."

"I wanna do right by him. I'll apologize. What do I have to do for you?"

"Make things right with Barry, and I'll consider it even."

There was a pause, Ash ruminating on how he'd approach Barry. Or, when. Paul tapped the door with one knuckle to get Ash's attention.

"He' still up." He offered. "Wanna go for a drive?"

Xxxxx

Ash didn't know to brace himself for when Barry opened the door. All Paul had done was send a text in advance that he was on his way back, without context. It was evident that Barry had been crying before opening the door.

"Everything okay, Paul-" Barry started before his sad eyes went wide with surprise. "Oh…you brought Ash."

"Special delivery." Paul said in his blunt way. "Just for you."

Barry took a step back, offering to let them in. He watched Ash hopefully.

"You're coming in, right?"

"Y-Yeah. I'm coming in."

Closed inside, Barry gave a bittersweet smile.

"This is a nice surprise. What brings you here?"

"…I came to tell you I'm sorry."

Barry had suspicion that perhaps Paul had threatened Ash in to coming along.

"This is coming from you, right?" he asked, watching closely for any indication he was lying.

Ash nodded, promising that Paul wasn't coercing him. He'd come on his own free will. And, desire.

"Um, I realize I was wrong about you two. I fucked up… I shouldn't have listened to Dawn." Ash confessed. "Gary used her to manipulate me."

"And?" Paul nudged Ash.

"I feel really bad for hurting you the way that I did…and the horrible things I said to Paul. I'm not asking you to forgive me, but-"

Barry crept in and wrapped his arms around Ash, holding him in close before he could finish his sentence. Ash relaxed at the embrace, taking a breath of relief. Barry didn't hesitate to accept his apology.

"Do me a favor and never listen to Dawn, again. Please."

"I won't…I don't know why I did in the first place." Ash moped. "I don't want to talk to her ever again, actually."

"You shouldn't. She put us through Hell."

Paul sat down with an air of relief that betrayed his stoic expression. Barry was happy. It took a weight off his shoulders.

"Im gonna punch your ex in the nose if he ever tries that shit again." Paul threatened. "Guy had Dawn talking like I'm a predator."

"Gary's an asshole." Ash agreed, blushing as Barry held his face close to press a kiss to his cheek. "I regret dating him."

"You don't regret us, do you?"

In all that had happened, Ash learned a few things about himself, and others -for the better. Things he probably never would have come to realize had he not encountered Paul and Barry when he did.

"I don't regret you." Ash assured the two. "I owe a lot to you guys. Especially after all this. I acted like a brat...mainly to Paul. Jeez."

"How do you intend to repay it, then?" Paul pried. "If we're on the topic."

Ash recognized the question for what it was worth. He cleared his throat.

"I hadn't thought about it."

"You could start with showing me what you've got on under there. Let me get a good look, this time."

"…"

Interested, Barry played with the hem of Ash's shirt.

"What are you hiding under here?" He asked, deeply invested. 'I want to see."

"It was originally for my brother, but I think a re-gifting is in order." Paul tugged Ash back, trapping him between his legs. "Don't you?"

Hit with something awful, Ash groaned.

"Your brother." Ash put his face in his hands. "Shit."

"He'll forgive you. Reggie isn't one to hold a grudge." Paul pointed out. "...Assuming that you're choosing us."

Opening a new can of worms, Paul left Ash to answer. Was he choosing them? Ash wasn't prepared for that ultimatum. He hadn't thought that far ahead. As Ash panicked, Barry did some thinking of his own.

"...maybe he doesn't have to choose." He stepped in as the voice of reason neither of them anticipated.

"Yes. He does." Paul corrected. "I'm not sharing him with my brother."

"We can't ask him to be exclusively loyal to us, unless we're willing to give him the same thing."

Paul's grip on Ash tightened, keeping him right there with him while he went back and forth with Barry.

"Exclusive? You act like he isn't invited to participate."

"You act like he'd want to." Barry reasoned back. "He isn't going to scope out gay bars with us. It isn't who he is. You met the same person I did, Paul."

Ash peeked up to nod, meekly, in agreement with Barry. He was done putting himself out there.

"I don't want to be a part of that..."

"See?" Barry reiterated.

Paul didn't let go.

"I'm not sharing him with Reggie. I draw the line there." he stubbornly refused. "Fuck the bars...we're not sharing him with any one, period."

After all the trouble he'd gone through, Paul wasn't willing to risk giving anyone else the opportunity to dig their hands in to Ash even if it meant giving up everyone else. Barry really didn't like the idea of sharing Ash with random flings much more than Paul, if he were being honest with himself.

"I don't want to share him, either." Barry confessed. "I'd be happy with the three of us. But, ultimately, that's up to Ash."

Waiting for Ash to speak up for himself, Paul and Barry gave him the floor, to do so. Ash looked troubled.

"Ash?" Barry pushed, gently.

"...you're sure Reggie won't be mad at me?" Ash asked Paul.

"He doesn't have a hateful bone in his body...just please clarify this was a fucking misunderstanding. It's not your fault that Gary and Dawn are conniving cunts. But, after all this, my brother thinks I'm one."

Accepting his responsibility to everyone in the equation, Ash promised to set the record straight between Reggie and his brother. He owed it to Paul. He owed it to both of them.

"I'll make this right. I promise."

"Good." Paul approved. "Now. Back on topic."

xxxxx

The sensation of two bodies on his wasn't foreign. However, Ash relived the rush of receiving all that attention. Stripped of his silken black shorts, he lay between Paul and Barry on his hands and knees. His head between Barry's spread legs, and Paul's hips between his.

Barry affectionately twined his long, slender fingers in the raven head of hair working between his thighs, staring across his body to Paul through lidded eyes. The larger man had palmfuls of flesh clenched in his hands, groping the squirming body between them.

He pounded relentlessly in to him, reminding him what it was he'd almost left behind for another man. Ash's muffled groans came to peak when Barry pulled his head off his cock, giving him a chance to breathe.

"Ah!" He gasped for a full breath, a string of saliva connecting his bottom lip to Barry.

Skin clapping skin bounced off the walls, Ash's quivering hands grasping for bedsheets as if he could somehow climb his way out of the erotic sinkhole Paul and Barry pulled him down in to.

"You should see his face." Barry purred to Paul. "He's drooling."

Barry put two fingers in Ash's open mouth, dragging them down the length of his tongue. Ash sucked at them obediently, going back for Barry's unsatisfied erection without any coaxing. The blonde shut his eyes, mouth agape and Ash's willingly took the entire length down his throat for his enjoyment.

Paul raised one hand up, letting it fall with a swift hit to Ash's ass. A pink blossoming of color spread across the skin, accompanied by an urgent, muffled groan.

"Hit him, again." Barry encouraged.

Another hit landed, this time on Ash's other side, giving him a matching set of pink cheeks. Barry nearly drooled, himself, at the sound that came from Ash. And, the sight of his spine curling from the impact.

"Again."

A sharp crack resonated, flooding the back of Ash's eyelids with white until the pain passed. Paul chuckled at Ash's whiney, pained sound.

"You deserved it." he struck Ash, one last time. "This ass belongs to us."

"Fuck, I'm going to cum." Barry jutted his hips up, legs shaking on either side of Ash. "That's it... just like that."

The visual stimuli led Barry down off the edge, pushing him to the point of no return, spiraling him in to climax. Ash just pulled off when Paul pulled out and flipped him on to his back. The mesh along his torso moved with his shuddering diaphragm.

Paul took a socked calve in each hand, dragging him closer before bending Ash's legs apart and towards his chest. He pressed them as far back as they'd go, plunging himself back inside the tight body beneath him.

"You next." he ordered. "You're not going anywhere until then."

Ash didn't leave Barry's room that night. Too worn to even humor the thought after he and Paul gave him a proper welcome back.

His very first night spent with the pair back on Halloween, Barry had slept in the center of the bed with Ash and Paul on either side of him. Now, Ash laid between the two, panting and naked, lingerie tossed off. On the cusp of slipping off to sleep, he laid curled up in Barry's hold.

"Sleepy?" Barry teased him.

"Uh-huh..." He nodded.

"Go to sleep."

Barry kissed his face as he slipped away in the silence of the night. Paul shut the light off to let him drift off peacefully

"Fresh start." Barry smiled at Paul. "He's ours."

xxxxx