Page 5 of The Grumpy Vet (Vet Shop Boys Down Under #3)

Ryde

With Linus's hand heavy on my shoulder, his other on Dario's, the three of us carefully climb the few steps to Linus's back porch one at a time.

"I'm okay. Really,"

Linus says when we reach the top.

Dario and I lean back, and I nod. Yep. We're on the same page. Neither one of us is buying it. Linus may not be used to people fussing over him, but too bad. He's in for a world of fussing because despite what he says, I can read the pain on his face. He almost collapsed, and he can't walk on his own. No way are we leaving him.

Unfortunately, Linus Stevenson is one very stubborn man. He lifts his arms, leaving Dario and me no choice but to watch as he limps through his back door, clutching the frame, and into his house.

We follow close on his heels as he hobbles across the kitchen, gripping the counter and then the tops of the chairs at the table on his way to the living room. Holding on to the wall, he turns, tries—and fails—to hide his wince, and attempts to convince us yet again that he's okay.

"I'm home. I'm safe. I'm good."

"I only believe the first two things,"

Dario says, and boy am I glad he's here. I'd be panicking if he weren't.

"Tell us more about this old injury."

"It's tendonitis from when I was younger. Flares up and gets inflamed from time to time. Once I get off my feet, I'll be fine."

Dario claps his hands together.

"What a great idea. Ryde, you want to help me get Linus onto the floor?"

"Onto the floor?"

Linus and I reply in unison. One of our voices may have gone up an octave.

"Yep. The floor."

"Why?"

Linus asks suspiciously.

I'm curious to find out, too. Knowing Dario as well as I do, I can tell there's a scheme forming in that pretty head of his.

"Remember that massage course you did?"

Dario directs the question to me, his eyebrow flicking up, a subtle reminder of the whole yes, and improv thing we've been doing all morning.

"Uh, sure."

"Well, Linus needs a rubdown. It'll help with the pain."

He says it so matter-of-factly, like he hasn't just detonated an IED inside my chest.

Me? Touching Linus? On his leg? Maybe other parts of his body?

No.

No way.

I made sure to give him a wide berth during the workout, calling out my instructions and keeping an eye on him from a safe distance. I can't just rub my hands all over his muscular thigh. That's ludicrous, and I'm sure Linus will agree with me on this one.

I stare at him, waiting for him to back me up on this. His jaw is clenched, he's breathing hard, and he's…stiff. Like he's trying not to move because it might aggravate his leg.

And it suddenly hits me. This isn't about me anymore. Linus is in pain, and we have to do something.

We being the operative word.

"Lie down on the floor, Linus. Please,"

I say, making the same face I always make whenever I want something from Dario. It works every time.

"Trust me. This will make you feel better."

He lets out a low huff and begins to very slowly lower himself to the floor. I want to reach out and assist him but hold back. This is already a huge win. I don't want to offer help and have him suddenly change his mind.

Once he's sitting on the carpet, he looks up at me. "Well?"

"I'll move the coffee table out of the way,"

Dario says, sounding way too chipper. Oh, if he thinks he's got one over on me, I'll show him. He starts dragging the table and says, "Lie all the way down, Linus. Ryde, are you okay massaging over Linus's shorts, or do you want him to take them off? What would be better, medically speaking?"

Linus stops moving.

"I am not taking off my shorts."

"Freeballing are we?"

Dario nods smugly at him.

"No worries. Completely understand, what with this heat and all. Think of Ryde as a medical professional. He's seen it all. Haven't you, buddy?"

The yes, anding stops right the fuck now.

"The shorts stay on,"

I mutter, shooting Dario an evil grin.

"But I will need assistance. Good thing we did that massage course together. Right, Dario?"

My confidence dissipates as soon as the words leave me, and I follow up with a pleading look. He said he wouldn't leave me alone with Linus, at least not at the start. And this is very much the start. I need him. I cannot do it without him.

Holding my gaze, he relents with a long exhale through his nose.

"Yeah, that's right. We did."

I grab a cushion from the couch and prop it under Linus's head as he lies down. I have no idea what he's making of this. Probably nothing. He most likely just wants us to do something to make him feel better.

Which would be a massage…if either one of us knew how to give one. This is the point in most of Dario's so-called awesome plans where they come undone—the part where you have to actually go through with it.

We kneel down on either side of Linus.

"Now what?"

I mouth as Linus stares up at the ceiling.

"I don't fucking know,"

Dario mouths back, then he raises his hands and makes a generic massaging gesture.

"Go slow and gentle?"

"Great advice,"

I mouth then stop when Linus peers up, his intense hazel eyes darting between us.

"Everything okay?"

"Yep. Fine,"

I reply, forcing a smile.

"We're going to start. Let us know if anything hurts, and we'll stop right away."

"Will do."

He pops his head back down, and I place my hands on his thigh, hesitating for a moment before kneading awkwardly. I've got the sore side, so I guess the only reason Dario is rubbing Linus's other leg is because I forced him to stay.

I glance down and focus on what I'm meant to be doing, praying I don't end up making his injury any worse. I think back to the few massages I've had, trying to remember what the therapist did. I awkwardly squeeze his thigh, feeling completely out of my depth, before digging my thumbs into his quad. The muscles immediately tense under my touch, and Linus lets out a sharp exhale.

"Sorry. Too much?"

"No, it's good. It hurts, but it's a good hurt. Keep going."

Throwing a helpless look Dario's way, I adjust my grip and keep going, using the heel of my palm instead of my fingers and slowly pushing deeper into the muscle. This time, Linus's leg doesn’t flinch away, and I feel some of the knotted tension begin to loosen. I repeat the movement a few times, following the same line down his thigh.

Linus's breathing evens out, and his shoulders relax a little. I take that as a sign I’m doing something right. I glance over at Dario, and he's got that evil glint in his eye. He nods his head towards something down to his left.

I look down to my right, my eyes widening when I stumble on the situation going on in Linus's shorts.

I raise my chin and glare at my bestie.

"Not the time," I mouth.

He shrugs his disagreement.

"How does this feel?"

Dario asks Linus in a soothing voice.

"Good. Really good, actually."

Dario sucks in a smile.

"Glad to hear it. You just stay there and let us take care of you."

If I had a spare hand, I'd be using it to smack some sense into my bestie. What is he playing at? This is the least appropriate time to be helping me make a move on Linus. The guy is sprawled out on his living room floor in pain, for chrissakes. I am not going to take advantage of this.

"Oh, shit."

Linus's deep voice snaps me out of my thoughts.

Dario lifts his hands off his leg, and I ask, "Are you okay?"

Linus is frowning deeply. His face is tense but not like before—it’s controlled now, not pained. I notice that his cheeks above his stubble are a little flushed.

"I'm so sorry about…"

He casts his gaze down his body to the massive erection tenting his shorts. "That."

"Oh. Don't worry about it."

Dario smiles and waves his hand in the air, I guess trying to keep things light.

"Happens all the time. Right, Ryde?"

"It's fine. Really,"

I say to Linus, offering him a kind smile.

"Bodies are bodies, and they'll always…react."

Linus smiles, but it's obvious he's uncomfortable.

"What would you like us to do?"

Dario asks him, leaning over and taking my hand in his.

"Would you like us to stop…or keep going?"

The energy in the room shifts so quickly it’s almost dizzying. Tension crackles between the three of us, humming in the silence like an electric charge. What the hell is Dario doing? We talked about supporting Linus and being there for him.

But this? This is veering into brand-new territory.

"No. Don't stop,"

Linus answers, swallowing thickly. His eyes drop to where Dario is holding my hand, and his tongue pops out, licking along his lower lip.

"What would you like us to do?"

Dario asks, and I am this close to passing out from lack of oxygen.

Have I inadvertently stepped into a porno where me and my bestie giving my sexy boss an innocent leg massage suddenly turns into a lust-filled three-way?

I look at Linus. His eyes have gone even darker as they flick between me and Dario, burning with an intensity that hits me right in the sternum. His chest heaves up and down with every breath he takes. I was expecting a scowl and possibly a reprimand for acting inappropriately. A de-escalation.

Not…this.

"You want to know what I'd like you to do?"

I've never heard Linus's voice so low. It's husky and coarse, and I think I just pre-came a little.

Dario replies with a breathy, "Tell us."

Both heads turn to me. All I can muster is a weak nod.

Linus draws in a slow, measured breath, the moment stretching out just long enough for my chest to tighten even more.

"I want you guys to…"

He wags his index finger between Dario and myself then says just one word.

It's the last thing I'd ever thought he'd say.

"Kiss."

Dario

Well, that took an unexpected turn.

A rush of heat surges through me as my heart slams against my ribs. I instinctively know that we don't have a lot of time here. Linus has given us a very, very slight opening. Talking about it, thinking about it, even asking a follow-up question—there's no time for any of that shit.

I have no idea where his request has come from, but we can't risk him retreating and taking it back.

This is something Linus wants, so for the sake of Ryde getting what he wants, I cradle my slightly terrified best friend's face in my hands and ask, "Are you okay with this?"

This may be sudden, and we might have to act fast, but there is always time for consent.

He swallows, staring right at me with those deep-blue orbs, and nods. "Yeah."

His reply comes out a little too shaky for my liking.

"Are you sure?"

I check, staring into the depths of his blue eyes.

His gaze slides to Linus, and the corners of his mouth tip upwards.

"Yeah. I'm sure."

This is yes, and on a whole other level.

And then, as if pulled by invisible drawstrings, we both lean in, and… I'm kissing Ryde.

I'm.

Kissing.

Ryde!

The guy I've been in love with since pretty much the first time we met close to a decade ago.

His lips feel like silk against mine, and holy fucking shit, how is this happening? Oh, that's right. Think later, kiss now. My bad.

My body responds of its own free will, leaning into him as if this was always meant to happen. Pleasure erupts in my chest, cascading throughout my entire body. I tilt my head slightly and let him pull me deeper into this kiss. It's important that he's the one taking the lead, going only so far as he wants to go. I've spent years imagining this moment, and even though it's panned out nothing like I thought it would, I want him to be in the driver's seat. I don't know why, but I do.

My entire body surrenders to the feel of his lips against mine, the sweep of his fingers against my cheek, the press of our now joined hands resting on Linus's thigh.

Linus.

I tilt my head ever so slightly so I can get a glimpse of the guy. He's staring at us with an intensity that's practically combustible. If someone lit a match in the room, we'd all go up in flames.

His bulge is pushing against his shorts, like his cock is trying to find its way out of the material and get in on the action. And because I'm such a good friend, I pull myself out of the moment, out of the kiss I've been fantasising about for years, and guide our joined hands to Linus's groin.

That snaps Ryde out of the kiss, too, but I'm not about to let him off that easily. This has all happened way faster than I thought it would, but we're here now, in this tiny sliver of an opening afforded to us by the universe working its twisted magic. I want my bestie to get what he wants. This moment is about him and Linus, not me. With my hand still wrapped around his, I steer us to the head of Linus's cock and clamp down.

Linus's eyes roll into the back of his head. "Jesus,"

he hisses out the side of his mouth.

I lift my hand off Ryde's, so now it's only him touching Linus. I told him I'd help get him started. Consider this officially started. It's time for me to make a graceful departure and let Ryde and Linus finally unleash over two years of bottled-up sexual tension.

"I should get going,"

I say, making a move to get up off the floor.

"No."

Ryde lets go of Linus's cock and grabs my forearm. "Stay."

I choke on my breath.

"No. Really."

I lift his hand off me and place it back down on Linus's leg. I cannot be in the room, watching them fuck. That's too messed up. Even for me. "I can't."

"Please. I want you here."

He blinks those beautiful blue eyes at me. Normally, I can't resist him. But this is the furthest thing from a normal situation we've ever found ourselves in. I've done my bit. Surely he can see that?

We stare at each other for a few beats, only stopping when Linus chimes in with, "I want you to stay, too."

"Really?"

I…I don't know what to do. Why do they want me to stay? Do they both get off on having people watch them fuck? That seems out of character for them, but who knows?

I mean, what else could it be? Why would they want me to stay here…

Oh, shiiiiit.

No.

Do they… Do they want me to be a part of this?

That was never part of the deal I struck up with Ryde. It was always about getting him and Linus together. I never factored into that equation.

I glance between them. Linus is staring at me with an intensity that damn near knocks me over, and if Ryde's eyes could beg, they'd be on their knees.

We have veered so off plan I'm truly at a loss. My scrambled mind can't make heads or tails of what's going on, so in a time like this, the only thing to do is to revert back to our trusty yes, and approach.

"Fine, I'll stay,"

I say, taking a deep breath.

"But on one condition."

"What is it?"

Ryde asks.

Because I'm still committed to being the best wingman, I lift my chin, stretch my lips into a wide grin, and wave my finger between Ryde and Linus.

"You two have to kiss."