I awoke as I had for the last six mornings. Except for one thing, I was alone and that hadn't happened since I'd first gotten sick. Sitting up, I started to get out of bed to go and find Josiah but the door opened before I could reach my robe. "Young man, back into bed with you. I was just checking to make sure none of the windows were open."

And that's when I heard the rain pounding on the wooden shingles above us. I have always loved storms especially when I didn't have to go outside. Going to the window, I watched the rain come slashing down, gathering in large puddles outside the walls of the church.

"I love the rain and the thunder and lightning." I turned to find Josiah right behind me. I slid my arms around him and took a deep breath of my lover. He'd only put his pants on to go and check the church so I immediately teased my cheek on the salt and pepper gray hair on his chest. Rubbing my head against him, I spied my favorite nipple above his heart and kissed it.

"I must admit that while not that enamored of storms, this one is giving me a different perspective on things." He chuckled and swung me up in his strong arms, making my stomach flutter.

I slid my arms around his neck and kissed him at once, feasting on his full lips and begging entrance to his tasty mouth. He tasted of tea and I pulled far enough away to pout at him. "You already had your tea."

"That's because I put the kettle on before I went around and checked all the windows. And once you are back in bed, I shall bring in your breakfast tray." He carried me to bed and gently laid me into our little nest. "And Vin left off a surprise for us so stay warm for me and I'll be right back."

I nodded and let him go reluctantly. I had discovered that I liked being pampered by Josiah but then I liked to pamper him too. Only he hadn't let me do much while I was healing after my operation. Checking my side, I saw the incision was still nice and closed. Nathan had taken out the stitches the day before and it had ached for the first time since the operation.

Then again, that might have been the approaching storm. I had noticed that Josiah's knee was bothering him a little. I had asked Nathan about what I could do to help ease his pain. He'd chuckled and given me some liniment that smelled of lemon verbena to rub on his knee. He'd leaned a little closer and murmured that it could be used anywhere that soothing was required.

I'd blushed crimson and he nodded as if I'd answered a question for him. When I taxed Josiah with his reaction, the big man had blushed himself and admitted that Nathan had known how much he loved me. I was glad I hadn't known about it or I'd have been frightened of him. But it was nice to know that our healer approved of Josiah and me.

Just then Josiah nudged the door open with his elbow and carried in a heavy tray filled with all kinds of goodies. I grabbed and stuffed all the pillows behind me so I could sit upright. He laid the tray by my side and went back to close the door, locking it with a little click.

The coal stove had heated the room so warmly that we really didn't need the covers at all. I pushed them down to the bottom and patted the bed when Josiah turned around. "Take off your pants first, Josiah. You'll not be needing them."

He chuckled and began to unfasten them. "Are we not getting out of bed today, Ezra?"

"No, since you took patrol last night, you need your sleep. And I need you to snuggle me really close so I can feel all of you with all of me." I watched the worn material slide down his legs and almost held my breath at the beautiful sight. He just laughed when I told him how beautiful he was.

He couldn't see it but then I couldn't see my beauty either. Oh, I knew that some people liked my green eyes and curly hair but that was just superficial. That's not how Josiah saw me at all. When he touched me, I felt beautiful. And we'd spent an awful lot of time touching each other. The only time we weren't was when he had patrol or one of the others was here visiting.

At least they knock first, now.

I don't think that JD will ever quit blushing when he sees us. I really hope that Buck was able to explain what we were doing. Josiah had just introduced me to the joys of fucking and I still hadn't quite satiated my need for him. There was nothing like his heat and I was worried that I would make him sore.

"What's wrong, little love?" His finger smoothed out the line between my eyes and I blushed at the endearment he'd begun to use.

"Are you sure that you're not sore, Josiah? I was kind of wild right before you left."

He chuckled and poured me a cup of tea. "I like you wild, Ezra. It reminded me of how much you love me every time I had to bend over to check a door."

"Then, um, will you come inside of me now?" I thought I might be ready since I'd grown use to his size. He liked coming between my legs and I'd even sucked on him like he did to me.

"Ezra, it's still too soon for you. You need to stretch more so I don't hurt you." He stroked my leg and fed me a slice of apple that Vin must have brought.

I took it from his fingers and thought about the last time that he'd slid a slick finger inside of me and stroked the gland that he said all men had. The heat was wonderful and when he took my organ into his mouth and sucked hard, I'd come at once. "Then I want you to stretch me some more with that liniment that Nathan left. But first I want to rub your knee with it. You're limping."

"You take good care of me, little love. I could use some of your magic touch." He admitted that as if it were a sin.

"Silly Josiah, I like making you feel good." I leaned over the tray and kissed him. "Feed me while I rub your knee."

He chuckled and handed me the bottle of liniment before feeding me a morsel of fresh baked bread. That tasted wonderful and I nipped his fingers while getting my hands nice and slick. He sat back on the bed while I straddled his legs and began to stroke his right knee. I could feel him relax all over when I started and I kept my touch light at first before working my way up to the deep massage that made him groan.

I loved making him groan. In fact, I loved everything about him and I would as long as I lived. I had wondered before why he liked to talk to me but just accepted it as one of his many gifts. He's the most empathic person I'd ever met. He feels things so deeply that his wounds are correspondingly deep. His father hurt him badly when he was a child and I think sometimes events happen that remind him of some of those bad times.

He feels very alone then but I knew that I had lightened the darkness for him the same way that he had lightened my pain. Together we were stronger than we were when separate. I just hadn't quite convinced him of that. He's twelve years older than I am and I know that bothered him. And he thinks he's too ugly and too big and a dozen other 'too's that he hasn't mentioned yet.

But I had a secret weapon and that was going to make the difference. I loved him more than anyone in the world and I would never let him go, especially if it was for something as silly as my own good.

"Josiah, how does it feel now?" I ate another slice of apple and watched him flex it a little.

"You've got the magic touch, little love. I could go dancing." He grinned at me and fed me some more bread. "Your tea is getting cold."

So, I carefully picked up a cup with my slippery hands and eyed him carefully. "Josiah?"

"Oh dear, I know that tone of voice. What do you have in mind?" He groaned but I noticed he sat up to be closer to me.

"Oh, nothing." I finished my tea and set the cup down, grabbing his half-hard cock with both hands. "Something else needs massaging, I think."

He groaned and fell back onto the bed. "Ezra P. Standish, you are without a doubt the most wonderful man in the world. I told you that my cock was yours. Do with it what you will."

"Then stretch me some more, Josiah." I handed him the liniment and set the tray aside so we didn't spill anything before going back to straddling his stomach and sliding his cock through my hands.

He chuckled but I heard the bottle being opened and soon he was sliding a single finger inside of me. It reached that gland that he'd told me about and I flushed all over. But then I felt a little burn and I knew he had two in. I held onto his cock and tried to decide if I liked it.

"Any pain, Ezra?" Josiah stopped moving his fingers and I felt his other hand stroking over my nether cheeks.

"No, it just feels really full and it burns a little. Keep stretching me." I went back to stroking his cock and leaned over to suck the crown into my mouth. I hadn't figured out how to get all of him in my mouth the way he did to me. He told me he'd learned it in India from a disciple of Krishna.

I didn't want to have to go that far to learn how to bring him the most pleasure. So I just kept practicing. Mother always said that 'practice makes perfect'. But that brought up a thought that I'd had once before. Letting him go for a moment, I twisted around to see him.

"Josiah, are you still enamored of my mother?"

"What?" He almost shouted. "Good heavens, no! What made you think of that?"

I smiled at him. "Good. I'd hate to have to never see her again. Because I'm never sharing you with anybody."

"Oh," he shook his head. "Well, I'm glad that's settled."

It was my turn to chuckle around his now iron hard cock. I liked keeping him guessing just a little. I didn't want him to get bored. I certainly wasn't. He was scissoring his fingers back and forth inside of me and I was getting very warm. His other hand gloved my cock while his thumb tickled my balls until I had the urge to come. But I wasn't ready yet so I took a deep breath then another and the urge went away.

He groaned when I lapped at his slit and sucked down the single tear from him. "Ezra, you're getting very good at that. But could we change position for a while?"

Afraid that I'd hurt his knee, I agreed at once, letting go of him reluctantly. But he just moved me to the side so we each had a tasty cock in front of us. That was better and I went back to sucking on his crown before nibbling my way around the edges. He groaned again and I checked to make sure that it was a good groan. His hips were starting that little thrust that told me I was doing something right and he was getting close.

I liked tasting him so I slid one of my still slick fingers behind his balls and into the tight, hot place I loved. He groaned again and I knew I'd found the little bump that gave him pleasure. But he was fingering me too and it became a race to see which of us would come first. He won or maybe I won since I got all his tasty seed to drink down. I've always been fond of things like sour pickles and pickled okra so his bitter, almost briny taste was just fine with me.

But then he was sucking harder on me and I clung to his legs before releasing into his mouth. We both rested for a long moment before scooting around so we had lips to kiss instead of cocks. We tasted good together. Josiah reached a long arm for the tray and brought it back to my lap. The tea cozy had kept the pot warm so we both had another cup of tea while we listened to the rain.

I've never felt so safe before and I cuddled as close to him as I could get, wishing I could just crawl into his skin and stay there forever. He kissed my temple and I felt so loved that I wanted to cry. I sniffed a little and he pulled me into his lap and began to rock me slowly as if he knew what I was thinking and feeling.

I found his nipple and suckled on it while my hand stroked the other one. He had told me that when I did that he felt so well loved that he wanted to shout it to the world. It just made me feel safe and warm. I think I may have dozed a little because I was missing my support when I next awoke.

But he came back in before I could get worried. He was bringing in the tin tub that fit him and I sat up in anticipation of a bath. I loved seeing him wet. "Josiah, what a wonderful idea. Who gets first turn?"

"Well, we could play a hand of cards for it but I think I'll just let you go first so I can play with your tempting body and the soap." He winked at me and I hurried out of bed to join him. He'd filled it not quite halfway with room temperature water and I poured in the big teakettle full that always sat on the coal stove in our bedroom. He took it from me with a kiss and went to refill it. It was only tepid so I waited for him to bring in the other kettle from the meeting room stove. That usually gave us just enough for bathing.

I got the bar of lavender soap that Gloria ordered especially for me and put it near the tub before moving to the cupboard that held linens for the bath and our bed. I liked thinking about 'our' things. The others had brought almost everything of mine over here and I like seeing his things and mine in the same dresser. In his spare time, he was building an armoire to hold the rest of my clothes but for now they were in a box by our bed.

Our bed. That sounded very, very nice.

He was back with both kettles and I took the cool one from him to sit on the stove so it would heat. The other one was steaming as it went into the tub and I shivered at the thought of how good it would feel. But he thought I was cold and he hurriedly tested it first before urging me into the hot water. I sank into it and sighed happily.

"Josiah, there is no such thing as too many baths." I sat up and reached for the soap but he took it from me with a chuckle.

"Now, now, none of that, young man. It's my turn to wash you." And lathering the soap, he began to scrub my back while I moaned my enjoyment. "I have never met anyone who likes being touch as much as you do, Ezra. And I'm the lucky man who gets to touch you."

"I like touching you too, Josiah so I guess it's a good thing we love each other. Oh, there. That feels so good."

He scratched lightly 'there' and I felt like purring. He'd called me a cat often enough I guess I was growing into one. But most cats I knew didn't like to get wet and I surely did. He pulled one of my legs out and washed it right down to my toes. Once they were rinsed he loved every single one of them with his tongue, leaving me hard as a rock again. Then he repeated it with the other leg and I almost came just from that. But he washed the rest of me before having me stand so he could suck my cock into his mouth and make me come.

I would have fallen if he hadn't caught me up in his arms and carried me to the bed. I was so limp that I couldn't have bathed him right then if I'd tried. He chuckled and tucked me in before heading over to the tub. He washed himself all over and I revived enough to come back and scrub his back for him. Washing makes him hard too so I dried him off and led him back to bed.

I sat him down on the bed and picked up the liniment bottle with a determined look on my face. He held out his hands meekly and I made sure that his fingers was really slick before I popped the cork back in and set it aside. Then I kissed him hard and straddled his legs right over that big cock of his. He shivered but I knew he wasn't cold. He was just thinking about being inside of me. And that made me shiver, too.

I ached for him but I didn't know how to tell him that. Two fingers slid inside of me and he scissored them while plunging them as deep inside as they could go. The warmth was even better than it had been before and I sucked on his tongue while I rocked up and down on his fingers.

We finally had to breathe and he looked real serious at me. "Ezra, are you sure you want this? It's going to hurt the first time no matter how careful I am. I can't bear to hurt you."

"I'm sure that I love you more than anyone in the world. I'm sure that I want to be with you until the day I die. I want to live with you and help you build this church. I want to be the first person you see every morning and I want to sleep in your arms every night. I'm really sure that I want to be connected to you in every way possible." I ran out of breath and he kissed me with tears in his eyes.

Finally, he rested his forehead against mine. "All right. But if there is pain like a tearing feeling or anything like that you will tell me. At once."

I nodded solemnly and he kissed me again before upending me over his lap. I kept hold of his cock and pretty soon I had a death grip on it while he moved three fingers inside of me and I had to bite my tongue because of the pain. But it gradually decreased and the warmth came back until I could feel my cock start to harden again.

And that's when he rolled me onto the bed with his fingers still inside of me and sucked my cock deep. I moaned and clung to his cock until I came and came and came. I must have passed out for a moment because when I came back, I was full. I mean really full and I realized that he was inside of me and spooned against my back.

"Josiah, you feel incredible." There wasn't really any pain but an ache deep inside of me.

"My God, Ezra, I've never felt anything like your heat. Is there any pain?" He kissed the back of my neck softly and I reached back for his hand.

"I love you, Josiah. I just feel full of you everywhere. Inside and outside, you've got all of me." I brought his hand to my lips and kissed each finger for getting me ready for him. "Now, I think you better move so I can see what that feels like."

"Your wish is my command, beloved." His deep voice made me shiver and soon it was all I could do not to scream.

He moved slowly and surely out and back in, each time sparking my gland until I was on fire everywhere. His hand held my cock and I was hard again. One of his legs over mine kept me from moving and I had a brief thought about how another position might feel but soon all I could feel was him and the need to come mixed together in my mind. He faltered and I pushed back against him, feeling his seed burst from him to flood me with boiling liquid.

And with a shout, I came again too. We were both panting and I heard him say my name over and over as if in prayer. I hugged him tight around me and prayed that he'd stay inside of me forever.

"Beloved Ezra." He began to rock again. "One of these days, beloved, I shall read you the entire Song of Solomon while we make love. But for now listen to the verses that named you thousands of years ago. 'As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight and his fruit was sweet to my taste. He brought me to the banquet house and his banner over me was love.' Oh, my beloved."

I would have cried but he'd finally slipped from me and was turning me so we could kiss. We kissed for long moments before having to breathe and I tucked my head under his chin so I could listen to his heartbeat. "I love you, Josiah. All my life I wanted just one person to love me back but no one ever did until you came. Hold me close and never let me go."

"Never, Ezra, as long as there is breath in my body, you will never be without me." He stroked my hair and rocked me slowly.

"Good, I will never leave you. I will always love you even when we're very old." I shut my eyes and hummed a lullaby that I remembered from my youth. His deep bass soon joined me and we hummed each other to sleep.

*******************
The end for now