Bittersweet Irish Cream Ch. 10

Jack sighed. "June told you."

"Of course she did. She's my baby, she tells me everything," Liam said happily. Jack shook his head.

Liam said, "When it's your first love, it's hard to let it go. But it's you he's chosen, you said he told him that. You're not the default. You're the better option and he told him that too, don't forget that. Everything Carlos is doing is literally out of desperation to keep Ethan under him. But it's not working anymore because he's in love with you. Trust me when I tell you, Ethan is not going to allow him to come between the two of you. It's Ethan's responsibility to make sure you know you come first.

"But," he continued, "That is his best friend too, so you're gonna have to put up with it a little. He's always going to be in Ethan's life and that needs to be Ethan's decision how close they will be. And since Ethan's the one fucking up here, he knows what he has to do. But you gotta keep a level head about it and know you already got him. You just gotta walk that hard line until something gives."

Jack was quiet, sipping his beer. He flexed his aching knuckles. His phone rang and it was Ethan again. He pressed the End button for the ninth time. Then he said, "Liam, I just realized I haven't asked you yet. Will you be my best man?"              

Liam laughed. "Did you really have to ask? I thought it was a given. June and I are taking the ride to Vermont with you that morning. I know my place is by your side. I take my best friend title seriously." Jack smiled.

~~~

Jack came home a little after 9pm. EJ was already asleep and Ethan was sitting up waiting for him on the couch, grateful because he honestly did not know if Jack was going to come back. Jack sat on the couch next to Ethan and looked at him.

Ethan started, "I fucked up. I underestimated how Carlos really felt about me. I should have listened to you and I'm sorry. I'm cutting Carlos off, completely. He won't be in my life anymore. I'm really really sorry about all of it. All of it."

Jack took a moment, then said, "It's up to you if that's what you want to do. I know he did that shit to come between us, more than because he actually wants you, so I won't apologize for my reaction. But I know you consider him your best friend. And I knew you guys had a history but I also know that he's the one person you can turn to when you need an outlet."

Ethan said, "Jack-"

Jack continued, "I do wish I would have known about the continued fucking around and threesomes after your teenage years, but that's whatever, in the past and we all got one, right? The truth is there are people in this town that I've fucked, or that fucked me, that you do see every day, and you don't ask me about it and I don't talk about it. Because it doesn't matter, no one is actively trying to fuck me or come between you and me because they respect our relationship. So as long as Carlos starts to really respect it too, then I don't care about him being in your life."

Ethan said, "I-"

Jack interrupted again, "As long as you know I'm not going to let him touch you or kiss you. He can say whatever he wants to say, bring up all the nasty shit you two used to do with anaconda dicks and shit, I don't care. I just don't want him touching you. Can you do that? Can you not let him touch you?"              

"Yea, of course," Ethan said automatically. "He won't be around anyway, like I said."

Jack ignored him. "Because the next time he puts his mouth on you, I'm going to fucking kill him."

Ethan looked at Jack intently. Jack relented. "Ok, I can't say shit like that anymore, got it. I won't kill him. But I will shoot his fucking balls off. And that's a promise."

Ethan laughed. He pulled one of Jack's legs on the couch to crawl in between them, then laid on top of Jack. He kissed him on the lips three times. "I hope you gargled before you kissed me," Jack said.

Ethan laughed again. "You really are amazing, mature and sexy. And there is nothing baby about you, Jack."

"You better fucking believe it," Jack said, and wrapped both legs around Ethan as they kissed. Then Ethan moved further down and started unbuckling his jeans. Jack watched silently as he pulled his penis out of his underwear and began licking the head all around until his pre-cum started dripping out. Then he opened his mouth and took all of Jack in, proceeding to suck him off.

Jack closed his eyes and held onto Ethan's head as he pushed his hips up on the couch to meet the back of Ethan's throat, his black hairs tickling Ethan's lips, moaning as quietly as he could. He gave Ethan no warning but he didn't need to, Ethan always knows when Jack is about to come. Jack thrusted up a couple more times then held Ethan's head as he arched his back and released his Irish cream directly down Ethan's throat.

Ethan moved up and put his head on Jack's chest, and lightly touched his penis that was still hanging out of his pants and running his hands through Jack's dark pubic hair. "I'm really sorry. I'll make it right, I promise. I love you, Jackie Bear," he said.

Jack sighed and stroked his hair. "More than you'll ever know."

~~~

Carlos called Ethan the next day and apologized profusely about it. "Ok ok I took it too far again, I know. You told me not to test him and I kinda did anyway."

Ethan listened for a bit as he and Jack sat at the dining room table in the apartment together, then put him on speaker and said, "Apologize to Jack."

Carlos said flippantly, "Hey Jack. My bad, cabron, sometimes I play around too much and forget myself."

Jack didn't say anything at first. Ethan said to Carlos as he looked at his fiancé, "I want you to never touch me sexually or try to kiss me ever again. If you even attempt to do it, you can kiss our friendship goodbye for good. Respect Jack starting right now or lose me in your life forever. I'm not kidding. He's the love of my life and my family now."

There was a brief silence on the other end of the phone. Then Carlos said, "OK. Done. I'm sorry and I respect you, Jack. We'll all be one big happy family." Jack rolled his eyes. "Do you accept my apology Jack?"

Jack finally said, "As long as you don't touch Ethan again."

"Ok cool, cool. So Ethan, we're good now?" Carlos asked.

Ethan took a deep breath, then said, "Yeah, we're good. But one more thing. I'm asking AJ to be my best man and our other witness. You can't stand there for me. And I don't want you at the ceremony either. You're still invited to the reception with everyone else though."

Jack's eyes grew wide, as he did not expect Ethan to do that. He said as much by shaking his head, whispering, "Don't-" But Ethan held his hand up to stop him.

Carlos was quiet on the other end for a long moment. Finally he spoke to Ethan in Spanish, "OK, Entiendo. Etan, lamento mucho que lo sepas. Mi temo que nuestra amistad cambiará y no puedo manejar eso. Pero sé que tiene que hacerlo ahora, porque tienes a Jack. Solo promete que siempre estarás allí para mí....¿Por favor?"

(OK. I understand. Ethan, I'm really sorry you know. I'm afraid our friendship will change and I can't handle that. But I know it has to now, because you have Jack. Just promise you will always be there for me...please?)

Ethan said, "All that you could have said in English, you know. Pero no, mientras respetes a Jack como el hombre de mi vida, no me perderás. Los sentimientos de Jack son lo primero." (But no, as long as you respect Jack as the man in my life, you won't lose me. Jack's feelings come first.)

Carlos spoke in English again. "I respect Jack as the man in your life. I'm sorry to you both for how I acted."

Jack nodded, "And we accept your apology. Please come to the reception and be there for your friend."

Carlos said, "I'll be there."

Ethan hung up and looked at Jack. They stared at each other for a moment, then Jack stood up and reached for Ethan's hand. Ethan took it and Jack led him to the bedroom. They did not talk as they took off each other's clothes and fell into bed together, kissing and touching.

Jack moved to lay in between Ethan's legs and started out by kissing and licking his lips and neck, taking his time along Ethan's chest and biting his nipples, kissing along the side of his body down to his thighs. Jack licked his lips and kissed along both inner thighs and groin area before his tongue began to dance in and around his hole, making him moan.

Ethan's dick stood straight up wanting attention too, but Jack ignored it for a while. He came up to lick his balls and returned to the bottom, taking his time and relishing in how good he makes Ethan feel, mentally vowing to always do so.

Ethan raised his hand to the bookshelf headboard to feel around for the lube they keep there and handed it to Jack. He recognized he has been bottoming for Jack all weekend and it made him happy to do so, to relinquish all control and to know he is in good and loving hands. Jack used his fingers to lube and finger Ethan for a while making him moan louder until he said, "Fuck, just fuck me already!"

Jack laughed and used the lube on himself. "Lift up so I can put a pillow underneath you," he told him and Ethan obliged. Jack then took Ethan's penis and used his tongue again, starting at the pinkest part of Ethan's slit and making his way down, driving Ethan crazy. By the time Ethan got to enter his warm wet mouth, he was already leaking excitedly and panting harder.

"I'm...not sure... if this... is punishment... or... forgiveness.." he said breathlessly. Jack did not respond at first, as he continued to deep throat Ethan's dick, coming up tracing one of Ethan's vein with his tongue, then making his way back down.

After a bit, Jack finally let Ethan's dick out of his mouth and came up to kiss Ethan, with the taste of his pre-cum still on his tongue. He reached down and guided himself, slowly entered Ethan. Then he leaned over so that he was kneeling over him, as Ethan wrapped his legs around Jack's waist, and they kissed again and rocked together. EJ didn't need to be picked up from school for another two hours so they had plenty of time.

Ethan moaned holding onto Jack's forearms as the tip of Jack's long dick put continuous pressure on his sweet spot. Jack kept his mind, body and heart focused on pleasing Ethan to the max, watching his eyes close to slits and his head move up and down with the rest of his body and moan in his throat as he continued to thrust into him. When Ethan could not take the pressure anymore, he reached in between them and began to stroke himself, giving Jack the go ahead to begin pounding him, which Jack leaned up to hold onto his thighs and did so.

After a few strokes Ethan held himself and groaned in his throat as his Irish cream came out in long spurts one after another, coating him from his collarbone to his abs. Jack felt his own waves forming at the height of Ethan's climax and pushed himself to feel the beginnings of his orgasm, then slowed himself down to a snail crawl to avoid ejaculating, shuddering from his neck to his toes, but not completely stopping.

"Fuuuuuck that was intense," he said breathlessly, still moving inside of Ethan, who was still coming down from his own orgasm.

Ethan chuckled a bit, then moved his hands back to Jack's forearms. "I think you got it now, Jackie Bear." Jack chuckled as well. He leaned down and licked the cum off Ethan's neck, then kissed him again as they made love.

They stayed that way for minutes, hours, days, centuries it felt like, climaxing together with Jack pulling himself back from ejaculating two more times, before switching to Ethan laying on his stomach, ass sitting high on the pillow. He kissed Ethan from the nape of his neck leaving wet kisses all down his spine and all over his cheeks before he spread them again and tongue kissed his now sensitive hole. Then he entered him once more, holding onto the sides of the one he loves the most, thrusting in and out with more speed than before.

The sweat from Ethan's back and Jack's chest made the sliding back and forth easier and more intense. Jack felt his orgasm forming one more time much more quickly. He laid his torso down, stretched his hands over Ethan's to interlope their fingers together and pumped up and down on him. Ethan squeezed Jack's hands as Jack recognized the feelings of his orgasm first, as his temperature rose and his body was completely flushed with heat.

He moaned a loud, "hooooooooo!" as he trembled and then erupted like a geyser filling Ethan's rectum with his own Irish cream. Ethan came again right onto the pillow and bed. Jack slowly pulled out of Ethan and removed the pillow from underneath him, and Ethan laid back down on his stomach. Jack laid on the side of him with his head on the center of his back and drew circles with the pool of sweat that was in the groove between his back and bottom.

"Forgiveness," Jack said after a while. "And thank you, for putting me first."

"I always will," Ethan said. "I love you, Jack."

"Love you too, Ethan."

~~~

The Saturday in April right after Jack's 25th birthday, Henry called them all to come over for a family meeting. When Henrietta, Jack, June and Mina were all seated in the living room he pointed to a medium size box.

"My cousin Lizzy in Ireland wrote to me," he started. No one spoke or dared to look at each other as he continued. "She heard two of my children were getting married this year and wanted to send along some items for each of you on your wedding days."

He reached into a box that was sitting on the center table and pulled out four smaller boxes, each with their names on it. "I'll leave you to it," he said and left the room.

Henrietta opened her cube sized box first. In it was an embroidered lace veil. There was also a small handwritten note that she read out loud.

"Dearest Henrietta, This veil was worn by our grandmother and then your dad's sister Betsy who passed away tragically many years ago. I know she would be so proud for you to wear it, carrying on the tradition of our family. May it bring you the lifetime of happiness that it brought her. And for you, an Irish blessing: May you be blessed with warmth in your home, love in your heart, peace in your soul and joy for your life. Love, your Aunt Lizzy." She looked around to them with wide teary eyes.

"Oh God," June said, as the tears began stinging her eyes.

She opened her flatter square size box next. It was a beautiful handmade white gold and diamond jeweled Celtic tiara weaved in the style of an endless knot. She was already crying as she read her note. "Sweet June Elizabeth, This tiara...was made...by my favorite cousin's husband Jamie....(sniff) oh God (sniff) ... He gifted it to her... on her wedding day... Betsy would...wear it on random occasions after that... (sniff).. to the grocery store... to football matches... (sniff) She wore it giving birth to her daughter....Oh God!"

She put the paper down so she could wail openly. Jack came over to sit next to her and hug her. When she had gotten herself together, she finished reading the note. "She wore it giving birth to her daughter with the hope that one day she would wear it on her wedding day too. Or to the grocery store. I hope you will find some good use for it. It brought her much happiness." Jack and June looked at each other and smiled.

Mina, with tears already in her eyes, said, "Ok. Here I go." She opened her long rectangular box and in it was a Claddagh pendant with blue stone in the center. She gasped. Then read her note.

"Beautiful Wilhelmina, My aunt wore this on her wedding day. It is Edwardian style, which typically is either an emerald or amethyst stone, but my uncle changed out the stone to sapphire to give his wife a Something Blue for her wedding day. My aunt then passed it down to her daughter Betsy to wear on hers. Since sapphire is your birthstone, I felt this would be fitting to pass down to you, for when it's your turn to marry. May it bring you luck and happiness."

She looked around at them. "Fuck, now I have to get married." They laughed.

Everyone turned to Jack who had yet to cry. He smiled and said, "Can't do this in private can I?"

"No!" they yelled at him, then they all laughed.

He went back over to his seat and picked up his flat square box, similar to June's. Inside it were items buried in the cotton fabric separated by a small cardboard. On one side were sterling silver cufflinks and on the other side where three Claddagh style marriage rings, two males and female. He picked up the folded note stuck to the top of the box that was written in a completely different handwriting than the others. He hesitated to read it out loud, but then he decided not to have any secrets from them.

"Jack, Galis came to see me and you all are in the clear and free to live your lives without looking behind you. He made sure of it and so did I with Ruben. That being said, never bring your ruddy arse back to Ireland again." They all laughed again.

"The cufflinks are the same ones I gave to your dad for his wedding day. It is the symbol of the Celtic Warrior, which I should let you know is a Riley family tradition. The Celtic Warrior, if you weren't aware, were fearless, skilled and deadly on the battlefield. My father only had four made for his four sons, so I gave Jamie my own personal pair. I debated whether to pass them along to you, but I figured it was fitting. You decide whether you want to wear them or not.

"The matching white gold rings were your parents' rings but the white gold one with the yellow gold hands I had crafted for your lad. I assume you will wear your father's ring and pass down your mother's ring. Find an Irish jeweler to size them if they don't fit properly. I wish you a lifetime of happiness with him and his son. Until we meet again, may the good Lord hold you in the palm of His hands. Love always, Your Uncle Nate."

He looked up at them smiling widely holding back tears. They stood up and came together for a group hug.

Afterwards Jack went home to Ethan and showed him the cufflinks, rings and the note. They had already planned to wear simple gold bands but Ethan said automatically, "We're wearing these, no question." They tried them on and Ethan's surprisingly fit well, but Jack's was too big so Ethan took it from him and tasked himself with getting it resized.

"Also, I confirmed the date for Sept 1st at a courthouse in Vermont," Ethan said. "It's a Friday. I tried to get our anniversary date of September 10th but it wasn't available and the next date after that was September 22nd. So I decided for us. I hope that was ok."

Jack nodded. "September 1st is fine." He let out a shuddered sigh. "We're really doing this, huh? No turning back now," Jack said a little nervously.

Ethan pulled him into his arms and held him tight. "Nope. No turning back now."

~~~

Henrietta and Brayden married on May 30th at St. Cecilia's wearing Betsy's veil. But she informed everyone that it would be her last day as a Catholic. "I'm converting to Lutheran and joining their church," she announced to her family during the reception. It was surprising to everyone but Jack who understood completely.

"You should join me, you and Ethan," she told him. "You'll be accepted there."

"We'll consider it," Jack said.

Ethan laughed and told her, "He'll never consider it."

Father O'Donnell caught them at the reception and said, "So I heard a rumor, there is another wedding happening."

Jack smiled and Ethan said, "I wish we could do it right here with you, but you know how that goes."

The priest nodded. "Well, maybe I can still bless your union in my own way. Either the day of or right before. Let's plan it."